Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/2.8

Cameras and Lenses: A vintage take, crops and close-ups in the garden with a 2009 M.Zuiko Dogotal 17mm f/2.8 mounted on a 2013 Olympus PEN E-PM2.

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For the vintage enthusiast working with a set or limited budget, a compact digital camera setup with a 2013 Olympus PEN E-PM2 and a 2009 Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/2.8 is a very interesting digital mirrorless camera kit for having fun and enjoying photography, in or around the home or garden, or even on city streets.

The reasonably priced pair (on the auction market) is a highly compact, pocketable, and capable everyday camera, with excellent and sharp images from the 16MP E-PM2. The 17mm pancake lens (equivalent to a 34mm lens on a full-frame camera) offers a versatile wide-angle view and excellent close-up capabilities.

The Olympus PEN E-PM2 (PEN Mini 2), a compact, entry-level 16.1MP Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera launched in 2013, features the same high-quality sensor and image processor as the flagship E-M5, 8 fps shooting, in-body image stabilization, and a 3-inch touchscreen in a very compact and minimalist body.

The camera, designed for ease of use while offering advanced manual controls, features a plastic body available in black, silver, red, or white. Features include exposure bracketing, art filters, manual focus override, and sensor-shift stabilization. ISO sensitivity is automatic from 200 to 25,600, and autofocus is a 35-point contrast-detect system.

Though aged, the camera is still in favour today, praised in vintage circles for street and travel photography, and its adaptability to legacy manual focus lenses, with a recent review noting its enduring and sustainable image quality. The kit is equally ideal as a carry-around for everyday photography as well as for beginners.

The Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/2.8, a compact pancake prime lens for Micro Four Thirds (MFT) mirrorless cameras, was originally released as the kit lens for the Olympus PEN E-P1. The lens has a 35mm equivalent focal length of 34mm, which is highly suitable for street and travel photography.

The lens, launched in 2009 as a kit lens for the Olympus Pen E-P1, weighs just 71 grams, measures 22mm long, accepts 37mm filters, and has a minimum focusing distance of 0.2 meters. Optical construction is 6 elements in 4 groups with 5 rounded diaphragm blades to help produce smooth bokeh.

Olympus E-PM2, M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f/2.8

Reviews praise the lens's portability for landscapes, portraits, and close-ups (as seen in this post), though autofocus can be slower and noisier on modern bodies. Optical quality is moderate to good, with some corner softness and fringing, but it excels as a lightweight walk-around option. The lens, though, is often considered inferior to the later 17mm f/1.8 version, a 9-element in 6 groups construction introduced in 2012.

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