Olympus E410

The Olympus E410 is a compact DSLR from 2007. At 435 g and 130 x 91 x 53 mm, it was built small and light, and it is genuinely easy to carry.

It uses the Micro 4/3 lens mount, so your lens options come from that system. The built-in flash is on hand indoors, and live view lets you compose on the screen.

This is a stills-only camera with no video mode, so it suits photographers who want a light, simple body for everyday pictures rather than a hybrid device.

The E410 earns a limited Optics score of 34, placing it in the bottom 1% of cameras in our database for Optics. Its 10 MP NMOS sensor uses the Micro Four Thirds format, and the TruePic III processor handles image processing.

Autofocus offers three points, which keeps the focusing system simple. The burst rate is up to 3 fps as a maximum, and both figures suggest still or slow subjects rather than fast action.

Sensitivity runs from ISO 100 to 1600, and that ceiling is one reason the Optics score stays limited. In-body stabilisation is absent as well, so camera shake needs managing through shutter speed, steady hands or other support.

The optical pentamirror viewfinder gives a direct view of the scene, and the top shutter speed is 1/4000 s, another modest figure in this limited section.

The E410 does not record video, and there is no built-in timelapse mode either. That means no frame rates, resolutions or recording modes to report in this section.

Live view is present, but it serves framing for stills on the LCD; it does not turn the camera into a movie device.

Anyone who wants moving images or time sequences alongside their stills will need a separate device.

Features score a limited 30, held back by the small screen, its low dot count and the absent weather sealing, touch control and Bluetooth.

The 2.5-inch, 215,000-dot LCD is small and modest in resolution. It does not move, so live view aids tripod framing but cannot angle for overhead or waist-level shots.

Framing normally happens through the optical pentamirror viewfinder. The built-in flash is on hand when light drops, and an external flash can be fitted as well.

There is no weather sealing, so the body needs care in rain or dust. With no Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, images have no wireless route off the camera.

Storage and battery is the E410's strongest section, with a good score of 60. Its two card slots accept Compact Flash Type I or II and xD Picture Cards, so you can shoot with whichever format you have or prefer.

The BLS-1 battery carries a rating of 500 shots, a figure that should be treated as a broad indication rather than a guarantee. Long sessions may still call for a charged spare in the bag.

There is no USB charging, so the battery has to be charged outside the camera. For travel, that means packing the charger rather than relying on a cable.