Olympus OM-D Digital Camera review

Our initial impressions of this camera were very promising, and after having spent a lot more time with it now, we're happy to report that its charms still manage to hold our attention for the most part, especially now we have had a chance to fully examine image quality.

While its retro looks may not appeal to everyone, for original OM users, it will certainly be a treat. Weatherproofing and ruggedness of the camera mean it feels as if it is built to last after taking some serious abuse, so we can also see street photographers falling in love with this camera.


Introducing an in-built EVF to this camera elevates it status above the PEN, taking it (despite Olympus's own protestations) almost into semi-pro territory.

The wide range of compatible Micro Four Thirds lenses now available on the market - not forgetting those made by Panasonic and third party manufacturers such as Sigma, make purchasing a Micro Four Thirds camera a very interesting proposition. It's when using different optics that the versatility of the OM-D is truly revealed.

It is of course an expensive proposition at £1, 149 for the single lens kit or £999 body-only, but when you consider all of the improvements that have been made, we think the extra expense when compared with an E-P3 is just about worth it.

It's also worth pointing out that one of its biggest rivals, the Fuji X Pro1, is currently retailing for around £1,500 body only, making the E-M5 suddenly seem more attractive.

However, having said all of that, we can't help but feel that the E-M5 is a little bit 'unfinished'. As this is the first camera in the new OM-D line-up, it seems as if there is some work to do to make this camera live up to its full potential. For example, the plastic buttons feel like an afterthought.

Olympus has been guilty of this before, with the original PEN (E-P1) being superseded by the E-P2 only a few months after, packed with better features. So, for that reason, we'll be very excited to see how Olympus develops this line going forward, and will be watching with anticipation.

We liked

The excellent viewfinder shows a marked improvements on those we've used before, while new art filters and variations on existing ones show how creative you can be with this camera. Image quality, in certain situations, is excellent and comparable to DSLR quality, while being confined within a much more portable device.

We disliked

There are still a few little bugbears that could do with being ironed out. For such an expensive camera, the buttons could have been metal to add a better finish, while some of them were also a little slow and unresponsive.

Verdict

Olympus has delivered a fantastic camera, which, along with its premium CSC cohorts, has the potential to be a game-changer, stealing focus from certain areas of the DSLR market. There's a lot to love about the OM-D, especially the great image quality and its retro appeal - it will be interesting to see how sales perform.

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Best budget cameras for under £100

“Which cheap compact camera should I buy?” With an abundance of cameras available on the market, What Digital Camera compiles 2011's top 5 budget compact cameras for less than £100…


Top 5 budget compact cameras for under £100

There is a huge range of budget compact cameras on the market, with a number of the best compacts for less than £100 providing some great features and cracking pictures. For less than a hundred notes it's hard to complain. Of course there are many questions of which manufacturer, which modes will you want, even what body colours are available. With that in mind, What Digital Camera compiles the top 5 cheap compact cameras for under £100 for those on a budget...

First thing's first - megapixel count. It's a fallacy that more megapixels necessarily mean better pictures. As compacts have relatively small sensors, cramming more and more pixels onto this small space means each sensor node will struggle to pick up light accurately, resulting in poorer image quality.

The key is to match the sensor size to the right number of megapixels; somewhere close to 8-12MP is absolutely fine. Don't be put off by apparently ‘low' resolutions. One way to think about it is that the current HD TV holy grail ‘Full HD' 1080p is only as resolute as a 2.1MP image per frame (in 16:9 format) - your 10MP camera will shoot stills at around five times that.

1. Panasonic Lumix FS16
PRICE: £99

Panasonic's sub-£100 FS16 budget compact camera has a 14.1MP resolution and squeezes a 4x optical zoom lens into its small body.

This Lumix LS85 makes shooting easy thanks to Panasonic's ‘intelligent Auto' system that cleverly recognises the scene at hand and optimises the settings as required. If the camera detects movement, it will up the ISO sensitivity to allow for a faster shutter speed. If it detects mountainous shapes, it will opt for a small aperture, light permitting, to ensure the broadest depth of field landscape image. Face Detection will recognise a face in the scene to maintain best focus too - all you need to do is point and shoot for the best results. 


Add MEGA O.I.S - optical image stabilisation - to the feature list and your shaky hands will be compensated by the camera lens' ability to move internal elements to counter blur.

A 4x optical zoom lens lends itself to 28-112mm zoom, which is a reasonable standard for a variety of shooting situations. Playback on the 2.7in 230k-dot LCD screen means images view bright and sharply before you even offload them to your computer. The FS16 comes loaded with a rechargeable li-ion battery, so no extra cost buying replacements.

2. Sony Cyber-shot W520
PRICE: £85

Who wants to worry about buttons, menus and camera settings when you're trying to get a great picture? The Sony W520 takes the hassle out of shooting with its easy shooting mode: keeping true to a true ‘point and shoot' compact concept, with simplified on-screen instructions for its six available scene modes help explain all the different options.

Fun in-camera retouching functions mean you can crop and fix redeye without the need for any computer software too.



A large 2.7in, 230k-dot LCD screen with a wide viewing angle makes it easy to hold the camera at unusual angles whilst still being able to compose on screen.

The Cyber-shot W520 has a 25-125mm 5x optical zoom lens to snap a range of shots, further complimented by the Face Detection mode that's capable of picking out faces in the scene to maintain focus. 

Should it get dark, the Sony Cyber-shot W520 also comes with high sensitivity ISO 3200 for low light performance, though do expect some image quality deterioration. Sony's SteadyShot image stabilisation helps reduce blur when shooting handheld too, another compliment for low light performance. 


3. Nikon Coolpix S3100
PRICE: £95

For the low price, the sub-£100 Nikon S3100 has plenty of features and it looks the part too. Available in seven different colours there's a style to suit everyone's needs and the 5x optical zoom lens covers a decent 26-130mm equivalent.

There's plenty of tech squeezed into the body too, including a 14-megapixel sensor, 2.7in LCD screen, Vibration Reduction technology and a variety of shooting modes.

For this price range, the Nikon Coolpix S3100 is one of the better compacts out there, making it a real bargain for the budget compact camera shopper.

4. Canon PowerShot A1200
PRICE: £92.95

The Canon PowerShot A1200 features the company's DIGIC 4 processor, meaning image quality is of the highest order. 



A 3cm from lens macro function means you can shoot super-close to subject, plus Scene modes cover all the options to shoot, well, pretty much anything.

Add Smart Auto and Easy modes and a 720p movie mode and the Canon A1200 certainly comes kitted out with an array of features. Face Detection with autofocus also ensures faces are recognised in the frame and kept sharp too. Blur Reduction technology will detect movement in a scene and change the ISO sensitivity accordingly to a level that will keep subjects crisply frozen in motion. Very clever. 



The A1200's 4x optical zoom means a lens of 28-112mm equivalent, with a 2.7in LCD screen on the back. The A1200 uses 2xAA batteries, so best keep hold of a second set of rechargeables so you'll never miss the moment.

5. Fujifilm Finepix T200
PRICE: £96

Fujifilm's offering - the Finepix T200 - is a slim, 14-megapixel compact with a secret weapon: its 10x optical zoom ranges from 28-280mm (equiv.) and far outreaches the competition.

Available in the usual black or silver, jazzier red or blue versions are also available. At just 28.1mm thin, it's easy to slip the Fujifilm T200 into a pocket or purse to carry around anywhere too.



Scene Recognition AUTO means the T200 makes it easy to take photos - simply frame your shot and the camera will recognise the scene at hand from any of the available commonly used modes. Plus with Face Detection and further Scene modes to select from all subject types are covered.



The Fuji T200 has sensor-based image stabilisation to help limit blur when shooting, plus a high sensitivity of ISO 1600 (3200 in ‘S' mode) is great for low light performance without having to use flash. Plus, with the rechargeable li-ion battery that comes in the box all you have to do is charge up at home.

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