These Olympus DSLRs accept Four Thirds lenses – the E-620 accepts all Four Thirds lenses and the E-P1 accepts micro Four Thirds lenses with the smaller diameter and can accept standard-sized lenses with an adapter.

 

Olympus sent us a Micro Four Thirds 17mm f/2.8 lens for the E-P1, which is incredibly light and portable and came in handy in low light situations. While writing this review, I spent a lot of time in a dimly lit hospital nursery with my new baby. She came a few weeks early and needed some extra care, and I wanted to document it with the camera. I grabbed the Olympus E-P1 more often than the E-620 because of the wider aperture on the E-P1’s 17mm pancake lens. The f/2.8 aperture allowed more light to hit the sensor and thus create cleaner images with less noise. I didn’t want to use the flash in the nursery because the baby’s eyes were still too sensitive for the harsh lighting, but the pictures came out clean and detailed without the flash. Here’s a shot using the Micro Four Thirds 17mm f/2.8 lens.

E-P1 with Micro Four Thirds 17mm lens @ f/2.8

Both cameras have mechanical image stabilization built into the bodies; they offer camera shake compensation of up to four stops, according to Olympus. Many of the Four Thirds system cameras offer image stabilization in the camera body itself to avoid having to include a stabilization system in the lenses, which can drive up the price of the optics. Both cameras have three image stabilization modes – one general mode, one that compensates for vertical movement, and one that compensates for only horizontal movement. The E-P1’s image stabilization modes are buried in a menu, but the E-620 has a dedicated button for them.

The prize in this section of the review is going to the E-620 because it is directly compatible with more lenses. Although I fell in love with the portability and wide aperture of the E-P1’s pancake lens, the E-620’s selection of lenses (without the need for an adapter) provides photographers with more options. And although the E-P1 is compatible with all the same lenses with an adapter, it loses the novelty of being small and portable when a giant lens is attached – not to mention it’s awkward to handle.