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Olympus PEN E-PL2

Olympus PEN E-PL2
Olympus PEN E-PL2Olympus PEN E-PL2Olympus PEN E-PL2Olympus PEN E-PL2Olympus PEN E-PL2Olympus PEN E-PL2
alaScore 90

271 reviews

May, 2024

alaTest has collected and analyzed 271 reviews of Olympus PEN E-PL2. The average rating for this product is 4.2/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras for all reviews. Reviewers really like the screen and image quality. The portability and usability are also appreciated, whereas some have doubts about the memory and energy efficiency. Views are divided on the shutter.

performance, usability, portability, image quality, screen

viewfinder, sensor, energy, memory

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Olympus PEN E-PL2 is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 90/100 = Excellent quality.

See all Olympus Digital Cameras

Review analysis

(Based on 271 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (45% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (36% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (15% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (3% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews   (1% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

performance
  Show positive (87%)Show negative (13%)(Show all)
usability
  Show positive (75%)Show negative (25%)(Show all)
portability
  Show positive (83%)Show negative (17%)(Show all)
image quality
  Show positive (95%)Show negative (5%)(Show all)
screen
  Show positive (84%)Show negative (16%)(Show all)
size
  Show positive (75%)Show negative (25%)(Show all)
price
  Show positive (68%)Show negative (32%)(Show all)
lens
  Show positive (84%)Show negative (16%)(Show all)
design
  Show positive (97%)Show negative (3%)(Show all)
durability
  Show positive (59%)Show negative (41%)(Show all)
focus
  Show positive (78%)Show negative (22%)(Show all)
viewfinder
  Show positive (33%)Show negative (67%)(Show all)
stabilizer
  Show positive (95%)Show negative (5%)(Show all)
flash
  Show positive (71%)Show negative (29%)(Show all)
color
  Show positive (92%)Show negative (8%)(Show all)
low-light
  Show positive (58%)Show negative (42%)(Show all)
battery
  Show positive (73%)Show negative (27%)(Show all)
reliability
  Show positive (70%)Show negative (30%)(Show all)
zoom
  Show positive (70%)Show negative (30%)(Show all)
sensor
  Show positive (43%)Show negative (57%)(Show all)
shutter
  Show positive (50%)Show negative (50%)(Show all)
contrast
  Show positive (80%)Show negative (20%)(Show all)
exposure
  Show positive (80%)Show negative (20%)(Show all)
optics
  Show positive (100%)None yet(Show all)
energy
  None yetShow negative (100%)(Show all)
memory
  None yetShow negative (100%)(Show all)
More features

Showing 108 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

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Showing 1 - 36 of 108 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (163)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Olympus PEN E-PL2

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 6 user reviews of Olympus PEN E-PL2 from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 4.7/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.co.uk. Opinions about the durability and size are on the whole positive. The focus and image quality are also mentioned favorably, whereas many are negative about the shutter and price. There are some mixed reviews about the portability.

usability, image quality, focus, size, durability

price, shutter

100% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

May, 2024

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Olympus PEN E-PL2

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 20 user reviews of Olympus PEN E-PL2 from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.5/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.com. Reviews about the usability and image quality are on the whole positive. The performance and portability also get good opinions, whereas some have doubts about the sensor.

price, portability, performance, image quality, usability

sensor

95% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

May, 2024

Expert review by : PJ Jacobowitz (pcmag.com)

Olympus E-PL2

 

The Olympus E-PL2 is the least expensive compact interchangeable-lens camera you can buy. And while it offers very good image quality and great features, some same-price cameras use even larger image sensors and deliver better low-light performance.

Beautiful image quality. Compact body. Large image sensor. Digital accessories port and hotshoe. Dual menu system tailored toward either beginners or seasoned photographers. Silent autofocus during video recording with kit lens.

Low light performance isn't as good as cameras with APS-C-size image sensors. Proprietary USB port.

Apr, 2011
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Expert review by : Derrick Story (pcworld.com)

Olympus Pen E-PL2

 

Olympus is putting a lot of energy into its Micro Four Thirds product line, and the Olympus Pen E-PL2 interchangeable-lens camera demonstrates that the company has no plans to rest on its laurels.

Ergonomically comfortable, with textured hand grip ; Improved 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko MSC zoom kit lens ; In-body image stabilization ; Manual exposure and art filters in movie controls ; Accessory Port 2 for expanded functionality ; Built-in wireless...

No built-in external mic jack ; Complex menu system ; Limited to AVI movie format (Motion JPEG OpenDML)

The Olympus E-PL2 is a compact, versatile camera that will please travelers or anyone who wants to take great pictures without lugging around pounds of gear.

Mar, 2011
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Expert review by : Lars Rehm and Barnaby Britton (dpreview.com)

Olympus E-PL2 Review

 

The Micro Four Thirds system turned two years old last October, and a lot has happened since Panasonic debuted the DSLR-inspired, but mirrorless Lumix DMC-G1. What was then a brand new system has had time to mature, and mirrorless interchangeable lens...

Good resolution and detail at base ISO ; Compact camera/kit lens package ; Nice screen with good resolution (460K dots) ; Good build quality and handling ; Generally responsive and snappy operation ; Reliable metering ; Good AF speed with kit lens ;...

Exposure control with the rear dial not great if you change settings frequently ; Inefficient movie format results in very large file sizes ; No orientation sensor means having to rotate every portrait image manually ; Menu system can be a little...

If you frequently change your exposure settings or shoot a lot in low light you might want to try the E-PL2 out before you commit to a purchase but for everyone else the Olympus is a great combination of image quality and portability.

Feb, 2011
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Expert review by : Dave Bullock (wired.com)

Review: Olympus E-PL2, Fourth Generation PEN camera

 

The fourth-generation Olympus PEN E-PL2, with its svelte metal/composite body, gorgeous high-resolution 3" LCD viewfinder, and enhanced low-light performance, is a welcome upgrade to the...

Jan, 2011
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Expert review by : William Chambers (steves-digicams.com)

Olympus E-PL2 Review

 

Olympus continues to produce some of the best EVIL cameras on the market. The E-PL2 is a great improvement over the E-PL1, which is still a great camera in itself. The new additions are very welcomed, and will surly add to the already high appeal of...

Nice, well-built feel in your hands ; Stylish aluminum body comes in four colors: Black, White, Red, and Silver ; Produces beautiful 12-megapixel images ; Records good quality 720p HD video ; Great High ISO performance up to ISO 3200 ; Excellent...

ISO 6400 shows a great deal of luminous noise throughout the photograph ; No 1080p HD video option

Olympus continues to produce some of the best EVIL cameras on the market. The E-PL2 is a great improvement over the E-PL1, which is still a great camera in itself. The new additions are very welcomed, and will surly add to the already high appeal of...

Feb, 2011
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Expert review by : Mark Goldstein (photographyblog.com)

Olympus E-PL2 Review

 

The Olympus E-PL2 is the fourth Micro Four Thirds camera from Olympus and the successor to the one-year-old E-PL1 model. The Olympus E-PL2 remains an affordable mass-market camera, with a small and light plastic chassis to help keep the price down. Key...

The Olympus E-PL2 is a rather modest upgrade of the original E-PL1, with a sleeker design, better kit lens and bigger screen chief amongst the rather short list of improvements. Olympus got most things right first time round with the E-PL1 though, so...

Jan, 2011
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Expert review by (imaging-resource.com)

Olympus E-PL2

 

The fifth model in the Olympus Pen series is a much simplified version of last year's consumer mirrorless model, with a new lens and a no-nonsense design. Where the E-PL1 had a more modern, artistic appearance, the E-PL2 would fit in well with the...

Less flashy but more functional redesigned camera body handles like a comfortable DSLR rather than an awkward rangefinder ; Comfy, textured faux-leather handgrip ; Contrast detection based autofocus system functions much faster ...

Archaic menu system is confusing and unnecessarily complicated ; Live Guide II system should be easier to access and adjust, customize ; Shooting tips in Live Guide II suffer from bad translation ; Buttons are too small; no dedicated exterior...

Though I've admired Olympus' Pen-series compact system cameras in the past for their stylish designs and bounty of features, I didn't find them to be particularly enjoyable to shoot with. Until now. With the 12.3MP Olympus Pen E-PL2, the company has...

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Expert review by : George Schaub (shutterbug.com)

Olympus E-PL2 Review: A PEN Series Camera

 

With the recent announcement of the third PEN in this series from Olympus, which is now in Shutterbug test, the not yet discontinued E-PL2 has dropped in price to $599 (from Olympus, with 14-42mm kit lens), about $200 less than when it was first...

Very compact and lightweight CSC-system ; Many scene modes for beginners ; Nice accessories that mount via the adapter, including electronic viewfinder, macro light system and BlueTooth adapter

Only one accessory usable at a time ; Video compression with MJPEG and 30 frames per second (instead of 25 frames per second and AVCHD file format)

Jul, 2011
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Expert review by : Cybernium (neocamera.com)

Olympus PEN E-PL2 Express Review | Neocamera

 

Compact Micro Four-Thirds camera with 12 megapixels, 720p video and an optional EVF.

Apr, 2011
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Expert review by : Mark Elias (electronista.com)

Review: Olympus E-PL2

 

Olympus pushes harder to catch newcomers to interchangeable cameras.

Good image for the price ; Sharper LCD ; Better controls ; Dedicated video record button ; Excellent fit and finish ; Pop-up flash ; Penpal Bluetooth add-on ; Cheap lens options ; Fun art filters

Still no dedicated viewfinder built-in ; No changes to the sensor ; Not ideal in low light ; Penpal not quick for big photos ; Jell-O" wobble in panning video

Camera layoutThe Olympus E-PL2 goes head-to-head with such competition that includes the Panasonic GF2, the Samsung NX100, and the Sony NEX-5. Available with a kit lens, all of them are roughly priced in the $599 range depending on your choice of

Apr, 2011
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