Ok, Now I feel like I am over my head. Does anyone know of a Tutorial that would help me learn the E-pl2???? Quite honestly..the manual...ahhhhh is lacking......
Tell us a little more about your background in photography. What other cameras have you used, and how have you used them?
Hi there Cheddarchick , i completely understand how you feel. Until i Purchased my G1 this past April i solely used manual focus cameras with manual controls, but a class i was taking necessitated me going digital for a while to make assignments easier. So it took me a while to get use to it. I am still having trouble figuring out many of the features. I have been mostly using the A or M mode. I still focus manually since i purchased a body only and an adapter for my old manual lenses. But like Ned said , can you tell us a little of your photographic experiences and what cameras you have used mostly?
If you are coming from a P&S, you can just set it to one of the automatic modes like P or iAuto and just shoot away. As you get more comfortable, you can begin to adjust the settings to your own style of shooting. Remember that this camera can act like a P&S with really good image quality as you can learn the features in as much time as you want. You can also ask as many questions here as you need.
Just point & shoots and my Underwater Fav an Oly SP-350. I've had it for 4 years, so I am sure that in the beginning I was just as confused. On the Sp350 I had a function button I could assign a set of predetermined setting for Wide angle, Macro, Super Macro, Natural light. It was so easy to use, does the E-pl2 have this feature??? I'm only a 1/3 of the way thru the manual, and is it confusing. I never had a camera with changeable lens before and really never changed settings on the fly before.. So I am a little worried about how complex the menu system is.... I know I will grow into it.... Here is a UW shot with my SP350 {}
Why sorry ? That's nice to see a pic at a real viewing size. But if you really want to be kind with the resources provided by this site, open a flicker/picasa/whatever free account and embed in your posts images you uploaded there. Cheers,
Brian Mosley has a great series of tutes available Part 1 Olympus E-P2 Quick Start Part 1. - Micro Four Thirds User Forum Part 2 https://www.mu-43.com/f42/olympus-e-p2-quick-start-part-2-a-603/ etc
That is a superb underwater image. Sharp and clear with well captured subjects. Not easy in water. As the previous posters have said, just shoot in auto as you get to know the camera, and you will enjoy the results. As you get to know its functions, read up on how to manage exposure to figure out how to get the best out of your new gear in the manual settings. Don't let the complexity of the menus intimidate you. Use it as a fun learning experience. -Steve
More or less... if you turn the dial at the top to Scene Mode, you get pre-determined settings for different situations. However, for things like Macro and Wide Angle you need the proper lens to make that happen (a macro lens will allow close focus, while a wide angle lens has a short focal length). If you use the iAuto setting, it will choose pre-determined scene modes for you, by gauging what kind of image it sees in the frame and picking the appropriate scene mode for it (for instance, if it recognizes a person's face it will switch to portrait mode).
If you don't mind spending $10, there's a "Magic Lantern" guide for the EP1, which is pretty much the same camera as the EP2, but without the electronic port for the electronic viewfinder. The guide is MUCH more user friendly than the manual.
The Magic Lantern guide will defintely help you with the basic functions of the camera. Olympus PEN E-PL1 For Dummies - For Dummies Kenal0
Ok I got the Dummies book...Thanks all, I think it is going to help alot... If I ever get time to play...
e-pl1 for dummies... very useful for sorting out the controls and the purposes of the menus. Yes, it is for the e-pl1 - but the controls and purposes are close enough to be very workable. I bought a panasonic gf2, and kept looking at the images, trying to figure out why they were not meeting my expectations - and returned that camera, the last day I could do so, for an e-pl2 with 14-42mm and 40-150mm kit. I had both cameras for a day - took pictures with both of the same object in the same light, with the same 20mm f1.7 lens... The GF2 was a beautiful elegant well-executed camera - with a lousy sensor implementation in comparison to the Olympus. You have a very good camera in hand. Good luck. --gl
Love your UW picture! I also bought an E-PL2 earlier this year and am trying to learn it. I bought the E-PL1 for Dummies book and it has been very beneficial. My local camera store had a 3 hour class conducted by their Olympus rep -- it was very beneficial, but believe it or not I am getting more out of the Dummies book. Lots of fun stuff in the book that wasn't covered in the class (multiple exposure!!!). Get out and play -- the art filters are fun, especially the dramatic.
