Olympus 262911 E-PL2 14-42mm Digital Camera (Silver) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This camera and the accompanied 14-42mm kit lens are a great compact package with DSLR level performance.
IMAGE QUALITY: excellent jpeg images; DSLR quality.
OPERATION SPEED: fast & quiet focus with kit lens (substantial improvement over E-PL1); quick shot to shot.
ART FILER MODE: very cool, I use this all the times; post processing is not instantaneous, but much much faster than previous PEN cameras.
IMAGE STABILIZATION: in body image stabilization works fairly well.
There's an advantage: it's great for using non IS lens such as the excellent Lumix 20mm f1.7; For longer focal lengths, it might be better to use Lumix G's IS zoom lenses.
BODY: well-built, nice looking, comfortable to hold and feels solid in hand.
BUTTONS: easy to operate and highly customizable.
LCD: good resolution for magnified playback.
MENU: straight forward, but lots of options.
VIDEO: good HD quality; playback nicely on PC and TV via HDMI cable.
FLASH: convenient and works well.
OTHERS: optional external electronic view finder VF-2 is excellent, but not necessary.
Optional underwater housing is not too expensive.
COMPARED to previous Olympus PEN cameras: E-PL2 is noticeably more responsive, especially in ART FILDER mode.
COMPARED to Panasonic LUMIX G cameras: the Lumixes are good but the Olympus has ART FILTER mode and in body Image Stabilization.
COMPARED to Sony NEX 5: image quality of the NEX 5 is great due to its bigger sensor and it has a fantastic hires flippable LCD. However, the NEX 5 lacks some standard features such as 1:1 square image format and a remote cable release.

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Olympus PEN E-PL2 12.3 MP CMOS Micro Four Thirds Interchangeable Lens Digital Camera with 14-42mm Lens (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I asked Olympus if I could review this camera. I had written reviews for them before. To preface the review I will mention that I own several of the Olympus EP2 cameras and the EPL1 camera. While the EPL series cameras don't come with the accessory finder, VF-2, I consider it the reason to buy this camera and this family of cameras. More on that in a second. I gave this camera five stars but you should be clear that all ratings are contextual. It's not a better camera than a Nikon D3 or a Canon 1dsmk3 but it is a wonderful and very capable camera for $600 (with a lens). I consider it an $800 camera because I want to be able to use the 1.4 megapixel finder.
Reasons not to buy one: 1. You shoot sports and need super fast autofocus and a very fast frame rate. 2. You rarely see daylight and want a camera that shoots noise free from 3200 ISO up. Nope, this one is not your camera.
Reasons to buy one: 1. The files right out of the camera (as jpegs) are very nice. Rich and accurate color and nice balance of sharpness and contrast. 2. It's a very stealthy package that flies under the radar, masquerading as a point and shoot but fully capable of great results. No one will guess that you're a serious photographer. 3. With adapters there is a very wide range of lenses from other manufacturers that work well with the camera. If you want to try a Nikon or Leica lens for some street shooting this would be the camera to try it with.
The big question I got over and over again in response to my review on my blog was whether this camera has better image quality that the EPL1. No. I find them identical. But the newer screen and newer controls are better.
The HD video is limited to 7 minutes per take but the quality (720) is very good and the camera has full manual controls for every facet. You'll need to buy an Olympus adapter if you want to use external microphones.
Why do I like these cameras? Because they are quick to operate and very, very lightweight. I like to spend hours and hours walking thru city streets shooting and the cameras are light enough to make this an enjoyable thing. Not a job-like task.
Now, on to the finder. I'm old fashioned. I just don't like composing a scene at arm's length. it's a very compromised technique. Olympus makes a great electronic viewfinder that works with all the Pen cameras and also the new xz-1 compact camera. It's a 1.4 megapixel finder. It's very detailed and makes the camera a wonderful tool. I wouldn't consider buying any of the Pens unless I budgeted for the finder as well.
Bottom line? Great camera for the money. Just make sure you are buying it for the right reasons.

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Olympus e-pl2 with 14-42mm lens black

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Ricoh G700SE Digital Camera with Bluetooth and Wireless LAN Support Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This camera is primarily aimed at industries and companies who need photos fast. I have to say that you can still use this as a creative tool just without the RAW built into it. It will handle pretty much anything thrown at it, and it's the only compact out there with a lens that kills any rivals out there with the way it's made. It's a top notch lens, and the camera may be pricey...but it will never break on you from a drop or from rainy days. You can literally take this thing anywhere and shoot in any condition, plus this company updates their firmwares often and has pretty good customer service I've been reading. I haven't had to deal with them yet, so this is a good sign.

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