Olympus PEN E-P2, COMPACT CAMERA WITH INTERCHANGABLE LENSES
On the heels of the E-P1, Olympus released its latest Micro Four-Thirds camera, the Olympus PEN E-P2. The result is a relatively light, compact camera that supports interchangeable lenses.
There are several new features, including two new art filters, anti-reflection coating on the LCD, and the ability to automatically lock focus and track your subject in both still and video. The port supports a newly designed Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) that helps to make the E-P2 a pleasure to use. The high-res EVF is bright, sharp, covers 100% field of view, displays all the pertinent data, and is more practical for composing and viewing in bright outdoor light than the E-P1’s low-resolution LCD. The accessory port also supports an optional external microphone.
The metal body feels solid and is light enough to carry around all day. Dust removal and image stabilization are built into the camera and work well. The controls are well placed and I especially like the accessible design of the mode dial at the top left and the thumb wheel on the top right for selecting settings of menu items. A super control panel allows quick access to frequently used features. The EVF’s design lets it articulate to a 90º angle for waist-level shooting, and it has a large diopter ring that’s much more practical than the traditional minuscule adjustment wheel. Colors appear slightly washed out and there’s a discrepancy when compared to viewing your subject with the naked eye.
Autofocus in daylight seems snappier on the E-P2 but remains slow in dim light and with low-contrast subjects, often necessitating switching to manual focus and using the 7x magnification feature. The E-P2 has an ISO range of 100–6400 with noise becoming a factor at ISO 800. The tracking rectangle jerks occasionally with rapid subject movement but generally works well.
The E-P2 captures in RAW, JPEG, standard video, and 720p high-definition (HD) video. The manual video mode lets you control exposure, enabling you to adjust both the shutter and aperture. The video mode also lets you incorporate the zoom lens and any of the eight art filters. The image quality of both the RAW stills and HD video is good.
The two new art filters are Diorama (which makes your subjects look like miniature models) and Cross Process (imitating effects of various traditional films). The art filters can be effective if used judiciously, but overuse runs the risk of becoming gimmicky. The camera’s exposure system is accurate and shooting in RAW resulted in accurate color rendition and a good dynamic range with plenty of shadow and highlight detail.
