Mirrorless Camera Reviews

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III is the latest iteration of a long and storied lineage that began in the early 1970s with the introduction of the then-revolutionary OM-1 35mm SLR film camera. As is with the new digital Mark III, the analogue OM-1 was a lightweight and portable camera that posed a viable alternative to the comparatively bulky SLRs of the day.

Olympus just launched the 20.4MP OM-D E-M1X, the company’s latest pro-level mirrorless camera. Shutterbug got some early hands-on testing time with the camera and this is our review.

The Olympus OM-D is a retro-style camera that harkens back to the OM System of the 1970s and 1980s. In the current Olympus lineup, this Micro Four Thirds system camera sits somewhere between the PEN cameras and the E-System cameras. Like the PEN, it offers a very compact design and many helpful features for beginners, yet the design is oriented toward a classic SLR.

With the recent announcement of the third PEN in this series from Olympus, which is now in Shutterbug test, the not yet discontinued E-PL2 has dropped in price to $599 (from Olympus, with 14-42mm kit lens), about $200 less than when it was first introduced and to me a good deal for what you get while you can get it. The 12MP (effective pixels) Live CMOS sensor Olympus E-PL2 adds to the charms of the first in the “PEN” digital series, the P1. (See Joe Farace’s excellent review of that camera at http://www.shutterbug.com/content/olympus-e-p1in our Jan, 2010 issue) The PL2 adds a larger and higher resolution viewing screen, expanded accessories using the special plug-in adapter, an enhanced control setup and expanded Scene and Art filter modes.

Without telling us why, Olympus ferried a number of the photo press to Austin, Texas last week, myself included. As it turned out, the purpose was to debut the new Olympus Pen-F Micro Four Thirds digital mirrorless camera ($1199.99, body only). We got to test out the new Olympus Pen-F for several days in Austin, and all I can say is, Wow! 

The Panasonic G5 is a very compact mirrorless system camera that looks like a small SLR, yet has an electronic viewfinder. The EVF has a very high resolution of 1.4 million RGB dots and shows a very crisp and clear image.

The camera is designed for use with the new X lenses made by Panasonic. These lenses have an integrated motorized zoom and servo-controlled focusing system. To accommodate use of the lenses the G5 offers a zoom switch to change focal length rather than a lens ring, just like when using a compact camera.

The Panasonic GH3 has a brand-new body based on a magnesium-alloy chassis. This Micro Four Thirds camera is bigger than its forerunner and has nearly the same dimensions as a small APS-C SLR system; in fact, it is even bigger than the Nikon D3200. The body is very robust and has numerous functional elements for comfortable handling, including up to five user-defined Fn buttons. Large mode and parameter dials allow for fast setup of all parameters such as shutter speed and aperture settings.