If not for the additional 22mm depth of the lens adapter, and an additional 17mm for the lens hood, the combination of the Olympus Pen Mini E-PM2, mounted with the legacy Olympus Zuiko OM 21mm 1:3.5, would probably the smallest and most compact vintage digital camera setup with an equivalent 40mm prime ever (please correct me if I am wrong here, thanks). On the 2x crop sensor E-PM2, the Zuiko OM 21mm is equivalent to a 42mm prime on a 35mm full frame camera, near enough to the 43mm focal length considered the perfect 'standard normal' lens.
The 40mm focal length, a favorite with many photographers, is not only the sweet spot for street photography, but is also relevant for genres including travel and documentary photography, video making, landscapes, portraiture, or just everyday shooting.
When it was first launched in 2012, the Olympus E-PM2 was the smallest and lightest model in Olympus’s PEN series. The camera measures 110 x 64 x 34 mm and weighs 223 grams body-only, and comes only with a tripod mount, and a hot shoe that doubles as an accessory port for an external flash unit or an electronic viewfinder.
The camera comes fitted with a 35-point contrast-detect AF system, a 16.1MP Live MOS sensor (with advanced imaging capabilities inherited from the likes of the OM-D E-M5), Olympus’s TruePic VI image processor, and a 3-inch LCD touchscreen with 460k-dot resolution.
The Olympus E-PM2 supports SDXC cards and is powered by a battery (BLS-5 lithium-ion) that averages 360 shots per charge (adequate for casual use but limiting for extended shoots). Olympus also integrated 12 Art Filters, including Dramatic Tone, Grainy Film, and Pin Hole, into the in-camera creativity context, and a 'Live Guide' interface with simplified parameter adjustments for novice users.
The legacy Zuiko OM 21mm 1:3.5, a testament to Olympus’s engineering capability during the film era, is a compact ultra-wide-angle design with a 7-element in 7-group optical design. The lens measures only 31mm thick and weighs 185 grams, and is acknowledged for its unusually high resolving power with excellent contrast even at full aperture. Despite its modest 1:3.5 maximum aperture, reviews indicate that the lens also excels in landscape, architectural, and environmental portrait applications.
While it might be that the images here may not be a true reflection of the potential of the camera and lens setup, it is sufficient to say the E-PM2 is capable of demonstrating that entry-level cameras could adopt flagship-grade sensors without compromising size or cost. With the appropriate lens adapters, renowned legacies like the Zuiko OM 21mm 1:3.5 can also be assured of their continued relevance in the digital photography realm.
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