Mirrorless Camera Reviews

I recently had the chance to take the new Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II along with my regular full-frame Nikon system to Alaska and the Yukon on an outdoor shoot. Rather than test charts and pixel peeping, I focused on the real-world usability of Olympus’ new flagship mirrorless camera and its ability to get the job done as compared with a large and heavy DSLR system. 

The OM-D E-M10 Mark II (E-M10 II in the following text) is the second generation of the Olympus entry level E-M system line. The first E-M10, introduced in January 2014, was a very small and compact camera with SLR design elements. The E-M10 II has a very similar look with even more “retro style” elements. The on/off switch, for example, looks like the same switch on the analog Olympus OM-1 from the 1970s.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 is the newest and smallest in the company’s mirrorless, Micro Four Thirds-based OM-D camera system. This Compact System Camera (CSC) has a classic SLR design, comparable to other OM-D cameras like the E-M1 and the E-M5. The E-M10 is quite small, almost like a high-end compact camera. The small body could make operating the camera a bit uncomfortable for photographers with large hands, although the body is very robust and based on a magnesium alloy chassis.

If you’re looking for a small and portable yet powerful camera that’s a good alternative to heftier digital SLR models, Olympus’ OM-D line of mirrorless compact system cameras are some of the best options out there. These retro-styled shooters recall cameras from the film era, resembling miniaturized SLRs. In short, if you feel all warm and fuzzy at the sight of classic cameras, you just might find Olympus’ OM-D models to be absolutely adorable. But there’s more to them than simple nostalgia.<

The half-frame 35mm Olympus Pen F was introduced in 1963 and featured none other than the late W. Eugene Smith, cigarette dangling from his lips, in magazine ads of the time. Its latest digital incarnation, the E-P3, is built using the Micro Four Thirds system that unlike the Pen F is not half-frame and uses the same chip size (17.3x13mm) as the standard Four Thirds system. Like the original Pen F, it’s an extremely sophisticated camera wrapped in a compact, interchangeable lens body that delivers SLR performance and lots more. The E-P3 is the flagship of the Olympus Micro Four Thirds system and part of a family of compact cameras that includes the E-PL3, E-PM1 a.k.a. Mini, new lenses, and a clever little wireless speedlight.

The new Olympus E-PL8 is the latest model of the PEN series. PEN cameras are stylish and compact systems based on Micro Four/Thirds sensors and lens mounts. The camera is available in different colors, as are the numerous accessories that can be matched to the initial color choice. The camera looks like an analog rangefinder camera, but the Olympus E-PL8 doesn’t come with a viewfinder. The photographer has to use the 3-inch LCD on the back, which also serves as the visual control center for menus and image parameters. Olympus does offers an EVF system that can be mounted on the hot shoe of the E-PL8.