Olympus PEN E-PM1

The PEN E-PM1 is a compact mirrorless camera released in 2011. Measuring 110 x 64 x 34 mm and weighing 265 g, it is very small and light for an interchangeable-lens camera, which makes it easy to take along.

It uses the Micro Four Thirds mount, so you can fit different lenses as your needs change, and image stabilisation is built into the body rather than depending on the glass.

You compose every shot on the rear screen, since there is no viewfinder. That changes how you shoot, and buyers who prefer raising the camera to their eye should know that upfront.

The E-PM1 pairs a 12.3-megapixel CMOS sensor with the Micro Four Thirds format and uses a TruePic VI image processor. Our optics score of 47 is modest, placing the camera in the bottom 19% of cameras in our database for Optics.

In-body stabilisation is the standout here. It reduces camera shake, which helps when shooting handheld at slower shutter speeds, and because the system is in the body, it works with any lens you attach.

The fastest burst rate is 5.5 frames per second, a maximum figure rather than a sustained pace. The ISO range runs from 200 to 12800, and the shutter reaches 1/4000 second. Autofocus operates from 35 points.

With no viewfinder fitted, framing happens entirely on the rear screen. Live view makes that workable, but photographers accustomed to an eye-level view will notice the difference.

The E-PM1 records Full HD video in the AVCHD file format. The fastest frame rate listed is 60fps, though the data gives these as separate maximums, so confirm which resolution and speed combinations are available before planning a shoot around them.

Full HD is the maximum recording resolution available. Our video score of 56 is modest, and that resolution is one of the fields holding it back, while the 60fps frame rate scored more strongly in the calculation.

There is no built-in timelapse mode, so interval work has to happen some other way rather than from the camera's own menu. For occasional clips this matters little; anyone planning regular timelapse projects will feel the gap.

A 3-inch LCD with 460,000 dots handles framing and playback, and live view gives you a preview of the scene before you shoot. Our features score of 36 is limited, and the screen resolution earned only partial points in that calculation.

The display is fixed and does not tilt, and it is not touch-sensitive, so awkward-angle framing is harder and adjustments happen through the physical controls.

There is no Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or GPS. Without wireless connectivity there is no remote control from a phone and no wireless image transfer.

No built-in flash means low-light portraits need another light source, though an external flash can be attached. The body also lacks weather sealing, so keep it sheltered in rain and dust.

The E-PM1 takes a single SD, SDHC or SDXC card. With one slot there is no option to record to two cards at once, so spare cards travel loose and you offload images as they fill.

The BLS-5 battery is rated for 330 shots, a stored figure without stated test conditions, so treat it as a guide, not a promise. There is no in-camera USB charging, so the battery cannot be recharged over a USB cable.

Our storage and battery score of 21 is limited, and these are the reasons behind it: one card slot, no USB charging and a modest endurance rating. None of this stops the camera from working well; it simply asks you to plan cards and power before a shoot.