When the G1 came out I rushed to get it. I thought (and still think) it is a superb compact picture taking device. I like the EVF. And only wish that Oly will offer up the MFT equiv's of the luscious 4/3 Zuiko lenses they've created, that are fully AF functional.
I'm gonna hold back on the Pen for now. For several reasons. One, while I'm okay with an add-on VF (like the voightlander I'd jury rigged on my LX-1 several years back) for say, the fixed f2.8 17mm (34mm equiv) that makes a great walk about lens/camera combo, I was hoping that there would have been an internal EVF tucked away in the camera providing the SLR like framing the original film Pen had. So use with the zooms would be more useful. I am encouraged by the new processing engine that may be a great step forward in mft image quality at higher ISOs. Currently it seems to spaz out at 800 or so. Although 1600 is, in my opinion, useable, certainly in BW which has a nice nostalgic feel to it.
Two (and perhaps most significantly) I'm mainly troubled that the AF is apparently somewhat slow. I wasn't expecting something lightning fast like on a Canon or Nikon top of the line DSLR but I wish OLY had considered Pana's vastly improved contrast detection at the very least. THAT is the price of admission today. And while some here have expressed optimism that the somewhat less than typical resolution expected today on the rear LCD will certainly suffice in focusing lenses manual via the electronic blow up, I have my doubts. And would have preferred at least ONE form of the EVF to be of sufficient resolution where that wouldn't be a concern.
Perhaps the next model. And one also available in black. (I know some folks like the silver bodies but they've always come off like a fishing lure to me when I want to be somewhat unobtrusive as I snap away.) Or, if the posted images I saw on this thread are somewhat accurate, what Panasonic may have up their clever sleeves...a compact DSLR like MFT that doesn't feel the need to mimic the prism hump of a DSLR to gain acceptance as a bona fide picture taking machine.
So in the meantime I'll continue with my G1 and see what the two MFT brothers offer next.