Olympus OM -D E-M10 II with 14-42mm lens

£570/$500 Small but smart and sophisticated

Punching well above its weight, the E-M10 II packs a Four Thirds image sensor that’s bigger than those in most compact cameras but smaller than the APS-C sensors in many rivals. The dinky little EZ kit lens has an effective range of 28-84mm, complete with motorised zoom that works well for both stills and movie capture. Unlike the retractable lenses supplied with the Nikon D5600 and Panasonic GX80, this one automatically extends for shooting, and retracts when the camera is switched off.

The overall package is super‑slim for a camera with a conventional layout. Even so, there’s a tilting touchscreen as well as a high-resolution electronic viewfinder, a pop-up flash plus a hotshoe, and built-in Wi-Fi.

Performance

Sharp shots are assured by a sensor-shift stabilisation system, and a highly accurate contrast-detection autofocus system, which is pretty much as quick as the phase-detection system in the D5600. The E-M10 II strikes an excellent compromise between size, features and performance.