Olympus E-PM2 Review

Overview

Field Test by Eamon Hickey with additional material by William Brawley
Posted 05/16/2013

Revamping their two smallest Pen cameras just fifteen months after their introduction, Olympus chose to give their least expensive model the combined look of the original E-PL1, with the fixed grip of the original E-P1. It's fun to see their designers playing with the digital Pen heritage already. The end result is better looking to our eye than the originals. What's better than appearances, though, is the E-PM2's inclusion of the same 16-megapixel sensor as the excellent OM-D E-M5, a sensor whose quality blew us away earlier this year. Neither the E-PM2 nor the E-PL5 introduced at the same time has the 5-way image stabilization of the OM-D, but the E-PM2's standard sensor-shift IS serves quite well.

When it began shipping in October 2012, the Olympus E-PM2 originally retailed for $550 body-only, and $600 with the 14-42mm kit lens, but the company has since dropped prices by $100. That's a great value given the technology packed into this small body.

Design. Simple and handsome from the front, the rubbery grip helps your hold reasonably well. An AF-assist/self-timer lamp shines out from the upper right corner, and a round lens release button is just right of the mount.

Like its predecessor, the Olympus E-PM2 has no physical Mode dial. While its predecessor used a striped screen menu to switch modes via the four-way navigator, the E-PM2 has the advantage of a touchscreen to make selections much more quickly. Note the stereo microphones and dual speaker holes, for a monaural speaker. A standard hot shoe and AP2 port adorns the top of the Olympus E-PM2. A simple power button turns it on, and the Shutter button is a smooth design also drawn from the past. A new Function button sits right of that.

First introduced on the Olympus E-P3, the touchscreen autofocus makes AF fast and quite specific. That, combined with the E-PM2's lack of a Mode dial makes the touchscreen a very important control. Compared to the E-PL5, the E-PM2 has the Playback and Delete buttons that were missing on the E-PM1, but still lacks the zoom in and out buttons, functions that again fall to the touchscreen in Playback mode.

Overall, the Olympus E-PM2 is another Micro Four Thirds winner from the manufacturer. It even includes the same 8 frames per second capability of the E-PL5 (note: focus locked only), making it one of the fastest interchangeable lens cameras at this price point. Between the E-PM2 and E-PL5, we find ourselves only missing the Mode dial and tilting LCD, and we really like the classic look of this less-expensive model.

Shooting with the Olympus E-PM2

by Eamon Hickey

I was lucky to try out the Olympus PEN E-PM2 side-by-side with its bigger brother, the E-PL5. (Bigger being only relative; they're both very small as compact system cameras go!) My initial expectation was that the E-PM2 would suffer greatly in comparison, but am happily surprised to report that this simply wasn't the case. While the E-PL5 is definitely the superior camera in terms of build and controls, the E-PM2 more than held its own -- especially in terms of image quality. The E-PM2 may appeal to photographers looking for a more simple point-and-shoot feel.

Size, feel, and handling. When I picked up the Olympus E-PM2 for the first time, it took me all of three seconds to figure out that, yes, this is a very small and lightweight camera. On my first outing with the E-PM2, I took it for a walk around the downtown area of the San Francisco Bay Area suburb where I was staying, and it felt essentially weightless on my shoulder and in my small messenger bag, where it sat alongside an iPad. On later shooting days, it was equally easy on my back and shoulder.

The M.Zuiko 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R kit lens that I was using with it, though quite small for a zoom lens, is still a little bulky, which strained the capacity of my slim bag. If I owned this camera, I’d almost certainly get one of the Micro Four Thirds pancake lenses, and also the cool BCL-15mm f8.0 Body Cap Lens. With one of those optics, I’d really enjoy sliding the PEN E-PM2 into a spare pocket in my bag or coat and paying almost no weight penalty for it.

As we noted above, the small grip on the Olympus E-PM2 can’t be removed. That’s a shame, because I personally don’t love the grip. In the several days that I shot with the camera, it just didn’t feel to me like it was doing me all that much good. (I felt much the same way about the removable grip that’s included with the higher end E-PL5.) That said, it's not a deal breaker. While I think the grip mars the camera’s otherwise sleek profile, it didn’t detract from its portability.

The Olympus PEN E-PM2 does share one annoying quality with the E-PL5: the right side strap attachment was constantly interfering with my right hand as I tried to operate the camera’s controls. I’d rather use a single-point strap that attaches only to the left strap lug.

Happily, I didn’t think the camera felt cramped in other ways. As I wandered around with it on several different days, shooting in the downtown areas of nearby towns, in cafes, and on hikes in local county parks, I had no real trouble reaching its controls. That’s partly because the E-PM2 doesn’t have all that many external controls -- in that respect it’s more like a top-of-the-line point-and-shoot than an advanced interchangeable lens camera (or the PEN E-PL5) -- but it’s also partly because the 3-inch touchscreen LCD doesn’t tilt or articulate. That means Olympus could build the display flush across the camera’s back where it doesn’t get in the way of buttons and dials. I prefer the tilting LCD screen of the E-PL5, and the flexibility it provides, but understand why they omitted on the E-PM2 to maximize its compactness.

One more thing that’s missing on the E-PM2 is a built-in flash, but like the E-PL5, the camera comes bundled with an accessory flash (FL-LM1) that can be attached to the E-PM2 via the accessory port/hotshoe.

Controls. If the first thing I noticed about the Olympus E-PM2 was its small size, the second was the limited number of external controls -- no mode dial, in particular. I was worried that meant the camera lacked some important advanced features, but for the most part that turned out not to be true.

Even before my first outing with the E-PM2, I set it up to focus using the movie record button and to allow instant manual focus override. I also set the rear control dial for direct adjustment of the aperture or shutter speed, depending on what exposure mode I was in. With that setup, it only takes a click on the top button of the four-way controller to enable exposure compensation. I also set the camera to show me whether highlights or shadows were clipping as I framed pictures on the LCD -- this is a really nice live exposure aid. Together, these settings gave me extremely quick and flexible control of focus and exposure. If you’re any good at composition -- a non-trivial factor, admittedly -- you really don’t need very much else.

I’m so used to navigating camera menus with four-way controllers that it took me two full days of shooting with the Olympus E-PM2 to realize that, in fact, the camera’s touchscreen is a better, faster way to make adjustments. (It took awhile for this old dog to learn a new tricks, as they say.) The touchscreen, together with the Super Control Panel (SCP) makes the camera’s lack of a mode dial and its relatively minimal number of external controls much less painful.

Super Control Panel. Once I got used to them, I found the E-PM2's touchscreen and Super Control Panel make the camera easy to use -- even though there's no physical mode dial.

Shooting in downtown Palo Alto one night, I could easily change ISO from shot to shot using the Olympus E-PM2’s SCP, as I moved from a restaurant interior out to the sidewalk and then back inside to a dessert cafe. On a different day, I was walking in another nearby town, moving in and out of shadow and sunlight, and my shutter speeds were shifting rapidly from very safe handholding speeds such as 1/250 down to much riskier speeds in the 1/30 range. The SCP let me turn Image Stabilization on and off in just a second or two. I don’t tend to change the exposure mode very much, but that, too, can be done by touch.

In short, Olympus has done a good job of using the capabilities of a touchscreen to make the E-PM2 a capable and usable camera, even for an enthusiast photographer, while still keeping the number of external buttons and controls to a minimum.

I was thankful that the useful control system I just described kept me mostly out of the main menu system on the Olympus E-PM2 because the menus are complex and sometimes hard to figure out (the same was true on the E-PL5). But the upside to the complexity is that the camera is very customizable, and that was a big part of why I could set it up to shoot in a way that pleased me. I’ll take that tradeoff.

Performance. My first shots with the Olympus E-PM2 were in downtown Menlo Park, and within the first 30 or so pictures I could see both the strengths and weaknesses of the camera’s autofocus system. Shooting flowers, storefronts and a few pictures at the town’s train station, I was impressed with how fast and accurate the AF system is for stationary subjects (in S-AF mode). All the Olympus Micro Four Thirds cameras introduced since the OM-D E-M5 share this excellent S-AF performance. But as I was shooting storefronts, I spotted some teenage boys riding their bikes up and down the sidewalk. I switched the camera into Continuous AF (C-AF) and tried to track them. I got some sharp pictures, but also many that weren’t -- almost all of those were backfocused. But that's a problem that even higher-end cameras can have.

A couple of days later, I took the Olympus PEN E-PM2 with me when I went out for dinner in Palo Alto. I shot a series of pictures inside both a restaurant and a cafe, and then outside in the very dark streets. The camera’s S-AF system maintained its excellent speed and accuracy in relatively bright indoor light. In the much lower light on the street, the AF slowed down, but not by very much. For anything but moving subjects, the E-PM2’s autofocus never let me down. Later, I tried C-AF again on some bicyclists and cars, but my results were no better than with the bike-riding boys. The PEN E-PM2 just can’t autofocus very well on moving subjects.

The rest of the Olympus PEN E-PM2’s functions proved to be pleasingly fast. I didn’t have any practical use for the 8 frames-per-second burst rate, but I tried it a couple of times just to hear it work. (It sounds great!) In normal use, I never overran the PEN E-PM2’s image buffer, and I never felt myself waiting for buttons and controls to respond to inputs. I like responsive cameras -- and at this point in the evolution of digital photography, I expect them. The PEN E-PM2 didn’t disappoint me.

Just how fast is the Olympus E-PM2? Find out by clicking here to see our full battery
of rigorous, objective speed and operation tests conducted in the IR Lab.

LCD and touchscreen operation. When I finally figured out to use the touch functionality of the Olympus E-PM2’s LCD screen, it worked really well. It’s sensitive, precise and easy to operate quickly and without mistakes. The SCP, for example, clusters 21 adjustable functions in a window that measures roughly 2 x 1 inches on screen, but I had no trouble pressing the correct “button” when I needed to change a setting. I tested the touch-to-shoot function, where you touch a spot on the LCD’s live view display and the camera focuses on that spot and shoots. It worked quite well (and very fast), but I doubt I’d use it much. I found it awkward to hold the camera in one hand and poke at it with the other, but maybe that’s another old dog thing.

VF-3: One of the three optional electronic viewfinders available for the E-PM2.

I had bright sunshine for four out of my five daytime shoots with the Olympus PEN E-PM2, and I sometimes had a little trouble seeing the LCD well enough to frame effectively -- mostly when I was looking into the sun, trying to make backlit shots. I’ve also used cameras with sharper LCDs, but the E-PM2’s is easily good enough for me. I had no trouble composing images (when the sun wasn’t a problem) or judging the sharpness of shots I’d already taken. If this becomes a frequent problem, you could always purchase one of three different compatible electronic viewfinders that Olympus makes.

Lens. I don’t get too excited about most kit lenses, and although the M.Zuiko 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R that comes with the Olympus PEN E-PM2 is better than average, it wasn’t really an exception. Still, for my kind of shooting, it covers a useful range of focal lengths, and I immediately liked its light weight and the fact that it can retract into a fairly compact package. For my knockaround shooting in and around town, and out hiking, it was fine. And even though the lens is made mostly of plastic, I liked the smooth feel of the zoom action. On some macro shots of flowers, I focused manually and the focus ring, while somewhat under-damped, gave me precise control of the focus point. In any case, it's definitely worth it to get the E-PM2 kitted with this 14-42mm lens, because it's just $50 extra compared to the $300 list price of the lens itself.

Image quality. Like its up-market sibling, the E-PL5, the Olympus E-PM2 produced images that distinctly impressed me. My test shots were quite sharp and detailed -- I have no doubt I could make sharp prints up to large print sizes such as 24 x 36 inches (a feeling that's supported by our Print Quality analysis, below). I've used many, many Olympus digital cameras over the years, and I've always liked the pleasing and saturated, but not over-the-top, colors of their JPEG images; the PEN E-PM2 was no exception.

I shot test images with the Olympus E-PM2 at ISO settings as high as 3,200, and they retain good detail with relatively low noise. Like other recent Olympus Micro Four-Thirds cameras with 16-megapixel sensors, the E-PM2 is a definite step-up in high ISO image quality -- eliminating one of the few reservations I had about using these small cameras for the kind of knockabout street shooting where I want to use them.

You can view the IR Lab's in-depth Olympus E-PM2 image quality test results by clicking here,
and read further on in the review for side-by-side comparisons against the E-PM2's top competitors.

Movies. Among the few external controls on the Olympus E-PM2 is a dedicated movie recording button. It makes recording movies a snap at any time, and I used it to spontaneously capture short clips of people walking and drinking coffee at outdoor cafes when I was otherwise engaged in shooting still images. It’s handy to be able to switch seamlessly back and forth. I didn’t do an in-depth analysis of the PEN E-PM2’s video image quality, but I did notice that, like the E-PL5, the camera picks up a lot of internal focusing and zoom noise from its own lens and from even the slightest touches on the body or lens. See below for more on the E-PM2's video recording capabilities, including a sample.

Summary. Despite a few quibbles that it shares in common with the E-PL5, the Olympus E-PM2 exceeded my expectations. Though it's smaller, cheaper and may lack some physical controls, it's no dumbed-down piece of equipment. The E-PM2 shoots fast, takes beautiful pictures and boasts advanced photographic capabilities found on much higher-end models. I'd strongly recommend the E-PM2 to those stepping up from a point-and-shoot because it offers a relatively easy, intuitive transition into interchangeable lens systems and plenty of room to grow. I'd also recommend the PEN E-PM2 to enthusiasts looking for a second camera to stand in for a more bulky or expensive system -- as long as they're comfortable using touchscreen controls.

Olympus E-PM2 Additional Shooting Modes and Options

by William Brawley

To demonstrate more of what the Olympus E-M2 has to offer, we shot additional images using a variety of the camera's built-in creative filters and recorded a Full HD 1080p video to illustrate its video chops.

Olympus E-PM2 Art filter modes
Pop Art	Pale Light
Grainy Film	Pin Hole
Diorama	Sepia
The Olympus E-PM2's "Art Mode" offers a nice range of filters and creative effects that are tastefully done, and most come with adjustment settings that let you vary the amount of creative processing applied or add additional effects.

Art Filter: The E-PM2 features both an Art and Scene modes for enhanced creative effects. The Art mode features a wide variety of filter effects, some of which are shown in the table above, that can really alter your photos to fit your creative style. All of the Art modes feature additional subsets of effects and the ability to add additional effects, such as frames around the image.

Scene modes are similar to many other digital cameras and includes standard presets such as a Landscape, Portrait, Night and Macro modes. The E-PM2 also features other Scene modes like "Nature Macro" for small objects like insects, "Candle" for warm-toned scenes shot by candlelight, and "Beach & Snow" for bright, white snow or white sandy beach scenes. Other Scene modes are available for use with optional lens converters or specialized lenses like a 3D lens.

Video: The Olympus E-PM2 provides Full HD 1080p video recording capabilities, including full-time autofocus and PASM support when in movie mode. However, the camera is somewhat limited by providing a fixed frame rate of 30 fps and electronic IS.

I took the E-PM2 out by a local pond to shoot a few short videos of some ducks and geese walking around. If the subjects were still, the videos look pretty good. However when ducks started to walk around, and I had to pan and move the camera to follow them, I noticed pretty severe visual artifacting in the video, particularly on complex scenes (i.e. blades of grass) and around the edges of objects. While motion JPEG capture was a little better, moiré and compression artifacts were still visible and its highest resolution in this mode is just 720p. Overall, while it's nice to be able to quickly flip over to shooting some quick videos with the E-PM2, we found the video image quality to be average at best.

Click here for our detailed Olympus E-PM2 video analysis page for more sample videos
along with insight on how the camera handles a variety of recording situations,
ranging from night-time shooting to rolling shutter tests.

Olympus E-PM2 Image Quality Comparison

Below are crops comparing the Olympus E-PM2 with the Nikon J3, Olympus E-PL5, Panasonic G5, Olympus OM-D E-M5, and the Sony NEX-F3. We're starting with the base ISO to show the best each camera can do, then moving onto ISO 1600, 3200, and then more details with ISO 6400 below.

NOTE: These images are best quality JPEGs straight out of the camera, at default settings including noise reduction.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Nikon J3 at base ISO

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 200	Nikon J3 at ISO 160
The Nikon J3 has a smaller 1-inch-type 14-megapixel sensor, but is in a similar price category as the E-PM2. As you can see, the increased sensor size and resolution helped the PEN clearly out-resolve the Nikon in all three images, especially the mosaic. However, the Nikon did do a better job in the last crop regarding details in the red fabric.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Olympus E-M5 at base ISO

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 200	Olympus OM-D E-M5 at ISO 200
Despite having the same 16-megapixel sensor and image processor, the flagship OM-D E-M5 manages to beat the E-PM2 in all three crops. You can really see a difference in the mosaic, as well as in the pink fabric swatch.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Olympus E-PL5 at base ISO

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 200	Olympus E-PL5 at ISO 200
The E-PM2 and E-PL5 are pretty much identical in terms of technical specifications, and with these three crops you can see that the images reflect this.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Panasonic G5 at base ISO

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 200	Panasonic G5 at ISO 160
The first two crops compare very similarly between the E-PM2 and the G5, however on the fabric swatches in the third image, the Panasonic clearly wins in the red leaf fabric area and shows a hint more detail in the pink area.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Sony NEX-F3 at base ISO

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 200	Sony NEX-F3 at ISO 200
The NEX-F3 is Sony's direct price competitor with the E-PM2, and the larger APS-C sensor of the Sony makes a clear difference in the last two crops, particularly with the fabric swatches. The first crops look very similar with perhaps just a fraction more detail from the Sony camera.

Most digital SLRs and CSCs will produce an excellent ISO 100 shot, so we like to push them and see what they can do compared to other cameras at ISO 1,600, 3,200, and 6,400. Recent advances in sensor technology have made ISO 1,600 look a lot more like ISO 100, but there are still cameras whose quality starts to fall apart at this setting. We also choose 1,600 because we like to be able to shoot at least at this level when indoors and at night.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Nikon J3 at ISO 1,600

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 1,600	Nikon J3 at ISO 1,600
It's quite obvious from these comparisons that the larger sensor of the Olympus camera makes a world of difference. Even with the default level of noise reduction enabled on the E-PM2, the camera heavily out-resolved the Nikon in all three crops.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Olympus E-M5 at ISO 1,600

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 1,600	Olympus OM-D E-M5 at ISO 1,600
Both the E-PM2 and E-M5 produced similar images at ISO 1600, although there may be slightly more detail in the mosaic image from the E-M5. Still, the quality of the much lower-priced E-PM2 is clearly on display here.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Olympus E-PL5 at ISO 1,600

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 1,600	Olympus E-PL5 at ISO 1,600
Like the previous comparison, these two cameras -- boasting the same sensor and more -- produce almost identical images, as we would expect.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Panasonic G5 at ISO 1,600

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 1,600	Panasonic G5 at ISO 1,600
Compared to the G5 at ISO 1600, the E-PM2 produced much sharper, more detailed images with better color. The mosaic pattern, for example, from the E-PM2 has much more fine detail as do the threads in the pink fabric swatch.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Sony NEX-F3 at ISO 1,600

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 1,600	Sony NEX-F3 at ISO 1,600
At ISO 1600, the images from these two cameras compare quite similarly, although the winner is still the Sony NEX-F3 as evidenced by the mosaic and fabric images, both of which retain more fine detail. The NEX-F3 does however show some odd JPEG artifacting in the pink fabric swatch.

Today's ISO 3,200 is yesterday's ISO 1,600, so below are the same crops at ISO 3,200.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Nikon J3 at ISO 3,200

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 3,200	Nikon J3 at ISO 3,200
At ISO 3200, the Nikon J3 is having clear difficulties producing any fine details. The E-PM2 is the obvious winner here in this comparison, still being able to resolve some detail in the mosaic image.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Olympus E-M5 at ISO 3,200

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 3,200	Olympus OM-D E-M5 at ISO 3,200
As we've seen in the previous comparison of these two cameras, both manage to produce very similar images. The OM-D E-M5 may have a slight advantage in fine details in the mosaic image, but otherwise the E-PM2 stacks up nicely.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Olympus E-PL5 at ISO 3,200

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 3,200	Olympus E-PL5 at ISO 3,200
Not surprisingly, these two cameras produced practically identical shots yet again.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Panasonic G5 at ISO 3,200

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 3,200	Panasonic G5 at ISO 3,200
The winner here is the E-PM2. The default noise reduction on the Panasonic G5 has a significant impact on the level of fine details at ISO 3200. Noise reduction artifacts are much more noticeable on the Panasonic images, as shown in the first crop on the bottle, and the mosaic and fabric patterns are almost non-existent from the G5.

Olympus E-PM2 versus Sony NEX-F3 at ISO 3,200

Olympus E-PM2 at ISO 3,200	Sony NEX-F3 at ISO 3,200
The Sony NEX-F3 clearly takes the cake in this comparison, with much more detail in the fabric shot particularly. The first pair of images look fairly similar as do the mosaic images, although there is a bit more fine detail in the person's robe and hair in the NEX-F3 image.

Detail: Olympus E-PM2 versus Nikon J3, Olympus E-PL5, Panasonic G5, Olympus E-M5, and Sony NEX-F3

Olympus E-PM2 ISO 200 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Nikon J3 ISO 160 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Olympus E-PL5 ISO 200 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Olympus OM-D E-M5 ISO 200 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Panasonic G5 ISO 160 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400	Sony NEX-F3 ISO 200 ISO 3,200 ISO 6,400
Detail comparison. High-contrast detail is also important, pushing the camera in different ways. So they're worth a look as well by making comparisons at the base ISO and then ISO 3200 and 6400. It's no surprise here that all three Olympus cameras look fairly similar, although the E-PL5 and E-M5 appear just a bit sharper. The Nikon J3 is clearly out of its element here, not coming close to the sharpness and detail from the other cameras with larger sensors. On the other side of things, it's interesting to note that even with a larger APS-C size sensor, compared to the Micro Four Thirds sensors of the Olympus and Panasonic cameras, the Sony NEX-F3 doesn't produce sharper, more detailed images here. In fact, at all ISO levels, the Olympus cameras do a much better job, most notably at ISO 6400.

Olympus E-PM2 Print Quality

Prints a nice 24 x 36 at ISO 200; ISO 1600 capable of a good 13 x 19 inch print; with a good 4 x 6 at ISO 12,800.

ISO 200 prints look very good at 24 x 36 inches, and yields a suitable wall display print up to 36 x 48. 

ISO 400 prints are nice and crisp at 20 x 30, with minor softening in the red swatch of our test target (which is typical for many cameras); capable of a nice wall display print up to 30 x 40.

ISO 800 yields a good 16 x 20 inch print with the exception of a loss in contrast in our red swatch, but is otherwise sharp with vibrant colors.

ISO 1600 prints look good at 13 x 19 inches, with minor noise in the shadows and minor previously mentioned softness; suitable for less critical applications at 16 x 20 inches.

ISO 3200 yields prints that we consider good at 11 x 14, but a lot of people will find 13 x 19 perfectly acceptable.

ISO 6400 prints a nice 8 x 10 for this ISO, with only minor grain in the shadows of our target.

ISO 12,800 yields a decent 4 x 6 inch print, with nice color for such a high ISO.

ISO 25,600 prints are a bit too grainy to be called good at 4 x 6.

The Olympus E-PM2 is capable of producing nice large prints at low ISOs, outstanding for its price. It demonstrates excellent high ISO performance up to ISO 1600, and makes surprisingly nice-looking 8 x 10s at ISO 6400. Please note that we shoot these test shots with our sharp reference lenses in order to show what the camera body is capable of, and results with the kit lenses may vary somewhat.

Olympus E-PM2 Technical Info

by Mike Tomkins

At its heart, the Olympus E-PM2 includes much of the DNA of the popular Micro Four Thirds flagship model, the OM-D E-M5. Both cameras share the exact same pairing of image sensor and processor, but the PM2 places them in what Olympus says is the smallest and lightest PEN-series body. The Olympus PM2's image sensor is a 4:3-aspect, 16.1-megapixel Live MOS sensor supplied by Sony. It's capable of providing images at a maximum resolution of 4,608 x 3,456 pixels. Sensitivity from the chip ranges as high as ISO 25,600 equivalent, the same upper limit as found in the OM-D E-M5.	Output from the imager is handled by a TruePic VI image processor, a designation first seen in last year's E-P3 mirrorless camera. Although it's the same processor used in the E-M5, the Olympus PM2's burst performance isn't quite as swift as that camera. With focus locked, the E-PM2 can deliver a full eight frames per second, swift by mirrorless standards but still one less than the E-M5 provides. Enable tracking autofocus though, and this falls to a more sedate 3.5 frames per second, about 0.7 fps slower than the E-M5.
Like all PEN-series models, the Olympus E-PM2 sports a Micro Four Thirds lens mount that can accept a wide selection of over 30 dedicated lenses from Olympus, Panasonic, and Voigtländer. (Admittedly, several of these are very similar to each other in specification; there's still a little over 20 models that are reasonably distinct, however.) Courtesy of various first- and third-party adapters, the Micro Four Thirds mount can also accept a huge variety of older glass including lenses made for Olympus and Panasonic's full-sized Four Thirds cameras, albeit often with limitations regarding autofocus, exposure, etc. There were several new lenses announced alongside the Olympus PM2. These include the unusual BCL-15 Body Cap Lens (a 9mm-thick, three element f/8, manual focus pancake which sells for ~US$50), the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 60mm f2.8 (US$500), and a limited-edition black version of the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12mm f2.0 (US$1,100). The latter two lenses started shipping in October 2012. The new M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 17mm f1.8 (US$500) prime also started shipping December 2012, and the revised M.ZUIKO 75-300mm f4.8-6.7 II ED (US$550) telephoto zoom started shipping March 2013. Although the Olympus PEN PM2 does include in-body image stabilization, it's not the same system used in the E-M5. Hence, it corrects only for pitch and yaw like most other stabilization systems. It lacks the E-M5's ability to correct for roll, or for up/down and left/right translational motions. Another thing that does make it across intact from the popular E-M5 is the PEN E-PM2's contrast detection autofocus system. Branded as "Frequency Acceleration Sensor Technology," or "FAST" AF for short, it's a system that's claimed to offer the world's fastest autofocusing when coupled with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-50mm f/3.5-6.3 EZ lens. That comes thanks to a stunning readout speed of 240 frames per second (but with reduced accuracy) for continuous autofocus, and a more typical 120 fps readout rate (with maximum accuracy) for single autofocus. Like that in the M5, the Olympus PM2's contrast detection AF system still has 35 fixed autofocus point locations, with the points arranged in a 7 x 5 array that covers most of the image frame. You can switch to a small single-point focus point that you can position where you need it simply by tapping on the camera's touchscreen, however. And to help out with focusing on nearby subjects in low light, the PM2 retains its predecessor's autofocus assist lamp. As you'd expect, Olympus' dust removal system is included in the E-PM2. This vibrates the cover glass over the sensor with a dedicated piezoelectric element to shake dust free, then captures it on an adhesive strip beneath the sensor.
There's no built-in viewfinder, but the Olympus E-PM2 retains the company's proprietary Accessory Port 2 just beneath its flash hot shoe, which allows the camera to accept a number of accessories. These include the same two electronic viewfinders used with past Olympus cameras (VF-2 and VF-3), the new VF-4 (with firmware upgrade), along with the SEMA-1 external microphone adapter, MAL-1 Macro Arm Light, and PENPAL Bluetooth Communication Unit accessories.
The PM1's 3.0-inch, 460,000 dot, 16:9 aspect LCD panel is retained in the PEN PM2, but with an important change. The panel itself now has a gapless design which places a capacitive touch sensitive layer in between the LCD itself and the protective cover glass. The removal of the air gap should translate to reduced glare and better contrast. There's also now an anti-smudge coating that should reduce the likelihood of fingerprints on the display. You can now opt for Vivid or Natural display modes, as well. We've mentioned the touch screen, by the way, and it's worth noting that this is a new addition since the E-PM1. The Olympus PM2's touch screen not only allows you to set focus and make adjustments; you can even trip the shutter with a tap on the LCD panel. And since it's a capacitive design like higher-end smartphones, it should be sensitive enough to do so with very little camera shake. There's also a vertical touch navigation menu called up by pressing the Menu button, which makes light work of mode changes.
There's no built-in flash, but the Olympus PM2 does come with the same FL-LM1 accessory flash that was included with the PM1. This flash has a guide number of 10 meters at ISO 200 equivalent. The E-PM2's hot shoe can also accept a variety of other, more powerful strobes. Flash sync is possible up to 1/250 second depending on the flash, and the E-PM2 also allows Super FP flash between 1/125 and 1/4,000 second, if supported by the attached flash. The E-PM2 also supports four-channel wireless flash with the bundled strobe acting as a master, and off-camera flash strobes configured in up to 3 groups Olympus has made a number of changes to the creative options in the PEN PM2. These include a new high dynamic range bracketing mode, and an additional six Art Filters. Unfortunately, the new HDR bracketing mode does not automatically combine multiple shots like some cameras, but is still useful for post processing an image with greater dynamic range than is possible in a single exposure. This is because exposure steps are larger than what's available with standard exposure bracketing. Options are: 3 or 5 frames in 2 or 3 EV steps, or 7 frames in 2 EV steps. The additional Art Filters are Pale & Light Color, Light Tone, Cross Process, Gentle Sepia, Key Line and Watercolor, which are added to the six filter types found in the PM1 (Pop Art, Soft Focus, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, and Dramatic Tone).	You can still record high definition (1,920 x 1,080 pixel) movies with the Olympus PL5, but there are a few changes and additions in this area, too. The E-PM1 shot Full HD (1080i) at 60i and HD (720p) at 60p while the E-PM2 shoots both at 30p. File format has also changed from MTS to more widely supported MOV (MPEG-4AVC/H.264). Both cameras also offer 720p and VGA resolutions in AVI Motion JPEG format, also at 30p. Like its predecessor, image stabilization in movie mode is electronic only. Thanks to the new touchscreen, you can now simply tap to select a new focus point during video capture, making it easy to guide your viewers' attention to a different subject. You can also now switch between different art filters during recording, something we've not seen before from any manufacturer. So that the change isn't jarring, one filter effect will fade out and the other will fade in. It's a neat idea that could be fun if you're the type who enjoys these effects. You can also now enable what Olympus calls Movie Teleconverter, which is essentially a variable focal length crop. Since there's no mechanical adjustment being made, this is silent. It also shouldn't significantly degrade image quality, since you're not using interpolation. (Beyond that inherent in all Bayer-filtered cameras, anyway.)
Connectivity includes the Accessory Port 2, USB 2.0 data, Micro HDMI (Type D), and an analog audio/video output via the combined USB/AV port. The USB port also supports the RM-UC1 remote cable. The Olympus E-PM2 doesn't include built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, but the company has built support for Toshiba's FlashAir WiFi-capable flash cards into the PM2's firmware. An Olympus application for Android and iOS operating systems allows sharing of photos from the camera via your smartphone, as well as application of filters to the photos before sharing. You can also use the existing PenPal accessory to transfer images to your phone via Bluetooth.	There's a Secure Digital card slot, and it supports both the higher-capacity SDHC or SDXC card types, plus the higher-speed UHS-I types. Eye-Fi cards are also supported, though not Endless Memory. Secure Digital cards with a Speed Class of 6 or above are recommended for HD movie recording. Power comes courtesy of a proprietary BLS-5 lithium-ion battery pack, and a BCS-5 charger is included in the product bundle. The BLS-5 lithium-ion battery pack is CIPA-rated for 360 shots per charge, though we don't know if that includes 50% flash shots with the bundled FL-LM1 flash. Olympus does not appear to offer an AC adapter for the PM2.
Available since October 2012, the Olympus PEN E-PM2 was originally priced at about US$550 body-only. Four body colors are available: black, red, silver, or white. A kit bundling the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II R zoom lens originally retailed for US$600. Since then, Olympus has reduced MSRP of both the body and kits by $100 to about US$450 and US$500 respectively. A couple of new accessories are also offered alongside the PEN E-PM2 camera body. These include the CS-38B leather body jacket in four different colors and the CBG-8 camera bag.

In the Box

The Olympus PEN E-PM2 retail kit package (as reviewed) contains the following items:

• Olympus E-PM2 camera body (in black, silver, red or white)
• 14-42mm Olympus M.Zuiko Digital zoom lens
• Flash FL-LM1
• Rechargeable Li-ion battery BLS-5
• Battery charger BCS-5
• USB cable
• AV cable
• Shoulder strap
• Olympus Viewer 2 software (CD-ROM)
• Instruction manual
• Warranty card

Recommended Accessories

• Large capacity SDHC/SDXC memory card. 16GB Class 6 should be a minimum.
• Spare battery BLS-5 (~US$42)
• Electronic Viewfinder VF-3 (Silver) (~US$180)
• Leather Protective Body Jacket (~US$60)
• External Microphone Adapter Set (SEMA-1) (~US$90)

Olympus E-PM2 Conclusion

The Olympus E-PM2 is an exceptional upgrade of the company's entry-level offering. And that's saying a lot, since we've been very pleased with the image quality and overall speedy performance of the Olympus PEN compact system camera line over the past couple of years.

Like the stepup PEN E-PL5, the PEN E-PM2 inherits the excellent 16-megapixel sensor from the groundbreaking OM-D E-M5, one of our all-time favorite cameras. Bolstered by this sensor and the TruePic VI image processor (also borrowed from the E-M5), the image quality we saw from the E-PM2 proved to be nothing less than stellar -- demonstrating accurate colors, an impressive dynamic range and tons of detail. When you consider the camera's entry-level status and price, such image quality is an outright amazing feat and rivals that of much higher-end CSCs and DSLRs.

The E-PM2 also improves upon the quick operation of its predecessor, the E-PM1, providing blazing speed in terms of start up, mode switching, autofocus, single-shot cycle times and more. The camera's Continuous mode averaged 8 frames per second -- not too shabby -- but falls to a more pedestrian 3.5 fps when tracking AF is enabled. Overall, we found the FAST (Frequency Acceleration Sensor Technology) AF to be responsive and accurate in most situations, though it's not as great when tracking motion action or shooting video.

The E-PM2 is slightly smaller and lighter, and features a less robust build than the stepup E-PL5. It also lacks a physical Mode dial, a couple buttons and a tilting LCD, instead relying more heavily on the touchscreen controls of its fixed 3-inch LCD monitor. In that regard, it reminded us a lot of a point-and-shoot (which could be a pro or con, depending on your needs). And after all, there's always the Olympus E-PL5 for about $100 more if these features are must-haves. For those who like fixed touchscreens, however, the E-PM2's won't disappoint -- it's responsive and convenient, and even offers touch focus and shutter on both stills and video.

The Olympus E-PM2 suffers from the same maze-like menu system of the E-PL5, which most of us here at IR had significant difficulties figuring out. However, once you study the system you can tweak it so it's much more user friendly to operate, especially when you (can figure out how to) activate the camera's Super Control Panel and create a bunch of presets (Olympus Mysets). Within the menus, you'll find a ton of advanced functions plus the E-PM2's immense customizability. We were impressed by how sophisticated this small, entry-level camera could be for a patient and motivated photographer.

For all these reasons and more, the Olympus E-PM2 should be seriously considered by photographers looking to step up from their point-and-shoots, and may appeal to enthusiasts looking for an inexpensive but sophisticated second camera. Overall, the E-PM2 offers a tremendous mix of image quality, speed and flexibility at an entry-level price. For all these reasons, we gave it a Dave's Pick.

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Optics

Kit Lens Test Results

Zoom
Typical zoom range for a kit lens, with good performance.

The Olympus E-PM2 is available bundled with an Olympus M.ZUIKO 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 II R Micro Four Thirds lens. This kit lens possesses a typical optical zoom range of about 3x, and its 35mm equivalent focal range is about 28-84mm. Far-field performance at 14 and 25mm is very good with strong detail and good contrast across the frame, though some chromatic aberration can be seen in the corners and edges. Results are good at the 42mm setting, with good sharpness and contrast, though some chromatic aberration is still visible, as well as some flare around very bright objects. The camera's 2x digital zoom does a good job, though with the expected loss of fine detail and more visible noise that comes with digital enlargement. Overall, though, above average performance here for an inexpensive kit lens. See below for comments on macro performance, geometric distortion, corner softness, etc.

Macro
An average sized minium area, with good detail. Flash exposure is a bit dim.

As with zoom performance, the Olympus PEN E-PM2's macro performance will depend entirely on the lens in use. With the 14-42mm II kit lens set to 42mm, the Olympus E-PM2 captured a fairly average minimum area measuring 2.75 x 2.06 inches (70 x 52 millimeters). Sharpness is quite good over most of the frame, though corners are a touch soft. (Most lenses have some softening in the corners at macro distances.) Corners show a very small amount of light falloff, though that's not unusual. The bundled flash throttled down a bit too much at this close distance, resulting in a slightly underexposed image.

Geometric Distortion
Very low to moderate geometric distortion with the 14-42mm II kit lens in JPEGs. High barrel distortion at wide angle in uncorrected raw files.

In-Camera JPEG: Barrel distortion at 14mm is 0.6 percent

In-Camera JPEG: Pincushion distortion at 42mm is practically nonexistent

Uncorrected RAW: Barrel distortion at 14mm is 2.4 percent

Uncorrected RAW: Barrel distortion at 42mm is is practically nonexistent

When shooting JPEGs, the Olympus PEN E-PM2's 14-42mm kit lens produced about 0.6 percent barrel distortion at wide angle, which is slightly less than average but still noticeable in some of its images. At the telephoto end, there is almost no visible distortion, only about two pixels. This is the tendency for the lens to bend straight lines outward (like a barrel -- usually at wide-angle) or inward (like a pincushion -- usually at telephoto).

To see how much correction is taking place in the camera, we converted raw files from the above shots with dcraw, which does not correct for distortion. As you can see, at wide angle, barrel distortion is very high at about 2.4%, though pincushion distortion at telephoto is very low, almost nil. We expect to see high distortion at wide angle from smaller interchangeable lenses though, so it's nothing to be concerned about unless you are using a raw converter which does not understand the embedded "opcodes" to perform distortion corrections automatically. Most raw converters these days are capable of applying distortion correction automatically, as specified by the manufacturer. (There is however going to be some loss of resolution as a result of such correction, because pixels in the corners of the frame are being "stretched" to correct for the distortion. Obviously, a lens that doesn't require such correction, and is also sharp in the corners to begin with would be preferable, but relaxing constraints on barrel and pincushion distortion likely brings other benefits in the lens design, such as cost, size and weight.)

Chromatic Aberration and Corner Sharpness
Moderate chromatic aberration at wide angle and telephoto with the 14-42mm II kit lens. Some corner softening, especially when wide open.

Aperture: maximum
14mm @ f/3.5: Upper right C.A.: Moderate Softness: Soft	14mm @ f/3.5: Center C.A.: Very low Softness: Sharp
42mm @ f/5.6: Upper right C.A.: Moderately low Softness: Soft	42mm @ f/5.6: Center C.A.: Very low Softness: A hint soft

Chromatic Aberration. Chromatic aberration in the corners with the E-PM2's 14-42mm II kit lens is moderate and noticeable at wide angle (14mm), and a little lower at telephoto (42mm) when wide open.  In both cases, the color fringing gradually reduces in brightness and width as it approaches the center of the image, where it is practically nonexistent.

The Olympus E-PM2 does not appear to be suppressing lateral chromatic aberration in its JPEGs, as uncorrected raw files have similar amounts.

Corner Softness. The Olympus E-PM2's 14-42mm kit lens produced soft corners at full wide angle and telephoto when wide open. At wide angle, the upper right corner is the softest, while at full telephoto, all four corners were about equally soft. The center is quite sharp at wide angle, though, and just a touch soft at telephoto.

Vignetting. There's some mild vignetting (corner shading) particularly at wide angle, as indicated by the darker corner crops compared to the center.

Aperture: f/8
14mm @ f/8: Upper right C.A.: Moderate Softness: Fairly sharp	14mm @ f/8: Center C.A.: Low Softness: Sharp
42mm @ f/8: Upper right C.A.: Moderately low Softness: Fairly sharp	42mm @ f/8: Center C.A.: Very low Softness: Sharp

Chromatic Aberration. With the aperture stopped down to f/8, chromatic aberration in the corners is still moderate at wide angle, and moderately low at telephoto.

Corner Softness. Corner sharpness improved at both wide angle and telephoto when stopped-down to f/8, though corners were still slightly soft, and sharpness improved in the center at full telephoto as well.

Vignetting. Vignetting also improves to the point of being negligible at f/8. Note that the Olympus E-PM2 does support Shading Compensation, however we did not test that feature.

Pretty good performance overall for an inexpensive zoom kit lens. Yes, chromatic aberration could be lower, but keep in mind that unlike Olympus PENs, most cameras suppress chromatic aberration in JPEGs these days.

Olympus E-PM2 Viewfinder

Viewfinder Test Results

Accuracy
Excellent accuracy from the LCD monitor.

The Olympus PEN E-PM2's LCD monitor proved very accurate in record mode, showing essentially 100% coverage with our Olympus Zuiko Digital 50mm f/2.0 low distortion prime. Excellent results here.

The images above were taken from our standardized test shots. For a collection of more pictorial photos, see our Olympus PEN E-PM2 Photo Gallery .

Exposure

Color

Saturation & Hue Accuracy
Accurate saturation levels with very good hue accuracy.

ISO Sensitivity
200	400	800	1600
3200	6400	12800	25600
In the diagram above, the squares show the original color, and the circles show the color that the camera captured. More saturated colors are located toward the periphery of the graph. Hue changes as you travel around the center. Thus, hue-accurate, highly saturated colors appear as lines radiating from the center. Mouse over the links to compare ISOs and click for a larger version.

Saturation. The Olympus E-PM2 pushes reds a fair bit, but most other colors are pretty close to bang on in terms of saturation. Default saturation at base ISO is 108% (8% oversaturated), which is a bit lower than average; that is, it's more accurate than most. Saturation remains fairly stable across the ISO range, except at ISO 6,400 and above where it falls off, particularly in purples and dark green. You can always adjust saturation, or select a different picture mode to adjust color to your tastes. Most consumer digital cameras produce color that's more highly saturated (more intense) than what's found in the original subjects. This is simply because most people like their color a bit brighter than life.

Skin tones. Here, the Olympus E-PM2 did fairly well, producing natural-looking Caucasian skin tones, just slightly on the warm side. Where oversaturation is most problematic is on Caucasian skin tones, as it's very easy for these "memory colors" to be seen as too bright, too pink, too yellow, etc.

Hue. The Olympus PEN E-PM2 does shift cyan toward blue, light green toward yellow, oranges toward yellow, etc., but shifts are fairly minor. (The shift from cyan to blue is much less pronounced than most cameras, leaving sunny sky colors a little warmer than most.) Overall hue accuracy is quite good with a Delta-C color error after correction for saturation of 4.13 at base ISO, which is better than average. Hue is "what color" the color is.

Saturation Adjustment
The Olympus E-PM2 lets you adjust the image saturation, contrast, and sharpness in five steps each. As can be seen below, the saturation adjustment was quite effective, covers a useful range, and does a good job of not impacting contrast.

Saturation Adjustment Examples
-2	0	+2

The table above shows results with the default as well as the two extreme saturation settings. Click on any thumbnail above, then click again to see the full-sized image.

Sensor

Exposure and White Balance

Indoors, incandescent lighting
Very warm cast with Auto White Balance, cool with 2,600K setting, but good color with the Incandescent and Manual settings. Average exposure compensation required.

Indoors, under normal incandescent lighting, color balance was very warm and orange using the Auto white balance setting. Results with the Incandescent setting were quite good, almost identical to the Manual setting, which was the most accurate. The 2,600 Kelvin setting was quite cool with a blue-green tint. The Olympus E-PM2 required an average amount of positive exposure compensation here, at +0.3 EV. (Our test lighting for this shot is a mixture of 60 and 100 watt household incandescent bulbs, a pretty yellow light source, but a very common one in typical home settings here in the U.S.)

Outdoors, daylight
Natural looking colors overall, with good exposure.

Outdoors, the Olympus E-PM2 performed well, with pleasing if slightly warm colors, and good exposure. We prefer the skintones with the Auto white balance setting in our "Sunlit" Portrait shot, though Manual white balance produced very similar results. The Olympus E-PM2 required an average amount of positive exposure compensation (+0.7 EV) to keep facial tones reasonably bright. Default contrast is a bit high, but despite the bright appearance there are very few blown highlights in the mannequin's shirt and flowers, which is much better than average. The Far-field shot is just slightly underexposed at default settings, but has almost no blown highlights, though there are some deep shadows. Noise in all but the deepest shadows is however very low for a Micro Four Thirds camera.

See full set of test images with explanations
See thumbnails of all test and gallery images

Resolution
Very high resolution, ~2,230 lines of strong detail in JPEGs, about the same from processed raw files.

In-camera JPEGs our laboratory resolution chart reveals sharp, distinct line patterns down to about 2,30 lines per picture height in both the horizontal and vertical direction before aliasing artifacts start to interfere with the pattern. Complete extinction of the pattern doesn't occur until about 3,000 to 3,200 lines, though. Adobe Camera Raw wasn't able to extract more resolution here, though color moiré is more apparent near the limits of resolution. Use these numbers to compare with other cameras of similar resolution, or use them to see just what higher resolution can mean in terms of potential detail.

See full set of test images with explanations
See thumbnails of all test and gallery images

Sharpness & Detail
Good sharpness overall, though edge-enhancement artifacts on high-contrast subjects are visible. Mild noise suppression visible in the shadows.

Sharpness. The Olympus PEN E-PM2 captures sharp images overall, though edge enhancement artifacts are visible on high-contrast subjects such as sharpening halos around the thicker branches and pine cones in the crop above left. Still, results are pretty good as we've seen higher default sharpening from other cameras. Edge enhancement creates the illusion of sharpness by enhancing colors and tones right at the edge of a rapid transition in color or tone.

Detail. The crop above right shows some fairly mild noise suppression artifacts in the darkest areas of the model's hair, smudging individual strands together, though quite a few strands remain visible. Overall detail is very good for a 16-megapixel Micro Four Thirds model, though there are some demosaicing errors and aliasing artifacts visible in the hair, indicating that the E-PM2's low pass filter is fairly weak. Noise-suppression systems in digital cameras tend to flatten-out detail in areas of subtle contrast. The effects can often be seen in shots of human hair, where the individual strands are lost and an almost "watercolor" look appears.

Raw vs In-Camera JPEGs
As noted above, the Olympus E-PM2 produces sharp, detailed in-camera JPEGs, though with some visible sharpening artifacts at default settings. As is almost always the case, though, more detail can be obtained from carefully processing raw files than can be seen in the in-camera JPEGs. Take a look below, to see what we mean:

Camera JPEG (SuperFine)	Raw via Olympus [ib] (Defaults)	Raw via ACR (Sharpened in Photoshop)

In the table above, mousing over a link at the bottom will load the corresponding crop in the area above, and clicking on the link will load the full resolution image. The SuperFine camera JPEG and Olympus [ib] conversion used default settings, while Adobe Camera Raw conversion was sharpened in Photoshop using unsharp mask of 300% with a radius of 0.3.

As you can see, the Olympus [ib] conversion resulted in an image very similar to the in-camera JPEG in terms of detail, color and contrast. The Adobe Camera Raw (version 7.4) conversion however contains fine detail superior to the camera's SuperFine JPEG or the Olympus software conversion at default settings, especially noticeable in the pine needles, though it does leave more noise. Nevertheless, like previous Olympus PEN cameras, the E-PM2 rewards raw shooters with even better detail when using a good quality raw converter.

ISO & Noise Performance
Very good noise versus detail up to ISO 1,600.

Default High ISO Noise Reduction
ISO 200	ISO 400	ISO 800
ISO 1,600	ISO 3,200	ISO 6,400
ISO 12,800	ISO 25,600

The Olympus E-PM2's high ISO performance is nearly identical to the E-M5's. Images are quite clean and detailed at ISOs 200 though 800, though some minor chroma noise is visible in the shadows. At ISO 1,600, we see some minor detail loss due to stronger noise and noise reduction efforts, as well as more visible chroma noise in the shadows, but detail is still very strong. At ISO 3,200, additional blurring occurs reducing fine detail, though chroma noise is better controlled. ISO 6,400 shows a lot more luminance noise, as well as another decrease in fine detail and also a reduction in saturation. ISO 12,800 is very noisy, with strong yellow blotching in the shadows. At ISO 25,600, noise and noise reduction is very strong smudging out almost all fine detail, and a lot of blue, purple, and yellow chroma noise is present as well.

Overall, though, high ISO noise performance matches the best we've seen from a Micro Four Thirds model thus far, and competes well with most APS-C models. As always, see the Print Quality section below for maximum recommended print sizes at each ISO.

A note about focus for this shot: We shoot this image at f/4, using one of three very sharp reference lenses (70mm Sigma f/2.8 macro for most cameras, 60mm f/2.8 Nikkor macro for Nikon bodies without a drive motor, and Olympus Zuiko 50mm f/2.0 for Four Thirds and Micro Four Thirds bodies). To insure that the hair detail we use for making critical judgements about camera noise processing and detail rendering is in sharp focus at the relatively wide aperture we're shooting at, the focus target at the center of the scene is on a movable stand. This lets us compensate for front- or back-focus by different camera bodies, even those that lack micro-focus adjustments. This does mean, though, that the focus target itself may appear soft or slightly out of focus for bodies that front- or back-focused with the reference lens. If you click to view the full-size image for one of these shots and notice that the focus target is fuzzy, you don't need to email and tell us about it; we already know it. :-) The focus target position will simply have been adjusted to insure that the rest of the scene is focused properly.

Extremes: Sunlit, dynamic range and low light tests
High resolution with very good dynamic range. Good low-light performance as well.

Sunlight. The Olympus E-PM2 did very well with this difficult shot, requiring the average amount of exposure compensation (+0.7 EV) to keep the mannequin's face reasonably bright in this harsh lighting. As mentioned previously, despite the bright appearance of the mannequin's shirt, dynamic range was surprisingly good, with very few highlights blown and very good detail in the shadows as well. Performance here was well above average compared to most Micro Four Thirds models.

Because digital cameras are more like slide film than negative film (in that they tend to have a more limited tonal range), we test them in the harshest situations to see how they handle scenes with bright highlights and dark shadows, as well as what kind of sensitivity they have in low light. The shot above is designed to mimic the very harsh, contrasty effect of direct noonday sunlight, a very tough challenge for most digital cameras. (You can read details of this test here. In actual shooting conditions, be sure to use fill flash in situations like the one shown here; it's better to shoot in open shade whenever possible.)

Dynamic Range Analysis
A key parameter in a digital camera is its Dynamic Range, the range of brightness that can be faithfully recorded. At the upper end of the tonal scale, dynamic range is dictated by the point at which the RGB data "saturates" at values of 255, 255, 255. At the lower end of the tonal scale, dynamic range is determined by the point at which there ceases to be any useful difference between adjacent tonal steps. Note the use of the qualifier "useful" in there: While it's tempting to evaluate dynamic range as the maximum number of tonal steps that can be discerned at all, that measure of dynamic range has very little relevance to real-world photography. What we care about as photographers is how much detail we can pull out of the shadows before image noise becomes too objectionable. This, of course, is a very subjective matter, and will vary with the application and even the subject matter in question. (Noise will be much more visible in subjects with large areas of flat tints and subtle shading than it would in subjects with strong, highly contrasting surface texture.)

What makes most sense then, is to specify useful dynamic range in terms of the point at which image noise reaches some agreed-upon threshold. To this end, Imatest computes a number of different dynamic range measurements, based on a variety of image noise thresholds. The noise thresholds are specified in terms of f-stops of equivalent luminance variation in the final image file, and dynamic range is computed for noise thresholds of 1.0 (low image quality), 0.5 (medium image quality), 0.25 (medium-high image quality) and 0.1 (high image quality). For most photographers and most applications, the noise thresholds of 0.5 and 0.25 f-stops are probably the most relevant to the production of acceptable-quality finished images, but many noise-sensitive shooters will insist on the 0.1 f-stop limit for their most critical work.

JPEG. The graph at right (click for a larger version) was generated using Imatest's dynamic range analysis for an in-camera Olympus E-PM2 JPEG file with a nominally-exposed density step target (Stouffer 4110). At the base ISO of 200 (the optimal ISO) and with default settings, the graph shows 12.4 f-stops of total dynamic range, with 8.87 f-stops at the "High" Quality level. Roll-off at the highlight end of the curve is gradual, but for shadows it isn't quite as well-behaved, which could lead to some minor gradation in very deep shadows. Still, these are are excellent results for a Micro Four Thirds sensor, rivaling many APS-C models. Compared to the Olympus E-PL5 which uses the identical sensor and processor as far as we know, the E-PM2 scored pretty much the same, as expected, especially when the margin of error for this test is taken into account. (This measurement has a margin of error of about 1/3 f-stop, so differences of less than 0.33 can be ignored.)

Raw. The graph at right is from the same Stouffer 4110 stepchart image captured as a raw (.ORF) file, processed with Adobe Camera Raw using the Auto setting, then manually tweaked from there. As can be seen, the score at the highest quality level increased from 8.87 to 9.65 f-stops, while total dynamic range increased less than 1/2 f-stop from 12.4 to 12.8. Again, these results are much better than average for a Micro Four Thirds sensor, slightly better than the Olympus E-PL5, and almost as good as the best APS-C sensors. It's worth noting here is that ACR's default noise reduction settings reduced overall noise somewhat (see the plot in the lower left-hand corner) relative to the levels in the in-camera JPEG, which would tend to boost the dynamic range numbers for the higher quality thresholds.

Contrast Adjustment
The camera's contrast adjustment was some help in handling the harsh lighting in our "Sunlit" Portrait and Far-field shots.

Minimum Contrast
Contrast set to lowest, +0.7 EV	Contrast set to lowest, Auto Exposure

At its lowest contrast setting, the Olympus E-PM2 did a better job of revealing shadow detail, while maintaining fairly natural-looking skin tones. There were just a few blown highlights to begin with in both these shots so the decreased contrast setting left most highlights alone, but it did bring out more shadow and darker midtone detail.

"Sunlit" Portrait Contrast Adjustment Examples
-2	0	+2

The shots above show the results of the minimum, default and maximum contrast settings. While you can see the extremes, it's pretty hard to evaluate small differences in contrast on small thumbnails like these, click on any thumbnail to go to the full-size image.  As you can see, the E-PM2's contrast setting is effective on both highlights and shadows, and didn't impact saturation much, which is a good thing.

Outdoor Portrait Gradation Comparison
	Gradation Normal (Default) Low Key Auto High Key

Gradation
Similar to dynamic range optimization systems from other manufacturers, the Olympus E-PM2's Gradation setting applies local contrast adjustments in an attempt to preserve shadow detail and prevent highlight clipping with the Auto setting. Above are examples of the Normal (default), Low Key, Auto, and High Key settings applied to our "Sunlit" Portrait shot with +0.3 EV exposure compensation. Mouse over the links to load the associated thumbnail and histogram, and click on the links to visit the full resolution image.

As you can see, the Low Key setting applies Gradation for making subjects darker (in the thumbnail and histogram above, you can see that the camera shifted levels to the left, darkening the image dramatically), while the High Key setting does the opposite for brighter subjects (shifting levels to the right so that lighter tones are blown, but darker ones are opened up). The Auto setting did a good job at toning down highlights and bringing up shadows and darker midtones without making the image too flat-looking or washed-out.

Face Detection
Off at 0 EV Aperture priority, f/8	On at 0 EV Aperture priority, f/8	Full Auto f/3.5

Face Detection
Like most cameras these days, the Olympus E-PM2 has the ability to detect faces, and adjust exposure and focus accordingly. The E-PM2 does it automatically in iAuto mode, when a Portrait scene mode is selected, or when Face Detection AF mode is selected. As you can see from the examples above, it works well, as the image with face detection enabled is much better exposed for the face without having to use exposure compensation. The Full Auto setting worked even better by choosing a larger aperture (f/3.5). An excellent performance under very difficult lighting such as this.

Because digital cameras are more like slide film than negative film (in that they tend to have a more limited tonal range), we test them in the harshest situations to see how they handle scenes with bright highlights and dark shadows, as well as what kind of sensitivity they have in low light. The shot above is designed to mimic the very harsh, contrasty effect of direct noonday sunlight, a very tough challenge for most digital cameras. (You can read details of this test here.)

	1 fc 11 lux	1/2 fc 5.5 lux	1/4 fc 2.7 lux	1/8 fc 1.3 lux	1/16 fc 0.67 lux	1/16fc No NR
ISO 200	1 s f2.8	2 s f2.8	4 s f2.8	8 s f2.8	15 s f2.8	15 s f2.8
ISO 400	0.5 s f2.8	1 s f2.8	2 s f2.8	4 s f2.8	8 s f2.8	8 s f2.8
ISO 800	1/4 s f2.8	0.5 s f2.8	1 s f2.8	2 s f2.8	4 s f2.8	4 s f2.8
ISO 1600	1/8 s f2.8	1/4 s f2.8	0.5 s f2.8	1 s f2.8	2 s f2.8	2 s f2.8
ISO 3200	1/15 s f2.8	1/8 s f2.8	1/4 s f2.8	0.5 s f2.8	1 s f2.8	1 s f2.8
ISO 6400	1/30 s f2.8	1/15 s f2.8	1/8 s f2.8	1/4 s f2.8	0.5 s f2.8	0.5 s f2.8
ISO 12800	1/60 s f2.8	1/30 s f2.8	1/15 s f2.8	1/8 s f2.8	1/4 s f2.8	1/4 s f2.8
ISO 25600	1/125 s f2.8	1/60 s f2.8	1/30 s f2.8	1/15 s f2.8	1/8 s f2.8	1/8 s f2.8

Low Light. The Olympus E-PM2 performed well in low lighting, capturing bright exposures at our lowest light level at all ISOs. Noise was well controlled up to ISO 3,200, though there's some chroma noise noticeable in darker shadows at lower light levels. There are a few bright or hot pixels visible here and there at all ISOs. (The E-PM2 does offer pixel mapping, so hot/dead pixels can be mapped out without a trip to a service center.)

White balance was fairly neutral using the Auto setting, just slightly cool at most ISOs, though blacks and dark greys took on a slightly reddish tint at lower light levels. Some very minor horizontal banding can be seen at the highest ISOs and lowest light levels, but nothing to be concerned about.

The camera's autofocus system was able to focus on our subject down to below the 1/16 foot-candle light level unassisted with an f/2.8 lens, which is excellent for a camera using contrast-detect autofocus, and in total darkness with the aid of its focus assist lamp.

How bright is this? The one foot-candle light level that this test begins at roughly corresponds to the brightness of typical city street-lighting at night. Cameras performing well at that level should be able to snap good-looking photos of street-lit scenes.

NOTE: This low light test is conducted with a stationary subject, and the camera mounted on a sturdy tripod. Most digital cameras will fail miserably when faced with a moving subject in dim lighting. (For example, a child's ballet recital or a holiday pageant in a gymnasium.) Thanks to their phase-detect AF systems, digital SLRs tend to do much better than point & shoots, but you still shouldn't expect a quick autofocus lock with moving subjects. The E-PM2 uses contrast-detect autofocus, as is found in most point & shoot cameras, so its low-light focusing ability is less than that of most SLRs with phase-detect systems. That said, though, the larger, more sensitive pixels of the E-PM2's sensor do better under dim lighting than do the tiny pixels of most point & shoots, (A useful trick is to just prop the camera on a convenient surface, and use its self-timer to release the shutter. This avoids any jiggling from your finger pressing the shutter button, and can work quite well when you don't have a tripod handy.)

Output Quality

Print Quality

Prints a nice 24 x 36 at ISO 200; ISO 1600 capable of a good 13 x 19 inch print; with a good 4 x 6 at ISO 12,800.

ISO 200 prints look very good at 24 x 36 inches, and yields a suitable wall display print up to 36 x 48. 

ISO 400 prints are nice and crisp at 20 x 30, with minor softening in the red swatch of our test target (which is typical for many cameras); capable of a nice wall display print up to 30 x 40.

ISO 800 yields a good 16 x 20 inch print with the exception of a loss in contrast in our red swatch, but is otherwise sharp with vibrant colors.

ISO 1600 prints look good at 13 x 19 inches, with minor noise in the shadows and minor previously mentioned softness; suitable for less critical applications at 16 x 20 inches.

ISO 3200 yields prints that we consider good at 11 x 14, but a lot of people will find 13 x 19 perfectly acceptable.

ISO 6400 prints a nice 8 x 10 for this ISO, with only minor grain in the shadows of our target.

ISO 12,800 yields a decent 4 x 6 inch print, with nice color for such a high ISO.

ISO 25,600 prints are a bit too grainy to be called good at 4 x 6.

The Olympus E-PM2 is capable of producing nice large prints at low ISOs, outstanding for its price. It demonstrates excellent high ISO performance up to ISO 1600, and makes surprisingly nice-looking 8 x 10s at ISO 6400. Please note that we shoot these test shots with our sharp reference lenses in order to show what the camera body is capable of, and results with the kit lenses may vary somewhat.

Testing hundreds of digital cameras, we've found that you can only tell just so much about a camera's image quality by viewing its images on-screen. Ultimately, there's no substitute for printing a lot of images and examining them closely. For this reason, we now routinely print sample images from the cameras we test on our Canon Pro9000 Mark II studio printer, and the Canon Pixma MP610 here in the office. (See the Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mark II review for details on that model.)

The images above were taken from our standardized test shots. For a collection of more pictorial photos, see our Olympus PEN E-PM2 Photo Gallery .

Not sure which camera to buy? Let your eyes be the ultimate judge! Visit our Comparometer(tm) to compare images from the Olympus PEN E-PM2 with those from other cameras you may be considering. The proof is in the pictures, so let your own eyes decide which you like best!

Performance

Video

Most digital cameras these days offer some form of high-definition video recording features, and as expected the Olympus PEN E-PM2 compact system camera offers just that. The E-PM2's technical specification match almost identically with its sister camera, the E-PL5, and as such the video pages for the two models will be quite similar. Unfortunately for the E-PM2 and E-PL5, video features seem a bit tacked on, with a somewhat limited feature set and only mediocre video quality.

Both cameras offer up to Full HD 1080p video recording at 29.97 frames per second (30p) with full-time autofocus. There is a choice of video file format, with only the MPEG-4 format (saved in an MOV file wrapper) going up to 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Motion JPEG format (saved as AVI files) is limited to a maximum of 1,280 x 720. There is no choice of frame rate other than 30 fps (or 29.97 in MPEG-4). There are Program Auto, Shutter/Aperture-priority or full Manual exposure modes available for movie mode, but exposure settings cannot be changed during recording. Stereo audio is available in movie mode, with an optional wind-cut filter as well as 3-level volume adjustment. However there is no built-in microphone jack for a standard third-party mic, but Olympus does sell an optional hot-shoe adapter that allows the attachment of a mic with a 3.5mm plug.

At first glance, the E-PM2 (and E-PL5) looks to have a pretty standard fare for consumer-grade video features giving those users the ability to shoot quick HD videos with both full automatic or manual exposure settings. Where the camera falters is with image quality. Heavy compression artifacts can be seen at all video resolutions, especially in 1080p whenever there are moving subjects or the camera moves. It's not as bad in Motion JPEG format, but it's still noticeable. Moiré patterns are also prevalent.

Overall, the E-PM2 is clearly designed with still photography in mind, first and foremost. And while many users will appreciate the option of recording HD video, the video image quality out of the camera leaves a lot to be desired.

Olympus E-PM2 Basic Video Specs

• 1,920 x 1,080 (Full HD / 1080p), 1,280 x 720 (720p), and 640 x 480 (VGA) recording
• H.264 compression at Full HD and 720p resolutions, or Motion JPEG compression at 720p or below
• MOV file format for MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, AVI for Motion JPEG
• 29.97 progressive frames per second at Full HD and 720p, or 30 frames per second for Motion JPEG
• Autofocus functions during movie recording, includes tracking function, and is essentially silent with MSC-badged lenses
• Touch AF allows you tap the touchscreen to select a new focus point during video capture
• Auto, Shutter/Aperture-priority or full Manual exposure, set before recording
• EV adjustment is available in Program, Shutter and Aperture Priority AE prior to recording, but not during
• EV adjustment is available in all auto and semi-auto recording modes
• Digital image stabilization is used for video recording; sensor-shift stabilizer mechanism is disabled for movies
• Stereo audio recording via built-in microphones or standard external mics via an optional, hot-shoe-mounted accessory connector
• "Art Filters" can be applied to video, but most adversely affect framerate, sometimes drastically
• Video recorded with Diorama filter plays back at ~15x normal speed and has audio disabled
• Stereo audio recording via built-in microphones, plus external input via optional accessory port adapter
• Digital tele-converter function adds 2x digital zoom; can be toggled during recording
• Still + Video mode: movie recording pauses to take a still image. Movie recording restarts after the picture is taken.

Olympus E-PM2 Video: Image Size, Frame Rate, and Encoding

The Olympus E-PM2 records at three different video resolutions in two compression formats, with each combination having a fixed frame rate. Both Full HD (1080p; 1,920 x 1,080 pixel) and 720p (1,280 x 720 pixel) videos are recorded at 29.97 progressive frames per second. In Motion JPEG format, which is available for 720p or VGA (640 x 480 pixel) resolution, the frame rate is fixed at 30 frames per second. In MOV format, users have a choice of two bit rates for each resolution. Regardless of the compression and frame rate, the actual data is clocked off the image sensor at 30 frames per second, and some art filters reduce the captured frame rate significantly.

Unless audio capture is disabled, all movies include Wave Format (Stereo linear PCM/16-bit) stereo audio, with a sampling frequency of 48kHz.

The table below shows the specs for various video recording options.

As noted above, the Olympus E-PM2 offers two video recording formats, although if you want Full HD, the choice of format is made for you. The E-PM2's Full HD video is recorded using the MOV format, which is based upon H.264 compression. For VGA resolution and a 720p option, the E-PM2 uses the older, less efficient (but easier to decode) Motion JPEG compression type. At 720p resolution, you can choose between the two formats.

The continuous movie recording duration limit changes depending on file format and bit rate setting. For both 1080p and 720p HD video, recording is limited to approximately 29 minutes for Normal bit rate and 22 minutes for Fine bit rate. For M-JPEG format, the recording time is limited to 7 minutes for HD and 14 minutes for VGA. The maximum movie file size is 4GB for MOV format videos and 2GB for M-JPEG. Olympus recommends use of at least a Class 6 Secure Digital card to avoid issues with write speeds during video capture.

Here are some examples of video shot with our sample of the Olympus E-PM2:

Olympus E-PM2 Video: Image Quality

The video image quality of the E-PM2 is highly variable depending both on how the video is shot and what file format you use. Despite the great image quality in still images, the same can't be said for video, particularly with 1080p H.264 video. In stationary shots there is an overall lack of crisp, fine details as well as visible compression artifacts over the entire frame. In fast-moving shots where the camera pans quickly to follow a subject, such as in our frisbee video, the compression artifacts increase, severely distorting the image. In the 720p H.264 video, the compression artifacts are slightly less noticeable, but they are still there to a pretty significant degree. When using the Motion JPEG format, compression artifacts are significantly reduced, but Moiré patterns are quite pronounced.

Olympus E-PM2: Compression Artifacts
Frame grabs from rolling shutter sample videos
Notice the heavy compression artifacts on the 1080p H.264 video. Click to view the large 1,920 x 1,080 image.
Compression artifacts are still noticeable, but less severe on the 720p H.264 video compared to 1080p. Click to view the larger 1,280 x 720 image.
Motion JPEG video is much cleaner in terms of compression artifacts, but Moiré pattern interference is very apparent. Click to view the larger 1,280 x 720 image.

In our night videos, noise is pretty well-controlled at high ISO levels, and the shadow areas still retain a decent amount of detail. As we saw in the daytime videos, there still seems to be a lot of compression noise/artifacts in the H.264 videos, but not in the Motion JPEG format.

Olympus E-PM2 Video: Focusing

Like many other video-capable compact system cameras, the E-PM2 provides full-time autofocus during video recording. The E-PM2 offers all the same focusing settings in video mode as in still image mode. In Single-Point AF mode, the shooter can autofocus using a half-press of the shutter button. This can be done both before and during recording. And thanks to its new touchpanel LCD, the E-PM2 also supports Touch AF, allowing you to change focus while recording just by tapping on a new focus point, though we did find that Touch AF didn't seem to work when movie effects were enabled.

In the standard S-AF mode, there is no option of manual focus, for that the user must chose a separate "S-AF+MF" setting to enable manual focusing abilities. There is also a full "MF" mode for complete manual focusing. In addition to the regular Continuous AF mode (C-AF) there is also a subject tracking continuous autofocus mode that will adjust the focus to follow the subject through the entire frame. The camera does feature face tracking as well as face and eye tracking priority settings for fine-tuning the AF tracking system. The facial tracking feature is also available in Manual Focus to identity faces, but as expected will not autofocus on them.

It's interesting to note that in manual focus mode, there is still the ability to autofocus, and autofocus continuously, by pressing the "Fn" button. Note: this only works if you have Movie Effect disabled in the Movie menu. Simply press the Fn button to autofocus similar to a half-press of the shutter button in S-AF mode.

Unlike some other cameras, there is no ability to to magnify the Live View screen to assist in manual focus when in movie mode nor are there more advanced focus features such as focus peaking.

Olympus E-PM2 Video: Exposure Control

Photographers out taking still images have the option to immediately start shooting video thanks to the dedicated record button located right near the thumb rest on the E-PM2. Recording this way, video exposure is completely automated, regardless of what still image mode the camera is in. Users looking to have full exposure control must switch over to Movie Mode, which includes its own set of Program Auto, Aperture-/Shutter-Priority and Manual exposure modes.

These modes work just like they would in still image mode in regards to setting the aperture or shutter speed, however once recording has begun exposure settings cannot be changed. In both Shutter-Priority and Manual mode, the shutter speed is limited to no slower than 1/30th of a second. The ISO level is set to Auto in all exposure modes other than Manual. Auto ISO is not available in Manual mode, and the ISO value cannot be changed during video recording, only prior.

Art Filters. A selection of various creative effects that can be applied to stills as well as video.

The E-PM2 features a plethora of Art Filters and Scene modes, such as Pin Hole, Cross Process, Watercolor and Grainy Film, that users can enable to add some creative special effects to their videos. However, we found that some of these filters severely slow down the video framerate to make movies very stuttery. Also, audio is disabled when using the "Diorama" art filter. Users also have the option of toggling a set of Movie Effects shortcuts that let you quickly bring up an Art Filters menu (which fade between scenes), an odd "persistence of vision" ghosting effect, as well as a one-time or continuous "Echo" effect that displays an after-image.

Exposure compensation is available in all exposure modes except Manual mode, and is only adjustable prior to recording. White Balance is fully adjustable in all Movie exposure modes prior to recording.

Olympus E-PM2 Video: Image Stabilization

The E-PM2 does feature a form of image stabilization for Movie Mode, but it's different than the IS mode used for still images. In still image modes, the E-PM2 uses Sensor Shift Technology to physically move the sensor to compensate for minor camera movements and shakes. In movie modes or while recording any video, the camera uses a digital image stabilization that crops in on the image and digitally moves the "crop" around the sensor surface to counteract camera movements. There are two settings for I.S. in movie mode, "Movie I.S.," which compensates for camera movements in all directions as well as reducing shakes that occur while walking, and "Auto," which just affects directional camera movements. Furthermore, there are manual focal length settings for I.S. with non-Olympus lenses. These have a range of 8mm to 1000mm, and users simply choose the focal length that matches the lens. Users also have the option to disable IS completely.

There's a strange distortion that can occur when using Movie IS "Mode 1" (listed as M-IS 1 in the menu system). If you move or tilt the camera up and down quickly the image can become oddly distorted with wobbly, Jello-like effect. However, if you are careful and pan slowly or use side-to-side movement, this I.S. mode works great to smooth out vibrations and shakiness.

Olympus E-PM2 Video: Audio Recording

The E-PM2 offers fairly limited audio recording capabilities right out of the box. Stereo audio is recorded in Wave Format (Stereo linear PCM/16-bit) with a sampling frequency of 48kHz through separate left and right channel microphones on either side of the hot shoe. In theory, this greater separation between the left and right channels of the audio should provide a better stereo effect, although we have no way of objectively testing this.

External Mic. Sold separately, the Olympus SEMA-1 mic kit includes an external mic and accepts 3.5mm inputs.

Other audio options include a 3-level adjustments for both the wind noise filter and recording volume -- Low, Standard and High. Unfortunately, there is no option to adjust the recording volume during recording, nor is a more fine-grained control for the recording volume. Therefore users wishing to have more control over their audio should resort to using an external audio recorder and sync audio in post-production.

There is no microphone jack built-in to the camera body, but Olympus does sell an external hot-shoe adapter that adds the familiar 3.5mm mic jack. Users should be careful about any handling noises while recording video as the internal mic is very prone to picking up these sounds. Users have the option to disable sound recording altogether, which is easy to toggle with a quick press of the OK button and scrolling to the mic symbol.

Olympus E-PM2 Video: Movie Recording / Playback User Interface

As mentioned earlier, the E-PM2 has the ability to start recording video in any still shooting mode. Simply press the red Movie Record button near the thumb rest area, and the camera will start recording video. The E-PM2 does have a dedicated Movie Mode that includes its own set of quick menu settings, as well as its own set of exposure modes that are not the same as the P, A, S, and M modes used for still capture.

Tap the Shooting Mode icon and then tap the movie camera icon to switch to Movie Mode. Press the "OK" button and the Movie Mode menu will slide into view, providing quick access to most of the settings necessary in customizing your video shooting. From this menu, users can access everything from file format and resolution, ISO and Image Stabilization to Autofocus modes, AF tracking and exposure modes.

Some movie functions, such as enabling or disabling Movie Effects or adjusting the Wind Noise Reduction or Recording Volume, must be accessed in the primary camera menus, as shown at right.

The playback system on the E-PM2 is very straightforward, there's no hopping through various media folders to access stills or videos. On the E-PM2, everything is all in one place and is quickly viewed by pressing the Playback button near the top left corner. Users can scroll through all media quickly and play back videos by pressing the OK button and selecting "Movie Play."

Rolling Shutter Artifacts ("Jello Effect")

Almost every video-capable digital SLR and compact system camera currently available experience some amount of motion-related distortion called rolling shutter artifacts, also known as the "Jello Effect." This results from the way the information is read from the cameras' sensors; data from the image sensor is read in rows rather than from the entire sensor all at once. This causes the image, particularly vertical lines like edges of buildings or trees, to appear to bend left or right in a Jello-like manner if you pan or spin the camera quickly.

As you can see from the videos above, the E-PM2 does not do a very good job of handling rolling shutter artifacts. In both H.264 and Motion JPEG and at both video resolutions, the rolling shutter effect is pretty pronounced with vertical lines like the tall trees and the edges of the house becoming heavily distorted and "wobbly" -- hence the name "Jello Effect."

Typically there is not much a shooter can do about rolling shutter effects other than to be aware of them and shoot his or her videos accordingly. There are plug-ins for video editing and motion graphics software that attempt to reduce the effect on your footage, but it's not a 100% surefire solution and some plug-ins can be quite expensive.

Computer Requirements for Viewing HD Video

A typical computer these days has little trouble dealing with still images, but high-definition video can be another matter. Depending on the file format involved, it can take a pretty beefy computer to handle HD-resolution video playback without stuttering or dropping frames. The H.264 image compression used by the Olympus E-PM2 is one of the more computer-intensive formats, and its high maximum resolution of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels resolution means there's a lot of data in each frame to deal with. The net result is that you'll need a reasonably recent computer to play the E-PM2's Full HD video files smoothly, and will want a pretty powerful machine for Full HD video editing. When recording at 720p resolution or below, you can opt for Motion JPEG compression, though, which is one of the less compute-intensive formats and should prove easier to edit (albeit less efficient to store.)

You can of course view your movies on a high definition TV via the HDMI output, or a standard-def TV via the combined USB/AV output.

Flash

Olympus E-PM2 Flash

Bundled Flash Test Results

Coverage and Range
A weak flash despite being external, with somewhat narrow coverage.

Coverage and Exposure. Flash coverage was uneven at wide-angle (14mm), but much more uniform (albeit quite dim) at full telephoto (42mm). In our Indoor Portrait flash test, the Olympus E-PM2 underexposed our subject despite using an external flash, and a higher-than-average base ISO of 200. +1.0 EV flash compensation produced the brightest exposure, though it was still quite dim. The camera's Slow-Sync flash mode produced much better results at +1.0 EV aided by the slower 1/6 second shutter speed, though with a stronger orange cast from the ambient room lighting.

Flash Range: Wide Angle
6 ft	7 ft	8 ft	9 ft	10 ft	11 ft
1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 200	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 200	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 200	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 200	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 200	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 200
12 ft	13 ft	14 ft	15 ft	16 ft
1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 200	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 200	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 200	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 200	1/60 sec f3.5 ISO 200

Flash Range: Telephoto
6 ft	7 ft	8 ft	9 ft	10 ft	11 ft
1/80 sec f5.6 ISO 200	1/80 sec f5.6 ISO 200	1/80 sec f5.6 ISO 200	1/80 sec f5.6 ISO 200	1/80 sec f5.6 ISO 200	1/80 sec f5.6 ISO 200
12 ft	13 ft	14 ft	15 ft	16 ft
1/80 sec f5.6 ISO 200	1/80 sec f5.6 ISO 200	1/80 sec f5.6 ISO 200	1/80 sec f5.6 ISO 200	1/80 sec f5.6 ISO 200

ISO 200 Range. Flash exposure started out dim at 6 feet at wide-angle, then became dimmer as distance increased. At telephoto, flash exposures were even dimmer at 6 feet than they were at wide angle, and gradually became dimmer as distance increased. Poor results here, especially considering the bundled flash is external, though you can always mount a more powerful flash.

Manufacturer-Specified Flash Range
Wide Angle	Telephoto
9.4 feet ISO 200	5.9 feet ISO 200

Manufacturer Specified Flash Test. The Olympus E-PM2's bundled flash has a Guide Number (GN) of 10 meters at ISO 200. That works out to about 9.4 feet at f/3.5 and 5.9 feet at f/5.6, the maximum apertures of the kit lens at both ends of the zoom range. In the shots above, the E-PM2 did not perform as Olympus says it will, producing dim exposures at the rated distances. Our standard test method for flash range uses a fixed setting of ISO 100 (when supported), to provide a fair basis of comparison between cameras. We've now also begun shooting two shots using the manufacturer-specified camera settings, at the range the company claims for the camera, to assess the validity of the specific claims.

Pricing and availability

The Olympus PEN E-PM2 began shipping in October 2012 and was originally priced at US$550 body-only in four body colors: black, red, silver, or white. A kit bundling the M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm f3.5-5.6 II R zoom lens originally listed for US$600. Olympus has since dropped the body-only price to US$450 and the kit to US$500.