New Panasonic GF2 and Olympus E-PL2 Reviews


 

The GF2 vs E-PL2 review battle keeps going and going. Almost everyday you can find new tests about both cameras! Before to start reading the reviews a quick reminder for our US readers (they are the last to get the GF2): The Black GF2+14mm is in Stock at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here). And today also the body only Black GF2 is in Stock at BHphoto (Click here).

Panasonic GF2

Panasonic GF2 review at CNET: “Though we still really like Panasonic’s GF series, there are several trade-offs to take into account before you buy the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GF2. Its raw-format images look extremely good, but JPEG shooters looking for best-possible photo quality may get frustrated by image artifacts. And while lots of photographers will appreciate its relatively compact but functional design and zippy performance–though still not for action shooting–there’s nothing special about its feature set, including underpowered video capture.
The polish website Fotopolis tested the GF2: “In terms of picture quality Panasonic GF2 is very good, always at the forefront. In terms of noise and detail reproduction, we can safely shoot up to ISO 800 without too much concern about the quality of images.
Panasonic GF2 review at EosHD: “The GF2 is an ambitious exercise in miniaturisation which satisfies consumer demand for Canon DSLR quality in a Panasonic compact body. Something still not offered by Canon despite the hints from the market that people want it, i.e. a 10% reduction in Canon’s sales!!
Check the GF2 price at [shopcountry 17361].

Olympus E-PL2

Imaging Resource (Click here) posted the Olympus E-PL2 review: “With the 12.3MP Olympus Pen E-PL2, the company has gone a long way to correcting many of the problems that have plagued this line in the past. In particular, the Olympus E-PL2 is a faster and more enjoyable camera to use all around; starting up quicker, focusing quicker, and capturing images quicker“.
Gsnowdon posted a E-PL2 hands-on review.
Check the E-PL2 price at [shopcountry 18844].

Head to Head: Olympus E-PL2 vs Panasonic GF2

Do you still have troubles and you don’t know if you should pickup the E-PL2 or the GF2? I checked all the reviews we posted on 43rumors and made a list for all pixel-peepers (chronological order, latest review on top). Check out the table and read the 43rumors readers reviews too! Let me know if I missed to add some interesting review.

A quick reminder for US readers: The Black GF2+14mm is in Stock at Amazon (Click here) and BHphoto (Click here). And today also the body only Black GF2 is in Stock at BHphoto (Click here).




Olympus E-PL2 43rumors user reviews Panasonic GF2 43rumors user reviews
Click here to read user reviews
(you can add your rating if you are a member)
Click here to read user reviews
(you can add your rating if you are a member)
Olympus E-PL2 reviews Panasonic GF2 reviews
RegHardware

Enticingthelight

CNET

Trustedreviews

Cameralabs

Dpreview

DCresource

Steve digicams

Pixelmania

Focus Numerique

DCview

Cameraguide
.
tweakers

Digitalcamerareview

DxOmark


Ascii.jp

DC.watch

CNET Asia

mobile01

yesky

Digitalrev

Digitalcamerainfo
Imaging Resource

Cameralabs

Dpreview

Hybridcams (one
two
three
)
BBC

CNET Australia

01net

DxOmark

DCresource

clubic.com

DCview

Focus Numerique
.
Digitalcamerareview

Trustedreviews

Photoreview Australia

Hardwarezone

Ascii.jp

Pocket Lint

Photographyblog

Systemkamera-forum.de
.
Olympus E-PL2 direct shop links Panasonic GF2 direct shop links
[shopcountry 18844] [shopcountry 17361]

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New Olympus XZ-1, E-PL2 and Panasonic GF2 reviews (+ unconventional E-5 review)


The most unserious [shoplink 17163]Olympus E-5[/shoplink] review that I ever found!

Digitalcamerareview (Click here) posted a new Olympus XZ-1 review: “The Olympus XZ-1 would be a notable entry into the high end compact digital field if only for its fast lens, but throw in a dose of excellent still image quality and the camera commands serious consideration.”
Also the german website Dkamera (Click here) posted the XZ-1 review and got a very good rating 85,94% -> That’s a very german way to calculate and express a rating :)
Olympus XZ-1 direct links at [shopcountry 19904].

RegHardware (Click here) tested the new Olympus E-PL2: “The E-PL2 is a great camera. It’s a huge amount of fun, is highly usable, and I’m a big fan of its retro design. It’s also an enormously capable performer“.
Olympus E-PL2 direct links at [shopcountry 18844].

Panasonic GF2 review at Imaging Resource (Click here): “Performance is also somewhat of a mixed bag. Panasonic promises improved noise reduction across the board, and the GF2 does indeed improve chroma noise in shadows, but this comes at the expense of subtle image detail. The effects of noise reduction can be seen as smudging in images shot at all ISO sensitivities, although you’re not likely to notice this at the base sensitivity without pixel peeping.
Panasonic GF2 direct links at [shopcountry 17361].

Pentax 6mm f/1.2 tested on the GH2 by Seb Farges (with Panasonic 14mm comparison)

The fantastic 1:1 video crop mode of the Panasonic GH2 allows you to use C-mount lenses without having that huge vignetting. Seb Farges tested the Pentax 6mm f/1.2 lens: “AT LEAST I’ve found the PERFECT WIDE SHARP and CHEAP lens for the GH2 !!! It’s a [shoplink 20747 ebay]C-mount Pentax/Cosmicar 6mm 1:1.2 lens I’ve bought 9.99€ (12.50$) on Ebay[/shoplink]!
The rear barrel had to be modified for 20€ (watch pictures below) to fit on the [shoplink 20746 ebay]C-mount to micro 4/3 adapter (Kipon)[/shoplink].
This 6mm focal lenght on the GH2 gives a huge vignetting on micro 4/3 sensor, but thanks to the new crop 1:1 [shoplink 16254]GH2[/shoplink] function, the vignetting is disappearing completely !
This 6mm lens with the crop function gives nearly the same frame (same width but less height) than on the [shoplink 16258]Lumix 14mm 1:2.5[/shoplink], but much much more faster.
It’s a sharp lens, even with the crop. In 24X36 eq. it’s a 30mm.
This lens is incredible for GH2, there is no other competition for such a fast lens !

In this movie you will watch daylight tests (always @ 1:1.2, 1/50 shutter speed, 160 asa) with a 22€ Polaroid 43mm variable ND filter and a 40.5 to 43mm step-up ring, there’s my girlfriend preparing her new collection for children “Pitchoovintage”.
Then you will watch night test, from 160 to 3200 asa, always @ 1:1.2 and 1/50 shutter speed.

Seb tested many C-mount lenses and is one of our daily 43rumors readers. Feel free to make him any question you want and he will answer you! Thanks SEB!

UPDATE
: This is the original place where Seb got the lens on [shoplink 20770 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].

Links:
– C-mount Pentax/Cosmicar 6mm 1:1.2 at [shoplink 20747 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
– Kipon C-mount to micro 4/3 adapter at [shoplink 20746 ebay]eBay (Click here)[/shoplink].
– Panasonic GH2 at [shopcountry 16254].
– Panasonic 14mm f/2.5 lens at [shopcountry 16258].

A not so popular lens gets tested at SLRgear: The Olympus 40-150mm for m43 (+ Geometric distortion correction for Panasonic lenses)

[shoplink 15864][/shoplink]

There are some lenses that are tested and reviewed by many websites and there are lenses nobody ever talks about. That is the case of the Olympus 40-150mm f/4-5.6 ED M.Zuiko which has been recently tested by SLRgear (Click here): “The Olympus 40-150mm ƒ/4-5.6 M.Zuiko fared well in our tests, offering excellent performance up to 100mm, and above-average performance at 150mm. For the PEN system user looking for a portable telephoto option to supplement the 14-42mm kit lens, they should look no further.

That is the very first test or article we found about that lens. Just a coincidence or nobody really cares about that lens? Who are the target buyers? The biggest plus point for that lens is the price in US. With $209 at Amazon (Click here) the lens is the cheapest Micro Four Thirds zoom. Sadly the price is almost double as high in Europe (244 Euro at Amazon.de). Would love to know what you think about the 40-150mm M.Zuiko!
P.S.: Check the price of the 40-150mm lens at [shopcountry 15864].

M43photo.blogspot.com posted a very interesting article about the geometric distortion correction of current Panasonic lenses: “Many Micro Four Thirds lenses feature in-camera geometric distortion correction. Two examples are the Panasonic pancakes, [shoplink 16258]Lumix G 14mm f/2.5[/shoplink] and [shoplink 14796]Lumix G 20mm f/1.7[/shoplink]. Both have pretty similar distortion corretion needs. When converting the sensor output to the out of camera JPEG image, around 10% of the pixels in the border area are lost. This is somewhat controversial. Some feel that a quality lens should not require further software correction. In fact, the lack of geometric distortion is a traditional sign of a high quality lens.” Read the article to see the comparison of the uncorrected and corrected images for some lenses!

Need for speed? Look what a f/0.75 lens can do on your Panasonic GF2 (terrible!)

There are not many videos out there which have been shot with a f/0.75 aperture lens(!) and a Micro Four Thirds camera. The maker of the video is seelling that [shoplink 20634 ebay]Kowa 44mm f/0.75 on eBay[/shoplink]: “This is a very unique and beautiful lens that produces a soft blur due to its fast aperture.I tried it also with the HD video mode on my [shoplink 17361]Panasonic GF2[/shoplink] and the result was stunning. This lens can be adapted to almost any camera as far as you buy the right adapter for it, I previously used it on my [shoplink 20637]Canon 50D[/shoplink] and on a [shoplink 20638]Sony NEX 5[/shoplink]. I can say that due to the sensor size and distance from the back of the lens, you will get better results with the NEX but any mirrorless camera (EVIL camera) is good to use with that ultra fast lens.”

[shoplink 20634 ebay]Click here to see the Kowa 44mm f/0.75 auction on eBay[/shoplink]. That lens is very cheap compared to the [shoplink 20636 ebay]De Oude Delft 50mm f/.075 which usually sells for over $2000 on eBay[/shoplink]. You can’t find anything faster than that (there was once a Zeiss f/0.7 but that’s impossible to find).

P.S.: Panasonic GF2 is in Stock at [shopcountry 17361]

New Olympus E-PL2 review (+ converter test at DC.watch)

[shoplink 18844][shoplink 18844] There is a new Olympus E-PL2 review at CNET (Click here): “A great interchangeable-lens model if you’re looking for better photo quality and/or a more advanced feature set than your current point-and-shoot offers, the Olympus PEN E-PL2 still doesn’t satisfy for photographing active kids and pets.”

Also Enticingthelight (Click here) tested the E-PL2: “Olympus have built a beautiful-image maker with this E-PL2; if you like shooting JPEGs, you’ll love this camera. It is also a camera that is simple to operate, yet can be customised in hundreds of ways, thus appealing to both the newbie and the experienced shooter.”

The Japanese website DC.watch.impress (Click here) tested the three new E-PL2 converters. There are many full size image samples you can analyze!

Click those links to visit the E-PL2 product page: [shopcountry 18844].

Reminder:
The new Olympus E-PL2 accessories are on auction at eBay and in Stock in some stores:
– MAL-1 Led Light at [shoplink 20217 ebay]eBay[/shoplink], Amazon US, Amazon Deutschland, Amazon UK, Amazon France.
– PenPal bluetooth module at [shoplink 20218 ebay]eBay[/shoplink], Amazon Deutschland, Amazon UK, Amazon France.