Olympus E-PL2

Olympus E-PL2 is Olympus's Entry-Level Mirrorless camera initially revealed on February of 2011. The camera features a 12MP, CMOS Four Thirds sized sensor and has a full resolution of 4032 x 3024.

Olympus launched this camera to replace the earlier Olympus E-PL1s (Read Full Comparison) and then brought out the updated Olympus E-PL3 (Read Full Comparison) in an effort to update this model.

The E-PL2 is ranked #105 out of 117 in Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras and over all #477 out of 1465 for digital cameras in our collection. Please look at our Smart camera filter to get camera listings based on your custom requirements.

Below is a graph of different factors used in the rating system.

The Olympus E-PL2 comes with a history of related digital cameras. Down below, you can view all earlier and most recent models alongside key features.

You can check the E-PL2 from different angles in the gallery underneath.

Below is a shortlist of benefits and drawbacks of the Olympus E-PL2 based on aspects which are oftentimes regarded as useful in a camera.

The Olympus E-PL2 houses the Truepic V processor. The sensor spec on the Olympus E-PL2 is 17.3mm x 13mm (Four Thirds). The 225 mm² sensor has the capability to capture 4032 x 3024 pixels and aspect ratios of 4:3. The camera boasts Image Stabilization (Sensor based). Sensor stabilization is preferable than digital stabilization since the latter can easily lead to cropping.

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The CMOS sensor boasts 12 megapixels and includes a native ISO range of 100 to 6400. RAW format is saved so you have wider margin for error.

The picture underneath illustrates the E-PL2's sensor dimensions compared to other common sizes. The E-PL2 sensor comes with a crop factor of 2.1 and is displayed in green.

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To get a sense of different aspect ratios, you should refer to the visual below.

Olympus E-PL2 weighs about 0.80 lb (362g or 12.77 oz) and the measurement of the camera is 114mm x 72mm x 42mm (4.5" x 2.8" x 1.7"). The weight of average Entry-Level Mirrorless camera is 329g and the Olympus E-PL2 is heavier when compared to other rivals.

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Underneath is a shot of the Olympus E-PL2 beside a soft drink so you're able to have a feel for its scale.

The top view under will show you the button design on the E-PL2.

The E-PL2 fits the Micro Four Thirds mount and has 162 lenses to pick from. Below is a few of the lenses we have in our database which will fit the E-PL2.

ModelVisualizeFocal LengthApertureStabilizedWeight

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 75mm f1.875mmf/1.8 305g

Samyang 85mm F1.4 Aspherical IF85mmf/1.4 539g

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Sigma 150mm F2.8 EX DG Macro HSM150mmf/2.9-2.8 895g

Samyang 20mm F1.8 ED AS UMC20mmf/1.8497g

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 60mm f2.8 Macro60mmf/2.8 186g

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 17mm F1.2 Pro17mmf/1.2390g

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Panasonic Leica D Vario-Elmar 14-50mm F3.8-5.6 Mega OIS14-50mmf/3.8-5.6 434g

The E-PL2 has the following connectivity:

• USB Yes
• HDMI Yes

Digital cameras that incorporate NFC or Bluetooth connectivity can be controlled wirelessly with smartphones. You can send photos and usually adjust settings with no need to connect straight to the camera.

Several applications even stream a Liveview and release the shutter if you are not close to the camera. If the camera features a HDMI out, it can be hooked up to an external monitor. The majority of cameras enable you to charge the battery pack through the USB socket.

The highest possible video quality on the Olympus E-PL2 is 1280 x 720 and it can shoot in Motion JPEG format. 720p is terrible by today's standards. You should aim for at least 1080p quality for video recording. The camera does not offer a mic or headphone jack so you get little control over your audio. It is probably a better idea to look into a different model if you want better audio in your video clips.

Olympus E-PL2 does not include environment proofing so wet conditions may ruin the camera.

The Olympus E-PL2 features a 3" fixed display supporting a resolution of 460k dots.

Sadly the display is not a touch screen.

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The ViewFinder details regarding Olympus E-PL2 are as follows:

• ViewFinder Electronic (optional)

In those sunny outdoor conditions which make the camera displays washed out and tough to view, viewfinders are very useful.

Olympus E-PL2 continuous shooting rate is 3.0 fps. The highest shutter speed is 1/4000 seconds.

Olympus E-PL2 boasts both in-built flash plus external flash support. The max flash sync is 1/160 seconds.

Olympus E-PL2 boasts just Contrast Detect AF and is missing Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is a lot snappier and accurate when compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing. The camera features Face detect which can be helpful for portraits.

It features 11 focus points to select from. It also has Tracking AF for objects on the move. Olympus E-PL2 supports manual focus if required for low light or you require more precise control on focus.

The battery life (BLS-5) on the Olympus E-PL2 is fashioned to last for 280 shutters according to the CIPA measurements which is lower when compared to its competitors. The average Entry-Level Mirrorless camera battery life is 343. Fujifilm X-S20 has the best (750) battery life for this class of cameras.

Following is a listing of Entry-Level Mirrorless cameras which have the highest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth

Fujifilm X-S20
E-PL2 vs X-S20750 yesnoyes

Samsung NX mini
E-PL2 vs NX mini650 yesnono

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Pentax K-01
E-PL2 vs K-01540 yesnono

Sony NEX-3N
E-PL2 vs NEX-3N480 yesnono

Sony NEX-F3
E-PL2 vs NEX-F3470 yesnono

The following chart gives a outline of the Olympus E-PL2 for different kinds of photography. To learn more, have a look at the specific section underneath.

The Olympus E-PL2 gets a points tally of 60 which is decent, and means the camera is reasonably adequate for portraits. Taking portraits leans greatly towards sensor dimension, RAW support in addition to the option to utilize off-camera flash.

Coming in at a above average score of 73, the Olympus E-PL2 is a good option to use in street photography. A decent street photography camera offers a perfect balance of image quality plus portability.

A dreadful sports photography score of 45 suggests the Olympus E-PL2 is not really suitable for shooting sports. A camera should have good focusing and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

Weight is super important in getting a camera for travel. Overall, the Olympus E-PL2 gets a moderate 51 for a travel camera which makes it relatively suitable for your journeys.

If you're planning to purchase a digital camera for landscape photos, the most important factor is going to be image quality. The Olympus E-PL2 with it's very good score of 61 for a landscape camera is a fine pick compared to it's competitors.

A camera for vlogging should really posses a moving screen, microphone input and if possible image stabilization. Taking all things in to account, the Olympus E-PL2 is not really suitable as a vlog camera as it delivers a dreadful rating of 29.

If you want replacements to the E-PL2, below is a collection of the top placed cameras that fall within the class of Entry-Level Mirrorless.

The graph underneath gives you a summary of the E-PL2 versus it's top ranking competitors listed earlier.

Following are additional cameras you may take into account as alternative options. To read through a thorough comparison, visit the "compare" link.