Olympus Pen E-P1 June 2009

Following on the heels of Panasonic's MFT cameras: the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-GH1, the Olympus Pen is smaller than a regular digital SLR, yet offers the user the versatility of lens interchangeability.

You can find full lab-based test results of the E-P1 in our Olympus E-P1 review.

Panasonic G1 and Panasonic GH1

It's more compact than both the Panasonic G1 and the Panasonic GH1, and has been clearly designed with a different audience in mind: a keen photographer – much like the target audience of the G series, but one who wants a break from the contemporary look of today's mainstream cameras.

The camera features a 12.3Mp sensor, built in image stabilisation, and dust removal technology. It also has 20 shooting modes – including five exposure modes, 14 scene modes and the i-Auto mode, which 'intelligently' adjusts the camera's settings depending on the nature of the photograph being taken.

External optical viewfinder

The new Pen boasts a three-inch display in lieu of any integrated viewfinder. An external, optical viewfinder can be bought for £100 as an additional extra and connected to the hot shoe mount on the top of the camera. An external flash is also required if you want to take flash photography with the Olympus Pen, as, true to the original Pen form, there isn't an integrated flash.

An ISO range between 100 and 6,400 should lessen the need for the flash in dim conditions, but if you intend to shoot indoors and at night, you may find yourself forking out an extra £150 for the flash. Other accessories include leather cases and straps and adaptors for fitting SLR lenses. The Pen comes bundled with a 14-42mm kit lens for £700, or the 14-42mm lens and a 17mm pancake lens for £850.

HD video mode

The new Olympus Pen can capture video in HD, while still allowing the operator control of field depth and exposure setting. The camera also features a host of art filter, quite common on new Olympus SLRs, which can be applied to both the still and moving images.

Olympus claims that the E-P1 can capture shots at a rate of three frames per second in burst mode, and the camera can save each shot as a JPeg file, a RAW file, or as both.

Pros: Attractive, compact, HD video

Cons: No integrated flash or viewfinder

For help choosing the best digital camera, check out our compact digital camera reviews where you'll find more than 170 models tested. Or for more advanced photography, go to our digital SLR reviews, containing full lab results from the Panasonic G1.