I knew there was a reason I liked SLRgear.

It seems like a worthwhile lens and would be good to get as part of a kit if upgrading to a new body. My only concern is the stupid filter size. It matches that used on a lot of video cameras but this is not a video camera. Surely a 52mm thread whould not have added any real bulk and probably only a couple of grams to the weight. It would then match the 9-18mm lens.

I have just acquired the MkII version of this lens, sold by someone who had bought an E-PL2 kit but didn't want the zoom.  It is very noticeably quicker to focus on my E-PL1 compared to the MkI, and near silent in operation.  The front element does not rotate.  MF is smooth.  The unlocking/extension/relocking process is a little less clunky.

The smaller filter diameter - 37mm - matches the filter size of the 17mm pancacke, which I also have, so there is a potential saving though I have no filters of that size.  37mm is a fairly common size now.  The earlier version looked a little flimsy to take adapter rings - this one looks as if it would support a 37-49mm step up ring (for example) very happily.  This would also make it easy to add a lens hood.

The SLRgear review (link above) states that it has a metal mount - yet their photos show clearly a black plastic mount, so that is an error.  Mine is indeed plastic but I have no issues with this.

From the first few images, the IQ looks if anything slightly better than the Mk1 version, with less lateral CA evident on e.g. tree branches against the sky.

The camera reports the lens as having firmware v1.0.

Hope these observations are of interest.  I'll post some images soon.

Nigel