Olympus PEN E-PL1

Introduced in 2010, the Olympus PEN E-PL1 is an early mirrorless camera built around the Micro Four Thirds mount. The 334 g body measures 115 x 72 x 42 mm, so it slips into a small bag and stays light on a day out.

It suits photographers who want interchangeable lenses without bulk, from travellers to family shooters. You frame shots on the rear LCD in live view, because there is no viewfinder, so it handles more like a compact camera than an SLR.

That stills-first character is worth understanding before buying. Video is basic, the feature set is simple, and everything runs from SD cards and a removable battery.

The 12.3 megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor, handled by the TruePic V processor, gives files with enough detail for prints and web sharing. The ISO range runs from 100 to 3200, which covers daylight and normal indoor light but offers little headroom in genuinely dark settings.

In-body stabilisation is the standout for stills. It reduces camera shake when you shoot handheld at slower shutter speeds, which helps in indoor and evening light. It counters your own movement, not a moving subject, so it will not freeze a running child.

Shooting pace is unhurried. The burst rate reaches a maximum of 3 fps and the shutter stops at 1/2000 second, so this camera suits deliberate photography over fast action. Eleven autofocus points are available, and the overall pace favours static and predictable subjects.

The Micro 4/3 mount accepts any Micro Four Thirds lens, so you can start with one lens and change the setup as your photography develops without leaving the system.

Video on the E-PL1 is a secondary function. Recording reaches Standard HD at most, the fastest frame rate on offer is 30 fps, and clips save as AVI files. That is enough for casual holiday and family footage shared at its original size.

More ambitious projects hit limits quickly. The resolution leaves little room to crop or reframe in editing, and the 30 fps ceiling rules out slow motion capture.

Our video score of 34 reflects these limits, and the camera sits in the bottom 5% of cameras in our database for Video. Built-in timelapse is absent too, so interval sequences would have to be shot frame by frame by hand. Treat video as an occasional extra rather than a reason to buy.

The 2.7-inch, 230,000-dot LCD is the only way to frame and review shots, and it is fixed rather than tilting. Checking fine focus is harder than on sharper screens, and there is no touch control, so settings change through buttons.

Light options are a genuine strength. A built-in flash gives fill light for indoor portraits, and an external flash can be attached when you want more power or bounce.

There is no wireless connection: no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or GPS. Photos leave the camera by card reader, and location tags must be added later.

The features score of 34 reflects the spare specification. Weather sealing is absent as well, so keep the camera dry in rain and dust. Live view handles framing, and the button-based interface stays simple to learn.

Storage is basic. One slot takes SD and SDHC cards, with no second slot for overflow or backup, so a full card stops shooting until you swap in a fresh one.

The BLS-1 battery is rated at 290 shots per charge. Live view and flash use can drain it faster, so a second battery makes sense for a long day out.

There is no USB charging, so the battery cannot be topped up from a laptop or power bank. The storage and battery score of 16 reflects these limits, and carrying spare cards and a spare battery is part of owning the camera.