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Olympus hasn’t been satisfied with just being a pioneer of Micro Four Thirds. The company has continued to introduce new cameras and lenses, remaining competitive with all latecomers to the mirrorless camera market. With the introduction of its top-of-the-line OM-D E-M5 interchangeable lens camera during February 2012, Olympus was clear about its intentions to sustain its leadership. Many industry experts and reviewers consider the OM-D E-M5 the finest mirrorless camera available.
Olympus also demanded respect when it introduced the first PEN Mini, which put Micro Four Thirds technology in the hands of more photographers, since it had the lowest price tag of all mirrorless cameras. Because Olympus has been in the Micro Four Thirds marketplace since its beginning, it has had the time to refine its mirrorless offerings. With the September 2012 release of the E-PL5 (the fourth PEN Lite model) and the E-MP2 (the second PEN Mini model), Olympus’ strategy is to give these cameras more of the technological improvements that have put the OM-D E-M5 at the top of the game, but in cameras with smaller footprints and at significantly less cost.
Both the Olympus E-PL5 and E-MP2 share many features, functions and capabilities.
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16-MP Four Thirds sensor.
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Touch-sensitive LCD screen.
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3”, 460,000-dot LCD screen with 16:9 aspect ratio.
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Built-in image stabilization.
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ISO range of 200–25,600.
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TruePic VI image processor.
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As much as 8fps continuous shooting mode.
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11 Art Filters.
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Improved in-camera RAW file processing with presets.
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AP2 accessory port for electronic viewfinder, etc.
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OM-D E-M5’s movie effects, plus Picture Style shift effect.
The primary differences between these two Olympus digital cameras relate to whom the company is marketing each model. The PEN Mini E-PM2 is meant to appeal to former point-and-shoot camera owners who are ready to step into the interchangeable lens world, but don’t want to stray too far from auto shooting. For these photographers, Olympus has given the E-PM2 two more control buttons, a permanent hand grip and a touch-sensitive LCD monitor. The new Fn button can be configured for 17 different, custom functions. The other control feature is a dedicated movie button on the back plate. Many of the casual photographers attracted to this new PEN Mini model will also approve of the LCD touchscreen, as it will remind them of the camera controls on a smartphone. Touching the screen to focus will be easier for many of them than operating the lens’ focus ring.
The PEN Lite E-PL5 features a tilting LCD touchscreen with a range to 170 degrees, including a waist-level position for capturing more discreet and spontaneous images on the streets and during travel. Plus, the image reverses for self-portraits. The hand grip on the front of the E-PL5 can also be removed. In terms of added controls, the PEN Lite now has an exposure mode dial and two buttons on the rear of the camera that the Mini model doesn’t offer. These improvements make the E-PL5 a bit more of a serious shooting tool, so owners of the older Olympus PEN Mini E-PM1 may find this an excellent opportunity to upgrade to the E-PL5 to benefit from the added control and creativity it provides.
The Olympus PEN Lite E-PL5 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with a 14–42mm lens is available from Amazon for $699.00
The Olympus PEN Mini E-PM2 Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with a 14–42mm lens is available from Amazon for $599.00
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