Camera for my SO

I was in a similar position, my wife had owned various Canon Ixus/Elph P&S cameras. I bought her an E-PM2.
She was not pleased by it. We ended up buying another Canon P&S.
Now I use the E-PM2.

My mistake was to think that she would ever be interested in the "mechanics" of photography and therefore need the kind of user control that an interchangeable lens camera give you.

She just wanted something automatic that was better than a phone and had a zoom. And was small.

Horses for courses I guess!

 

The XZ-2 isn't a small camera at all - and a pretty sophisticated in terms of handling, actually. Coming from that camera, I think the E-PL7 would actually be the better choice than the LX100 - even though that one's the more intriguing option since it's more of a classic photographical experience (for the record: the LX100 is the camera I chose over a current generation second body to my E-M10 - but I have the E-PM1 and even the GF1 to use in a pinch; both still work fine).

The only real downside of the E-PL7 kit is the mediocre optical quality of the EZ lens - you don't get anywhere near the actual potential of the camera with that lens, motor zoom or not. In fact, as far as I can see, it's the worst kit lens Olympus came up with to date - which is a shame, because it's small and sexy.

I wonder if the GM5 might be an option: No motor zoom (there's one to be had, though), but considerably smaller as well as cuter - it's a very compelling package that doesn't look like the powerhouse it actually is, and the kit lens is a true little gem (as kit lenses go, that is - not in terms of rendering primes obsolete). In honest bang-for-buck comparisons, the E-PL7 still wins, especially considering its slightly superior IQ and IBIS for less money, but the GM5 is a lot more appealing in use.

Finally, have you thought about something completely different - a Sony RX100 series? They're small, have good sensors, nice optics, remote control, motor zooms ... and you can choose small and (relatively) inexpensive (Mk I), versatile (Mk II) or even a shooter's cam (MK III) from the line-up. It's no mFT, certainly, but it gets pretty close in terms of IQ, and it's a very compact package indeed, way smaller, lighter and more elegant than the XZ-2, matching the GM5. There's also another interesting alternative in the market, the Canon G7X ...

All things considered, you probably can't go far wrong with the E-PL7 ... but there are indeed a lot of alternative options out there.

M.

 

Agree'd the E-PL7 (maybe an E-PL5 or E-PM2). Here is a quick compare that shows they are all about the same size and should handle very similarly.

http://j.mp/1ClyMJw

 

If she loves the existing power zoom then maybe even the LX100 may not be seen by her as an upgrade, since the lens isn't as long.
I don't think the EPL7 with the 14-42 is actually an upgrade on what she has, sure the sensor is bigger, but the lens is significantly slower and shorter, and the bigger sensor by itself doesn't necessarily result in better photos. The other thing to ask yourself is whether she would actually bother changing lenses?
I hate to say it, but maybe the Canon G1X mkII might be the best upgrade - bigger sensor with similar lens.

 

Depth of field should actually be about the same. I haven't really heard great things about the GX1.