37 Camera test
Photography News Issue 25 absolutephoto.com
Anatomy
From the front
• Looking from the front, the extended height of the exposure mode and shutter release/input dial controls can be more easily appreciated. They certainly seem to dominate the E-M10’s smooth profile. • The raised angled finger grip does work to help get a secure purchase on the camera body. An hand grip is an option (the ECG-3 costs £60) but with this nice bit of design it is not essential. • Under the ‘pentaprism’ housing is an integral flash, GN8 (ISO 200/ metres). The neat design means the flash is as high as possible which might help avoid red-eye and lens shadow problems. The flash is activated with a third position on the camera’s main on/off switch. • To the right of the flash housing is the AF illuminator and self-timer countdown LED, and below that is the lens release button.
From the top
• Those of you with good memories will notice that the main on/ off switch is identical in design to those of the OM-1 and OM-2, classic cameras of four decades ago. It shows that great design doesn’t date. • There is plenty of customisation potential in the E-M10 Mark II with its several function (Fn) buttons, probably far more than you might expect on a reasonably priced camera. • It’s rather crowded on the right side of the top-plate. The exposure dial does not have a lock but it is firmly click-stopped so it is unlikely to be altered by accident. The two large, machined input dials you’ll either love or hate because they are rather dominant. Aesthetics aside, there is no denying that they are excellent to use whether with the thumb or forefinger. Their purpose as well as direction of operation can again be customised and these settings can be varied depending to the exposure mode you’re in.
From the back
• The camera’s rear is mostly taken up by the 3in monitor that can be angled up or down – it does not fold out to the side. It is touch sensitive but the features that you can adjust with it are limited. You can’t, for example, navigate the menus by touch but you can focus where you want and fire the shutter with it, though, so handy when candids or when the camera is tripod-mounted. • A high-quality EVF is provided if you prefer using a viewfinder, and the quality of image it provides is excellent with no smear as you pan around and fine detail is easy to appreciate. • With both monitor and EVF, various viewing options are available and pushing the INFO button scrolls through them. One option shows the image and battery condition only. • The protruding thumb grip doesn’t look especially elegant but it is very effective and the angled plinth does mean there is room for another function button. • The cluster of controls tucked underneath the grip is easy to use despite the fact that they are close together.
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