Buyer's Advice and Conclusion

This is going to sound like a cop-out -- I'm just going to get that out there right now. But, depending on what you want to do with your camera, any of these cameras could be right for you. Mirrorless is a big tent, and at this price point, it is hard to make any useful assumptions about what the "average" consumer wants from their camera.

If you are coming up from point-and-shoot cameras, the E-PL1 will likely feel comfortable to you. It feels and acts like a fancy point and shoot, albeit one with a manual twist zoom lens that you can switch out at-will. Sure, there are a lot more buttons, but there's also that comforting iAUTO setting on the mode dial when you want the camera to do all the work. The E-PL1 is a good camera to grow on, and even if you know nothing about photography it's worth a serious look simply because it takes very nice pictures.

The E-PL2 is perhaps the weakest of the bunch due to its higher price and relative lack of additional features. Sure, the autofocus is a touch faster, but the E-PL1's autofocus is probably already faster than whichever point-and-shoot you were thinking about buying. The addition of a jog wheel and a more comfortable grip is nice, but you're essentially paying an extra $120 for cosmetic improvements.

For what it's worth, were I to choose one of the three cameras for myself, I'd go with the Samsung NX10. I say that because I enjoy photography as a hobby, not just something you do when you go out with your friends. That does not describe everyone, so it is hard to recommend the NX10 to everyone. But the camera has a viewfinder and easy-to-use controls, and both of those things are helpful if you're interested in photography beyond snapshots. That doesn't make the NX10 a bad snapshot camera, either, but something like the E-PL1 is more straightforward and will probably appeal to more people.

Conclusion

Whether you want to get into photography more seriously or just want a really good snapshot camera, mirrorless cameras have what you're looking for. With prices on some older mirrorless cameras dropping below $400, there are plenty of opportunities out there to pick up a highly capable camera at point-and-shoot prices.