Olympus PEN E-P1 vs Olympus PEN E-PL2 — Which Is Better?

The Olympus PEN E-P1 and the Olympus PEN E-PL2 are both mirrorless cameras built around the Micro Four Thirds system, so any Micro 4/3 lens you own fits either body. The E-P1 arrived in 2009 as the original PEN, while the E-PL2 followed in 2011 as a more compact revision of the same concept.

The E-PL2 is the shorter but deeper body, measuring 114 x 72 x 42 mm, while the E-P1 measures 121 x 70 x 36 mm. Weight sits at 362 g for the E-PL2 against 355 g for the E-P1, a gap of just seven grams. Both bodies remain compact PEN-sized, so neither carries a practical size advantage.

A 12.3 MP resolution is shared by both cameras, so prints and crops come out at the same size from either body. Both pair the TruePic V processor with in-body stabilisation, which lets you shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds with any Micro 4/3 lens you attach.

The E-P1 is the better choice for wide-aperture shooting in bright daylight, because its base sensitivity starts at 100 ISO while the E-PL2 starts at 200 ISO. That lower base setting keeps shutter speeds workable with a fast prime without reaching for a neutral-density filter. The 6400 ISO ceiling is shared, and neither camera has a built-in viewfinder, so both are composed on the rear screen.

Video output is a similarity between these PENs: both record Standard HD at up to 30 fps in AVI Motion JPEG, so clips from either body suit the same simple editing workflow.

Neither camera offers built-in timelapse, so interval shooting requires an external trigger whichever body you buy.

The E-PL2 gives you a built-in flash, which the E-P1 lacks, so fill light for indoor portraits or backlit subjects is always on hand without carrying an external unit. Both cameras support external flash via the hot shoe, so the E-P1 can still do the same job with a separate flash in your bag.

The E-PL2 also makes reviewing shots easier, because its rear screen offers 460,000 dots against 230,000 on the E-P1, doubling the detail when you check focus on the camera. Both are 3-inch LCDs without touch control. Neither body offers Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, a tilting screen or weather sealing.

Storage is a shared design: both cameras take SD and SDHC cards in a single slot, so your cards and card reader work with either body. Neither offers USB charging, so batteries go into a separate charger after a day out.

Battery ratings differ slightly: the E-P1's BLS-1 pack is rated for 300 shots against 280 shots for the E-PL2's BLS-5. The different battery types mean spares and chargers do not carry over between the two.