I just had my first full day with my 35mm f1.2 nokton and EP-1 combo today.
I shot an entirely holiday in "night theme" called Beijing Dreams once, and AF on my Pentax was close to impossible, so i did it all in manual, under very dim ambient lighting on the streets and stuff like that. No split screen upgrade of course. I recall then, it was hell.
If you ask me, the EP-1 is heaps better than what i was getting back then, because it shows the OOF areas so much better than the optical VF on my dslr. I can tell very well when it's sharp, and i'm no champ at manual focusing either, but still manage to get most shots in focus without the need to bracket.
I'm not saying the Panasonic cameras dont help you to focus better, but rather, Personally, i feel the EP-1 is good enough for most kinds of photography unless your focusing requires to be speedy and critical.
The noise patterns look good on the EP-1 too, and thats the kind of noise i can live with, even at 3200.
I love my EP-1, and even if you wanted to borrow me any of the Panasonic cameras for a week at no charge at all, i don't think i would be interested, even though i haven't even touched or tested them before.