I notice a a number of the "this brand or that brand" types of question son the forum from time to time and I figured I'd share my experience of owning both an E-P1 and G2. First, I don't find much difference between the two cameras in terms of IQ. If what you're after is great pictures (and assuming that you've already decided to go m43) either one wil do the job nicely.

The E-P1 has it all over the G2 in terms of style and design. Its a great looking camera with just the right amount of heft. The Panasonic on the other hand has a very "form follows function" appeal which is to say that it is homely. It looks like a DSLR only small. Surprisingly the E-P1 sits home a lot because while the G2 my not be the most attractive of cameras it is hugely functional and the whole point owning a camera is making images. I have a number of manual focus lenses and while they work well on either camera the EVF on the G2 makes using them much more practical in bright light.

The ideal setup (IMHO) for the E-P1 is with an AF prime on it like the Panasonic 20 or 14. The Panasonic 14 is nice because it's quite and the AF is very fast. The 20 is a better lens but it is not particularly fast to focus and that is only exacerbated by the AF on the E-P1 which in full auto mode is "interesting". Using the E-P1 in A mode and setting the metering to center weight help quite a lot but it's nowhere as nice as the G2 in the AF department.

Something I was thinking would be a huge advantage in favor of the E-P1 was the fact that Olympus bodies have IBIS where the Panasonic relies on it being in the lens. Previously I had been using an E-PL1 with an attached VF2 and it worked quite well. The problem I had with the E-PL1 is that I found the control layout to be frustrating. I did not care for the point and shoot style button layout and while I did eventually get used to it I find the layout on the G2 to be much nicer and I find myself being able to maneuver the controls without thinking about it. I feel like the layout is very intuitive and that makes a difference to me when shooting. To it's credit the E-P1 has a much nice layout than the E-PL1 did but still not up to the level of the G2. As for the advantage of shooting with IBIS on legacy lenses...to be honest I haven't missed it. That is not to say that it isn't useful but I have not found myself in situations where I felt that I would have gotten the shot if I had only had IBIS.

In the end, I have ended up using the G2 for most of my stuff. The times when I choose the E-P1 are when I want to take some photos but not call attention to myself. The DSLR style of the G2 screams CAMERA. the E-P1 manages to have that rangefinder vibe and I find it tends to not get noticed as easily. They are both very capable cameras and I like them for different reasons.

The G2 is almost twice the size of the E-P1. For me that's apples and oranges. In the larger form factor the Pentax K-5 stomps all over the Panasonic.

Good to have your opinion, however.

__________________
Listen to my new album "The Drones" free on BandCamp. Visit my Flickr images, website, or blog. Cheers!

The G2 is nowhere near twice the size of the E-P1. They are the same width and same height with the exception of the bump for the EVF. The grip is deeper on the G2 but with the same lens mounted they very close to the same depth overall. Last time I checked that is no where near twice the size.

The fact that they are both m43 (unlike the Pentax) and this forum often has questions about whether or not to get the PEN camera or the Panasonic then I'd say its an entirely relevant topic. As to the Pentax K-5 "stomping" on the Panasonic. The Pentax is a terrific camera but it's also around $1500 body only with an APS-C sensor. The G2 was $599 new when introduced and I got mine for $300 on closeout...hardly in the same league so I would fully expect the K-5 to be better.

I'm really considering adding a G2 or G3 to my Oly/Pana m43 system - it's only about $70 more for a G2 body than for an Oly VF-2 finder right now.

When I had both to compare I thought the EVF on the G2 was every bit as good as the the VF2.

As for me,
I'm eagerly awaiting to see the new digital PENS

I agree with dixeyk about the G2/E-P1 size comparison. Here's the E-P2 (far right) next to the G2 (middle):



I don't have a front view comparison, but the E-P1 is similar in size to the GF1, which is compared below to the G2:



As for comparison to the Pentax K5, the G2 is both less tall and less thick. When you compare them from an angle that takes both dimensions into account, the difference is significant (in this case a GH2 is shown, similar in size to the G2):



Compared to the difference in size, the difference in weight between the G2 and K5 is even more significant. Night and day.

Yet, even if size and weight were not considered, I would choose my GH2 over a K-5. I had intended to keep both systems but sold the K-5 and lenses after a short while, prefering many things about the GH2, including faster AF (using comparable lenses like the Pana 14/2.4 and Pentax 21/3.2), better low light AF reliability, lens character (again comparing comparable lenses), my preference for the GH2 EVF over the K-5 OVF, etc.

Those are just my personal preferences; your mileage obviously varies, but it is in no way an objective fact that the K-5 "stomps over" any Micro 4/3 body.

__________________
Amin
Mu-43.com Webmaster (Site FAQ | Help Forum | My Disclosures | My Flickriver | My G+ Profile)

Note: Links in this post may be to our affiliates. We get a small referral fee when you buy after clicking our link. Your price is unaffected.

Me too but since I am not exactly flush with disposable income I am not likely to be buying one anytime soon. It'll be nice to see what they come up with.

Thanks for a thoughtful discussion of the pros and cons.

I am especially interested in the form vs function thinking. The rangefinder form, that doesn't "scream camera," is a big appeal to me with my E-P2 over lugging around my DSLR. I have gotten comfortable with the controls, and almost never use it without the VF-2. But I have considered getting one of the Panasonics with an integrated EVF as a second camera, and to share with my teenage son.

It seems that you are saying that the functionality of the button layout and EVF matter a bit more than the rangefinder-svelte form in your decision to take out the panny vs the oly on a given day.

I wonder if your E-P1 could use the VF-2, would you take it out more and use it more often than the G2?

I am eagerly awaiting the Olympus announcements of their third generation designs.
-Steve

The EVF is of no big consequence when I choose to pick up either my E-P1 or GH1, but that's because I personally don't get on well with EVFs. The articulated screen and general speed of operation are the two big plus factors for me. I don't like the front handgrip and the front-mounted control dial, though. It also won't ever win any beauty contests.

The E-P1's IBIS should be a big advantage with legacy lenses, but I often forget to change the focal length in the menu so that advantage is negated. I guess I just go old skool and try to hold the camera steady.

The thing is, despite the Panasonic being technically the better camera, I don't find myself liking or wanting to use the E-P1 any less.

__________________
Nic
E-M5, GH1
Flickr Photostream
>> Insert quote here <<