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Olympus E-P2

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1. 3.0-Inch LCD Monitor: Despite its tiny size, the E-P2 features a 3.0-inch LCD monitor with full-time Live View. Like the E-P1’s monitor, it features 230,000 dots. 2. Hot-Shoe: The E-P2 doesn’t have a built-in flash, but its hot-shoe accepts the optional Olympus FL-14 flash unit (or the supplied VF-2 electronic viewfinder). 3. Microphones: Olympus also is well known for its audio recorders, and the E-P2 features excellent CD-quality sound via its built-in microphones. You can connect an external stereo mic via the optional EMA-1 stereo microphone adapter.

Olympus E-P2

LIST PRICE: $1,099 (with 14-42mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 lens and VF-2 viewfinder)

Olympus’ stylish E-P1, introduced in mid-2009, was the first compact digital camera to feature a DSLR-sized image sensor and take interchangeable lenses. (Sigma’s fixed-lens DP1, introduced in 2008, was the first compact digital camera to feature a DSLR sensor.)

Now we have the second generation—the E-P2. It improves on the original in a number of ways, including better AF performance and a detachable eye-level electronic viewfinder for situations that make using the full-time Live View LCD monitor difficult. Yet it retains the compact dimensions and stylish retro styling that helped make the E-P1 so popular.

STYLISH RETRO DESIGN: One of the things that made the E-P1 a hot seller is its attractive retro-style compact body, inspired by the classic Olympus Pen 35mm cameras of decades past. The E-P2 shares the same form and dimensions, but comes in subtle black, while the E-P1 comes in white or silver.

HD VIDEO: Like the E-P1, the E-P2 can shoot HD video at 1280x720p and SD video at 640x480p, both at 30 fps. But the E-P2 also lets you set shutter speeds and apertures manually when desired. Video clips are recorded in AVI format with Motion JPEG compression. The E-P2 can record clips up to 2 GB (limited by the AVI format), which works out to about seven minutes of HD or 14 minutes of SD.

2 NEW ART FILTERS: The E-P1 features six Creative Art Filters (introduced in the Olympus E-30 DSLR), which let you produce special-effect images and see the effects live on the LCD monitor. The E-P2 adds two new Art Filters: Diorama and Cross Process join Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Color, Light Tone, Grainy Film and Pin Hole. You can apply the filters to still images or movies.

IMPROVED AF: Like the E-P1, the E-P2 employs contrast-based imager AF, which reads focus off the image sensor. The E-P2’s system has been sped up and adds Continuous AF, which can track subjects moving through the frame.

Like the E-P1, the E-P2 is a Micro Four Thirds System camera. This uses the same 17.3x13.0mm image sensor as standard Four Thirds System cameras (such as Olympus’ DSLRs), but eliminates the SLR mirror box and prism assembly. This makes for much more compact cameras and lenses, while retaining the image quality of a DSLR.

Micro Four Thirds cameras can use Micro Four Thirds System lenses, and—with optional adapters and some autofocusing limitations—standard Four Thirds System and other lenses. The Four Thirds sensor’s 2x focal-length factor means 35mm-camera-equivalent focal lengths of 14-400mm are available (using Four Thirds System lenses with an adapter takes the long end out to 1600mm).

Like the E-P1, the E-P2 features Olympus’ proven Supersonic Wave Filter sensor-dust remover and sensor-shift image stabilization that works with all lenses (electronic stabilization for movie shooting).

STANDOUT FEATURE: While the E-P1 offered an optional eye-level finder that was simply a framing device, the E-P2 comes with a detachable electronic viewfinder that slips into the hot-shoe and connects to the accessory port. The VF-2 shows 100 percent of the actual image area at a 1.15x magnification, can tilt up to 90 degrees for easy odd-angle viewing and incorporates dioptric correction.
VERDICT: The E-P2 packs high-res still and HD-video capability along with excellent sound recording and lots of other features into a stylish and compact body. The supplied electronic viewfinder and improved autofocusing are welcome additions.

Olympus E-P1
If you prefer white or silver, for $300 less, you can get the E-P1 (with a 14-42mm zoom but sans the electronic viewfinder) and enjoy the same image quality, HD video and compact retro styling.

Olympus E-620
If you prefer a DSLR, the E-620 ($699 with a 14-42mm zoom) offers similar image quality and features in a compact Four Thirds System DSLR. It’s not pocketable, but unlike the E-P1 and E-P2, it autofocuses with all Four Thirds System lenses.

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Olympus E-P2

LIST PRICE: $1,099 (with 14-42mm ƒ/3.5-5.6 lens and VF-2 viewfinder)

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