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Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PL2

Portability
68
Imaging
59
Features
93
Overall
72
Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II front
 
Olympus PEN E-PL2 front
Portability
85
Imaging
48
Features
47
Overall
47

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PL2 Key Specs

Olympus E-M1 II
(Full Review)
  • 20MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fully Articulated Screen
  • ISO 200 - 25600
  • Sensor based 5-axis Image Stabilization
  • No Anti-Alias Filter
  • 1/8000s Max Shutter
  • 4096 x 2160 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 574g - 134 x 91 x 67mm
  • Revealed September 2016
  • Previous Model is Olympus E-M1
  • Replacement is Olympus E-M1 III
Olympus E-PL2
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Display
  • ISO 100 - 6400
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 362g - 114 x 72 x 42mm
  • Launched February 2011
  • Superseded the Olympus E-PL1s
  • Renewed by Olympus E-PL3
Photography Glossary

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PL2 Overview

Lets look more closely at the Olympus E-M1 II and Olympus E-PL2, former being a Pro Mirrorless while the other is a Entry-Level Mirrorless and they are both built by Olympus. There exists a substantial gap among the sensor resolutions of the E-M1 II (20MP) and E-PL2 (12MP) but they come with the same exact sensor sizing (Four Thirds).

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The E-M1 II was manufactured 5 years later than the E-PL2 and that is a fairly big difference as far as camera technology is concerned. Both the cameras offer different body type with the Olympus E-M1 II being a SLR-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus E-PL2 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera.

Before getting through a more detailed comparison, below is a quick view of how the E-M1 II scores versus the E-PL2 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall grade.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-M1 II over the Olympus E-PL2

 E-M1 II E-PL2 
LaunchedSeptember 2016February 2011More recent by 69 months
Display typeFully ArticulatedFixed Fully Articulating display
Display resolution1037k460kSharper display (+577k dot)
Selfie screen Easy selfies
Touch friendly display Easily navigate

Reasons to pick Olympus E-PL2 over the Olympus E-M1 II

 E-PL2 E-M1 II 

Common features in the Olympus E-M1 II and Olympus E-PL2

 E-M1 II E-PL2 
Manual focus Very precise focusing
Display sizing3"3"Equivalent display measurement

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PL2 Physical Comparison

For those who are planning to lug around your camera, you are going to need to factor in its weight and size. The Olympus E-M1 II offers exterior measurements of 134mm x 91mm x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") and a weight of 574 grams (1.27 lbs) while the Olympus E-PL2 has specifications of 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7") and a weight of 362 grams (0.80 lbs).

Take a look at the Olympus E-M1 II and Olympus E-PL2 in our brand new Camera plus Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Keep in mind, the weight of an ILC will differ dependant on the lens you are utilizing at that time. Here is the front view physical size comparison of the E-M1 II compared to the E-PL2.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PL2 size comparison

Looking at dimensions and weight, the portability rating of the E-M1 II and E-PL2 is 68 and 85 respectively.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PL2 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PL2 Sensor Comparison

Normally, it's difficult to visualise the gap in sensor measurements simply by looking through specs. The graphic underneath might offer you a greater sense of the sensor sizing in the E-M1 II and E-PL2.

All in all, both of these cameras enjoy the same exact sensor sizing but not the same megapixels. You can anticipate the Olympus E-M1 II to result in more detail due to its extra 8MP. Greater resolution will also let you crop images far more aggressively. The more recent E-M1 II will have a benefit in sensor innovation.

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PL2 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PL2 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PL2 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Portrait photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Portrait photography with Olympus E-PL2
75
focusing manually
MP count decent (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides face detect autofocus
saves RAW formats
60
has manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
comes with face detection autofocus
exports RAW files
megapixel count low (12MP)
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Street Comparison

Street photography with Olympus E-M1 II
Street photography with Olympus E-PL2
78
screen articulates
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
saves RAW formats
offers touch to focus
environment proofing
lighter than average (574 grams)
above average high ISO (25,600)
73
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
no articulating screen
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Sports photography details
Olympus E-PL2 Sports photography details
74
great max shutter speed (1/8,000 seconds)
silent shutter (1/32,000 seconds)
fast continuous shooting (60.0 frames/s)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count decent (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
provides tracking focus
environment proofing
sensor has phase detect autofocus
low battery (350 shots)
45
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
comes with tracking autofocus
continuous shooting slow (3.0 frames per second)
megapixel count low (12MP)
terrible battery power (280 CIPA)
lacks phase detect autofocus
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Travel Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II as a Travel photography camera
Olympus E-PL2 as a Travel photography camera
72
lighter than average (574 grams)
environment proofing
offers touch to focus
MP count decent (20MP)
selfie friendly screen
low battery (350 CIPA)
51
built-in flash
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
terrible battery power (280 shots)
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
screen isn't selfie friendly
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Landscape Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II Landscape photography advice
Olympus E-PL2 Landscape photography advice
76
focusing manually
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
pretty good screen size (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
MP count decent (20MP)
good sensor size (Four Thirds)
does not have low pass filter
above average high ISO (25,600)
saves RAW formats
environment proofing
two card slots
low battery (350 CIPA)
61
has manual focus
swap lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
decent sized screen (3 inches)
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
exports RAW files
megapixel count low (12 megapixels)
terrible battery power (280 per charge)
doesn't have Time Lapse recording
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-M1 II as a Vlogging camera
Olympus E-PL2 as a Vlogging camera
79
selfie friendly screen
has touchscreen
has image stabilization (Sensor based 5-axis)
provides face detect autofocus
video res high (4096 x 2160 pxls)
includes microphone socket
lighter than average (574 grams)
29
has image stabilization (Sensor based)
comes with face detection autofocus
screen isn't selfie friendly
video res low (1280 x 720 resolution)
doesn't have external mic socket
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Olympus E-M1 II vs Olympus E-PL2 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-M1 II and Olympus E-PL2
 Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark IIOlympus PEN E-PL2
General Information
Brand Name Olympus Olympus
Model Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Olympus PEN E-PL2
Type Pro Mirrorless Entry-Level Mirrorless
Revealed 2016-09-19 2011-02-11
Physical type SLR-style mirrorless Rangefinder-style mirrorless
Sensor Information
Chip TruePic VIII Truepic V
Sensor type CMOS CMOS
Sensor size Four Thirds Four Thirds
Sensor dimensions 17.4 x 13mm 17.3 x 13mm
Sensor surface area 226.2mm² 224.9mm²
Sensor resolution 20 megapixel 12 megapixel
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 4:3
Full resolution 5184 x 3888 4032 x 3024
Max native ISO 25600 6400
Min native ISO 200 100
RAW data
Min boosted ISO 64 -
Autofocusing
Focus manually
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Autofocus tracking
Selective autofocus
Center weighted autofocus
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 121 11
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds Micro Four Thirds
Amount of lenses 107 107
Crop factor 2.1 2.1
Screen
Type of screen Fully Articulated Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3" 3"
Screen resolution 1,037k dots 460k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch friendly
Screen technology - HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type Electronic Electronic (optional)
Viewfinder resolution 2,360k dots -
Viewfinder coverage 100 percent -
Viewfinder magnification 0.74x -
Features
Lowest shutter speed 60s 60s
Highest shutter speed 1/8000s 1/4000s
Highest silent shutter speed 1/32000s -
Continuous shooting rate 60.0 frames/s 3.0 frames/s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes Yes
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range 9.10 m (at ISO 100) 10.00 m
Flash modes Redeye, Fill-in, Flash Off, Red-eye Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(1st curtain), Slow sync.(2nd curtain), Manual Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels)
Hot shoe
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Highest flash synchronize 1/250s 1/160s
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions 4096 x 2160 @ 24p / 237 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM, 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 102 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps)
Max video resolution 4096x2160 1280x720
Video data format MOV, H.264 Motion JPEG
Mic port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless Built-In None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 574 grams (1.27 pounds) 362 grams (0.80 pounds)
Dimensions 134 x 91 x 67mm (5.3" x 3.6" x 2.6") 114 x 72 x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7")
DXO scores
DXO All around score 80 55
DXO Color Depth score 23.7 21.4
DXO Dynamic range score 12.8 10.2
DXO Low light score 1312 573
Other
Battery life 350 images 280 images
Battery type Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLH-1 BLS-5
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 secs, custom) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse feature
Storage type Dual SD/SDHC/SDXC slots SD/SDHC
Card slots Two Single
Pricing at launch $1,700 $0