"In the continuing absence of hands-on primary experience, maybe this will help with the E-P1 size debate. A regular reader who's become a friend of the site sent me this illustration he made. He took the images from various places on the web but they're presented scrupulously to scale. (Personally, I think each of us should just wait to judge until we see and hold the camera for ourselves. But we're here to please.) Left to right, Canon G10 (1/1.7" small sensor), Olympus E-P1 (Micro 4/3), Canon 450D (APS-C), and Canon 5D Mark II (24x36mm or "full-frame"). Click on the image to see it a bit larger." - Jeff P. Henderson from Bookmarklet

This is helpful. I've seen it in a photo being held by a woman, but I couldn't tell from the photo whether she had tiny hands or not. It looked bigger than I expected. - cecily

I don't care what anybody says though .. a camera without a viewfinder of some kind is in the toy category. - Brian Sullivan

I've been eyeballing the two on the left. - Melissa

Or at least in the "consumer" category. - Alex Scoble

So, I guess a view camera, of the sort used many famous photographers, is a toy? - Wirehead

Personally I find an electronic viewfinder much more useful for composition than a P&S peephole viewfinder. - John (a.k.a. dendroica)

Wirehead -- OK maybe I should have said a hand held camera without a viewfinder of some kind is in the toy category. Does the narrower definition please you more? - Brian Sullivan

See, I wouldn't necessarily argue that all people would be happy with viewfinder-less cameras. But the E-P1 is optimized to be very tiny, so as to let you go places that you couldn't take a 450D. No viewfinder is going to work better than a crappy peephole that won't work right at least some of the time. Real, professional, well-paid photographers shoot without reference to a viewfinder or LCD or anything... and they've taken some great shots. - Wirehead

I agree toy cameras can sometimes be used to take great pictures. Can you name any real professional well paid photographers that regularly shoot (hand held) without reference to a viewfinder, LCD or anything? Nobody that I know -- of course I am not sure I know any in that category so maybe that is a limiting factor. - Brian Sullivan

David Burnett is one. He shoots with a real toy: A Holga - http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv... - cecily

I also have a National Geographic photography book in which a photographer who had all of his gear stolen while on assignment in the Middle East was limited to only using his cellphone camera -and he won awards with the photos he took on that trip. It is truly about the photographer, not the camera. - cecily

Doesn't the Holga have a viewfinder? - Brian Sullivan

Brian: The holga has a viewfinder - Mel Buckpitt

The holga has a poor viewfinder that doesn't actually show you what you see. :) You know, I'm sure if you asked any person engaged in reportage or street photography, every single one of them has zone-focused a wide angle lens, stopped down, to take pictures. Not all of the time, but frequently. - Wirehead

FYI, the E-P1 has an optional viewfinder for the 17mm lens that attaches to the hot shoe, (just like a Leica) for those of you that must have a peephole to look through. I occasionally use a point and shoot with a rear LCD only and do not miss the optical view finder at all. - Jeff P. Henderson

I'm still undecided on Micro4/3. - Will Higgins™

From the samples I have seen, both still and video, the image quality is superb. - Jeff P. Henderson

If you've ever tried looking through the viewfinder of a Holga, then you'll understand you're better off just holding it at arms length and praying. :D - cecily

@Cecily, exactly! I wasted too much time (and film!) trying to "frame" my Holga shots. When I just pointed in the general direction and pressed the shutter, I ended up with much better images. I am really kind of lusting after that new Olympus, though... - vicster