The Olympus OM-D EM10 may be the least expensive camera in the Olympus lineup of OM-D interchangeable-lens, electronic viewfinder cameras, but under the surface it is very sophisticated.

While it has much technology under the hood in common with the high-end OM-D EM-1 (such as a more advanced image processing engine, Wi-Fi technology and fast AF), its simplified control layout, strong but not weather-resistant design, and stripped-down but still effective image stabilization help to bring down the cost. Like the other cameras in the lineup the EM-1 has the same 16MP sensor, which has outperformed the competition in DxOMark Labs' sensor image quality tests. The autofocus system is said to be Olympus's fastest ever, based on 81 target areas that cover the entire frame. All this in an all-metal body with a design that hearkens back to Olympus's compact film SLR days.

The electronic viewfinder, at 1.44 million dot resolution, promises crisp, clear viewing through the eye-level viewfinder, while a 3-inch flip-out touchscreen lets you control most of the camera's key features with the touch of a finger. Wi-Fi technology is builtin, and lets you control the camera remotely by replicating the live view that you see on the LCD on a smart phone. This lets you use your smartphone's LCD as the touch screen with the added benefit of being able to upload images to image sharing and networking sites.

The most frequently-used camera settings can be controlled via the touchscreen interface, while you can deep-dive the menu using the four-way toggle switch in the back. Despite its simplified layout the camera has sophisticated features such as histogram display, art filters, creative controls, and a level gauge, all of which are displayed both on the LCD and in the viewfinder. New features include Live Composite Mode and Photo & Movie Capture, which lets you simultaneously shoot high-resolution stills while shooting video. Three HDR capture modes give you a choice of dynamic ranges.

Specifications