I had shot with Leica film cameras for years but when I made the full transition to digital, moved away from them. The M8 and M9 are great cameras, but too pricey, even on the used market. For years, I used a Canon G-series as my carry-everywhere camera and, while it produced very good photos and was bullet-proof reliable, the small chip size and very short focal lengths bothered me a lot.When the E-P1 came out, I was intrigued. When the E-P2 came out, I became lustful. I had a chance to borrow one for a week and got hooked I had to have it.
The larger chip means a cropping factor of 0.5x, so the 17 mm lens gives me a field of view close to the 35 mm I always had on my Leica M4-P. The larger chip means a longer lens which means more background control and that is what I craved the most. The ability to separate my subjects out from the background means my images pop again, just like the old days. (And like on my full-frame Canon DSLRs.)
The camera is small, light and feels extremely durable. The lens, I'll admit, doesn't feel as strong as the camera, but I hear rumors of new lenses in 2011 with a wider maximum aperture, so I may buy a new one if that pans out.
The raw files look very good at ISOs below 500. Above and they get a little chunky, but usable.
Buying this camera has re-invigorated me. I made a commitment to shoot with it (and post photos online at mejphoto.com) every day. I'm coming up on 30 days and, so far, with one exception (when I decided to get out a big lens on a DSLR to shoot a hawk), I've made and posted a photo every day with it. It is my constant companion and is helping me to see my world again.
As for the strange pricing ... I'd been keeping my eye on the E-P2 kit with the 17 mm lens and the viewfinder for a while. I knew I wanted it, I knew I wanted it by early December to start a year-long project, but the price had been holding steady at $1099. In late November, the price for the viewfinder was about $250, the camera and lens about $900, putting the separate prices higher than the kit. Then the camera/lens combo started to drop. $750, matching the kit price.
$700.
$675.
$635.
$535.
I have no idea what Amazon was doing, but ended up with the camera, lens and viewfinder for a combined $785, more than $300 off the kit price.
So, um ... thanks, Amazon.
Micro 4/3
If you are new to the micro 4/3 idea, do some research but I am completely satisfied with my decision to stay away from big dslr's and glad i moved up from point and shoots. these camera's can go with you in places that DSLRs cannot. Additional lenses for these cameras are expensive, but you can also by adapters to sort you out with all sorts of legacy glass.
Olympus vs Panasonic
Once again, do your research. THe GF2 is nice but expensive. Panasonic lenses have in-lens stabilization whereas olympus has it in the body, which i like and it means IS will work with any lens. Panasonic takes slightly better video.
Olympus EP-2
I would definitely get this camera over an epl-1 (and the new epl-2 for that matter). It's solid, with lots of steel. Everyone who has seen it loves its retro look. It has got tons of options that I will be able to use more as I become a more experienced photographer.
This deal (the one with 17mm f2.8 lens):
This deal is awesome! It is super compact with pancake kit lens. However, panasonic has a 20mm (without image stabilization) that people absolutely love. Therefore, a great way to go as well is the deal with the 14-42 lens and buy the panny 20mm. I personally love this deal. My next lens will be a better zoom than the 14-42 kit lens (although you can find great deals on those online), perhaps 14-200, or a wide angle. I will probably tag this review to the 14-42mm deal as well, as the other sections of the review (and somehwat this one) are relevant and the 17mm deal has one left.
Accessories needed:
also, buy a filter (spend about 80 dollars on a multi-layered uv filter so there wont be as much flare when shooting into the sun), an extra battery, and of course a data card!I've been involved with photography for a long time and have always tried to get a combination of high image quality in small, very portable systems. My best SLR combo was the Nikon FE with a couple of great prime lenses. We have had two DSLR's a Canon and a Nikon, both great but too much gear to travel with. We went to a Canon S90, great picture, lots of control and very portable but small sensor image limitations. Started looking at micro 4/3's in the summer of 2010 and ended up deciding on the Olympus E-P2 after a trial with the Panasonic GF1. My decission was driven by the amazing JPEG quality of the E-P2. I shoot RAW when necessary but like to avoid post processing. We have added a Panasonic 20mm F1.7 lens and this makes shooting in low light a dream.
The E-P2 will give you results that closely match a good mid-level DSLR. The camera is small and portable with a pancake lens.
Pros:
Small, thoughtful compact design.
Outstanding build quality with a solid feel.
In body stablization that works very well.
Very good LCD screen and class leading EVF
Excellent comtrols with dual control wheels.
Terrific JPEG image quality.
AF tracking in still and movie modes.
Great video quality.
Very good color rendition.
Very high resolution.
Excellent high-ISO performance.
Poster size prints that will amaze.
Cons:
Short battery life.
No built-in flash.
Steep menu learning curve.
Accessory port limited to single accessory use, can't use EVF with flash.
EVF, although great, is an expensive but necessary accessory.
No built-in flash, optional flash is expensive.The camera itself works really well. I usually use the manual mode and I like the fact you can switch which dial adjusts which setting. I find it easier for the sub dial to adjust shutter speed and have the main dial adjust the f-stop. Factory default is the other way around. The camera takes great photos. It took me a while to get used to the LCD display being so bright with Live View Boost on as it made determining a correct exposure a little confusing since what you are looking at is not changing with changes in the settings. I finally turned Live View Boost off but with a reminder to turn it back on in low light situations. On my camera with the 17 mm lens, when set to f-16 or higher, a small round spot, just a little darker than the background, will show up in the photo especially when taking a photo of the blue sky or a subject of a single light color(like the side of my white pickup). I have determined that this is the aperture hole somehow showing up in the photo due to some optical deficiency of the lens. At larger apertures the lens seems to work fine. And to be fair it doesn't seem to appear when taking photos of subjects with contrasting areas, only of subjects of one single color, like the blue sky or a white background. Overall, I recommend the E-P2 even with the 17mm lense and just work around what you know may be a problem. Another review I read about the 17mm lens recommended the 14-42mm zoom over the 17mm stating it was a superior lens. If like me, you find an E-P2 priced just right but with the 17mm lens, go ahead and get it with confidence.This camera has a larger sensor than most point and shoots. The 17mm 2.8 is definately a high resolution lens. I have a 11x14 of an Amishman where you can count hundreds of whiskers individuality! Great lens. Also have photo of an Italian ceramic mostly of roses. Captured item beautifully.
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