Hand on heart, this camera is my daily driver – it goes everywhere with me. I've just noticed that it has dropped in price at Amazon, making it a great deal for anyone who wants a pocketable mirrorless camera that is a stylish retro beauty.

Why do I love the Olympus PEN E-P7 (review) so much? In short, it's incredibly small and sleek – and, more importantly, so are its lenses. While APS-C (and even full frame) bodies can be small, their optics will simply never be as small as they can be on a Micro Four Thirds system.

Take the M.Zuiko 14-42mm EZ Pancake lens, which comes as part of this bundle: it's the size of a pocket tin of Vaseline, yet I think it's the best pancake lens ever made. I always bring a tiny prime with me (usually the M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8) but I shoot 90% of my E-P7 shots on this pancake, with its useful 28-84mm equivalent focal range. It makes an unbeatable compact – yet absolutely capable – package, perfect for street, travel and everyday shooting.

The 180° flippy-down screen makes this a great option for shooting from high or low angles, or when I want to take a selfie with better quality than my phone. I can even control the camera from my phone, for remote shooting or video, then zip my files back to it via WiFi in an instant. It's a genuinely viable replacement for the immediacy of my phone camera.

Crucially, with a 20.3MP sensor backed by 4.5 stops of in-body stabilization, this camera doesn't compromise on quality. Is there as much detail or dynamic range or depth of field as there is on my Canon EOS R5? No – but I don't need there to be. Photos from this camera are more than good enough for double-page spreads in magazines. And they're certainly more than good enough for Instagram and Facebook.

The E-P7 is one of the best Micro Four Thirds cameras, so check out the best Micro Four Thirds lenses – many of which are the best Olympus lenses (OM System).

The OM System Tough TG-7 underwater compact camera and its predecessors, such as the Olympus Tough TG-6, have built up a substantial ecosystem of accessories.

Some of these add increased damage protection, while others improve the cameras’ capability for particular types of photography (such as macro or underwater) or provide scope to be more creative.

In this article, I’m going to take a look at the most popular Tough accessories from OM System. I’ll give an outline of what they do and my opinion on how useful they are.

Probably the biggest-selling underwater housing for a camera ever made, the PT-059 increases the depth to which you can safely take your TG-7 from 15m to 45m (from 50ft to 150ft) – making it much more useful for scuba divers.

It's worth bearing in mind that, to maintain the waterproof rating of your Tough camera, OM System recommends getting the internal seals serviced every year – which isn’t cheap. So keeping it safe inside an underwater housing, even when using it in shallow water, makes sense.

The OM System PT-059 is also supported by a substantial range of third-party accessories, such as lighting trays and wide-angle wet lenses. As underwater housings go, it’s light, relatively low-cost, well-made and comfortable to use. That’s why they are the underwater housing I recommend most often to TG-7 users.

See my full OM System PT-059 review

If you’ve owned a conventional compact camera before getting a TG-7, something that you will notice early on is that there isn’t a lens cover that closes when you turn the camera off.

The surface of the lens is exposed, which isn’t ideal if you want to pop it in your pocket when not in use. You will find you get fingermarks on the lens and there is an greater risk of scratching the lens surface than with other cameras.

The LB-T01 deals with this by fitting onto the camera in place of the original removable lens ring. You then have a manually operated lens protector that opens and closes with a twist of its outer ring.

It won’t fit inside an underwater housing but, as TG accessories go, it’s bordering on a must-have.

Like the lens barrier, this adapter replaces the removable lens ring on any TG camera from the TG-1 to the TG-7.

Fitting the CLA-T01 opens up a big range of extra accessory options for increasing the capabilities of your Tough. The adapter has 40.5mm screw fitting to accept the TCon-T01 Teleconverter and the FCon-T01 or T02 Fisheye Converters.

You can also use it to fit filters such as protective UV filters, like the OM System PRF-D40.5 Pro, or third-party options with a 40.5mm thread such as circular polarizing and ND filters.

If that wasn’t enough, it will also accept a 40.5mm lens cap such as the ones made for the OM System 14-42mm kit lens – so you can keep the lens protected despite not being able to have a lens barrier fitted.

If you have the CLA-T01 adapter, then you can fit the TCon-T01 x1.7 teleconverter, which ups the TG’s 100mm maximum equivalent focal length to 170mm.

For wildlife and sports photography, it will give valuable extra reach, but bear in mind that increasing the focal length will make camera movement more likely to cause blur in your pictures.

While this lens can be used underwater, I don’t recommend it as it’s best to reduce the distance to a subject whenever possible to help keep images sharp and colorful.

This converter screws onto the CLA-T01 adapter and gives an exceptionally wide angle of view to your Tough. With the camera zoomed to its widest, you get the circular fisheye effect; zooming in removes that, but you will have some barrel distortion.

This lens can be used for underwater photography when on the camera without an underwater housing. It will give a narrower angle of view, because everything appears closer underwater.

You can also use this lens with an Ikelite underwater housing that can be fitted with a domed port to accommodate the lens. The dome port corrects for the effect of water, giving an angle of view the same as in air, but you are tied to shooting wide-angle pictures for a whole dive when using it – because the lens is within the airspace of the housing.

Like many accessories, this circular diffuser fits onto your TG using the fitting that the removable lens ring occupies. It carries the light from the built-in LED to give a close-up light source.

Without the Light Guide in place, you can use the LED as a focusing light when light levels are low and you are still able light subjects with the built-in flash. Adding the Light Guide means that you have to use the LED as the light source to achieve your exposure.

Where subject and camera movement aren’t an issue, that will be fine. But for most still macro photography, if you need even light from all directions, I’d go with a ring flash diffuser.

In my view, where the LG-1 would be useful is in shooting macro video. You can set the LED to be on constantly and then, with the TG-7 or TG-6, use Super Macro Focusing to get very close to your subject.

The LG-1 can be used underwater, but only when using the camera without a housing.

Similar to the LG-1 Light Guide in appearance, if you want to take macro images this is definitely the better option of the two. It will give you an even light at a short distance from the camera, with the movement-freezing benefit of flash.

While ring diffusers and flashes do have a tendency to reduce texture in images, the light is also softer and doesn’t produce as much glare from shiny surfaces (such as beetle carapaces) that I’ve found the bare built-in flash of the TG camera often does.

This is one of those accessories that some people will find absolutely essential – in particular people using the TG for scientific or medical photography – while a lot of the folk who bought the camera for its toughness when doing outdoor activities won’t need at all.

Like the LG-1 Light Guide, the diffuser can be used underwater when the camera isn’t in a housing. I would suggest you take care when using them, because they aren’t anywhere near as robust as the camera itself.

This silicone rubber cover for the TG-7 adds considerable extra protection. While the TG-7 has a drop-proof rating, hitting rocks or concrete from even a fairly short height is likely to put some scratches on it – and unless you are very lucky, it’s likely to end with a trip to the repair shop or an insurance claim.

This cover gives you access to the controls, including having gaps for the dials and zoom, but adds some extra padding to much of the camera.

It does make it bulkier, and you’ll have to remove it to fit some accessories.

This a wrist strap that is buoyant enough to keep your TG camera floating at the water surface. Obviously it’s attached safely to your wrist, you don’t need it to keep your camera floating.

However, if you should accidentally let your camera go or drop it in the water, the CHS-09 will stop it plummeting into the depths. It’s also a well-padded wrist lanyard that would be nice to wear when using your camera for snorkelling.

And for people doing other water activities like kayaking, or using the Tough in everyday situations where they don't want it attached to their wrist all the time, the float feature is helpful.

As someone who’s accumulated a multitude of cameras, lenses and other equipment, individual cases aren’t something I tend to go for. But if your TG is your one and only piece of camera kit, this case might be for you.

I’d suggest that it’s more suitable for storing and travelling, rather than for when you want it ready to use. The TGs are quite weighty little cameras and they do have an impressive ability to find their way to the bottom of a bag, where a hard drop can cause damage if the padding isn’t sufficient. I’m speaking from experience on that one.

This case would definitely prevent damage in transit but, as someone who can’t stand having things bouncing around on the outside of a backpack, I probably wouldn’t use the built-in carabiner to clip it on.

Likewise, having a substantial hard case attached to a belt or the waist strap of a rucksack probably isn’t going to be comfortable.

I’ll be honest, I was completely unaware of this accessory before I started writing this article! It’s a relatively new piece of kit released for the TG-7 that gives you a protective cover/holder that can be attached to a belt or backpack strap, combined with a carabiner attachment and a spiral cord.

The spiral cord means that you can take the camera out of the holder, but still have it attached to you to prevent it from being dropped.

I can see this being useful for those doing outdoor sports such as climbing, hiking and kayaking, where they want the camera easily accessible with one hand but dropping it would be a disaster.

See our guides to the best waterproof cameras and to the best underwater housings

The OM System PT-059 is an underwater housing produced for the OM System Tough TG-7 and older, but nearly identical, Olympus Tough TG-6 Tough compact waterproof cameras.

While both of these compact cameras have a waterproof rating, an underwater housing enables you to take them to greater depths when scuba or free diving. It also adds an extra layer of protection against water entering your camera, which occurs if seals on compartment doors are dirty or the internal seals fail due to age.

An underwater housing doesn’t just increase protection from water, though; it opens up the ability to add more accessories to your underwater photography setup, increasing its capability.

OM System PT-059: Price

The recommended retail price for the OM System PT-059 is $ 399 / £329 / AU$579 and it is found widely on sale at camera retailers and online stores, as well as from OM System direct – so there is no need to go to a specialist diving shop.

There are cheaper housings available for the TG-6 and TG-7 but, considering the build quality, layout and features, the PT-059 in my opinion is the best value option.

OM System PT-059: Specifications

OM System PT-059: Build & handling

The OM System PT-059 is the lightest underwater housing available for the TG-7, making it ideal for travel. I take mine with the camera in hand luggage when I fly.

That’s paid off on one trip where a bag containing some of my larger underwater camera equipment was delayed; I still had a camera and housing to shoot with for the first day diving while the bag caught up with me.

Despite being lightweight, the PT-059 is robust and hardwearing. I’ve taken mine on a lot of diving trips and so far it has functioned perfectly.

The low weight is achieved by the housing being predominantly made from polycarbonate plastic, which is strong enough to protect your camera down to 45m / 147ft. For most recreational divers this is enough depth – and certainly for me it is. As an underwater photographer, I seldom venture below 25m / 82ft.

Plastic housings can be less long-lived than metal ones. In particular, if sand gets into a button or dial and you don’t remove it, the surrounding plastic can be worn away – causing an irreparable leak.

The lens port is scratch-resistant coated glass and is recessed in a metal surround, so you have to be trying pretty hard to get it scratched.

The ports on plastic housings are more prone to fogging up than on metal ones, but the PT-059 has a recess for a silica gel pack to help prevent that.

A front grip for your right middle, ring and little finger, and a raised thumb rest on the rear make it easy to hold. All the controls can be operated while the camera is in the housing, and I find that I can adjust most of them with my thumb while I keep my index finger on the shutter release.

With the camera inside, the PT-059 is almost exactly neutrally buoyant. If you let go of it when it isn’t attached to you it will sink pretty slowly, so you’ll have a good chance of getting it back.

There’s an attachment fitting for a pair of fiber optic strobe cables, which neatly clips onto the diffuser for the camera flash.

An included wrist lanyard is what I use for securing the housing when I’m using it on its own or as part of a small underwater photography setup.

The included port cap is something of nuisance in the water, and I’d suggest taking it off completely when in use and not having it drifting around on the cord it comes supplied with.

OM System PT-059: Performance

For me, being able to use the built-in flash as a light source when the camera is in the housing is a major advantage that the PT-059 has over most other TG-7 housings.

You do have to be quite close to subjects to light them using the camera flash (I’d suggest getting within about 50cm or less), but for close-up and macro photography it does a reasonable job.

When starting out taking underwater pictures, it’s a wise move to get used to taking photos using the built-in flash or ambient light before adding the bulk and added task load of using an external strobe.

A cold shoe mount facilitates the attachment of a focusing light or action camera to the top of the housing. You could add an external strobe or video light to this mount on a short arm but, with the mount being screwed onto the body of the housing, I’m a little wary of putting too much weight and leverage on it in case it breaks off.

The housing base has a plate with three tripod-sized screw holes, enabling you to mount it on a tripod or a lighting tray with handles for attaching strobes or video lights.

With a single strobe attached to a tray with a left handle, the controls are easy to operate. But with a two-handle tray you may find operating the shutter release lever while holding the right handle is too much of a stretch.

You can hold the side of the housing with your hand between it and the right handle, but that can be uncomfortable. A third-party extension for the shutter release lever or trigger style attachment will enable you to take shots while holding the right handle.

A 52mm screw thread on the housing port makes it possible to attach wide-angle wet lenses by brands such as Inon, Aoi and Weefine. Inon and Nauticam also make specific quick-change bayonet mounts to fit the PT-059, so their bayonet-fitting wet lenses can be used.

Being able to quickly remove or fit a wide-angle lens while underwater enables you to switch between taking pictures of large marine creatures, like turtles and sharks, over to the tiniest of animals.

You do have to take some care when using the PT-059, though. While the waterproof nature of the camera provides extra protection, a severe leak of your housing at depth can still kill your camera.

A visual check of the O-ring for debris should be done before every use, and you should ensure that the O-ring that seals the door is kept suitably lubricated.

OM System PT-059: Verdict

The OM System PT-059 does an excellent job as an underwater housing, combining good build quality with a reasonable cost. It’s comfortable to use on its own and readily expandable with a large range of third-party accessories available from quality underwater photography brands such as Inon, Nauticam and Aoi.

It would take a really impressive housing at the same or lower price point to persuade me to stop recommending the PT-059 to my customers and students.

OM System PT-059: Alternatives

Check out our guide to the best underwater housings for other cameras and phones

Photography can get expensive fast – but getting a stylish camera companion (or your very first setup) doesn't have to be.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV stands out as DCW's best affordable retro camera, and it's also packed with beginner-friendly features.

Now, the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV + 14‑42mm lens is just £599 at Amazon.

That means you're getting a compact, powerful camera in a sleek design and a versatile pancake zoom lens – while saving £280 off the £879 RRP price.

• The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV + 14‑42mm lens is also available in black for just £570 at Amazon

The best cheap retro & best features beginner camera
Beautifully designed and packed with modern features, the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is ideal if you value creativity and classic styling.

Its 20.3MP Micro Four Thirds sensor, paired with 5-axis in-body stabilization, produces remarkably sharp results even when shooting challenging low-light situations handheld.

The tilting touchscreen and tactile dials encourage manual experimentation, and the high range of compatible lenses opens up endless photographic possibilities. It's a superb choice if you want a lightweight, versatile tool for everyday shooting.

As mentioned in the Olympus M.Zuiko 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ review, it is "in our opinion, the best pancake lens ever." The zoom lens is a true must-have optic and covers 18-82mm focal range in full-frame terms – a travel and everyday essential for beginners, enthusiasts, and pros alike.

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Browse the best cheap cameras and the best camera for beginners

If you love the look of the Ricoh GR IV but not so much the $1,499 / £1,199 / AU$2,199 price tag (or the fact that it's sold out pretty much everywhere), George Holden is here to help.

The YouTuber and street photographer has put together a budget-friendly alternative to the GR IV, promising snap-shooting supremacy for just $200.

"I went down to the camera graveyard, dug up the head of a Magnum Photos Prodigy, and stuck it to the body of the local village idiot to create what is my fake Ricoh GR IV," says Holden in his video (which you can watch below).

The village idiot in question? The Olympus PEN E-PL6 – a pocket-sized interchangeable lens camera from 2013 with a 16MP Micro Four Thirds (MFT) sensor.

George picked this up for $106 / $80 / AU$149 on a trip to Japan.

"So, because of the great deal I got on this camera, I ended up going with the Lumix 14mm f/2.5 lens," which has an equivalent 28mm focal length (thanks to the 2x MFT crop factor) and is one of the best pancake lenses ever made.

"With this camera and lens combination, we now have a small mirrorless camera much like the Ricoh GR IV with the same 28mm full-frame field of view as the Ricoh GR IV's fixed lens. However, these cameras are far from equal in every way."

Holden highlights the obvious sensor differences, with the GR IV having a 26MP APS-C chip that benefits from over a decade of sensor development.

It also has 53GB of internal memory, an integrated ND filter, along with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity. But if you listen to Ricoh's marketing spiel, the most important thing on the GR IV is Snap Focus.

Of course, Snap Focus is just a brand name version of zone focusing. So George assigned one of the E-PL6's customizable buttons to manual focus and, with a bit of clever shooting, neatly replicates the Ricoh feature.

He also points out that, despite being a camera from 2013, the Olympus actually has some features that the Ricoh lacks.

It has a touchscreen with touch-focus, face detect AF, a tilting LCD, double the burst shooting speed (8fps)… but there are also a few compromises and omissions, such as the lack of any exposure dials.

Still, you can't argue with the images that Holden produced with his poor man's GR IV. Take a look at the video and decide for yourself: when you can get such similar results from a $200 kit, do you really need a $1,500 camera?

If you're not already following him, I highly recommend checking out George's YouTube channel – especially if you're a fan of compact, street-friendly cameras and MFT bodies.

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Take a look at the best compact cameras and, if you're an existing GR owner, see our Ricoh GR IV vs GR III comparison to find out if it's really worth the upgrade.

Don't want to spend a fortune but need a solid mirrorless camera? Explore these tree top mirrorless deals and save up to £123.75.

The Canon EOS RP is now just £1,009 at Amazon – you save £40.99 off its original £1,049.99 price.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is now just £699 at Wex – you save £80.99 off its original £779.99 price.

The Canon EOS R100 with 18-45mm lens is now just £546.24 at Amazon – you save £123.75 off its original £669.99 price.

Canon EOS RP: Best cheap full-frame
With a 26.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor, compact body, and Dual Pixel CMOS AF in Full HD, the Canon EOS RP is an accessible entry into full-frame mirrorless. It features a fully articulating screen and intuitive controls, while EF lens support via an adapter adds versatility. Although 4K video comes with a 1.6x crop and lacks Dual Pixl AF, stills are sharp, and the dynamic range is impressive for the price. The lack of IBIS and single vard slot might limit pro use, but at under $800, the EOS RP delivers unbeatable value as one of the best cheap full-frame cameras available.
Read more: Canon EOS RP review.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV: Best cheap retro
The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV blends classic styling with modern performance, offering a 20.3MP Micro Four Thirds sensor, 15fps burst shooting, and 5-axis in-body image stabilization. It features a 180° flip-down touchscreen, making it ideal for selfies and vlogging – despite the absence of a mic port or USB-C. The plastic build keeps it light without feeling cheap, and intuitive dials enhance usability. It's an excellent choice for enthusiasts seeking creativity without bulk. And for under $700, it's arguably the best affordable retro-style mirrorless camera on the market.
Read more: Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV review.

Canon EOS R100: Best cheap camera for beginners
The Canon EOS R100 combines a 24.1MP APS-C sensor, fast Face+ Tracking autofocus, and beginner-friendly guided menus in a compact, lightweight package. While the fixed, non-touchscreen, and cropped 4K video may limit hybrid use, the R100 excels as a stills-focused starter camera. It shoots up to 6.5fps and handles well with the included and versatile RF-S 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lens (approx. equivalent to 29-72mm on a full-frame camera). It features responsive AF and Canon's reliable image quality, making it ideal for phone upgraders and everyone who is seeking an affordable and easy entry into mirrorless photography.
Read more: Canon EOS R100 review.

Want to discover more? Explore the best cheap mirrorless cameras, the best cheap cameras, and the best mirrorless cameras.

April Fools' Day and the photography industry were made for each other. No other hobby combines such passionate devotion to gear with such deep pockets of wishful thinking. Which makes photographers uniquely easy (and fun) to fool!

Whether it's a dream lens that doesn't exist, a film stock that's never coming back, or a camera designed for the other 10% of the population, the best April 1 hoaxes hit that sweet spot between plausible and preposterous.

Last year's crop did not disappoint, and neither did the classics we keep coming back to. Here are our 10 favorites, old and new.

1. Viltrox's "Air" Lens

Viltrox has built its reputation on its Air Series: a line of compact, lightweight primes for Sony E-mount, Nikon Z-mount and Fujifilm X-mount. So when the company announced a new Air lens for April 1, 2025, it felt almost credible.

Drilling down into the detail, however, revealed that the new lens was made entirely of air. Its "Nano Gaseous Polymer Material" construction delivered a 99.9% reduction in size versus traditional lenses, an infinite aperture, predictive focusing, and compatibility with every camera mount in existence.

"Every gram is aerodynamically optimized – so light that even the breeze can carry it – delivering a truly 'weightless' shooting experience," Viltrox wrote on Instagram. It's a joke that worked best if you know the brand, and landed perfectly for those who did.

2. Lomography's Extra Long Film

Lomography knows its audience: analog devotees who have, at some point, run out of film at the worst possible moment. So for April 1, 2025, the company announced a solution: a 36-exposure canister that somehow fits 106 frames. The secret? "Special nanoemulsion hypercompression technology" and, as Lomography helpfully noted, "a LOT of caffeine."

"More photos, less reloading," the brand promised on Instagram. "Now you can capture every fleeting moment, every stray cat, every latte art – all without changing rolls." This is the kind of April Fool that makes you laugh and then sigh a little, because you genuinely wish it existed.

3. Shutterstock's Physical Library

Back in 2019, the well-known stock library decided the future lay firmly in the past. Shutterstock announced plans to build the world's largest physical image library, with enough shelf space for more than 250 million watermarked images and 14 million reels of film, staffed around the clock by robots.

"Innovation sometimes means moving backwards," the company explained, straight-faced, in its announcement video. Among the highlights promised: "Happy Millennials Holding Sparklers" and "Tube Sock Vectors: An Anthology". It remains one of the sharpest April Fools in recent memory: a knowing, self-deprecating jab at the absurdity of stock photography itself.

4. Kodachrome makes a comeback

In this parody news story from The Phoblographer in 2018. Fujifilm, Kodak and others were all said to be re-introducing silver halide films that they'd previously discontinued. "Rejoice, photographers: those of us who never got to shoot Kodak Kodachrome seem to be getting a chance after all," went the text.

If only it were true. Unfortunately, the specialist chemistry used to develop Kodachrome, which was done in a handful of Kodak sites around the world, is reason enough why this analog reincarnation is unlikely to come to pass.

5. Underwater instant camera

Extra Long Film wasn't Lomography's first April Fool's rodeo. This 2014 jape claimed were launching an underwater instant camera, which spurted out the prints as you swam around in sea. Called the Lomo'Instant Caribbean, it even had its own launch film.

"Following the incredible response and enthusiasm on our Kickstarter campaign, we are thrilled to say 'Ahoy mateys!' with the release of the Lomo'Instant Caribbean Edition," began the blurb. "Test the waters and take it for a dive with the turtles in Barbados or catch the waves on your next surf trip in Maui!"

6. Rogge & Pott's Re-35

The Re-35 was a famous 2011 April Fools' prank by German design firm Rogge & Pott, claiming they'd invented 35mm canisters that would bring digital imaging to your old analog SLRs. The canisters supposedly came with their own patented scratch-resistant Flexisensor that pulled out to replace the silver halide film, and then recorded the image onto the digital memory. The Re-35 canister then hooked up to your computer using a convenient USB connection.

A pop-up message on the website explained all: "Some things are too good to be true! Re-35 does not really exist. We invented the 'product' because it was something that we had wished for for a long time (as many others)." The joke, however, was now on Rogge & Pott: the I'm Back company went on to produce digital backs and film canisters that really did bring old film cameras back to life.

7. GoPro's handy accessory

You've probably seen the #FollowMeTo photo trend: a shot taken from behind, showing one person holding hands with another who is leading them forward. It was popularised by photographer Murad Osmann, whose Instagram account amassed over three million followers. The catch? You need two people to pull it off: one to walk ahead, the other to hold the camera.

GoPro's 2018 April Fool was a product that solved this problem for solo travellers: a prosthetic arm mount, dubbed Armie, that strapped to your body and held out a fake hand for you to appear to be holding.

"We've all been there: picturesque view, perfect light, exotic location... but you're solo," read the press release. "Why not continue to enjoy the journey alone while giving the impression of companionship? Introducing Armie, the ultimate mount for living up to expectation."

8. DSLR for left-handers

Back in 2013, The-Digital-Picture.com came up with a great idea for the 10% of the population that are left-handed. It was the 'news' that Canon was introducing a new special-edition of its EOS 7D DSLR, which had the grip on the left-hand side of the body rather than on the usual right-hand side, offering 'reversed ergonomics' for long-suffering southpaws.

"Canon has been a world leader in innovation for over 65 years – and the EOS 7D L is another innovative product that we are proud to have associated with that heritage,” said the made-up company executive. That said, southpaw cameras do actually exist: take a look at Yashica's real-life left-handed camera!

9. Mirrorless camera for left-handers

Dutch retailer Kamera Express took the left-handed baton and ran with it in 2023, going so far as to list an actual pre-order page on its store website for the Sony A7L V; a supposed leftie version of the Sony A7R V. Then it went even further and posted a straight-faced video preview to YouTube.

Making use of a 3D-printed mockup of an A7R V for southpaws, the retailer really went the extra mile in its commitment to the bit. It was so well done that we wonder how many people clicked the pre-order button when it was live.

10. Medium format disposable camera

Disposable film cameras have been very popular in last few years, and the Fujifilm GFX series has created renewed interest in medium format cameras. So why not combine to the two and make a medium format disposable camera?

This April Fools' jape was dreamt up by Fujiaddict.com. The Fujifilm GFX Disposable, they dibbed, would come with "a 60mm f/4 lens and 25 frames of 400H 1600 ISO 645 film inside. If the program is popular, Fujifilm will also offer ACROS 645 inside as an option for $6.45 more".

The blog suggested that Fujifilm would be sold with the addition of a deposit that would cover the development cost of the 120 film, but would also cover you receiving 102MP scans of your images. Today, of course, you can now buy a compact GFX medium format camera (the Fujifilm GFX100RF), but this comes at a less-than-disposable price.

It's been ten years since the launch of the now-legendary Olympus PEN-F. I'm not the first person to wax lyrical about this camera over the past decade, nor will I be the last. (Though in 2015, the year before the camera was released, I was lucky enough to test one of only two production samples in the world.)

If you've been paying any attention to the camera community or the second-hand market, you'll know just how coveted the PEN-F has become. Search for it on YouTube and you'll see videos being made about it to this day, by a new generation of photographers. Search for it on MPB or KEH and you'll see its price appreciate like a classic car.

Aging like a fine wine, it's arguably the only mirrorless camera to have achieved this kind of Leica-like upmarket collectability. Heck, it might be the only non-Leica digital camera period to hold the distinction.

Curiously, though, the PEN-F was considered a failure during its lifetime. Released as a premium product, with a premium price tag (famously milled from a single block of aluminum, without a single visible screw or join), paying homage to the iconic Pen-F film camera from the Sixties, it was a calculated move by Olympus to market a prestige product.

Unfortunately, despite its undeniable appeal, it did not achieve its sales targets – leaving Olympus to retire the camera, along with its ambitions to be considered a premium brand.

We all know what happened next. Striving to find its identity, Olympus eventually sold off its camera business; under new ownership, the rechristened OM System now styles itself as an outdoor imaging brand targeting hikers, birders and adventurers – but not prestige buyers.

As such, we haven't seen a new PEN camera since 2021 – the year that Olympus finalized the sale of the camera division.

The outdoor rebrand has brought some success to OM System, particularly in Japan. But there's only one camera in its inherited catalog for which people have spent a decade begging for an update. Only one camera that has consistently gone up in value on the used market. Only one camera that everyone who sees it goes "Wow!" and agrees was ahead of its time.

Essentially, everything that has made the Fujifilm X100 cameras explosively popular is true of the Olympus PEN-F. Jaw-dropping vintage design, build quality without compromise, compact body with exquisite handling, built-in film simulations… and the PEN-F has a huge advantage over the X100 in that it's an interchangeable lens camera.

The success of Fujifilm's compact sets out a blueprint for success so obvious that even Stevie Wonder can see that OM System would make money hand over fist – and regain much of its luster lost during the pre- and post-sale years – if it only resurrected its prestige product.

So, will we ever actually see a successor to the Olympus PEN-F?

Recently, OM System teased users once again with the promise of a new PEN camera. "We can't give a specific date, but we have plans to launch a new PEN series under the OM System brand," said company execs. But they've been saying that since 2021, and clearly we're all still waiting.

Realistically, I think a "new series" is more likely to feature a successor to the Olympus PEN E-P7 – which actually is a brilliant "baby PEN-F" in its own right, though it's a much more junior product.

The truth is that the OM System OM-3 is probably the closest we're ever going to see to a PEN-F successor; the body design is different, but it features many of the same characteristics that made the PEN-F so beloved (which is why it has been embraced so passionately by everyone who has used it).

If we were ever to see a true PEN-F Mark II, there would be compromises. For starters, the signature "single block of aluminum" means that dissipating heat is a major pain point.

Not a huge issue, with the FullHD video of the original camera, but guaranteed to cause problems with things like 4K video. There's also the fact that the original camera wasn't weather-sealed – something else that would require a redesign.

As OM told me when I asked them last year, these considerations alone would likely result in a larger body with a far less sleek finish – and ultimately, that wouldn't be a PEN-F.

So why, after ten long and seemingly futile years, do we keep holding out hope for a new PEN-F like a photographic version of the Snyder Cut? Quite simply, because that's just how good this camera is. And as they say, all good things…

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The Canon EOS R10, first released in 2022, has once again climbed to the top of Japan's camera sales rankings – beating newer and far more expensive cameras, including Sony's latest full-frame camera release.

Despite the strong launch of the Sony A7 V, Canon's enthusiast APS-C camera continues to dominate the charts. And this isn't a one-off result – the EOS R10 has now maintained a recurring presence at the top of Japan's rankings for months.

For a camera that's now four years old, that's an extraordinary run.

BCN+R best-selling cameras (Feb 26)

1. Canon EOS R10 RF-S 18-150 IS STM Lens Kit
2. Sony ZV-E10 II Double Zoom Lens Kit | Black
3. Canon EOS R50 Double Zoom Kit | Black
4. Sony ZV-E10 Power Zoom Lens Kit | Black
5. Sony A7 V
6. Sony ZV-E10 II Power Zoom lens Kit | Black
7. Canon EOS R50 Double Zoom Kit | White
8. Sony ZV-E10 Power Zoom Lens Kit | White
9. Nikon Z50 II Double Zoom Kit
10. OM Olympus PEN E-P7 14-42mm EZ Lens | Silver

Sales data compiled by BCN+R, which aggregates nationwide sales figures from major electronic retailers and online platforms across Japan. Aggregation period: February 1st to February 28th, 2026.

The EOS R10 keeps beating them all

Even the Sony A7 V, one of the most talked-about mirrorless cameras of the past year, couldn't dethrone the EOS R10 in the latest rankings.

While the A7 V briefly topped retailer-specific charts earlier in its launch cycle, the broader BCN+R data paints a different picture of Japan's overall market.

The EOS R10's success comes down to one key factor: value. The APS-C camera delivers surprisingly powerful performance for its price.

It features 16fps (frames per second) mechanical burst shooting, up to 23fps electronic shooting, Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF II autofocus system, 4K 60p video recording, and a compact, lightweight design.

In our review, we described the camera as offering performance that punches far above its class, delivering professional-level AF and speed in an affordable APS-C body.

Creator-first cameras dominate the Top 10

Another clear trend in the latest sales chart is the dominance of creator-focused cameras.

Nearly half of the Top 10 consist of Sony's ZV-E10 and ZV-E10 II, appearing in multiple kit variations and color options.

These cameras are designed primarily for content creators and vloggers, offering features such as Product Showcase Mode, Cinematic Vlog setting, and simplified video controls.

Still, photography-focused models like the Canon EOS R50 continue to hold strong positions.

Will the No.1 position change in March?

Given the EOS R10's repeated No.1 finishes throughout 2025 and early 2026, it may take more than a single flagship launch to knock it off the top spot.

However, upcoming seasonal promotions and camera deals could shift the rankings in the upcoming months...

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Japan's first best-selling camera ranking of 2026 has a familiar face back on top. According to Yodobashi Camera's sales data for January 1-15, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II has reclaimed the number one spot.

The Sony A7 V, which stormed the charts in December with a blockbuster debut, has fallen out of the top ten. Its rapid rise and equally fast decline show just how fast-moving and competitive Japan's market can be – and that even the most hyped models need sustained momentum to stay in the lead.

As in our Canon EOS R5 Mark II review highlighted, "This is still the best damn camera you can buy," and the first January rankings suggest Japanese buyers wholeheartedly agree.

Yodobashi's 10 best-selling cameras (1st half Jan)

1. Canon EOS R5 Mark II
2. Nikon Z5 II
3. Sony A7C II Zoom Lens Kit Silver | Black
4. Sony A7C II Silver | Black
5. Canon EOS R10 RF-S18-150 IS STM Lens Kit
6. Canon EOS R6 Mark III
7. Nikon Z50 II Double Zoom Kit
8. Olympus Pen E-P7 EZ Double Zoom Kit Silver | White
9. Canon EOS R6 Mark II
10. Sony ZV-E10 II Double Zoom Lens Kit Black | White

Canon EOS R5 Mark II: Back on top

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II is a full-frame mirrorless with a 45MP back-illuminated stacked CMOS sensor, launched in late August 2024. And it is still considered by many experts as the ultimate camera for serious photographers,

Featuring in-camera 180MP upscaling, 8K 60p RAW video, AI-powered predictive AF (autofocus), and 8.5 stops of image stabilization – it's a powerhouse for both stills and video.

Its resurgence may also be fueled by Canon's ongoing cashback campaigns and promotions in Japan, making the high-end mirrorless camera an attractive option at the start of the new year.

Nikon and Sony follow + the return of favorites

The Nikon Z5 II moves up from seventh place in December to second, marking its first top-three appearance in two months.

Sony maintains visibility with the A7C II, securing both the third and fourth spots for its kit and boy versions.

Several models have returned after brief absences: the Olympus Pen E-P7 EZ Double Zoom Kit comes back at eighth place, while the Sony ZV-E10 II Double Zoom Lens Kit reappears in tenth after a two-month pause.

Japan's first 2026 camera sales ranking – and Sony's A7 V absence

The start of 2026 highlights the rapid pace of Japan's camera market: even a blockbuster launch can see demand shift quickly once the initial hype fades.

The Sony A7 V, which dominated in December sales, remains available in the Yodobashi store, but its absence from the first January rankings underscores how momentum in Japan's camera market depends as much on sustained buyer interest as on launch excitement.

While the Canon EOS R5 Mark II is reclaiming its crown, the Nikon Z5 II's being in second place reflects ongoing interest in affordable full-frame mirrorless options. The Olympus Pen E-P7 demonstrates ongoing demand for compact, versatile micro four-thirds systems.

Looking ahead, the next rankings will test which brands can maintain strategic marketing, as promotions, bundle lens kits, and AI-driven camera features will influence buying decisions in Japan's highly competitive camera market.

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The Olympus E-M10 Mark IV is the last camera to carry the Olympus name following the transition to OM System back in 2021 – and OM System Japan has just given it the axe. While Japanese retailers are discontinuing the fan favorite budget camera, the company told Digital Camera World that the camera has only been discontinued in Japan and that it will remain available in the US.

While the E-M10 Mark IV hasn’t gotten the axe outside of Japan, the budget mirrorless will turn six years old in 2026. With the new OM-5 Mark II carrying several similar specifications, doubts are swirling about the series’ future – but I think discontinuing the budget line would be a mistake.

When I interviewed OM System executives last year, the company seemed to expect to continue the E-M10 line as well. While the company couldn’t speak to future launches, the E-M10 Mark IV’s success suggests that the camera's lineage will continue.

“The E-M10 series is a very popular model, even though it's a bit older now, but for this price class, it's still one of the best selling cameras, and we think one of the best looking ones as well,” Sandro Rymann, OM System head of business for EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Asia) and Americas, said in an interview back in July. “However, of course, we consider this also an important part of our lineup, right? So, yes, we will continue to develop in this direction as well.”

While it’s been a few months since I spoke to Rymann on the future of the E-M10 series, that interview was just a few weeks after the launch of the OM-5 Mark II, the next step up price-wise in the brand’s lineup.

The OM-5 Mark II has a number of similar features, but the OM-5 Mark II is faster and weather-sealed, sitting at a higher price point.

One of the reasons that I think the E-M10 Mark IV remains popular so far from the original launch is that it makes an affordable alternative to a compact camera. The Micro Four Thirds camera is fairly compact for a mirrorless – or at least for a mirrorless that still has a viewfinder and some semblance of a grip – and the kit lens is also fairly compact.

But I think the biggest reason the E-M10 has done so well is the price. The camera with a lens retails for under $900 / £900, but the camera’s age often means sale prices push the kit well under that mark.

Compact cameras are popular – and that’s driving up the price. Smaller mirrorless cameras like the E-M10 may not fit in a pocket, but in several cases can be a more affordable buy than some advanced compact cameras.

While the price is one of the reasons the camera has sold so well, it’s also a reason not to update the camera – the camera’s age lends well to a lower price, which is going to keep sales coming.

The other question is how the company could add updates without eclipsing the OM-5 Mark II. I would expect any E-M10 Mark IV successor to be called the OM-10 instead (like the best-selling Olympus OM-10 35mm film SLR from the 1980s) in keeping with the new OM System nomenclature.

But if the affordable model gets weather sealing and a faster burst, then there will be few reasons to pay for the OM-5 Mark II. I suspect if an OM-10 is on the horizon, it would follow in the likes of the changes between the OM-5 and OM-5 Mark II, which is a smaller update with changes like a better grip, computational photography button, and USB-C charging.

Whatever the future holds, the popular E-M10 Mark IV is safely still on retail shelves, at least for now.

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The BCN+R Rankings for 2025 are in, and Canon's EOS R50 has officially claimed the top spot among the best-selling cameras in Japan.

Originally released in 2023 – this compact, beginner-friendly mirrorless camera climbed steadily from first place in its launch year, to second in 2024, and now it's number one.

The Canon EOS R50 is a camera that teaches and one that beginners can grow with, visually and technically. This steady rise over three years highlights: accessibility and real-world usability outweighs flashy specs – no matter if the camera was released years ago.

While Sony's ZV-E10 II comes in close behind second, the R50 stands out for its versatility. Unlike the ZV-E10 II, which focuses heavily on vlogging, the R50 balances excellent stills and 4K video in a small package.

Coming at No.3 is another Canon favorite, the EOS R10. A slightly more advanced mirrorless camera than the EOS R50...

While Sony has four spots in BCN+R's top-selling cameras in 2025 ranking, Canon shows its dominance in Japan's entry-level mirrorless market: users get cameras that are affordable, lightweight, and easy to master, while still offering great performance that rivals other models.

BCN+R's top selling cameras in 2025

1. Canon EOS R50
2. Sony ZV-E10 II
3. Canon EOS R10
4. Sony ZV-E10
5. Sony A6400
6. Nikon Z50 II
7. Fujifilm X-M5
8. Sony A7C II
9. Olympus Pen E-P7
10. Nikon Z30

The BCN+R ranking is based on aggregated unit sales data from major Japanese electronics retailers throughout 2025, reflecting real-world camera purchases.

Why the Canon EOS R50 tops the charts

The Canon EOS R50 has been steadily rising since its 2023 launch. It's 24.2MP APS-C sensor delivers excellent image quality, for both stills and 4K video, while the Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system (autofocus) keeps subjects sharp for photography and vlogging alike.

And – unlike other cameras, it's NOT purely aimed at content creators. Most importantly – the R50 offers beginner-friendly menus and guided UI that teach photography while shooting.

Plus, the R50 is compatible with Canon's growing RF lens lineup – opening the door to a full lineup of high-quality lenses, making it a camera that beginners can grow with.

And while the R50 is a great all-rounder, the R10 shows Canon's entry-level mirrorless strategy in action. It's slightly more advanced, offering 15fps continuous shooting, uncropped 4K video, and more AF points.

The R10 is for users who want a little more control and speed without stepping up to a larger or more expensive camera.

The mirrorless market in 2025 – Overview

In short: entry-level cameras dominate, and Canon takes the lead. Beginners and travelers are driving mirrorless sales, with compact, easy-to-use models leading the charts. Vloggers camera remain popular as Sony's ZV-E10 II and ZV-E10 demonstrate. And older models like the Olympus Pen E-P7 (released 2021) remain competitive alongside newer 2025 releases.

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Almost everyone who loves photography also loves retro cameras. In fact, even non-photographers appreciate their aesthetic appeal – as evidenced by the insatiable appetite for the Fujifilm X100 series.

On the latest episode of our podcast, Bokeh Face, my colleague Mike and I talked about the virtues of retro cameras, covering everything from their vinyl-like collectible appeal to what the future looks like for this subgenre of camera.

But while some photographers are under the impression that retro cameras are a Fujifilm thing, and a recent thing at that, when you look at the timeline of the trend you realize that it was far from alone in starting the craze – a craze that has actually been going on for well over a decade!

I invite you to check out our conversation below for more detailed discussion (the link will jump you straight to this part of our conversation), but here's a quick rundown of the retro mirrorless camera timeline… (This isn't a list of every retro body, but the key first models that kicked retro product lines.)

2012 – Fujifilm X-Pro1
The original X100 had already launched in 2011, but that was a compact camera (and as such was actually part of the Finepix line, to begin with) and many manufacturers made retro-looking compacts. But January saw the first ever retro mirrorless camera, in rangefinder style, with a 16.3MP APS-C X-Trans sensor and 49-point contrast-based AF system.

2012 – Olympus OM-D E-M5
The following month, Olympus dropped the groundbreaking E-M5 – arguably the camera that proved mirrorless could be a high-level, even professional tool. Packing a 16.1MP Micro Four Thirds sensor with a 5-axis in-body image stabilization system and weather sealing, this camera cemented Olympus as a pioneer of post-DSLR photography.

2013 – Nikon Df
I know it's a DSLR, not mirrorless, but that actually speaks to the story of the Df – a retro camera that was, ironically, ahead of its time. Nikon embraced the throwback aesthetic but applied it to bulky DSLR technology (taking the full-frame 16.2MP sensor from 2012's flagship D4), resulting in what Mike called a "Fallout camera" that looks almost like a parody camera from the future.

2014 – Fujifilm X-T1
It took Fujifilm a couple of years to release an SLR-inspired body to complement the rangefinder camera design of the X-Pro – and it upped the ante with its newer 16.3MP X-Trans II sensor and the introduction of phase-detect autofocus (making it a rival to Olympus' next OM-D camera, the decidedly non-retro E-M1).

2016 – Olympus PEN-F
Where Fujifilm started with a retro rangefinder before bringing out an SLR-style camera, Olympus did it the opposite. The E-M5 spawned a successor, as well as a retro sibling in the form of the E-M10, but arguably the company's magnum opus was the mighty PEN-F – milled from a single block of aluminum, built around a 20.3MP sensor and introducing Oly's first film simulations.

2020 – Hasselblad 907X
We had mirrorless cameras inspired by rangefinders and mirrorless cameras inspired by SLRs, so Hasselblad said "Hold my schnapps" and gave us a mirrorless camera inspired by modular medium format systems. Technically the world's thinnest mirrorless camera, the 907X enables you to mount a 50MP or 100MP digital back to the best Hasselblad XCD lenses.

2021 – Nikon Zfc
After getting its fingers burned in 2013, Nikon did retro right this time with the Zfc – taking the guts and the 20.9MP APS-C sensor of the Nikon Z50 and putting them inside a slick (albeit plasticky) throwback body. It would perfect the formula in 2023 with the full-frame Nikon Zf, marrying the 24.5MP DNA of the Z6 series with a proper metal body.

2025 – OM System OM-3
As beloved as the PEN-F was, it didn't sell enough to be considered a success. But after Olympus sold its camera division in 2021, the reborn OM System brand gave us the most faithful Oly tribute camera ever. The OM-3 put all the flagship firepower of the OM System OM-1 Mark II in a breakthrough body that did as much for the company's image as it did for photographers' image quality.

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Sometimes the best shots happen when your subject takes matters out of your hands. One photographer discovered this truth first-hand while photographing a fishing spider at the water's edge in Kollur, Karnataka, in the south-west of India.

Kashyap Naresh Raval had set up his Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III with one thing in mind, but the spider had other ideas. "I was planning to just shoot a portrait," he explains, "but during the setup, the spider dashed away into water, then got back the fish! Had I known this was going to happen, I might still have failed to get the action shot."

Acting on instinct, though, Raval managed to capture this spontaneous moment with a mirror-perfect reflection in the still water. And his photo would go on to earn runner-up honors in the Animal Behaviour category at the Nature in Focus Photography Competition 2025, which received nearly 16,000 submissions from over 1,250 photographers across more than 38 countries.

Technical approach

Raval relied on relatively modest but well-chosen gear for the shot: an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III paired with a Godox TT350O flash for lighting. The setup choice reveals a thoughtful approach to the challenges of field macro work.

The E-M5 Mark III, which launched in 2019 after a long-awaited upgrade from its predecessor, has become a favorite among nature photographers. While on paper, its Micro Four Thirds sensor might seem a disadvantage compared to APS-C or full-frame cameras, the real-world benefits for macro work are substantial.

The 20.4MP Live MOS sensor delivers vibrant, detailed images, and crucially for close-up work, the in-body stabilization system offers up to 5.5 stops of shake compensation; or up to 6.5 stops when paired with one of Olympus's stabilized lenses. And in macro photography, where the slightest camera movement can blur critical details, the importance of stabilization cannot be overstated.

Furthermore, the E-M5 Mark III weighs just 414g body-only, making it ideal for extended field sessions and working at awkward angles near water. Its weather-sealed construction (dust, splash, and freeze-proof) provided essential protection in the humid riverside environment where fishing spiders hunt.

Raval's choice of the compact Godox TT350O flash reflects another crucial consideration in macro work. Natural light, while beautiful, isn't always reliable or controllable, especially when working near water where reflections can create harsh contrasts and confused exposures. A small, portable flash gives the photographer control over lighting while remaining unobtrusive enough not to disturb skittish subjects.

The reflection visible in the final image highlights how Raval positioned the flash carefully to illuminate the spider and its catch without creating harsh shadows or overexposing the water's surface. This was a real, delicate balancing act that requires both technical knowledge and artistic sensitivity.

The composition, meanwhile, shows a sophisticated understanding of visual storytelling. The spider is positioned at the water's edge, creating a natural dividing line that the reflection enhances. The fish's iridescent scales catch light beautifully, drawing the eye while the spider's predatory posture anchors the frame. The textured stone and subtle background elements provide context without distraction.

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In 1972, Olympus’ chief designer Yoshihisa Maitani – by then famous for his Olympus Pen series – created the Olympus OM-1 with his team. It was the smallest 35mm SLR to reach the market since the 1958 Zunow.

Arriving up to a decade later than most of the established SLR brands, the OM-1 succeeded because of its incredibly compact size, light weight, robust engineering, superb lenses and excellent metering.

A distinctive feature is the shutter-speed dial built around the lens mount (similar to the shutter speed selector in the Nikkormat FT of 1965), which allowed for more compact construction. This may sound odd, but it was very easy and intuitive to use.

And, it boasted what is possibly the best viewfinder in any 35mm SLR camera of the era. This combination made it a runaway success.

At first, it was called the M-1 (in honor of its designer, Maitani) but the name was soon changed after Leica complained that the name was too close to its "M" series. Early examples, with the M-1 markings, are now highly prized by camera collectors.

In 1975 your scribe took an OM-1 with the Zuiko 50mm f/1.8 and Olympus’ first zoom lens, the 75-150mm f/4, to the USSR with great success. The latter had internal zooming, so when you changed focal length, the lens did not extend.

While not as sharp as modern, top-quality zooms, it was much better than average for the time – and made for an excellent, lightweight, travel kit.

Also in 1975, Olympus followed with an improved OM-2 – the first camera capable of actually measuring the exposure directly off the film, during the exposure!

To develop the TTL direct-metering system, Olympus collected film from virtually every maker worldwide and measured the reflection ratios for each roll. It discovered that, while film is made in many colors, the reflectivity varied by only 0.1EV, which meant that measuring the light off the film was indeed possible.

These results were also used to determine the density of a computer-generated pattern printed on the shutter curtain. In this way, the camera could provide an initial metering value to the user and then adjust it, as necessary, if the light changed during the exposure!

To accomplish this trick, the camera had two rearward-facing silicon photodiodes in the mirror box to meter light reflecting off the film. Its circuitry could detect when enough light was exposed and either close the shutter or even automatically quench a "dedicated" electronic flash.

In 1983, the OM-3 and OM-4 cameras appeared. Both featured shutter speeds to 1/2000sec but, while the OM3 boasted a fully mechanical shutter and mirror lockup for special lenses or uses, the OM-4 offered a battery-dependent electro-mechanical shutter and aperture priority exposure modes.

The OM series of professional-grade cameras (the OM 1, 2, 3 and 4 in various versions) and their consumer versions (all with double-digit model numbers, such as the OM-10 and OM-20) were made for 30 years. By the time the last ones were rolling off the assembly line in the early 2000s, over 1.2 million OM series cameras had been made.

When, in 2021, Olympus sold off its camera division, the new owner (OM Digital Solutions) offered the OM System OM-1 – a mirrorless digital camera named in honor of the original OM-1. It was to be the last camera to carry the Olympus branding, with all later models bearing the OM System brand.

While the Olympus name is gone, the new firm acquired the factory, the engineers and the history. The soul of Olympus lives on.

Find out more about photography's past in David Young's book, A Brief History of Photography.

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Recently I sold about $3,000 worth of cameras from my heaving camera shelves. This was partly to free up some funds and partly to free up some space… for what turned out to be another $3,000 worth of cameras. Ah well, at least I tried!

Deciding what kit to sell (to MPB.com, if anyone is looking to do the same – I've always had nothing but great experiences buying and selling with those folks) was tricky.

I got rid of a bunch of mirrorless cameras and lenses, mostly Canon and Olympus kit, some of which I was kinda surprised that I had (I found an E-M1X that I thought my ex had taken when we split up, along with a couple of quirky lenses I hadn't used in years).

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But throughout the whole process, there were a handful of cameras that were on my "nope, never" list. Short of having to pay for a kidney transplant, there's no way I'm ever selling these; some I'm keeping for sentimental value, some for performance, others because they're curios.

Anyway, I thought you might be interested to see the 10 cameras (in no particular order) that will be on my camera shelf forever!

1) Olympus PEN-F (digital)

This would've been a smart one to sell, because its demand and value has rocketed of late, but the Olympus PEN-F is probably my favorite camera ever. I took it with me on a trip to Japan earlier this year, which reminded me just what a fantastic camera it still is – despite being released in 2016.

One of the prettiest cameras ever made (milled from a single piece of aluminum, like many cameras that fall into that category), its 20.3MP sensor takes gorgeous images – and it boasts the Creative Dial that was unappreciated (scorned, in fact) upon release but is now one of the most celebrated features of its spiritual successor, the OM System OM-3.

2) Olympus PEN-F (analog)

The camera that inspired its mirrorless descendent, the original PEN-F was a similarly beautiful beast – and a genuinely groundbreaking camera. Released in 1963 it was the world's first half-frame SLR camera – meaning that it only exposed on a half of a 35mm frame, producing 72 photos from a standard 36-exposure roll of film.

With its extremely small body and compact lenses, it was an incredibly portable and nimble shooter – setting the stage for the Micro Four Thirds cameras that Olympus would later pioneer – and is regarded by many as one of the best film cameras ever made.

3) Canon AE-1

Speaking of the best film cameras, no conversation would be possible without this bad boy – the legendary Canon AE-1, which reversed Canon's fortunes in the West and became one of the most popular cameras of its time. In fact, it's still one of the most popular 35mm cameras today – remaining just as popular for folks wanting to get into film photography.

I'm not just holding onto this camera for its pedigree, though – it's also the first camera I ever owned, given to me by my dad. Obviously that makes it invaluable for sentimental reasons, so it's really just a cherry on top that it also takes great pictures!

4) Canon Ivy Rec (Pikachu)

While the previous cameras each have some sort of claim to being among the best, that's not something you could ever say about this camera. In fact, a few years ago I wrote about how it might be the worst camera I ever bought! Still, one look at this special Pikachu edition of the Canon Ivy Rec probably tells you why I'm keeping it.

It's a Japan-exclusive and comes with a few Pokémon-themed faceplates, and even has a Pokémon-themed control system on the back (the fact that the power icon is replaced with a Pikachu silhouette never fails to make me smile). Shame about the photos it takes, though!

5) Olympus PEN E-PL7 (full spectrum)

Given the style-over-substance reason I'm keeping the Pikachu camera, you might guess that I'm keeping this one for the same reason – though you'd be wrong! (Even though it is a very pretty camera.) The actual reason this Olympus PEN E-PL7 is staying on my shelf is because I had a full spectrum conversion performed on it.

This is when the UV / IR cut filter is removed from the image sensor, enabling all wavelengths of light to be captured – namely infrared. It's not every day you need (or use) an infrared camera, let alone a full spectrum one, but if you've shot with one you know full well that you can never sell it… as you'll just end up having to convert another one the next time you get the itch!

6) Polaroid 600 (Vnyl)

While my more modern instant cameras, like the Polaroid Flip and Polaroid Now+ Gen 2, are superior in pretty much every way, this old Polaroid 600 has two things going for it: 1) there's nothing as satisfying as using an old Polaroid camera, and 2) it looks bitching.

The latter is due to the fact that this is a refurb by hipster analog company Vnyl, with an iconic Eighties color scheme. And the former is because the clunky, clicky tactility of opening the camera and changing packs of film is almost like using old Transformers toys from that same era. There's just something about the plastic from that decade! Speaking of, this camera also scores points by being from my birth year (1981).

7) Nikon 1 S1

Most people consider the Nikon 1 line of cameras to be a failure – so much so that the majority of folks don't even remember it, even though it was the company's first ever mirrorless system. And yet, I think it's absolutely brilliant – and the system is even experiencing a bit of a renaissance right now, as YouTubers have discovered and started recommending it as a great everyday carry.

And for good reason: the Nikon 1 S1 and its siblings are tiny, because they're built around Nikon's pint-sized CX sensors. This 13.2 x 8.8mm format has a 2.7x crop factor and a peculiar 1.5:1 ratio, with bodies and lenses that genuinely slip into your pocket (you can see just how small it is in this article). This is a just-plain-fun camera to shoot with.

8) Canon EOS D30

A Canon camera with a Nikon naming convention! Yep, Canon hadn't figured out its nomenclature yet – in fact, it hadn't figured out a lot of stuff, as the D30 was its first ever DSLR (rather than the rebranded Kodaks that were cosplaying as Canon cameras in the late Nineties).

Released in 2000, the Canon EOS D30 featured a 3.1MP APS-C sensor, 3-point autofocus system and 3fps burst shooting (that's more 3s than Steph Curry!). But amazingly, despite being the company's first crack of the whip, Canon pretty much nailed the controls, ergonomics and functionality on day one – this camera is basically the template for every EOS that followed, and any Canon user can pick this up today and feel instantly at home.

9) Instax Mini 10

Whaddya know, another first! You might think, from the name, that this camera came between 2017's Instax Mini 9 and 2020's Instax Mini 11 – but you would be wrong. Much like Canon with the D30, Fujifilm hadn't figured out its naming conventions when it invented Instax – so the first ever Instax camera was, bizarrely, called the Mini 10 instead of the Mini 1.

The core technology hasn't changed a whole lot since this camera was released in 1998, so the Instax Mini 10 still takes a decent picture. It's not nearly as durable as later models, though – I dropped mine a few months ago and a bunch of mini screws jumped out of their holes! I guess the plastic had perished somewhat, but hey – that'll happen after 27 years.

10) Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II

This one is another sentimental one for me: it's the camera I bought myself following my photography apprenticeship. I've shot so much professional work on this, including magazine spreads and cover images, and it really helped shape my working style and molded my career. And honestly, it's still a very capable camera today.

The only mark against it is its 16MP sensor, but again – I've had double-page magazine spreads published and A3 prints commissioned from this supposedly too-small sensor. The 5-series is my favorite of all the Olympus / OM System camera bodies, but the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II was the last time that it boasted fully-metal construction that felt properly premium.

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Take a look at the best mirrorless cameras of today, along with the best instant cameras.

A woman who bought an old Olympus SLR film camera in a thrift store got more than she bargained for when she found a half-used roll of film, still in the chamber. Rather than dispose of the canister, she had it developed, which turned up ten photos that have remained dormant for decades.

The woman in question, Tilda, published the images on her TikTok variousstormsandsaints, with the description “Help me find the people in these photographs”. The story has since gone viral, earning 9,130 likes and 132 comments on TikTok, and having been shared widely by various news outlets.

The camera was purchased in the St Vincent’s thrift store in the London Borough of Hackney, England, and appears to depict a family outing to a duck pond, several Christmas photos and a few images of a rather adorable-looking West Highland terrier.

According to the comments section, various users have identified the outdoor shots as being in the town of Sutton Coldfield in Birmingham, also in England.

Due to the scale of the response to the photos, Tilda has commented on the post to clarify: “If the family in the pictures sees this and wants it removed for privacy reasons I will do that immediately, please contact me if that’s the case! I didn’t expect it to go so viral”.

I have to say, the images look great quality considering the film’s been sitting in the camera for so long, possibly since the late 1990s/early 2000s. While USB sticks and hard drives retain some physicality for physical media, I can’t help but ponder how many digital photos are now left in cloud storage and will possibly never see the light of day again.

You might also like...

Into old cameras? Check out the best film cameras and the best film for 35mm cameras. Plus, here's why the Nikon FM is the only film camera I'll ever need.

The winners of the 2025 British Photography Awards (BPA) have been revealed. Established as a non-profit competition, the awards celebrate the very best of British photography, showcasing both emerging and established image-makers – whether UK-based (any nationality) or British photographers living abroad.

This year's shortlist featured 400 images, with 40 winners ultimately selected – 20 winners chosen by the judges and 20 People's Choice winners selected by the public.

Among the standout winners is wildlife photographer Adam Ferry from Surrey, who won the Macro category with his stunning image Pink Elephant – a close-up of an Elephant Hawk Moth perched on an orange rose, every scale and wing pattern rendered with extraordinary clarity.

He explains, "I am fortunate to have Elephant Hawk Moths living in my area, and sometimes they can get attracted to the lights in my garden."

Adam captured this image in his garden, using a Olympus OM-D E-M1 II Micro Four Thirds camera, paired with the OM System M. Zuiko ED 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS PRO lens, plus Godox V860 III flash with a Cygnustech diffuser.

For macro photography, the Micro Four Thirds (MFT) system is often considered ideal. Its smaller sensor size inherently provides a larger depth of field, making it easier to achieve a pin-sharp focus across tiny subjects – perfect for extreme close-ups like moth wings and flower petals.

While larger full-frame sensors offer superior low-light performance and dynamic range, the MFT system gives macro photographers an advantage in precision and composition.

Adam says, "I found this particularly beautiful moth in my garden resting during the day, probably attracted to the lights or honeysuckle in my garden. As it was resting I was able to move it onto an Orange Rose to provide a vibrant background complimenting the brilliant pinks and greens of the moth.

"To get this level of detail I focus bracketed and stacked 82 shots."

You can view Adam's Pink Elephant and the other winning images through the British Photography Awards website – a great opportunity to explore the incredible range of British photography, from wildlife and landscape to street and portraiture.

You might like...

If you are into macro photography, check our guide to the best camera for macro photography and best macro lenses. We also have supporting tutorials like how to use natural lighting effects to introduce drama to your macro photography scenes, or 4 macro hacks for your camera, lens and phone.

Looking for competitions to enter? Here are 10 global photo contests now open for entries from November to January.

Call it weathering sealing, weather resistance or even dust and drip resistance – most major cameras and indeed lens manufacturers are a bit coy when it comes to the level of weather sealing that they offer. The fact is, water damage is a slippery subject (pun intended) because it’s fraught with variables.

Firstly, impregnable devices don’t really exist – because, over time, water-resistant materials degrade. Secondly, how rapidly those materials degrade can depend on variables such as how many times the device has been submerged, whether it’s been exposed to fresh or salt water, and how well it’s been maintained.

You also have to factor in human error. If you leave the battery compartment open or decide to change lenses during a downpour, you’re asking for trouble. As such, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a consumer electronic device – be it action cams, cameras, watches, consumer-grade waterproof housings or phones – that will cover water damage under warranty.

But here’s my problem: plenty of action cameras, watches and camera phones feature water ratings from governing bodies such as IP and ISO. And yet, such ratings are suspiciously absent when it comes to most interchangeable-lens cameras.

Granted, it’s difficult to assign a rating to a body that’s only fully weather sealed when a suitable lens is attached. Not all lenses are weather sealed equally (if at all), so it’s not really possible to apply a one-and-done rating.

Still, OM System has managed it, with cameras such as the OM-1 Mark II and OM-3 both awarded an IP53 rating. Likewise, Leica has earned IP54 ratings for cameras like the Leica SL3 and SL3-S. Which begs the question, why can’t other manufacturers follow suit?

You could argue that an official rating doesn't offer much because, if a device gets water-damaged, the warranty won’t cover it anyway. It’s also worth pointing out that most governing bodies don’t test with salt water either – bad luck if you’re a seascape photographer.

But what a rating does, though, is give you a little peace of mind. It helps to roughly outline the parameters of what is and isn’t sensible exposure, so you know if you’re playing with fire (or rather, water).

All I want from other camera manufacturers is for them to consider introducing their own rating system – or at the very least, a little bit more literature explaining the extent of the weather sealing.

I want to know whether or not my enthusiast weather-sealed camera is rated for use in light showers, or if my flagship body will give me peace of mind should I get caught up in a downpour.

I know the answer will depend on the lens that’s being used and I know it’ll come with a healthy dose of caveats. The big four really could take a leaf out of OM System's book!

Before I sign off, I have to make it clear that no camera is impregnable. For me, weather sealing is about peace of mind; it’s not an excuse to leave my camera out in the rain. I always make sure I have a couple of cheap rain covers in my camera bag at all times, just in case.

You might also like...

Want to delve deeper into how your favorite camera brand treats weather sealing? I found only one camera brand is a safe choice for wet-weather photography. And you can watch this camera blasted by 15 water jets in an OM System weather sealing test! Safeguarding your camera from the elements begins with a good-quality camera bag. And make sure you use the best rain covers to keep your pride and joy safe during a downpour.

When Japanese camera designer Yoshihisa Maitani was still a student, he designed and patented his first camera. Olympus was looking for talent and, when its head designer came across the patent in 1956, he insisted the young Maitani work for them.

Years later, Maitani told his version of the story. "In those days, a student who refused to work for the first company to offer him a position was regarded as a disgrace to his university. I had received a job offer from an automobile manufacturer, but I pretended that I hadn’t and went to work for Olympus, instead."

Upon starting at Olympus, he was sent to the factory for practical training, where he was rotated through different departments every six months. After two years of this front-line training, he returned to the design department and was given a deceptively simple task: try designing something.

Believing that the lens is the soul of the camera, he asked his lens designers to make a lens as good the lens on his Leica IIIF without any concern for cost. They did, but it consumed his entire budget!

Eventually he came up with a design both he and his managers thought would sell and, in 1959, the Olympus PEN was born.

The PEN was Olympus' first and best-known half-frame camera and became a huge market success. Gifted with an excellent lens, robust construction and low cost, over 17 million PEN series cameras were produced during the 1960s and 1970s.

In 1963, Maitani and his team produced the world’s first half-frame SLR, the PEN F. Beautifully made, with a rotary shutter and a porro-mirror finder, it is absolutely tiny, with lenses to match.

But, unlike the PEN series of point-and-shoot cameras, SLR users demand more. And although the camera was wonderful and the lenses superb, it proved very difficult to get a decent 11x14-inch print from the very small negative. Your scribe purchased a PEN F but sold it soon after for that very reason.

Over a 40-year career, Maitani and his teams went on to produce the legendary Trip 35, the Olympus XA and Stylus series of rangefinder cameras, along with the OM series of 35mm SLRs.

His legacy was detailed in a handwritten document that he wrote to himself. In his notebook, Maitani set out a philosophy of compactness, light weight and "ultimate reliability" for Olympus cameras. It is a direction that both Olympus and its successor, OM System, have followed ever since.

Find out more about photography's past in David Young's book, A Brief History of Photography.

You might also like…

Take a look at the best film cameras you can buy today – or read other articles in David Young's Classic Cameras series. You should also check out our reviews of the PEN's descendents, the Olympus PEN F and Olympus PEN E-P7, and see the best Olympus and OM System cameras available today.

Photography can get expensive fast, but your first camera and lens don't have to be. These three cameras are ideal for learning the ropes and come with a versatile lens perfect for everyday shooting, travel, landscapes, portraits, and more. With these deals, you can save up to £200.

The Canon EOS R100 + 18-45mm lens is now just £543 at Amazon – you save £126 off its original £669 price.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV + 14‑42mm lens is now just £599 at Amazon – you save £200 off its original £799 price.

The Sony A6100 + 16-50mm lens is now just £639 at Amazon – you save £20 off its original £659 price.

Canon EOS R100: Best cheap beginner camera
Lens: Canon RF-S 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
If you want a straightforward, capable camera to learn on, the Canon EOS R100 is a fantastic starting point. Its 24.1MP APS-C sensor delivers crisp, detailed images with pleasing color straight out of the camera, while Canon's Face+ Tracking autofocus helps keep subjects sharp with minimal effort. The guided menus make it easy to understand exposure settings. It's compact, lightweight, and compatible with Canon's expanding RF lens system – giving you room to explore different genres without overcomplicating your setup. Please note: If you mainly want to shoot video, the R100 is not the camera for you, as fixed screen and cropped 4K video, limiting flexibility.

Olympus M-D E-M10 Mark IV: Best cheap retro
Lens: M.Zuiko 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ
Beautifully designed and packed with modern features, the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV is ideal if you value creativity and classic styling. Its 20.3MP Micro Four Thirds sensor, paired with 5-axis in-body stabilization, produces remarkably sharp results even when shooting challenging low-light situations handheld. The tilting touchscreen and tactile dials encourage manual experimentation, and the high range of compatible lenses opens up endless photographic possibilities. It's a superb choice if you want a lightweight, versatile tool for everyday shooting.

Sony A6100: Best cheap travel
Lens: Sony E 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS
The Sony A6100 remains one of the most capable APS-C cameras for beginners who want a bit more control. Its lightning-fast autofocus system tracks subjects effortlessly, while the 11 frames per second continues shooting makes it great for action, wildlife, or street photography. You get a 24.2MP image quality with excellent dynamic range and low-light performance, plus 4K video if you decide to explore motion later. Its compact build and long-lasting battery make it a brilliant choice for travel or anyone who prefers to stay light on their feet without sacrificing image quality.

Browse the best cheap cameras and the best camera for beginners.

I don't shoot a lot of macro photography. Aside from being commissioned to create some macro content for a camera manufacturer a few years ago, I've never really done it professionally – so it's purely something I shoot for fun. And when I do it, there's one lens that I always reach for.

Not only is the Olympus M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 Macro one of the best macro lenses you can buy, it's also a cheat code for this kind of photography!

First and foremost, it's super affordable. Specialist lenses, macro included, can be very pricey – especially lenses made by the camera brands themselves, with full autofocus support (unlike manual-only third-party options). But especially right now, with this lens discounted to just $249 in the US and only £212 in the UK, you can get into macro without breaking the bank.

On paper, this is a 30mm lens with 1.25x magnification – that's a 1.25:1 reproduction ratio, which means that your subjects appear 1¼ times life-size on your sensor. In other words, with true macro being 1:1, this is natively a greater-than-macro lens.

However, you need to remember that this is a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lens – and the image sensors on Micro Four Thirds cameras have a 2x crop factor. So, in equivalent full-frame terms, this lens becomes a 60mm lens with 2.5x magnification – a 2.5:1 reproduction ratio, meaning your subjects are over double life-size.

But the cheat code doesn't end there! Not only does an MFT sensor double the focal length of your lenses, it also doubles the depth of field. Which means, for example, that you can shoot at f/8 while getting an effective depth of field of f/16 – but without introducing diffraction.

All of a sudden, this innocent-looking lens becomes an absolute powerhouse for macro photography.

On top of all that, unlike most other macro lenses, it's absolutely tiny and weighs almost nothing – just 130g! – meaning you can absolutely shoot with this lens handheld. And if you use it with a body like the OM System OM-3, you get 6.5 stops of image stabilization – making camera shake almost a non-issue.

Furthermore, combine it with computational features like in-camera focus stacking and you can pretty much bypass post-processing. Then there are shooting assists like focus peaking, enabling you to take manual control for ultra-fine focus. And if you want to get even more detail in your shots, you can use the high res pixel shift shooting to capture a handheld 50MP image or an 80MP tripod shot.

Like I said, I'm not a macro pro. But on occasions where there's something really small that I'd like to photograph, I don't reach for my big bulky gear – this little lens is all I need. And it's small enough to live in my camera bag full time!

Get the lens

The Olympus M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 Macro is part of the Amazon Prime Day camera sale in the US and UK, so it's enjoying a nice discount on top of its already attractive retail price.

🇺🇸 US deal

🇬🇧 UK deal

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Take a look at the best Olympus / OM System lenses across all photography genres – and check out more macro photography tips.

So, I caved in. I bought into the hype about compact cameras and decided it's about time I bought a compact camera.

(I'm talking about proper compact cameras here – super small bodies with big zoom lenses – rather than fixed-lens compacts like the Fujifilm X100VI or Sony RX1R III.)

But despite the resurgence in compacts, with new or renewed being launched by everyone from Canon and Panasonic to Kodak and Agfa, there's one big problem: they're all absolutely butt ugly.

Okay, I take that back: the Leica D-Lux 8 is a nice-looking camera. In fact, I posited that the 100 Years of Leica edition might be the most beautiful camera money can buy. But these are luxury compacts that cost $2,000 in the US. Why do regular compacts have to look like garbage?

Take the Canon PowerShot SX740 HS. WHY does it need to have "40x optical zoom" scrawled in giant letters on the front of the body? And I get that the Kodak FZ45 is a cheap camera, but does it really have to look cheap?

I wanted a capable compact that looks as good as the pictures it takes (but without paying Leica money) and there's simply nothing like that on today's market… but there was almost ten years ago.

This is the Olympus Stylus SH-3, a brilliant compact camera from 2016 that I picked up for £180 (around $245 / AU$365).

Olympus only released the SH-3 in Japan, but its predecessor – the Stylus SH-2, which had very similar specs – hit the US and UK market in 2015 with a price tag of $400 / £300.

I think you'll agree, it's a beautiful little camera. Its design took cues from the PEN range of cameras, and you can see the same DNA in bodies like the Olympus PEN-F and Olympus PEN E-P7, so it looks more like a classic film camera than the plastic fantastic compacts of today.

It's not just a pretty face, though. The SH-3 packs a back-side illuminated 1/2.3" sensor with a modest but still sufficient resolution of 16MP. The sensor is kept steady by 5-axis in-body image stabilization, too – which you'll need, with the impressive zoom range.

The lens is a native 4.5-108mm, which given the 5.5x crop factor gives it an effective range of 25-600mm – something that scarcely few of today's compacts can match (I can only think of the SX740 HS, which achieves an amazing 24-960mm).

Video is limited, at FullHD 60p, and it's "compact camera circa 2016" video – so it's not good for much, though I'm sure Gen Zers will probably enjoy the retro digicam vibe.

The sensitivity ceiling is low, at ISO6400, so this isn't the best low-light camera in the world, but for daytime photography the SH-3 is actually a beast: lightning-fast autofocus, 11.5fps bursts, RAW shooting and it also has an early iteration of Oly's awesome Vintage filter among the 13 Art Filters on offer.

Crucially it's also tiny, at just 109 x 63 x 42mm, and it weighs next to nothing at just 271g – which means, unlike today's fixed-lens "compacts", this thing slips into a pocket on my jeans or jacket lapel.

So there you have it – a decade-old compact camera that scratches the itch today's compacts cannot. Nothing would please me more than to see OM System (the modern-day Olympus) do what Canon and Panasonic did, firing up furnaces again and bringing back the Stylus SH series. We need more compacts like this!

If you want to track down one of your own, there are a few Olympus Stylus SH-3s on eBay right now in both black and silver.

You might also like…

Take a look at the best compact cameras and the best point-and-shoot cameras you can buy right now – and if you have the cash to splash, check out my colleague Gareth's Leica D-Lux 8 review for a current-day compact that is beautiful!

I'm lucky to have travelled the world fairly extensively – and wherever I've gone, from Ireland to India, there's one lens I've always taken with me.

• See all of today's Amazon Prime camera deals

A good 90% of the time I take the Olympus PEN E-P7 with me, as it's the best travel camera for my needs: ultra-compact yet super powerful, with 4.5 stops of in-body image stabilization (IBIS), a Tri-X-like film simulation, front and rear control dials, and a 180° flipping screen for selfies.

And when I'm rocking a pocket powerhouse like this, there's one lens that's almost always on the front of it: the Olympus M.Zuiko 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ Pancake – definitely the best lens for travel photography in my book. And right now, it's the cheapest it's been all year if you want to pick one up for yourself.

Why do I love it so much? Firstly, its size. Just take a look how tiny this thing is, next to a can of soda:

That's its collapsed size, of course. But that's the beauty of an electronic pancake lens like this: it's barely thicker than an Oreo until you actually need to take a picture, whereupon it expands into full-size shooting mode – then back down to nothing when you're done. That makes it perfect for stuffing in a bag or pocket!

The second thing I love about this lens is the focal length. Because Micro Four Thirds cameras (MFT) have a 2x crop factor, that 14-42mm zoom is an effective 28-84mm lens in full frame terms – giving you a standard zoom that literally fits in the palm of your hand. Again, it's a perfect travel companion.

Thirdly, because this is an electronic zoom lens, it has a motorized zoom that can be controlled either by the focus ring or via the smartphone app for remote shooting. This makes it an amazing lens for things like selfies and group shots, as you can set the camera up and then zoom in and out from your phone!

I also love the fact that it has the same lens cap size as the Olympus 45mm f/1.8 – which is the lens I always tag team it with, for those times when I want to take a portrait with shallow depth of field (45mm being a 90mm equivalent on MFT). I know it's a bad habit, but I leave the camera lens naked so I'm always ready to shoot – it's great being able to hotswap a single cap!

Get the lens cheap!

The Olympus M.Zuiko 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 EZ Pancake lens is among the Amazon Prime Day camera deals – and it's currently at its lowest price of the year in both the US and UK. If this lens isn't already in your kit bag, for just $250 or £220 I think it's an absolute no-brainer.

It's better suited to smaller Olympus / OM cameras like the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV and OM System OM-5 Mark II; if you're using a bigger body like an OM-1 Mark II or a Lumix camera, you'll probably want something a bit chunkier (and probably a bit faster, and maybe weather sealed as well). But if you want to stay as small and light as possible, look no further!

You might also like…

Take a look at the best Olympus / OM System lenses along with the best Micro Four Thirds lenses from all brands.

I've been perusing Amazon solidly for the past couple of days in search of a Prime Day bargain or two, but there's one type of lens that I'm particularly keeping an eye out for. The most fun, creative lens that you can get for my money (and yours, too) is, without doubt, a macro lens.

• Don't miss today's best Amazon Prime camera deals

My hunt has turned up serious savings from the likes of Canon and Olympus, but also cheap-and-cheerful third-party manufacturers 7artisans and TTArtisan. The lenses I've listed are available in a wide variety of mounts and are offered at a 20% to 30% discount throughout the Prime Day sale. There are options for crop-sensor and full-frame cameras. Here are the best deals I've found so far!

Whichever lens you go for, a macro lens opens up a whole unseen world that's been right in front of your eyes all along, revealing the delicate intricacies of flowers, transforming bugs into terrifying monsters, and exposing the inner beauty of the most mundane of household objects.

Indeed, many a time during a 365 photo-a-day project, a macro lens has come to the rescue, offering up an 11th-hour subject when I'm out of ideas. And while their prime purpose is to create larger-than-life images, with their fast apertures and medium-to-telephoto focal lengths, they're perfect for other genres, such as portraiture, too.

Trust me, a macro lens is the gateway to the most fun genre of photography, and at these prices, you're just not seeing the bigger picture if you don't give it a go!

Capturing the world through your own lens is exciting, and most of us probably didn't realize how the small step of holding a film camera, a DSLR or a compact camera for the first time would turn into a lifelong passion – or even a career – now probably spend behind a mirrorless camera.

So, who remembers holding their very first camera? It's one of those moments that sticks with you – when specs and technical details often took a backseat, as the thrill of photography took center stage.

I asked our Digital Camera World team to take a walk down memory lane and share the stories about their first-ever camera. As you'd expect, we all started our photography journeys at different times and ages. Some began with analog film cameras, others with early digital models, so the variety is wide.

At the end of the day, those cameras lit the spark in us and started our journeys into the world of photography.

Of course, camera technology has evolved dramatically over the years. Many features we take for granted today – like face detection, in-body stabilization or high-resolution EVFs didn't exist back then. And we're grateful for today's innovations, but there's something charming and irreplaceable about those early models.

From fixed-focus lenses that left little room for creativity to rear LCDs that felt more like guesswork than guidance – and the occasional gem that somehow just worked – our first cameras had plenty of character. Let's take a look back at the gear that got us started…

Olympus OM-10

"My parents gave me my first proper camera, the Olympus OM-10, as a 17th birthday present. This 35mm SLR was designed to be simple and small, and only offered you aperture priority exposure out of the box (if you wanted manual mode, you had to buy an accessory dial that plugged into the front).

"For my first year, all my photos were taken with a 50mm kit lens, and were all shot at ISO64 (on Kodachrome slide film). It is a simplicity of approach that served me well, helping me win a national photo competition just before my 18th birthday.

"The prize was a Fujica AX-3, another 35mm SLR, which I used alongside my OM-10 throughout my student days (with the ingenious Tamron Adaptall-2 system, meaning I could use my 28mm and 200mm lenses on both bodies)."

Canon AE-1

"Like many folks of a certain age, my first proper camera (discounting a couple of 110 vacation cameras like the Kodak Ektralite 400) was a Canon AE-1, which I still own. It came with an FD 50mm f/1.8 lens and a third-party zoom – and from day one, I was far more interested in primes than zooms (perhaps not helped by the "twist and trombone" mechanism on the zoom I had!).

"Manual focus felt like magic to me, and seeing an image emerge from haze into sharpness through that viewfinder still feels like the purest essence of photography. That said, I never had a romantic relationship with the film process. I know people feel all nostalgic about it today, but dealing with negatives and processing was always a pain in the bum – I couldn't be happier that digital is here to remove that step!

"I am, however, grateful for the discipline that film instilled in me; to this day, I still try to shoot as if I'm using a roll of film so I'm not firing hundreds of needless frames.

"The biggest thing I'm grateful for in modern cameras is the WYSIWYG factor of electronic viewfinders. Getting your head around exposure – and not knowing if you'd got it right until your film came back – was the biggest barrier to learning photography. Live view makes the art so much more accessible these days… especially as my eyesight gets worse!"

Olympus Trip

"My first camera (that I can remember, anyway) was an Olympus Trip, a black plastic camera that you put 35mm film in.

"I remember it feeling pretty unimpressive next to my dad's Pentax SLR with plenty of metalwork in the body, but even at the time I liked that I didn't need to waste time attaching a flash or fiddling with lenses (the purpose of which I didn’t understand other than to delay family occasions).

"Because it had nothing more than a simple in-built fixed-focus lens, though, I was always jealous of – and can be grateful for – zoom, let alone other features!"

Fujifilm FinePix A205S (maybe)

"If we disregard the plethora of disposable cameras I churned through as a child, my first 'proper' camera was a Fujifilm FinePix. But sadly, I no longer have it and can't quite remember the model.

"What I do remember is that it was 2MP, had a sliding shield to cover the lens and a yellow jack input. As such, my best guess is the Fujifilm FinePix A205S Zoom. I loved this chunky CCD compact because it was digital! Every camera I'd used up until that point had been film, but my Fuji looked like it had been spat out of a Star Trek replicator.

"In retrospect, the headache-inducing rear LCD was impractically small and low-res. Still, this was my entry point into the world of photography and a great little companion until I upgraded to a Canon PowerShot – of which the model also escapes me!"

Nikon D3100

"Aside from using my parents' older film cameras, my first camera was the Nikon D3100, a budget DSLR. It was an ideal entry point into photography as it gave me enough creative freedom to explore the medium while being user-friendly and lightweight.

"Interchangeable lenses enabled me to find my preferred focal length, and after a lot of trial and error the full manual mode helped me master the exposure triangle.

"I'm truly finding it difficult to find a negative about the camera when I was using it at the time, but when compared to modern cameras the low light performance would not cut it today. When used above ISO800, the digital noise would start to become apparent and could have really benefited from today's higher ISO capabilities – a feature in modern mirrorless cameras that we now often take for granted."

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If you want to combine the classic style with modern technology, check out our guide to the best retro cameras and best vintage lenses.

Iceland. The land of Fire and Ice. Every photographer's bucket list location. How could you not be excited to go? I definitely was. I was going with my buddies Richard and Mark. We were flying over and camping for a week in a trip that encompassed the whole island. This meant spreading the equipment load and bringing only the most essential equipment. Weight was definitely an issue. 

At the time I was using Canon and even with just a few lenses I was well overweight. Something had to give. It was time for a travel camera. I hummed and hawed. Fujifilm seemed like a great idea, the image quality was great, but there were focus issues. One of my portrait photographer heroes had started using Olympus, so I bought an E-M5. It was feature packed and very compact. It fit the bill. 

We flew over at the end of June and collected our jeep. After a short trip around Reykjavik, we hit Route One with sun to our sides. We made our way down to Vik, stopping at waterfalls and black beaches as we passed. The summer meadows made for a gorgeous foreground as we perused Seljalandsfoss. My new Olympus was perfect as we wandered around the waterfall. 

Seeing as we were tourists (don’t lie to yourself-even as a photographer, you’re still a tourist), we did the tourist thing and followed the queues up behind the waterfall. It was glorious, with the sun shining through. No chance of a golden hour shot, we had too much to see! 

On we went to Skogafoss. I wanted to capture this beast as it thundered down. It was every bit as magnificent as I imagined. Now, I did take two cameras with me. My Canon EOS 5D Mk II and the new Olympus E-M5. 

The Olympus was getting the love, but I was still using the Canon to get wider shots using the EF 17-40mm f4L. I got this up first and took a few shots, letting it run a few HDR brackets. Then I set up the Olympus by the stream coming out of the waterfall. I wanted to use the stream as a leading line into the magnificent falls. 

Once set up, I went to check my Canon. As I got there I turned around to see my 4-day-old E-M5 falling in slow motion as the tripod overbalanced. It splashed into the stream and the water flowed over it completely. I sprinted over, but it was still a distance from me. It was deep in the stream and I had to wade to grab the tripod to lift it out. 

Now these cameras are weather-sealed, but they’re not waterproof. It was a mess. Water was pouring out, so I immediately removed the battery. All I could do now was let it dry out. A few days later after sitting on the back window of the jeep in full sunlight, I risked putting the battery in with mixed emotions. Nothing started smoking, so that was a start. I tried to take a photo.. The shutter fired. The picture? Not so good. 

The sensor was covered in gunk. I tried to clean it using sensor swabs and cleaning fluid, but no amount of repeated cleaning made any difference. To cut a long story short, I became convinced that somehow dirty water had leaked under the sensor’s protective glass. Another side effect at the time was each time I reinserted a battery, the camera time would reset, so I can’t actually pin the exact photo I shot, but I think this one is around the time of doing some cleaning and having 2 spots that couldn’t be removed.

I sent the camera back to Olympus, via my local shop, where I had bought it. Olympus sent it back untouched, saying there was no point in trying to repair a water damaged camera. I was a little upset and could only just suck up my loss. 

Time passed and I got to the point where I figured that as the camera was a dead loss anyway, I’d give it one more go with new cleaner and swaps. If it failed, then that would be the end of it. It would be a great story of over-excitement and a tale of warning. 

What do you know? It worked this time. I shot loads more on that camera and eventually sold it to a friend who knew the full story of the camera. He used it on many shoots, and recorded many music videos with it. 

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then cameras should be blushing at all the attention from smartphone brands. At one of the biggest smartphone events of the year, both Xiaomi and RealMe showed off experimental devices that gave smartphones mirrorless-like lenses. But while the Xiaomi Optical Modular System and RealMe Interchangeable Lens Concept were unveiled in 2025, the concept “cameras” took me back a full decade – because camera companies already tried to do the same thing years ago, and failed.

The year is 2014 and, hot on the heels of the company’s very first full-frame mirrorless camera the year before, Sony took another risk and launched the QX1, an APS-C sensor that used E-Mount lenses and attached to a smartphone. The Sony QX1 was, essentially, a camera without the camera. The QX1 offered the sensor and lens mount, but operating the camera was largely done through whatever smartphone it was mounted on.

Sony would later go on to announce the XQ10 and XQ30, zooming smartphone-attachable cameras with a point-and-shoot sized sensor, and the XQ100, a smartphone-attachable camera with a one-inch sensor similar to the RX100 series. A year after the XQ1, Olympus tried the Air A01, a Micro Four Thirds sensor and lens mount that similarly omitted the LCD screen in favor of a smartphone.

All four of those cameras from Sony and Olympus have all been discontinued, without successors, indicating that the unusual format wasn’t popular enough to get up off the ground. But, fast forward ten years and now there’s not just the Xiaomi Optical Modular System and the RealMe Interchangeable Lens Concept, but the upcoming Alice Camera as well as the SwitchLens that raised more than $800,000 on Kickstarter.

That raises the all-important question: Did cameras like the Sony QX1 fail because the technology wasn’t ready yet, or because not enough people even want a cross between a smartphone and a mirrorless camera?

I remember trying out one of the early Sony QX cameras. One of my biggest issues with the camera-that's-not-quite-a-camera was the delay that resulted from having to connect to the phone using Wi-Fi. There was a noticeable delay between when the shutter release was pressed and when the image was actually taken, rendering it fairly useless for shots of moving subjects.

But 2025 technology could help allay some of that issue. The Xiaomi concept camera-phone uses LaserLink, which uses near-infrared to transfer the data to the phone. The RealMe concept eliminates the need to connect wirelessly entirely, where the phone is essentially the mirrorless camera body, just with glass to protect the sensor when a lens isn’t in use. The Alice Camera uses wireless connectivity, albeit in a more modern form including Wi-Fi 6.

But the other part as to why I think cameras like the QX1 and Air A01 failed to take off is that smartphones have terrible ergonomics for taking photos. The thin design is excellent for slipping into a pocket, but not so great for holding up a large lens for long periods without having something to wrap your fingers around.

Another potential factor at play is that, in 2025, it's not just photographers buying cameras. Influencers are undoubtedly playing a role in the market as well and could be drawn to the concept of a smartphone that operates like a mirrorless camera. Ten years ago, influencers were a far smaller niche category of buyers.

Cameras like the QX1 weren’t the only experiments to try to mix the best of dedicated cameras with mobile photography. Cameras like the Zeiss ZX1 and Samsung Galaxy NX are dedicated cameras, but with an Android operating system that allows them to run photo editing apps and share images without a smartphone at all. But, like the QX and Air series, have both been discontinued.

Perhaps what is most ironic about smartphone brands' attempts to be more camera-like is that it comes at a time when dedicated cameras are seeing a resurgence. Compact cameras are now in high demand after nearly dying out, in part for the small size and, I could argue because it’s not a smartphone. A dedicated camera gives you more than ergonomics, swappable lenses, and better image quality; it gives you the ability to capture memories without being distracted by notifications and apps. Or, for that matter, draining the smartphone battery.

I’m amused but also glad to see the latest attempts to merge smartphones and mirrorless cameras into one device, however. I think the engineers who design cameras and the photographers using them both need creativity and experimenting – even if those experiments feel slightly recycled or never really get up off the ground. But, I certainly won’t be first in line to buy a smartphone-mirrorless mashup.

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The best lenses for the OM System OM-1 and OM-1 Mark II are, perhaps unsurprisingly, almost all professional lenses.

After all, the OM System OM-1 Mark II is the company's current flagship camera – and while it's been superseded, the original OM System OM-1 is still flagship-caliber. So they deserve tippy top glass to get the most out of them!

Nowhere is this more relevant than weather sealing. Both OM-1s are IP53-certified, so the best lenses for the OM-1 family should likewise be sealed for all-weather shooting.

With the exception of the super tele option, they all have constant apertures as well – which means that the diaphragm is fixed throughout the zoom range, for equal exposure.

So, without further ado, here are the best lenses for the OM System OM-1 and OM-1 Mark II to supercharge your shooting…

Best lenses for the OM System OM-1 and OM-1 Mark II

Best standard zoom

Every photographer needs a go-to standard zoom, and this is the one for OM System users. The M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II offers a 24-80mm equivalent focal range, so goes a little further than a full-frame equivalent but is of course smaller and lighter – and cheaper.

This new version has the same excellent optical formula as the original lens, but with improved IP53 weather sealing to make the most of the OM-1 family’s outdoor strengths. It’s an excellent lens which you can use at any focal length or aperture without worrying about its sweet spot – it’s all sweet!

It focuses pretty close, too, so it can also be effective for small-scale nature shots.

See our full OM System M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II review

Best extended range zoom

Travel and landscape photographers might prefer a little extra reach in their standard zoom to avoid having to swap lenses (it’s always at exactly the wrong time, isn’t it?). The M.Zuiko 12-100mm f/4 IS Pro certainly delivers on that, with a huge 24-200mm focal range but also with a constant f/4 maximum aperture.

Long-range zooms usually lose some definition at long range, but not this one – it delivers excellent results throughout.

What’s more, it incorporates its own IS, so that in combination with the OM-1 Mark II’s in-camera IBIS, it provides up to 8.5 stops of stabilization – we’ve seen some ridiculously good handheld long exposures from this combination.

Best wide-standard zoom

The OM System M.Zuiko 8‑25mm f/4 Pro is among a handful of hybrid wide-standard zooms on the market.

While it might seem like an odd focal range (as a 16-50mm equivalent), it’s incredibly useful for travel photography, where you’re often having to swap from a wide to a standard zoom just from stepping out of a building and into the street.

It does seem like quite a big lens for a modest amount of glass, and it’s bigger still when its retracting mechanism is extended for shooting, but the results are excellent and this focal range is just so darned useful!

See our full OM System M.Zuiko 8‑25mm f/4 Pro review

Best ultra-wide

The M.Zuiko 8-25mm f/4 is a great lens but, if you like your focal ranges traditional, the M.Zuiko 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro is the best choice for your OM-1 Mark II.

It’s one of the three ‘trinity’ f/2.8 zooms for the OM system, and while it’s not especially cheap, the optical quality alone makes it worth it, together with that constant f/2.8 maximum aperture.

The highly convex front element and fixed lens hood mean that you can’t fit regular filters to the front (the 8-25mm f/4 would be better for that) but you could argue that, with the OM-1 Mark II’s Live ND and Live GND modes, you may not need even filters!

See our full OM System M.Zuiko 7-14mm f/2.8 Pro review

Best trinity telephoto lens

On a full-frame camera system, you would choose a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens. On OM System, up until a year ago, you would choose the M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/2.8 Pro – a trinity-busting lens that delivers an equivalent 80-300mm range.

Now, however, you can go even bigger and better: the M.Zuiko 50-200mm f/2.8 Pro might be the single best OM System / Olympus lens. The world's only 100-400mm f/2.8 equivalent, this is an astonishingly versatile lens – and it's optically outstanding.

Boasting 7 stops of image stabilization on the OM-1 Mark II (5.5 stops on a non-stabilized body) and support for 50fps bursts, focus stacking and Pro Capture, it's fantastic for birding and sports.

It's also brilliant for macro and telemacro, combining a 0.78m minimum focus distance with 0.5x magnification – but add a 2x teleconverter and you get 1:1 reproduction for true macro.

It's big for a Micro Four Thirds lens, but pairs perfectly with an OM-1 – and might just be the best lens you can buy for the flagship.

See our OM System M.Zuiko 50-200mm f/2.8 Pro review

Best super-telephoto zoom

OM System users have a couple of choices when it comes to super-telephoto zooms (there’s also a cheaper M.Zuiko 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS lens), but the M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS is the one with serious reach. In full-frame terms it’s equivalent to a 300-1200mm lens!

You can extend the range even further with teleconverters up to a 600-2400mm monster, but I probably wouldn’t do that because it looks as if the optics are stretched to the limit already, as our lab tests produced somewhat disappointing resolution results.

Having said that, super-telephotos aren’t designed for close-range test charts – and out in the field the M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS produces impressively crisp and detailed images.

See our full OM System M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS review

Best super-telephoto prime

It’s well understood in sports and wildlife photography that you’re going to get the best image quality (and the widest maximum aperture) from a prime lens – and that’s exactly what you get with the M.Zuiko 300mm f/4 IS Pro.

It’s not a cheap lens, but remember this is equivalent to a 600mm f/4 in full-frame terms. For context, the Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM retails for $12,999, weighs 3,090g and is 472mm long.

By contrast, this M.Zuiko equivalent is almost $10,000 less, is half the weight and is almost half the length! And it's compatible with OM's 1.4x teleconverter, which will take it right up to an equivalent 840mm f/5.6.

Best macro lens

OM macro photographers are spoilt for choice. There’s the classic M.Zuiko 60mm f/2.8 Macro lens, which looks odd but performs brilliantly, and a veruy budget-friendly M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 Macro that boasts 1.5:1 magnification.

The star of the show, though, is the M.Zuiko 90mm f/3.5 Macro, especially for timid subjects like insects – where its 180mm effective focal length enables you to shoot from further away.

On top of that, it boasts a 2:1 reproduction ratio – which is an equivalent 4:1 in full-frame terms, so you're able to supersize your subjects!

Just be aware that you might find this focal length a bit ‘long’ for some subjects, especially in confined spaces, and the size, weight – and the precise focusing needed – mean this is probably going to work better on a tripod than handheld.

See our full OM System M.Zuiko 90mm f/3.5 Macro IS Pro review

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Once upon a time, we used to get cameras that were bold. Brave. Ballsy, even. And sometimes even bad ideas.

They were cameras that took risks, that did something different. Not because they had to, but because manufacturers wanted to. Because trying new things and pushing boundaries is how innovation happens.

After the success of the newly resurrected OM System OM-3, I went down a bit of a rabbit hole and I've become a bit obsessed with the Olympus O-Product – a bold, brave and ballsy 35mm camera from 1988.

It wasn't made because the market demanded it, or to keep up with what other companies were doing; it was made because Olympus just wanted to make something different. And accordingly, it hired one of Japan's most inspired (and opinionated) industrial designers to dream it up: Naoki Sakai.

ABOVE: A quick tour of the Olympus O-Product by Dario Viola

Sakai famously declared in Popular Photography magazine that, "My products are mistakes. We should make mistakes."

And it really does feel like the camera industry is terrified of making mistakes. Perhaps rightly so, given how far sales have fallen since the digital camera heyday of a decade or so ago, but still – if everyone is afraid to make a mistake, it's less likely they will make anything exciting either.

But just look at the Olympus O-Product: it's very exciting. It exists simply because it looks cool, and people who like cool things might want to own one even if they don't own a camera. Heck, Sakai designed two cars even though he didn't own a car (or even have a driving license).

I dare say that the O-Product looking cool was more important than whether or not it could take a good picture. Although apparently it could, according to people who owned or used one (a very rare breed, since only 20,000 of these cameras were made – and only 10,000 of those were sold outside Japan).

Either way, this idea of making a camera that people might actually want – rather than just making a camera because everyone else is making it – is really important.

I'd love to see more cameras like the OM-3, the Hasselblad 907X & CFV 100C, the Nikon Z fc, the Pentax 17 and the Instax Wide Evo. These are cameras that don't have to be cool, but that don't have to do cool things, but are all the better for it.

"Japanese companies say they think about the consumer," Sakai continued. "They're liars. They only think about their competitors. Olympus only thinks about Canon or Nikon. Nissan only thinks about Toyota or Honda. I think about people. I am a consumer."

I'd rather have a camera that risked making mistakes than yet another black box with some clever circuits inside it. Come on, camera companies – show me your balls.

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The OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II is a long overdue update to one of the classic Olympus lenses, and adds two very welcome new features – but it also takes away a signature feature that made the OG so great.

Launched back in 2012, the original Olympus M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 was a diamond of an optic – but it lacked weather sealing and you had to buy the lens hood separately. Thankfully the OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II addresses both of these points, but does so at the expense of the manual focus clutch featured on the Olympus lens.

Since the optical construction is identical in both lenses, this poses an interesting question for prospective customers / upgraders: is the ability to shoot in inclement weather more important than the ability to zone focus, especially for a 35mm equivalent lens that's perfect for street photography?

OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II: Price & availability

The OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II is available from February 27 with a $549.99 / £479.00 / AU$649.00 retail price.

To put that in perspective, the original Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 lens is currently available for $279 / £325 / AU$486. Bear in mind that the Olympus version is not weather sealed, and doesn't come with a lens hood, but it does possess a manual focus clutch and distance scale – which the newer OM version does not.

OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II: Specifications

OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II: Build & handling

This is where all the differences lie between the new OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II and the original Olympus version of the lens, given that the internal optics are the same in both.

To recap, the OM version now boasts weather sealing, with five internal seals to protect your system from dust and moisture. While it still boasts satisfyingly solid metal construction, the new lens is actually 8g lighter than the old one despite the addition of the sealing – but there's an important reason why.

As you can see from the side-by-side images below, the OM lens no longer has the manual focus clutch mechanism and distance scale featured on the Olympus lens – no doubt the reason for the weight reduction.

It may well be that this mechanism simply wasn't possible to seal without re-engineering it; there are other OM and Olympus lenses that have a weather-sealed clutch, such as the OM System M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8 Pro II, but those optics were designed from the ground up to accommodate seals. Since the 17mm was never built with sealing in mind, I'm inclined to think that this may be a design restriction rather than a churlish choice to remove a useful feature.

Also worth noting is that, with the OM version being 2.1mm longer and featuring a new bayonet mount for the included lens hood, some lens caps that fitted the Olympus version will no longer fit this new one (including the metal LC-48 Olympus PEN lens cap).

OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II: Performance

Since the optical construction in the OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II is identical to that of the old Olympus lens, so is the optical performance. And while this isn't quite the superstar that the OM System M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 II is, it's still an impressive little lens.

This is a lens that I love shooting with wide open; even at f/1.8, center sharpness really shines and there's only a whisper of fringing. This is especially important for Micro Four Thirds lenses, where subject separation and shooting in low light can be challenging, so the fact that it performs so well at its maximum aperture makes me very happy.

Indeed, it's my favorite 35mm equivalent lens to work with on any system – even though corner sharpness isn't quite as impressive, as you'll need to stop down to around f/4 to get top performance. For the kind of work I do, though – environmental portraits, reportage and street photography – I've got no complaints at all.

There's no doubt that losing the manual focus clutch feels like a loss. There is, of course, a fly-by-wire focus ring, and it works just fine. But not only did the old clutch have a distance scale for zone focusing – it also had hard stops at either end. Still, while it took a little getting used to, it was absolutely possible to shoot street photography with the standard focus ring (and if you've never used the old Oly lens, obviously you won't miss it).

If you're a video shooter, I'd recommend that you test this lens out before buying it to see how it behaves. Some copies of the original Olympus version made a grinding kind of noise while autofocusing during video – but it wasn't a universal problem.

My copy of the new OM version didn't make those noises while constantly focusing, so it's possible that the old focus clutch was the cause – but given that the internals are otherwise identical, I'd recommend testing the copy of the lens before you buy it.

OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II: Sample photos

OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II: Verdict

In pure performance terms, the OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II is still one of my favorite lenses. It's unbelievably small and light, super sharp wide open, quick to focus – in every respect, a great lens for everything from street and travel photography to environmental portraits and content creation.

You do, however, need to determine what's more important to you: having weather sealing or having a manual focus clutch. Street purists will scoff and stomp and insist on the latter, but I think the weather sealing – and the included lens hood – on the new OM System version will appeal to more people.

There's a lot I want to say about the OM System OM-3. But the two most pertinent things are that 1) this is the PEN-F successor that Olympus fans have been waiting nearly a decade for, and 2) this is the camera that out-Fujifilms Fujifilm.

The OM System OM-3 is truly a gestalt product. It has the flagship firepower of the OM System OM-1 Mark II, with its cutting-edge computational photography. It has the handcrafted creativity of the Olympus PEN-F, with the ahead-of-its-time Creative Dial. And it has the iconic shape and silhouette of its namesake, the Olympus OM-3, with its timeless design by Yoshihisa Maitani.

But again, in trying to sum up a camera that is more than the sum of its parts, it's the PEN-F sequel I've been waiting for since 2016, and a camera that gives Fujifilm's finest a run for their money. Film simulations, computational photography, superb algorithmic autofocus… the OM System OM-3 is a creative tool as potent as Salvador Dali dabbing like a lunatic.

Of course, naysayers will decry the Micro Four Thirds sensor and insist that it isn't capable enough. This isn't the place for that discussion (though I will say that I've had more published work and satisfied clients with my OM / Olympus kit than my full-frame Canon gear), but I invite you to consider this camera with an open mind – because, unless you own an OM-1 Mark II, it does a lot of things that no other camera is capable of.

OM System OM-3: Specifications

OM System OM-3: Build & handling

It won't have escaped your attention that the OM System OM-3 is beautiful. The brand's other cameras, like the OM System OM-5, have traditionally taken their design aesthetic from classic Olympus SLRs, but no camera has duplicated the lines and silhouette quite as faithfully as the OM-3.

Of course, adhering to the original Olympus OM-3 design means that there is no grip on the front (much like the PEN-F before it) though there is a thumbrest on the back. I know many folks chafe at this, feeling that no grip makes a camera uncomfortable or doesn't give enough purchase to hold it.

Personally, it doesn't bother me – I used the OM-3 for days on end without any discomfort, and I don't use a camera strap and it never once came close to slipping out of my hands. Honestly I'd rather keep the flat face of the camera to maintain the aesthetics – as was the case with the PEN-F, where there were no shortage of sexy-looking third-party grips if anyone wanted to add one.

Obviously, the timeless design has had some modern mirrorless embellishments. Crucially, the Creative Dial from the PEN-F has been resurrected – sitting proudly on the front of the camera, it offers fingertip access to a wealth of creative tools, from color and mono film profiles to Art Filters to the custom color creator.

The top of the camera sees a first for OM: the addition of a dedicated dial, on the top-left, to flick between photo, video and S&Q (Slow & Quick) modes. The OM-3 is arming you with creative potential and inviting you to unleash it, in whatever form takes your fancy at any given time.

Another first is a dedicated CP button on the rear of the camera, giving you quick access to the camera's Computational Photography modes. A quick stab unlock things like Live ND and Live GND (software-powered neutral density and grad filters), High Res Shot (50MP handheld and 80MP on a tripod), focus stacking and multiple exposure shooting.

Unlike recent generations of SLR-styled OM / Olympus bodies, the OM-3 boasts metal construction for a reassuringly solid, substantial feel that I've missed since the E-M5 Mark II. It's weather sealed, too, rated to IP53 certification – and having used this extensively in the rain (rather more extensively than I would have liked!) I still trust this brand more than any other in bad weather. My one quibble is that the doors covering the ports and connections can be knocked open a little too easily.

What might surprise some is the size of the OM-3, as it's notably bigger than both the E-M5 / OM-5 and PEN-F, being comparable in size to the SLRs after which it takes its shape. Still, OM / Olympus has always made some of the smallest camera bodies on the market – so this is by no means a big camera, just a bigger one than I expected.

As such it accepts the larger, higher-capacity, BLX-1 batteries of the OM-1 family – no doubt a requirement to power all the computational processing and the Quad Pixel autofocus system.

OM System OM-3: Photo performance

As you might expect, the core photographic performance is identical to the OM-1 Mark II (with which the OM-3 shares its technology). Everything transfers here and behaves exactly as it does on the flagship – although anecdotally I found the autofocus performance to be even better.

Perhaps the OM-3 is running more recent algorithms than the OM-1 Mark II, but particularly with birding the AF was much quicker and stickier at identifying and staying with subjects – even when I was using the rather old and clunky Olympus M.Zuiko 75-300mm lens. Either way, OM's Quad Pixel AF tech is coming on leaps and bounds. It's not quite at Canon and Sony levels but, I tell you what, it's catching up.

Elsewhere you'll find the blistering burst modes, offering up to 50fps with continuous autofocus and 120fps with fixed focus – along with Pro Capture, the pre-shooting mode that enables you to record the frames that took place before you even clicked the shutter. OM debuted this technology back in 2000, on the Olympus E100 RS, and for my money it still does it better than anyone else.

You also get things like the Live ND and Live GND modes – which are the coolest camera features I've ever seen – enabling you to shoot with software-powered neutral density and grad filters, and leave the bulky physical glass at home. Pixel shift-powered High Res Shot mode enables you to shoot 14-bit RAW files up to 80MP, with 2 stops of noise reduction for beautiful fidelity if you shoot static subjects.

Image stabilization is rated at 6.5 stops (or 7.5 with a Sync IS lens), which you might notice is a stop lower than the maximum 7.5 (8.5 with Sync IS) boasted by the OM-1 Mark II. I need to confirm this, but my understanding is that this is down to the new CIPA measurements (which is the same reason that the Nikon P1100 is listed as having a stop less compensation than the P1000, despite having identical technology).

Whatever the reason, it's as rock-solid as ever – even when photographing birds at 600mm handheld, or shooting a handheld 15-image focus stack. Almost every camera these days has good IS, but the smaller sensor in Micro Four Thirds cameras just makes them so much easier to stabilize – and shooting feels a lot more sturdy as a result.

Beyond all the clever flagship tech, though, the real fun – and the heart of the OM System OM-3's shooting experience – is the Creative Dial. I know I sound like a broken record, but sue me; it's brilliant. Back when the Dial debuted on the PEN-F, the industry was snide and cynical. Naysayers said that people who shot JPEG weren't real photographers, and mocked anyone for using filters. Funny how nobody says that any more, now that Fujifilm has cracked the mainstream.

Anyway, the Creative Dial unlocks an arsenal of customizable options. At the fore are the eight film profile presets, four each for color and black-and-white. For the former you've got Natural, Chrome Film Vivid, Chrome Film Rich Color (Velvia fans will be pleased) and Chrome Film Soft Tone. When it comes to monochrome there's Monotone, Classic Film B&W (very Tri-X like), Classic Film IR and Classic Film Low Contrast.

These can be fine-tuned for saturation, highlight and shadow, vignetting, sharpness, contrast, tone effect and even film grain. I know that everyone from Nikon to Panasonic has jumped on the custom recipes bandwagon, but it's great to see this mode back in an OM camera for the first time since 2016 – I've been using my fine-tuned presets on the PEN-F ever since, and I wouldn't be without them.

The dial is also your shortcut to the Color Creator, which enables you to amplify the existing hues in your scene or dial out any unwanted colors – the sort of color balancing you might usually do in Photoshop, only here you can do it in-camera, as you're as you take the image, empowering you to capture the scene the way you're really experiencing it.

A good example is a sunset, where you might want to punch up the pinks and golds. Or if you're shooting somewhere like Death Valley, which is a surprisingly desaturated place in person, but you can embellish the existing colors and make it look as punchy as it does in postcards – all in-camera.

And of course there are the trusty OM Art Filters, some of which are admittedly tacky, but others (namely the Vintage, Bleach Bypass and Instant Film options) are genuinely great pre-production tools. Don't take my word for it – Vintage I is the camera filter used by Taylor Swift.

Something worth mentioning is that I was testing the OM-3 side-by-side with the Leica SL3-S, a very capable full-frame camera. But two interesting things happened in that time; first of all, a byproduct of the OM-3's nimble size and tiny lenses was that I took way more in-the-moment, blink-and-you'll-miss it, "decisive moment"-type shots with this camera than the SL3-S.

Which is ironic, given that Leica built its reputation on being the ultimate street camera. But the SL3-S is a bulky full-frame thing, with bulky full-frame lenses; just wrestling it out of a bag is enough to make you miss "the shot". But the OM-3 is so small and agile that I could whip it out of a sling bag in seconds, and so discrete that I could snap street shots quickly and quietly.

The second thing is that I used both cameras to photograph clients – and despite the prevailing myths that "Micro Four Thirds cameras aren't proper cameras" and that "You need to shoot full frame", the clients both liked the Leica images but they loved the OM ones. Take that for what you will.

OM System OM-3: Sample photos

OM System OM-3: Video performance

As with the photographic capabilities, again, the OM System OM-3 shares the same tech as the OM-1 Mark II – so you can expect the exact same performance from this camera (with the observation that the autofocus feels ever so slightly improved, in my experience).

I feel I was a little harsh on the OM-1 Mark II's video specs when I reviewed it, largely because it was coming in the wake of the Panasonic Lumix G9 II – which is certainly a superior system for pure videography. However, I don't think the person looking at the OM-3 is weighing it up against the specs of the G9 II (or vice versa).

Still, the OM-3 offers a lot for the content creation crowd – including its two video modes that, like the Color Profiles, offer a degree of pre-production that makes it easier for storytellers to share their footage without having to master LUTs and grading. Both modes echo OM-Log400 for dynamic range, with OM Cinema 1 offering a more contrasty and golden starting point while OM Cinema 2 provides a softer look with a cyan bias.

The new shooting dial, with its fast access to Slow & Quick mode, really is an invitation to dive in and have fun with your video footage. Whether you want to snag an attention-getting hyperlapse at 1fps, or a stunning slow-mo at 240fps you can quickly snap into S&Q and shoot it – all with minimal fuss.

While I don't think anybody chooses OM cameras for their moviemaking chops, I do feel that the video capabilities of the OM-3 are more important than other models. I'm guessing that the crowd who will be attracted to this camera is the same crowd that's attracted to the X100VIs of this world – the style conscious shooter who's primarily interested in stills, but still wants a capable 4K camera with which to create content.

And the OM-3 definitely scores here. Nobody will accuse it of being the best camera for vlogging, but it's still a very capable one that will find an eager audience thanks to its cinema profiles, film presets and Art Filters that make it easy to crank out compelling content with minimal fuss.

OM System OM-3: Sample videos

Since the OM System OM-3 is largely identical to the OM-1 Mark II, I mainly messed around with the S&Q modes while shooting with a few different filters and presets in the first video.

To see what it's capable of in slightly more serious settings, the second video is me filming some wildlife with the OM-1 Mark II (which, again, has the same specs and tech inside, so the performance is virtually identical).

OM System OM-3: Lab results

For our lab data comparison, we pitted the OM-3 against three rival retro-styled mirrorless camera rivals: the Fujifilm X-T5, Nikon Z f and Nikon Z fc.

Resolution (line widths/picture height):

Despite having roughly the same 20MP megapixel count as the APS-C Nikon Z fc, yet packed onto a smaller MFT sensor, the OM-3's images are so sharp that it manages to resolve more fine detail at higher ISOs. Obviously the 40.2MP X-T5 was always going to win this test though.

Dynamic range (EV):

Dynamic range is a measure of a camera's ability to record extreme brightness ranges and still retain detail in the brightest and darkest parts of the scene. It's measured in EV (exposure values, or 'stops').

OM-System cameras (and their Olympus predecessors) tend to do well for capturing dynamic range at lower ISOs, and the OM-3 follows suit, managing to give the APS-C cameras a run for their money. The full-frame Zf is in a league of its own, however.

Signal to noise ratio (decibels):

This test compares the amount of random noise generated by the camera at different ISO settings as a proportion of the actual image information (the 'signal'). Higher values are better and we expect to see the signal to ratio fall as the ISO is increased.

The OM-3 starts off well at low sensitivities, but as ISOs rise and noise inevitably becomes more visible, its smaller sensor starts to struggle in comparison to the APS-C Fujifilm and Nikon cameras. The full-frame Zf is unsurprisingly the camera to beat here, with its larger individual pixels being less susceptible to generating noise.

OM System OM-3: Verdict

The OM System OM-3 rekindles the kind of magic not seen since the Olympus glory days. This is a camera that celebrates the brand's heritage in terms of both looks and spirit, proving that style is substance, with a body that doesn't just look great but actually inspires you to pick it up and shoot with it.

And when you do, you discover a playful, charming, charismatic camera that's imbued with creativity. It literally puts its signature features at your fingertips – the Creative Dial, Computational Photography button, S&Q dial – and challenges you to go out and play with them to see what you can do.

I've waxed lyrical about the PEN-F for the past nine years because it's simply the most magical imaging machine I've ever used. It was almost the perfect camera for me, but it lacked modern trimmings like phase detect AF, 4K video, mic and headphone jacks, and the all-important weather sealing.

But the OM-3 has all those things and more, taking the tech from OM System's flagship camera and adding cherries on top like computational photography, algorithmic subject detection, 80MP 14-bit shooting… not to mention a body that, while I won't say is sexier than the PEN-F, is certainly just as sexy.

Which means that, all in all, I think the OM System OM-3 is the perfect camera for me. Whether it's the perfect camera for you will depend largely on your prejudice against Micro Four Thirds sensors. Because aside from depth of field being slightly more challenging to achieve, and the fact that there's only one memory card slot, there's is simply nothing not to love about this camera. And I am going to buy one.

If you're a longtime Olympus and OM shooter, today is a day to celebrate; 17 years after the launch of the 25mm f/1.8, and 13 years after the release of the 17mm f/1.8, both pocket-sized prime lenses are now weather-sealed. On top of that, the 100-400mm zoom just got next-level sealing and sync stabilization abilities.

Just announced are the OM System M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 II – a classic "nifty fifty" with an equivalent 50mm focal length in full frame terms – and the OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II – a 35mm equivalent street and reportage lens.

These much-loved portable primes have been long overdue an update, but there are no optical performance boosts. Both lenses have simply received weather-sealing, and now come with lens hoods – something long requested by the community. Other than that, they have the same optical formula and output as the Olympus M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 and Olympus M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 that they replace.

There are a couple of caveats, one of them being that the new 17mm II actually loses a feature: the manual focus clutch and scale of the original version. In addition, both lenses are currently only available in black with no silver option – though in fairness, black lenses on silver cameras like the new OM System OM-3 look pretty badass.

Physically, both lenses feel almost indistinguishable from their predecessors – but there are slight differences. The new 17mm II is 8g lighter at 112g (no doubt due to losing the focus clutch), is 2.1mm longer at 37.6mm long, and features a new bayonet for the lens hood – which means that if you own the classic metal LC-48 Olympus PEN lens cap, it no longer fits.

The 25mm II, meanwhile, clocks in 20g heavier than the old version at 156g (likely to do with the added weather seals), and is 1.4mm wider at 59.4mm in diameter. I'll say again, though, the two lenses feel virtually identical (aside from the 17mm's focus clutch) in the hand, and on my camera.

When it comes to the new OM System M.Zuiko 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS II, some significant gains have been made over its predecessor. For starters, it now boasts a fluorine coating and IPX1-rated weather sealing.

Where the original M.Zuiko 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS only offered 3 stops of lens-only image stabilization, the mark II version packs 4.5 stops of lens correction. On top of that, though, it also features Sync IS capability that enables the lens stabilization to work with the in-body stabilization of select cameras – offering a maximum 7 stops of compensation at the wide end and 5.5 stops at the long, which even works with the teleconverters.

On top of that, the new lens is 25g lighter at only 1,300g (and is 0.1mm shorter, at 205.6mm) and you can now remove the tripod collar while the lens is attached to the camera for enhanced versatility.

I've tested the new primes extensively, and you can read my full thoughts in my OM System M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 II review along with my OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II review. Our coverage of the new 100-400mm will hopefully be ready next week.

All three lenses go on sale February 27. The M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 II will be priced $499.99 / £399.00 / AU$599.00, the M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II will cost $549.99 / £479.00 / AU$649.00, and the M.Zuiko 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 IS II will carry a price tag of $1,499.99 / £1,299.00 AU$2,199.

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The new f/1.8 primes are perfect for OM's latest camera, so read my full OM System OM-3 review. Check out the best OM System / Olympus lenses to see what other optics the brand makes, and remember that all MFT cameras can use any of the best Micro Four Thirds lenses.

OM System (formerly Olympus) has unveiled its latest camera, the OM System OM-3 – a creative powerhouse that combines the specs and computational muscle of the company's flagship model, the creative toolset of the legendary Olympus PEN-F, and the luscious looks of the classic Olympus OM-3 film camera.

The OM-3 takes all the core technology of the celebrated OM System OM-1 Mark II – namely the stacked, back-side illuminated 20.4MP image sensor with Quad Pixel autofocus, along with 14-bit 50MP and 80MP High Res Shot mode, 120fps burst shooting with pre-capture (50fps with continuous AF), 4K 60p / FullHD 120p / Slow & Quick 240fps video, and IP53 weather sealing.

It also possesses the OM-1 Mark II's market-leading computational photography features, including Live ND and Live GND filters (software-powered neutral density and grad filters, which remove the need for physical lens filters), now accessible at the touch of the dedicated CP button.

More than being a technological marvel, though, the OM System OM-3 calls back to a pair of beloved camera bodies from the storied Olympus era.

Firstly, and most obviously, the Olympus OM-3 film camera from 1983 – a gorgeous and highly soughtafter SLR that's much rarer than other OM bodies. The physical design and handling of the camera is sublime, even by the standards of OM / Olympus – which has made some of the best retro cameras for 13 years.

However, the most fundamental callback is to the cult classic Olympus PEN-F from 2016. The OM-3 resurrects the PEN-F's Creative Dial, which affords immediate fingertip access to four film simulations (including Tri-X and Velvia-like presets), 18 Art Filters (including Bleach Bypass and Instant Film) and a Color Creator mode – all of which can be fully customized.

Video shooting hasn't been overlooked, thanks to the OM Cinema profiles that combine the flexibility of OM-Log400 with aesthetic profiles to minimize the need for post-production. The new shooting dial also brings S&Q mode to an OM camera for the first time, enabling you to easily capture 1fps hyperlapses or 240fps super slow-motion footage. Or there's good old 4K 60p / FullHD 120p video.

The OM-3 inherits the company's flagship autofocus capabilities, too, with its Quad Pixel system featuring 1,053 cross-type hybrid points and algorithmic subject recognition AF for human, bird, and dog and cat (all with face and eye detection) along with planes, trains and automobiles.

You can read my full thoughts in my OM System OM-3 review, but in short I love this camera.

"The OM-3 rekindles the kind of magic not seen since the Olympus glory days," I wrote. "This is a camera that celebrates the brand's heritage in terms of both looks and spirit, proving that style is substance, with a body that doesn't just look great but actually inspires you to pick it up and shoot with it.

"It can't be disputed that the OM-3 (next to the OM-1 Mark II) offers the most advanced computational photography on the market, with the most versatile creative options and the most beautiful body this side of a Fujifilm camera. Like the PEN-F, this is another future classic."

The OM System OM-3 goes on sale February 27 with a price of $1,999 / £1,699 / AU$3,199 body only, or in a kit with the M.Zuiko 12-45mm f/4 Pro lens for $2,299/ £1,999 / AU$3,799.

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Take a look at the best OM System / Olympus cameras, along with the best OM System / Olympus lenses to pair them with. And remember that MFT is an open standard, so you can use any of the best Micro Four Thirds lenses as well.

This has long been one of my favorite entry level cameras. It’s the last OM-D camera from Olympus days before the brand name changed to OM System, but its combination of a 20MP MFT sensor, 4K video and compact retro styling has left it feeling as fresh today as when it was launched back in 2020.

The Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV is very competitively priced for a camera that actually offers a good deal of sophistication. It’s the fourth iteration of a line of beginner-friendly mini-DSLR style cameras from Olympus and the first to introduce the 20MP Micro Four Thirds sensor.

Thanks to its price, features and performance, we rate the OM-D E-M10 IV as one of the best cameras for beginners since its launch in 2020, and, thanks to its size, it's also one of the best cameras for travel, too.

Of course, it’s also compatible with all of the best Micro Four Thirds lenses from Olympus/OM System, Panasonic and others – the question is, which are the best lenses for this camera?

I’ve tried to take all kinds of uses into account, from cost-conscious budget buyers to more advanced photographers learning new skills. That means covering a wide range of focal lengths and prices. Some of the best Olympus/OM System lenses are on the pricey side, but you may well upgrade to a better camera later on, so these lenses will stand you in good stead in the future.

Best lenses for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

Best everyday lens for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

This has to be considered one of the all time great kit lenses for any format. The M.Zuiko 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ is a pancake zoom less than 23mm thick, which is smaller than most pancake primes, and yet it offers a 28-84mm equivalent focal range – and there’s no compromise in its optical performance at all, which is above average for a kit lens. It does have a couple of downsides – the zoom is electric not mechanical and has a somewhat springy, woolly feel, and the minimum focal length of 28mm (equivalent) may not be wide enough for some. But what other lens is so slim it lets you slip your camera into a jacket pocket? It’s practically a must-have for any E-M10 IV owner.

See our M.Zuiko 14‑42mm f/3.5‑5.6 EZ review

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Best standard zoom for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

The E-M10 IV is quite a small camera, so it makes sense to try to keep down the size of the lenses you choose for it to maintain a nice balance. That’s why we recommend the M.Zuiko 12-45mm f/4 Pro rather than the larger (and more expensive) M.Zuiko 12-40mm f/2.8. You do lose one f-stop of maximum aperture with this lens, but you do not lose one ounce of optical performance. This lens is a stellar performer on a par with its more expensive stablemate, and you can use it at any focal length and any aperture without worrying about finding its ‘sweet spot’. With this lens, every spot is sweet. It costs almost as much to buy as the E-M10 IV itself, but it’s worth it.

See our Olympus M.Zuiko 12-45mm f/4 Pro review

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Best wide-angle zoom for Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

Choosing the best wide-angle zoom for the E-M10 IV is actually quite difficult, as there is definitely a hole in the current OM System lens line-up. There is the older M.Zuiko 9-18mm retracting lens which is quite small and the cheapest option, but showing its age optically and pretty expensive for what you get. That’s why we’re suggesting the M.Zuiko 8‑25mm F4.0 Pro, which is both big and quite expensive compared to the price of the camera – but it does cover a unique focal range equivalent to 16-50mm in full frame terms, so you get an ultra-wide and standard angle of view in a single lens. Size and weight are a factor, but given what it can do, this is perhaps the perfect city travel lens.

See our OM System ED 8‑25mm f/4 Pro review

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Best travel zoom for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

If travel is your thing then you may be looking for a ‘superzoom’ lens that covers a huge range of focal lengths all on its own – and they don’t come much more ‘super’ than the M.Zuiko 12-200mm F3.5-6.3. Thanks to the Micro Four Thirds format’s 2x crop factor, this is equivalent to a 24-400mm zoom range, which is very impressive. There are a couple of downsides. One is that like almost all superzooms, this one does lose sharpness at the longest focal lengths. Another is that this is actually a fairly pricey lens, so it’s not a purchase to be undertaken lightly. But if none of this bothers you and all you want is the longest possible focal length range in a single lens, then this is it!

See our full Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 review

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Best budget telephoto zoom for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

If you want a cheap, portable telephoto zoom for occasional use that you can just tuck away in a corner of your camera bag, the M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 R is it. It’s incredibly cheap to buy and yet packs in an 80-300mm equivalent focal range into its compact and lightweight body. It does have a variable maximum aperture, but f/5.6 at 300mm equivalent is still pretty good! It doesn’t quite have the optical quality of OM System Pro lenses, though, and if that’s important look at the M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4 Pro lens instead. It does cost more and it is a little larger and heavier, but the quality is superb.

See our full OM System M.Zuiko 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 review

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Best street prime for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

The compact size and weight of this lens makes it a perfect match for the E-M10 IV. It’s the ideal focal length for street photography and the f/1.8 maximum aperture does deliver some nice background blur with closer subjects. The detail rendition and overall optical performance is first rate, although the focus ring lacks the pull-back clutch of the original, for manual focus with a distance scale. On the plus side, the new Mark II adds weather-seals and comes complete with a hood.

See our full OM System M.Zuiko 17mm f/1.8 II review

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Best standard prime for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

The 25mm focal length on the Micro Four Thirds format equates to 50mm in full frame camera terms, a lens that was a standard kit lens on old-school film SLRs and is still a camera bag essential for many photographers today. The M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 II is very small and light and a perfect match for the E-M10 IV, taking over from the original, now discontinued version of the lens. Like the new version of the 17mm, it has no pull-back focus clutch mechanism but does add weather-seals and a hood, which were missing last time around. Best of all, it’s a really nice lens to shoot with.

See our full OM System M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.8 II review

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Best portrait prime for the Olympus OM-D E-M10 IV

This is one of the favorite lenses of Digital Camera World Editor James Artaius and it’s easy to see why. For a 90mm equivalent f/1.8 ‘portrait’ lens it’s impossibly small – barely bigger than the 17mmm and 25mm primes – and while it doesn’t quite have the all-metal feel of the 17mm f/1.8, it’s well made and operates smoothly. It also delivers results of a quality you would never expect from its modest price tag. If you want to experiment with portraits with your OM-D E-M10 IV or you fancy a fast short telephoto lens, then this is absolutely the one to get.

See our full OM System M.Zuiko 45mm f/1.8 review

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Lab data and comparisons

The graphs below show the comparative performance of the lenses in this guide, based on our in-house lab tests. Scores for sharpness and color fringing are averaged from data taken across the entire image frame, from the center to the edges and corners, throughout the aperture range. For zoom lenses, the scores are also averaged from data measured at all marked focal lengths, and the same applies to distortion.

Bear in mind that these average values don't fully reflect specific areas of performance. For example, a zoom lens might have noticeable barrel and pincushion distortion at its shortest and longest focal lengths respectively, which tends to average out when looking at the data overall. For more detailed graphs of each lens's performance, which give the full picture, check out the graphs in our full standalone lens reviews.

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Some companies celebrate their film camera heritage by bringing out digital versions of legacy cameras, or simply by styling modern mirrorless cameras after the best film cameras in their back-catalogs.

Olympus, now OM System, has been one of the best at this. Sure, Nikon has made headlines with bodies like the Nikon Zf (and the Nikon Df before it), but it was Olympus that really pioneered the trend. Its OM-D cameras (and now the OM System OM-5) were styled after the classic OM film cameras, and it even went as far as resurrecting the classic Olympus Pen-F half-frame camera as the iconic Olympus PEN-F mirrorless camera.

Well, there's another camera that OM could bring back – and if it does, it could do absolutely monster business this year in the same way that the Fujifilm X100VI, the Ricoh GR III and the Leica Q3 have done.

And in fact, there's rumors that this could very well happen.

Going back almost ten years, a number of Olympus staff I spoke to were jazzed by the revival of the PEN-F in 2016 – not just because it was an incredible camera, but because they hoped it would open the door for the revival of another one: the similarly beloved Olympus Trip 35.

Sadly, the PEN-F didn't sell enough for the idea of reviving other legacy cameras to go any further. But the market in 2025 is very different to 2016 – and in ways that would make a digital Trip 35 not just a better prospect, but arguably the best prospect for OM System.

In case you don't remember it, the Olympus Trip 35 was one of the best compact cameras of its era, with a slim and stylish body and a fixed 40mm f/2.8 lens.

Sound familiar? Because that is exactly the kind of camera that is in white-hot demand right now – and the reason why compacts like the X100VI, GR III and Q3 are on perpetual backorder.

The head of OM System recently teased that a new camera is on its way this year, and there have been camera rumors for a few months that OM is going to launch a new retro camera – but not a line that already exists (as in, not a PEN-F Mark II).

While the company has rebranded itself as an outdoor and adventure imaging business, that's exactly what the Trip 35 is: a camera for going on adventures, vacations and, well, trips. The clue is literally in the name.

Don't get me wrong, I love old Olympus SLRs – and I've long thought that an OM System OM-10 is overdue. But it has made SLR-styled mirrorless cameras for over a decade. What the market really wants, and what I really want, is an OM System Trip 35. TikTok won't know what hit it.

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There's a very interesting camera rumor doing the rounds at the moment, suggesting that OM System will be launching a new retro camera in the new year… but one that isn't a successor to the cult classic Olympus PEN-F.

I have thoughts – the first one being that, you know, pretty much all OM System cameras are already retro cameras. Okay, the OM-1 looks like a standard digital camera. But the OM System OM-5 and the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV are both styled after vintage SLR-style bodies.

So, if it's not making a new PEN-F, what exactly could OM be thinking? Well, if you look at the brand's track record, it has a history of releasing special edition cameras that could easily fit the retro billing…

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II Titanium

Back in 2015, the brand released a limited edition Titanium version of the Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II. Limited to 7,000 units, this Titanium edition came in the same color as the Olympus OM-3T/Ti 35mm film camera.

I could easily see OM System launching a limited or ongoing run of Titanium-finished OM-5s, seeing that the OM-5 is the successor to the E-M5 line. I remember the Titanium version being very coveted back in the day, and it's every bit as gorgeous a decade later.

Olympus OM-D E-M10 Limited Edition

I always lusted after this one! Despite being the company's entry level camera, the original Olympus OM-D E-M10 came in a very sexy Limited Edition green (above) and orange (pictured at the top of this story) in 2014. In addition, it came bundled with a matching leather strap and lens cap.

Now, if we're talking a new new camera (as in, not just a new color of an existing body) then I can definitely see the company finally launching the OM System OM-10 – which would be the successor to the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV (one of the last holdovers from the Olympus days).

Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Silver

Back in 2019, Olympus launched a special silver edition of the then-flagship Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II to commemorate its 100th anniversary. While this was limited to 2,000 pieces, the company previously launched a silver version of the original E-M1.

So it would make perfect sense for today's flagship successor, the OM System OM-1 Mark II, to similarly receive a sleek silver edition. Especially since the OM-1 line has so far received the most attention from the manufacturer.

I know I was in the minority, but I always had a soft spot for the silver E-M1s, so I'd love to see a silver OM-1. But honestly, any of these choices would work for me – though I think what we all really want is a new PEN!

You might be interested in the best Micro Four Thirds cameras, along with the best Micro Four Thirds lenses – which includes some of the best OM System / Olympus lenses.

With OM Digital Solution’s shift in emphasis to consider itself more of an outdoor equipment company that specializes in imaging equipment, the M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS clearly fits with the new strategy. Effectively a 300-1200mm, thanks to the crop factor of the Micro Four Thirds sensor, it’s very much suited to ‘outdoorsy’ applications and subjects – wildlife, birds, sports, adventure activities, aircraft and sailing. 

To further strengthen its outdoor credentials, the 150-600mm is weather-sealed to the IPX1 standard for handling moisture and dust. Additionally, the exposed surface of the front element has a fluorine coating to help better repel water and grease, but also make it easier to clean. 

The IPX1 standard isn’t as exacting as the IP53 tests that the top-end OM System camera bodies have to pass, but it’s still good and there are fewer potential entry points on a lens so there’s no reason why it wouldn’t hold up over a period of time when shooting in wet or dusty conditions. However, it is worth noting that recent OM System lenses such as the 90mm f/3.5 Macro and the 40-150mm f/4.0 Pro are rated to IP53 for protection. The 150-600mm is marked ’Splash Proof’, which is probably your best guide to how wet it can get over a prolonged period of time.

Much has been made elsewhere about the OM System model’s similarity with the Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Sports, made for Sony FE and L-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras. The OM System lens’ box is marked ‘Made In Japan’, but as OM doesn’t have any manufacturing facilities in Japan it’s quite likely that Sigma is the source. However, while many of the key specs and design features are quite similar, there are some variations – so the two lenses certainly aren’t identical, and it isn’t just a rebranding job. 

It would be very surprising if OM Digital Solutions hasn’t had some input – particularly as far as the optical design is concerned, but obviously also the lens’ CPU – and given Sigma’s reputation for building very fine lenses, the association is no bad thing. The key point here is that a lens originally designed for a full-frame mirrorless system is inevitably going to be bulkier than one that’s designed from the ground up for Micro Four Thirds cameras.

The optical image stabilization will potentially give up to 6 stops of correction for camera shake at 150mm and 5 at 600mm, adjusting for pitch and yaw movements. With Sync IS, which works in tandem with the in-body stabilization on (select) cameras, there’s 5-axis movement and the correction for camera shake is quoted at up to 7 stops at 150mm and 6 at 600mm.

OM System M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS: Specifications

OM System M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS: Price & Availability

The OM System M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS is widely available in all regions, carrying a retail price of $2,699 / £2,499 / AU$4,499. This makes it one of the brand's most expensive lenses, behind only the 150-400mm f/4.5 TC1.25x IS Pro ($7,499 in the US) and 300mm f/4 IS Pro ($2,999 in the US). 

It is widely understood that the lens is made by Sigma, modeled after the full-frame Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG DN OS | Sports for Sony E and L-Mount, which sells for a much lower $1,499 in the US – so there is a premium on the OM-branded version. 

Design

There’s a total of 25 elements at work inside the 150-600mm, and they’re arranged in 5 groups with no fewer than 13 special types to correct for distortion, aberration, and to optimize sharpness. The rollcall here is six elements with extra-low dispersion characteristics – four Super ED (Super Extra-Low Dispersion) types and two ED (Extra-Low Dispersion) types – another six HR which are (High Refractive Index) types, and one HD (High Definition) type. 

These ED and HR elements are designed to more precisely control how the different colored wavelengths of light pass through them – remembering that refraction or bending takes place as the rays both enter and leave an element – in order to minimize both lateral and longitudinal (axial) chromatic aberrations as well as spherical aberrations. 

This a lot of optical correction that is, as we’ve seen with some of the brand’s other lenses, a feature of OM System designs, even when software correction is also applied. Correction profiles – for distortion and chromatic aberrations, for example – are actually built into OM System lenses and applied to JPEGs as they’re processed in-camera (and embedded in RAW images). 

There’s no provision for manual intervention here (even with RAW files it’s mostly a take-it or leave-it scenario) so it’s likely thaht OM’s engineers are balancing both to varying degrees to get the best possible result. Certainly the optical correction is doing a lot of the heavy lifting, which is advantageous, and this looks to be where the lens’ optical design has been tweaked for imaging onto the smaller-size sensor.

The anti-reflection multi-coating uses OM’s ‘Z Coating Nano’, which was introduced back in the Olympus days with the 300mm f/4.0 IS Pro and uses nanotechnology (which is the basis of many ultra-thin coating products). In OM System lenses, the anti-reflection coating is applied to the surfaces of individual elements to suppress ghosting and flare. 

To deal with contra-jour light, the 150-600mm is supplied with a very substantial lens hood and it’ll also protect the front of the lens if you don’t want to invest in a screwthread filter for this job… the fitting is 95mm, so nothing is cheap at this wide a diameter.

The 150-600mm’s autofocusing drive is a high-torque stepping motor that supports the 25fps continuous adjustment available with the OM-1 models. It also employs a magnetic sensor, to precisely determine the focusing group’s position, so the AF system stops as rapidly as it starts – which means it’s both fast and accurate. 

The minimum focusing distance is 0.56m at 150mm and extends to 2.8m at 600mm, which respectively gives maximum reproduction ratios of 1:2.8 and 1:5 (full frame equivalents). This represents pretty decent close-up capabilities overall, but at 150mm (which is 300mm effective) it’s extremely good, giving a reproduction size that’s just slightly larger than one-third life size.

The aperture diaphragm has nine blades to give rounder, smoother, out-of-focus effects. And given that the depth-of-field is shallow from the get-go with this zoom, a clean and uniformly soft rendering of the backgrounds is important.

Should 300-1200mm still not be enough reach for you, 150-600mm is compatible with the Olympus-era MC-14 and MC-20 teleconverter. The 1.4x unit gives you 210-840mm, which is effectively 420-1680mm, and the 2.0x creates 300-1200mm, so you’ll have an equivalent 600-2400mm on hand! Whether you’ll still be able to handhold the lens at these massive focal lengths is debatable, but they’re there if you want them (albeit with a progressive loss of lens speed).

Even by full frame mirrorless system standards, the OM System 150-600mm is a big lens, and all that glassware inside means it tips the scales at over 2 kilograms. And that’s even with the external construction comprising a mixture of lightweight magnesium alloy and high-grade polycarbonate materials. 

Consequently, it’s currently the heaviest lens in the M.Zuiko line-up, but also the longest in either zooms or primes. If you know that you’re not going to use it, the tripod collar’s mounting plate can be detached to give a small reduction in the overall weight (the whole collar can’t be removed). The zooming collar is at the front of the lens, which ensures that the handling stays reasonably well-balanced even when the zoom is fully extended. The zooming mechanism is telescopic so, at 600mm, the overall length increases by close to 100mm. 

The zooming is marked at 150mm, 200mm, 300mm, 400mm, 500mm and 600mm, and you can change focal length by either twisting this control or by pulling and pushing the inner barrel, trombone-style. Both actions can be switched between Smooth or Tight operation, and the tension switch also has a lock setting that prevents zoom ‘creep’ when you’re carrying the lens. 

The Tight setting is actually pretty tight, so zooming requires a concerted twist or shove to get things happening, and it’s a bit hard to see why you’d choose this over the smooth option – especially in situations where speed is the essence. However, it will prevent zoom creep at focal length settings other than 150mm (which is where the zoom lock is applied) so your framing won’t shift when you’re moving around. The Smooth setting – essentially looser – still feels nicely weighted and allows for plenty of precision when it comes to fine-tuning the framing.

The other on-barrel controls comprise the optical image stabilizer’s on / off switch, the AF / MF switch, a focus limiter selector, and a trio of programmable L-Fn function buttons. The focus limiter splits the focusing range in half – minimum focus to 10m or 10m to infinity – plus a full range setting. The L-Fn buttons are collectively assigned from the body, so all three will do the same thing, but there’s a huge choice of 40 assignable functions from the OM-1 Mark II. The default is an AF lock.

The focusing collar is an electronic ‘fly-by-wire’ affair, but it feels fine – albeit with the usual issue that there are no hard stops at either end of the distance range, so you need to watch what’s going on in the viewfinder. This is when the focus peaking display works so effectively, making it very easy to see what’s in focus and what isn’t.

OM System M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS: Build & Handling

The 150-600mm can definitely be used handheld, but at 2kg plus the camera weight (which is very close to 600g with the OM-1 Mark II) it’s definitely also quite a handful. You will start to feel the strain with longer periods of usage, especially if you’re continually pointing skywards to shoot birds or aircraft. 

That said, handheld is arguably the most convenient way to use this lens, especially at the effective 1200mm when the angle-of-view is a mere 2.1° – which can make finding your subject a bit of a challenge. This is even more the case when the subject is quite small in the viewfinder, but with the enhanced maneuverability of handholding it’s much easier to fine-tune your aim. 

If you need to use a tripod then a ball-type head is the best option, slackened off so you can move the lens around more easily. In practice, starting at a shorter focal length to assist with locating your subject in the viewfinder and then zooming in to the desired framing works pretty efficiently. With the OM-1 Mark II, the subject recognition AF then kicked in and stayed locked onto the subject, but you do need a very steady hand at the ultra-long focal lengths to make sure you keep the subject within frame.

Handheld shooting also means that you need to keep an eye on the shutter speeds, even with the image stabilizers doing their collective thing with Sync IS. Of course, in many situations (such as sports or wildlife photography) fast shutter speeds will be needed anyway – so it’s going to be more about juggling the apertures. This is particularly beneficial with sports, where very fast shutter speeds and maximum depth-of-field are often needed. 

OM System M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS: Performance

With so many elements and so many air-to-glass boundaries, there’s plenty of challenges when it comes to optical performance – especially sharpness – but the 150-600mm zoom does a commendably solid job across the focal and aperture ranges. (While this was my experience in the field, our lab testing below found the results somewhat less inspiring.)

It helps that the maximum aperture range is f/5.0-6.3, so depth of field is already helping things along, but this is a very sharp lens with good uniformity across the frame even at 600mm – although some slight softening can be noticeable at the corners. They sharpen up nicely when stopping down, and this only needs to be to f/8.0. The sort of subjects that you’re likely to be shooting with this lens – such as birds and wildlife – often have plenty of fine detailing, but feathers and fur are beautifully reproduced with plenty of definition and pleasing crispness.

Perhaps not so surprisingly, the uniformity of brightness across the frame is excellent and there’s negligible vignetting even when shooting at the largest apertures. The optics are also nicely contrasty, and flare is well suppressed in most situations, but there’s a big expanse of front element just waiting to catch some stray rays, so using the hood will prevent any issues here. 

Despite the hood’s protective role, it’s probably still worth considering a UV filter because atmospheric haze can diminish contrast when you’re shooting subjects that are a fair distance away. I didn’t experience this, as I was mostly shooting in clear winter air in the mountains, but in summer or nearer urban areas it’s likely that some loss of contrast will be noticeable.

Distortion? There isn’t any, and this is the same for chromatic aberrations or coma – which, to be frank, is to be expected when this lens is only using the cropped central area of its optics.

As noted, I tested the 150-600mm with the OM-1 Mark II – and on this body the AF performance was snappily fast at the shortest focal lengths, and only marginally slower at the longest end (it would be the same on the original OM System OM-1, too). The tracking is pretty reliable at 25fps (remember, though, that 50fps is supported by the likes of the 300mm f/4.0 and the 150-400mm f/4.5 TC 1.25x) and should you lose the subject from the frame momentarily – which isn’t hard to do at 1200mm – the subject detection modes will re-acquire it very quickly, so you really can’t miss.

OM System M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS: Sample images

OM System M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS: Lab Data

We run a range of lab tests under controlled conditions, using the Imatest Master testing suite. Photos of test charts are taken across the range of apertures and zooms (where available), then analyzed for sharpness, distortion and chromatic aberrations.

We use Imatest SFR (spatial frequency response) charts and analysis software to plot lens resolution at the center of the image frame, corners and mid-point distances, across the range of aperture settings and, with zoom lenses, at four different focal lengths. The tests also measure distortion and color fringing (chromatic aberration).

Sharpness:

Firstly, you'll notice the longest focal length we could test here was 500mm. This is because the 2x crop factor of a Micro Four Thirds lens means we have to maintain twice the distance from our sharpness test chart compared to testing a full-frame lens of the same focal length. Consequently, even to test at 500mm required the lens to be positioned over 25 meters away from the test chart – and that's the entire length of our test facility.

Despite taking every possible precaution against camera shake, even the highest sharpness scores we could extract from the 150-600mm are mediocre at best. Sharpness is highest at larger apertures, and it does at least stay consistent across the entire width of the image frame, right into the corners. Sharpness is also consistent throughout our tested focal range. It's just a pit it's consistently disappointing.

Fringing:

Color fringing is just about noticeable in the corners of frame, and you're most likely to see it at 500mm (and presumably beyond). It never becomes distractingly prominent though.

Distortion:

Thanks largely to automatic firmware distortion correction which cannot be disabled, the 150-600mm delivers near distortion-free image quality throughout the tested focal range.

OM System M.Zuiko 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 IS: Verdict

The M.Zuiko Digital 100-400mm is a whole lot of fun to use because there’s just some much flexibility in its effective focal range of 200-800mm. The 150-600mm literally takes this a whole lot further – and beyond getting you much closer to subjects, it provides a lot more scope for experimenting with tighter framing and graphic compositions. 

It takes a while to fully appreciate just what you can do in the ultra-telephoto range of 800mm to 1200mm, but you’re soon addicted to the possibilities. You can stay far enough away from skittish wildlife not to disturb anything and, with bigger birds and animals, you can get in tight enough for portraits. The surprisingly good close-up capabilities – especially at 150mm (300mm equivalent) – mean that smaller subjects are still reproduced at a good size in the frame.

Yes, it’s a heavy lens by OM System standards, but it does a lot of things very well, backed by an excellent optical performance… and you’ve seen what Canon’s RF 1200mm f/8.0 full frame prime ultra-telephoto looks like (and costs). In terms of all it can do, the OM System 150-600mm is neither especially bulky nor, for that matter, overly expensive. And the benefits will be plain to see after your first outing with it.

You might be interested in the best OM System / Olympus lenses, along with the best Micro Four Thirds lenses from all manufacturers. 

Viltrox will shortly launch an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign for a tiny new pancake lens for full-frame Sony E-mount cameras. Called the AF 28mm F4.5 FE, the lens could well become the smallest lens available for Sony shooters, and is nicknamed 'Chip' on account of its potato chip-/crisp-like slimness.

Measuring a mere 15mm long and 60mm in diameter, the lens is barely thicker than a camera body cap and weighs just 60g. It closely resembles the design of Olympus's Fisheye Body Cap 9mm f/8 lens, although the two lenses have a very different focal length.

Naturally, Viltrox had to make some compromises to create such a slim lens. The primary sacrifice being there's no diaphragm, so the aperture is fixed at f/4.5. Another unusual omission is that the lens lacks a manual focus ring, largely because it's so slim there isn't really room for one. Thankfully Viltrox has managed to find space inside the barrel for a VCM coil autofocus motor, so despite the tiny dimensions, focussing is a breeze. Another nice touch is the integrated lens shutter 'cap', which can be flicked open or shut using a small lever on the front of the lens.

You'd expect that a lens this small and simple would be inexpensive to buy, and you'd be right. The Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 FE is priced at $99, with early campaign backers said to receive a 30% discount.

If you'd like to see how the lens performs before you pledge your backing, we've just published our full Viltrox AF 28mm F4.5 FE review - we found it really fun to use!

Canon is still the biggest player in digital cameras by some margin - but its lead is slowly eroding. Last year, Canon enjoyed 46.5% of global sales, compared to 27.9% for Sony. That's according to the annual Inspection World Share data report from Nikkei Shimbun, a Japanese daily business paper that publishes annual market shares for key products.

The latest figures show that Canon sells 66% more cameras than its closest rival, but Sony is creeping up. Canon's market share remains exactly the same as last year (46.5%), but Sony's has increased from 26.1% up its current 27.9% share (a 7% growth in sales).

Nikon meanwhile saw its share fall during the 12 months - down to 11.3%, compared to 11.7% last time around. 

Fujifilm increased its share slightly to 6%, and Panasonic stays in fifth spot with sales dropping to 3.6% from 4.2% the year before. Over 95% of the total cameras sold are made by these five Japanese companies.

According to DCLife, who saw more detailed data, OM Digital has a 2.5% share, with Ricoh/Pentax on 0.8%.

The overall market size, according to the report, remains flat year on year - with 7.18 million cameras being sold in 2023.

Other products of interest include that Hikvision are leaders in the surveillance camera market, enjoying 34.6% of global sales. And when it comes to inkjet printers Canon has to make do with third spot with just 26% of the market - behind HP (35.1%) and Epson (31.7%). 

One area where Sony continues to lead the way is with the sales of CMOS image sensors, where it enjoys a 47.9% market share, with its closest rival being Samsung, with 26.1%.

You might be interested in seeing how the best Canon cameras compare to the best Sony cameras – and how all the major manufacturers stack up in the best mirrorless cameras overall. 

While doing a deep dive to identify the camera that Taylor Swift uses (spoiler alert, she's an Olympus gal), I also noticed something else about her photography: she uses the same in-camera filter that I do. 

A quick catch-up, in case you missed my original story: Swift has been using Olympus cameras since at least 2015, when photos of her with a silver Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II appeared in the press and on her Instagram profile. As of the most recent paparazzi picture, she's using an Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV. 

Something that all Olympus camera have in common is their selection of in-camera Art Filters. Now, this is probably an article / rant in its own right, but despite the negging that these get, they are really no different from the Film Simulations on Fujifilm cameras. 

Used with consideration, they're an effective way to pre-produce your images instead of (or in addition to) post-producing them – and they're a tool that I've been using in my own photography for years.

And wouldn't you know – my favorite of these filters, Vintage I, is also Taylor's fave.

It always feels a bit funny when somebody else uses the same camera settings /  effects / presets / tricks as you, but for some reason it feels extra weird that Taylor uses the same filter as me. Possibly because filters get such a bad rap, and so does Taylor Swift. 

But hey, I'm secure enough to know that my images are good and the look that this filter produces works for what I shoot (as do the other filters I use). I've included a few examples, partly for my own edification but also to illustrate the look.

You've got to know when these filters are going to work – just like any creative choice on your camera, whether it's when to shoot in color or black-and-white, whether to use a specific focal length or aperture, or even when to use a certain film stock for a certain effect… which is, effectively, the same thing as choosing a filter. 

Personally I love the effect of Vintage I – but you can't use it for everything, any more than you'd use Provia for everything, or a 135mm lens for everything, or an ND grad for everything. It's a very distinct and deliberate choice, so I only use it when the right subject, the right colors, the right skin tones and the right light are present. 

It works amazingly on red hair, for example, and when there are blues or blue hues in a scene. It's an amazing golden hour filter as well, given the warm effect it produces.

I guess there's part of me that worries people might think I'm trying to copy "the Taylor Swift look". But then again, given how many people use presets to make their work look like someone else has edited them, I doubt anyone cares.

All that really matters is that I enjoy using this filter, it makes my photography more fun, and I love the results. And whoever else uses it, good for them – I hope it brings them just as much joy as it does me. 

If you dig this filter, you might want to check out the best Olympus (OM System) cameras – and don't forget to find the best Olympus (OM System) lens to pair with it. 

Japanese camera and lens maker trade body Camera Imaging Products Association (CIPA) has released its export figures for July, showing that 2024 camera and lens shipments to date are exceeding those from the past couple of years. And with over  half the year gone, this year promises to be significantly healthier than the preceding couple of years, should this trend continue. 

In fact, the figures for the month of July showed the strongest monthly worldwide shipments of both cameras and lenses so far, with the figures showing steady month-upon-month increases throughout the year, aside from a slight dip for June. With July 2024 showing an 8% increase over July 2023, the market is looking very healthy indeed. 

The figures show that 801,240 cameras were shipped in July 2024, compared to 741,743 in July 2023, and 725,994 for the same month in 2022. Of these, 630,128 were interchangeable lens cameras (that's mirrorless cameras and DSLRs combined) in 2024 compared with 592,646 (2023) and 556,176 (2022). 

Meanwhile, shipments of compact cameras totalled 171,112 for July 2024 – a massive 14% rise year on year. So that's more proof of the resurgence of these fixed-lens cameras. 

Delving a little deeper into CIPA's convoluted tables of stats, it's no great surprise to see that mirrorless camera sales are the main drivers in camera sales, no doubt buoyed by the recent launches of the Nikon Z6 III and Canon EOS R5 II, with a 12.9% increase over the same time last year. And equally unsurprisingly, DSLR sales continue to decline, with a near-25% decrease compared to 2023 – as the choice of DSLRs in the market continues to shrink.

Lens shipments are also showing an increase compared to the preceding years, with the July figures showing a total of 898,637 (2024), 866,038 (2023), and 862,336 (2022) lenses shipped. 

These figures only represent shipments of cameras and lenses originating in Japan – but then again, as the CIPA represents the main Japanese industry players (Canon, Cosina, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sigma, Sony, Tamron, Tokina, Ricoh and Zeiss) it's by far the vast majority of the traditional enthusiast camera market.

If the trend follows that of previous years, we would expect to see shipments continue to increase until the peak in September-October, before tailing off for the last couple of months of the year.

Take a look at our guides to the best mirrorless cameras, and the best compact cameras. 

We've also go guides to the best Fujifilm cameras, and the best retro cameras. 

The cat is out of the bag: the world now knows exactly what camera Taylor Swift uses. And, as a result, its price is about to go through the roof as Swifties around the world try to get their hands on one.

A recent paparazzi shot has been shared online, giving us a good look at the camera used by Taylor: the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, which you can see her using in the below tweet from 43 Rumors.

Now, this may come as a surprise to anyone who has followed her marketing crossovers with camera companies over the years. Back in the early 2010s she was a spokesperson for Sony cameras, appearing in commercials for the Cyber-shot TX7 and NEX-5R.

Then, of course, she had her own Taylor Swift Instax Square SQ6 in 2018 – which drove sales of almost a million cameras a month for Instax, with the camera now fetching ten times its original price on eBay. 

When it comes to mirrorless cameras, though, she's now an Olympus user – well, an OM System user – through and through. 

By 2015 she was spotted by paparazzi using a flagship Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II (in the limited edition Olympus 100th anniversary silver colorway, no less) in Hawaii with friends as well as in Rome with Tom Hiddlestone. The camera even popped up on her Instagram feed that same year.  

When she was on The Tonight Show in 2022, Jimmy Fallon made a big deal of the camera she was using at a party they both attended. "You had this camera, you had a really cool camera. I don't know – it was like, something from the Eighties or something… and it's real film."

Which, obviously, it's not. Though with their retro designs, Olympus and OM cameras do look like film cameras – so you can't blame Jimmy for making a rookie error.

The newest photo reveals that she's moved on to the E-M10 Mark IV – technically an entry-level camera, but much smaller and more suited to shooting on the go (hence its place in our guide to the best travel cameras). 

Of course, now that everyone knows she uses this camera, demand feels sure to soar – especially on the pre-owned market. So if you've been thinking about getting one, I'd advise you make your purchase before prices blow up! 

Read our full Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV review – and if you fancy something a bit newer, the latest version of Taylor's first Olympus camera is the OM System OM-1 Mark II. 

In a dramatic turn of events, the Sony ZV-E10 has been usurped by two Canon bodies as Japan's best-selling camera in August. 

In July the ZV-E10 took the top three spots in varying color and lens configurations, and accounted for five of the top twenty best-sellers, according to BCN Retail (which aggregates sales from approximately 50% of Japan’s retailers, which crucially includes major electronics retailers and camera dealers). 

In August however, the tables have very much turned, with the Canon EOS R10 and RF-S 18-150mm lens taking the top spot, up from number four the previous month. The EOS R50 double zoom kit secured the second and third places, in black and white colorways respectively.

Just out of the top 10 is the Canon Kiss X10 (Rebel SL3 / EOS 250D) double lens kit, coming in at number 13, gaining in popularity from its spot at 17 the previous month. 

The top 10 spots are as follows: 

1. Canon EOS R10 RF-S 18-150mm IS STM Lens Kit
2. Canon EOS R50 Double Zoom Kit Black
3. Canon EOS R50 Double Zoom Kit White
4. Sony ZV-E10 Power Zoom Lens Kit Black
5. Sony ZV-E10 II Double Zoom Lens Kit (55-120mm) Black
6. Olympus PEN E-P7 EZ Double Zoom Kit Silver
7. Nikon Z30 Double Zoom Kit
8. Sony ZV-E10 Double Zoom Lens Kit Black
9. Sony ZV-E10 II Double Zoom Lens Kit (10-20mm) Black
10. Panasonic Lumix G100D Double Zoom Kit

Canon has previously reported declining sales in Japan, losing the number one spot in the BCN report to Sony back in June.

In April, Nikkei reported that the digital camera market saw positive growth for the first time in 13 years. Despite a steady decline since 2010, the green line was steadily rising – except for Canon.

Canon reported in mid-April that its operating profit declined by 5% from January to March in 2024, compared to the same period in 2023. This is the first time in four years that Canon’s profits declined compared to the previous year.

Once again there are no Fujifilm cameras in the top ten, but the Olympus PEN E-P7 catapaulted up the list to number six – placing OM System above both Nikon and Panasonic for the month.

See the full and most recent top 50 BCN rankings for digital cameras on its website.

Take a look at our guides to the best Canon cameras, the best Canon lenses for DSLRs, and the best Canon RF lenses.  

The first specifications for the Nikon Z50 II have popped up online, with reports that the camera will be launched before the end of the year and feature a refreshed body – but familiar hardware on the inside.

The original Nikon Z50 was a capable camera that I felt got unfairly overlooked. Launched in 2019 it was the company's first APS-C camera in the Z series, offered super-compactness and performance aimed at intermediate shooters. 

However, perhaps in an attempt to get its mirrorless ducks in a row in the early days, Nikon bequeathed it with some divisive specs – namely its 20.9MP image sensor. With every other APS-C camera on the market having at least a 24MP sensor, it left the Z50 feeling a bit conservative in the resolution stakes… and it looks like the same will be true of its successor.

According to a report by Nikon Rumors, the Nikon Z50 II will be pretty technologically similar – right down to the "same 20.9MP DX-format CMOS sensor" seen in the OG model.

"Hopefully my info is wrong, and they will introduce a new sensor," reads the report, noting that the resolution landscape has shifted dramatically. "Fuji for example, is already using a 40MP sensor in their latest X100VI camera".

I thoroughly believe that 21MP is enough for most needs; my daily drivers are the 20.3MP Olympus PEN E-P7 and the 20.4MP OM System OM-5. However, those are both Micro Four Thirds cameras – and unfortunately, the market expects more of cameras with larger sensors. 

Canon, for example, was quick to replace the original EOS R6 with its 20.1MP sensor. And when Fujifilm's latest bodies all pack 40MP sensors, and with even the entry-level $300 Canon EOS R100 having a 24.1MP sensor, I wonder how wise it is to stick with 20.9MP as we move into 2025. 

Still, there are reportedly some welcome changes coming to the Nikon Z50 II. The same report notes that it will feature the newer Expeed 7 image processor (which may provide superior imaging and AF performance) along with the switch to a USB-C port. The camera will also possess a fully articulating screen, as part of its "updated body design". 

If these early specs are accurate – and, as with all camera rumors, they need to be taken with a big spoonful of salt – the Nikon Z50 II looks to be more of a light refresh than a wholesale update. 

That said, a fresh coat of paint certainly did wonders for the Nikon Z fc, which is itself a Z50 with an "updated body design", so I will be very interested to see how the mark II is received. 

You might be interested in the best Nikon cameras, along with the best Nikon lenses in general and the best Nikon Z lenses for mirrorless cameras in specific.

Not all camera batteries are created equal; in order to unlock the top-tier features on some cameras, you need to be using high-capacity batteries. 

To meet the increasing demands of performance cameras, Manfrotto has launched a line of 2,400mAh batteries – a huge step up from the 2,000mAh capacity of its previous models. 

The Manfrotto Professional Li-ion Batteries – produced by European accessory specialist Hähnel, which makes the highly regarded line of 2,400mAh Hähnel Extreme batteries in other territories – are available as replacements for specific Canon, Sony, Nikon, OM System / Olympus and Fujifilm cells: 

Canon E6NH
Canon EOS R5, EOS R5 Mark II (TBC), EOS R6, EOS R6 II, EOS R7, EOS R, EOS Ra, EOS 5DS R, EOS 5DS, EOS 5D Mark IV, EOS 5D Mark III, EOS 5D Mark II, EOS 6D Mark II, EOS 6D, EOS 7D Mark II, EOS 7D, EOS 90D, EOS 80D, EOS 70D, EOS 60Da, EOS 60D, WFT-E4A, WFT-E4 II A, WFT-E5A, WFT-E7D, WFT-E7 II D, XC10.

Sony NP-FZ100
Sony A1, A7 III, A7 IV, A7C, A7C II, A7C R, A7R III, A7R IV, A7R V, A7S III, A9, A9 II, A9 III, A9S, A9R, A6600, A6700, FX3, FX30, ZV-E1, ZV-E10 II. 

Nikon EN-EL15C
Nikon Z8, Z7, Z7 II, Zf, Z6, Z6 II, Z6 III, Z5, 1 V1, D500, D600, D610, D750, D780, D800, D800E, D810, D810A, D850, D7000, D7100, D7200, D7500, MB-D18, MB-D17, MD-D16MB-D15, MB-D14, MB-D12, MB-N11, MB-N10, MH-25a, WT-7. 

OM System BLX-1
OM System OM-1, OM-1 Mark II

Fujifilm NP-W235
Fujifilm GFX 100 II, GFX 100S, GFX 100S II, GFX 50S II, X-H2, X-H2S, X-S20, X-T5, X-T4.

The most obvious thing you'll notice about the batteries is the signature, panic button red, Manfrotto colored housing – great for quickly finding them at the bottom of your camera bag.

But the housing has a practical purpose, too, being injected with shock-absorbing silicone to make them drop-proof to nine feet. Manfrotto also states that they ast "extra durability" and "are built to withstand extreme tough environments".

Each battery is capable of over 500 charge / discharge cycles, and possesses the latest lithium-ion technology that can be recharged at any point (as in, without having to be fully discharged first) with no degradative "memory effect". 

The Manfrotto Professional Li-ion Batteries are priced at $69.99 in the US, and come with a 12-month warranty. They are fully compatible with the Manfrotto ProCube professional twin charger (also produced by Hähnel, which makes the Hähnel ProCube 2).

You can them order directly from Manfrotto in the US:

Manfrotto Professional Li-ion Battery, Canon, E6NH, MKII:
Manfrotto Professional Li-ion Battery, Sony, NP-FZ100
Manfrotto Professional Li-ion Battery, Nikon, EN-EL15c, MKII
Manfrotto Professional Li-ion Battery, Olympus, OM-1
Manfrotto Professional Li-ion Battery, Fuji, NP-W235

You might be interested in the best camera batteries and the best camera battery chargers.

If you've been able to tear yourself away from the second and final run of the Olympics in Paris this week, you might have seen the news that Kodak has been sold… again. The tumultuous history of the historic company has entered yet another new chapter. 

In other news, Ricoh has released two "new" cameras, Canon teases us with a digital revival of one of its classic film cameras, and there's a new 61MP full-frame astrophotography camera complete with Sony sensors. 

Oh, and Xiaomi goes all James Bond on us…

Kodak enters yet another phase of its existence 

Kodak's long and twisting history has taken another turn, as British-based Kodak Alaris has been acquired by an American private equity firm. 

The move comes four years after Kodak Alaris – which was previously owned by the UK pension protection authority, following a tortured series of events in the wake of the original Kodak declaring bankruptcy – sold its paper and chemistry business to a Chinese holding company. 

The latest development (sorry, couldn't help myself!) sees the acquisition of Kodak Alaris by Los Angeles-based carveout company Kingswood. Yes, I know it's complicated. To be honest, I've always struggled to keep up with exactly which part(s) of Kodak were effectively controlled by the British government…

Read more: Kodak has been sold… again

Canon resurrecting a 35mm classic?

We all know that there is an appetite for film cameras and vintage-looking bodies – and Canon knows, too. And it may soon cater to those appetites. 

When I recently asked a senior executive about this trend, he admitted that "there is a possibility" that the company will address those demands – and even named the Canon AE-1 as the classic film camera he would love to see return in digital form, if it were his decision.

While vintage-looking cameras are nothing new, with Olympus / OM System and Fujifilm producing some of the best retro cameras for over a decade, their popularity has only grown in recent years – even Nikon jumped on the bandwagon in 2021, with the Nikon Z fc, and then again last year with the Nikon Zf… 

Read more: Will we get a retro-styled Canon camera? "There is a possibility…" says exec

Two new CMOS space cameras hit the market

There are two new cameras on the market created specifically for astrophotography, both cooled CMOS cameras, equipped with full-frame 61MP Sony sensors. 

Back in 2021, Japanese optics manufacturer Sightron announced that it would release a range of new Player One Astronomy CMOS sensor astrophotography cameras. The collaboration with China-based Player One was designed to make its astrophotography kit much more accessible. 

The latest two CMOS cameras (via Digital Camera Watch) are the Zeus 455C Pro (color) and the Zeus 455M Pro (monochrome). It seems as though the models were launched in November last year, but have predominantly been kept on back order… 

Read more: New 61MP full-frame astrophotography cameras with Sony sensors now available

Acid-proof cameras

Amid a summer of new releases, Ricoh has just announced another two cameras, its most heavy-duty industrial models to date. 

Developed for use on harsh job sites in industries such as construction, manufacturing, medicine and disaster relief, the G900 II and G900SE II replace the original Ricoh G900. 

Like the recent Pentax WG-8 and WG-1000, both cameras are waterproof down to 65ft / 20m for up to 2 hours of continuous operation. They are also dustproof, shockproof against falls of 6.8ft / 2.1m, resistant to temperatures as low as 14°F / -10°C, and crushproof to weights of up to 200lbs / 90.7kg…

Read more: Ricoh's new cameras can survive an acid attack! Meet the G900 II and G900SE II

World-first James Bond-style updates at Xiaomi 

In what we think could be a world-first, Xiaomi will reportedly be adding a new feature to its phones to enable them to detect nearby hidden cameras. 

Said to be included in an upcoming version of the phone giant's HyperOS 2.0 operating system, this ground-breaking feature would use WLAN (wireless LAN) searches to detect unusual Wi-Fi signals in the area; signals consistent with WLAN profiles emitted by hidden cameras.

Apparently the scanning tech is a development of an existing program available on GitHub, called Ingram. Leaked HyperOS 2.0 screenshots show the feature supposedly in action…

Read more: World first: Xiaomi phones could be able to detect hidden cameras

You might be interested in the best retro cameras, the best camera phones, and the best cameras for astrophotography. 

We all know that there is an appetite for film cameras and vintage-looking bodies – and Canon knows, too. And it may soon cater to those appetites. 

When I recently asked a senior executive about this trend, he admitted that "there is a possibility" that the company will address those demands – and even named the Canon AE-1 as the classic film camera he would love to see return in digital form, if it were his decision.

While vintage-looking cameras are nothing new, with Olympus / OM System and Fujifilm producing some of the best retro cameras for over a decade, their popularity has only grown in recent years – even Nikon jumped on the bandwagon in 2021, with the Nikon Z fc, and then again last year with the Nikon Zf. 

There have been indications that Canon may join the party, potentially resurrecting one of its legacy cameras such as the AE-1 or the Canonet QL17. 

I had the chance to talk to Manabu Kato, group executive of Canon's Imaging Business Operations. I asked him how the manufacturer was balancing its push for bleeding-edge technology, in cameras like the Canon EOS R1 and R5 Mark II, with the market's clear interest in more vintage-inspired equipment, such as retro cameras and even new film cameras. 

"With the current lineup that we have, such as the R5 Mark II, we keep innovating using the latest technology of the age. So with the current models, we keep applying new technologies and make them better and better from a technological point of view. 

"However, we are also seeing and hearing that there’s a certain amount of people who really love film and cameras with a more vintage look. Therefore there is a possiblilty that we will address those needs from the industry – but that will be separate from the current model and will be addressed in a different way. So yes, we are also seeing that as an interesting move."

When pressed on what his favorite Canon film camera was, and which he would like to see in the form of a digital camera, he was happy to respond – but made clear that this was him speaking, not on behalf of Canon.

"My favorite is the AE-1 – for myself, that would be my choice. But whether as a company, as the Canon brand, we would revive that in digital format or not is a different topic. So I cannot make any clear comments on that, unfortunately, but my personal preference is the AE-1."

With the AE-1 being my first ever camera, I smiled and concurred "Ichiban!" – and assured him that if indeed that camera came to market, I would be first in line to buy it. 

You might be interested in the best Canon cameras, along with the best Canon RF lenses for mirrorless and the best Canon lenses for DSLRs. 

Yongnuo looks set to launch a new lens for Micro Four Thirds cameras. The YN17mm F1.7M joins Yongnuo's existing 25mm F1.8 and 42.5mm F1.7 MFT offerings, giving Panasonic, Olympus, and OM System shooters greater choice of accessibly-priced lenses.

Unlike some budget third-party lenses which can offer good optical performance but lack niceties like AF, the YN17mm F1.7M features stepping motor autofocussing, as well as a full compliment of electrical contacts to communicate EXIF data with the host camera.

Read more:
The best Micro Four Thirds lenses
The best Micro Four Thirds cameras

The optical stack consists of 10 elements arranged in 9 groups, comprising two aspherical elements and two low dispersion elements to reduce aberrations. The F1.7-F22 aperture range is controlled by a 7-blade aperture - not the most well-rounded diaphragm, but then this isn't a portrait lens designed for the smoothest possible bokeh.

In-keeping with the Micro Four Thirds ethos, the lens is light and compact, weighing just 180g and measuring 77.8mm long, with its 65.8mm diameter requiring small 52mm filters. The lens mount is also weather sealed, though the rest of the barrel is not, so the lens shouldn't be used in heavy downpours.

Despite the comprehensive specifications, the YN17mm F1.7M will supposedly retail for 988 Chinese Yuan - roughly $129/£101. Even factoring additional local taxes in different regions, it should still be a very competitively-priced lens.

Story credit: asobinet.com

I had to get it shipped by a friend in the US, pay some stiff UK import duty and endure the Kafka-esque communications and radio silences of an international shipping company I won't name... but it was all worth it.

So what is the best retro camera on the market today? The Fujifilm X100 VI? The Leica Q3? The Nikon Zf? They’re all very worthy contenders, but there used to be another camera that oozed style, build quality, engineering finesse and some brilliant lenses. Yes, the Olympus PEN-F.

If you look at the specs you’ll probably wonder what the fuss is about. It’s only when you handle the PEN-F and use it that you realize what Olympus did. When it’s in your hands it does genuinely feel like a premium-quality, precision-made, metal-built camera from the days of film cameras. If it was still being made today it would undoubtedly be one of the best OM System cameras of all.

Now I know a lot of photographers are completely unimpressed by retro styling and these nods to photographic history. I get that completely. There’s a part of me that is still deeply suspicious of the whole retro ‘revival’. But there’s another part of me that loves the way the best cameras feel in your hand, the precision and arrangement of the controls, how the dials turn, and even how the shutter sounds. That’s where the PEN-F wins for me.

Why now? Why didn’t I buy one new?

A good used Olympus PEN-F is hard to find. They do come up now and again on MPB, but very often they are in ‘good’ condition rather than ‘excellent’, sport plenty of scuffs and dings and still cost nigh-on £1000 / $1,000 – which is around what they cost brand new in 2016.

So why didn’t I buy one in 2016? A combination of caution and idiocy, I think. They looked expensive at the time and there were cheaper and more practical MFT cameras in the range. Everyone was suspicious of a ‘luxury’ MFT camera. Oh boy.

But fast-forward to 2024, and we’ve got a camera market obsessed with retro cameras, whether they are new ‘retro’ cameras like the Fujifilm X100 VI or actually old digital cameras. I also have the original Fujifilm X-T1 alongside an X-T5, and I’m impressed by how well the older camera still works and handles.

Very often, we don’t realize how good a camera was until we see it in context some years later. 

But it’s only Micro Four Thirds

Well, I’ve always been a Micro Four Thirds fan. I also shoot APS-C, full frame and from time to time medium format, so I’m no MFT zealot. I know these cameras’ weaknesses and I also know what they’re good for.

Most people would rather have a bigger sensor, but then the MFT format has spawned some terrific little primes and constant-aperture zooms with a level of edge to edge sharpness that is hard to find in larger formats. Consistent, affordable and practical lenses like these can go a long way towards offsetting the smaller format. I wish I could get lenses of the same quality and consistency for Fujifilm X-mount.

Are MFT sensors worse at high ISOs? Yes, somewhat, but against that the PEN-F does have Olympus’s legendary IBIS (it’s much easier to stabilize a small sensor than a big one) and you can always fall back on AI noise reduction tools if you do have to shoot a lot at ISO 6400 or higher. If high ISOs are your thing, though, then this isn’t really the camera for you, and full frame might be better.

Let’s not pretend the PEN-F has quite the same image quality potential as APS-C. Oh, there’s no 4K video, so don’t get this camera for vlogging, even though it has a flip-out vari-angle screen. But then let’s not ignore its many qualities either, including the handling, the lenses and the IBIS

Besides, we are perhaps living in a post-resolution age, when all our images are viewed on-screen and rarely printed, and 20MP is maybe more than enough, when back in 2016 we weren’t quite so sure it would be.

Do camera makers give up too soon?

So why this swooning poem of praise for the Olympus PEN-F? Because for all the new cameras that are released on to the market, we’re also losing older cameras that didn’t just capture digital images perfectly well but were wonderful physical objects in themselves.

I think Olympus was a victim of timing with the PEN-F and indeed the whole PEN range. It anticipated a demand that didn’t actually arrive until several years later, by which time the company had given up and walked away.

So here’s my advice. If there’s a camera you once loved, or once desired – and it doesn’t have to be the PEN-F – then don’t delay. Find a good one and get it, before it’s too late.

Check out the best Micro Four Thirds lenses