Olympus PEN E-P7 Camera Kit, 20 MP Sensor, 5-axis image stabilisation, tilt HD LCD, 4K, Wi-Fi, color and monochrome profile control, silver incl. M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm EZ black

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Interestingly, the E-P7 doesn't come with a battery charger in the box –instead it features a USB passthrough connection to recharge the battery in-camera.

The E-P7, X-S10 and EOS M50 Mark II are all closely matched in this test, generating similarly clean images with low noise levels. When shooting JPEG images, the default settings give good results, with usable images up to ISO3200 / ISO6400, however, there is quite strong noise reduction which reduces fine detail. There are two command dials, which makes changing the shutter and aperture speeds easy should you be in manual mode, and the on/off switch is also solid, neatly placed where your thumb can easily reach it, with a quality feel when used.

Also included is the feature which allows you to view the development of long exposures at fixed intervals on the LCD screen. On the principle of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ The PEN menu system and screen overlays have changed little in several generations. The maximum shutter speed available using the mechanical shutter is 1/4000s, but switch on the silent shooting mode shown with a tiny heart symbol next to the drive mode, and you can shoot at shutter speeds up to 1/16,000s. This could be because the former two markets are the most receptive to travel-friendly mirrorless cameras, or it could be a case of testing the waters before releasing the camera to a wider audience. To test the PEN E-PL7’s continuous shooting performance I fitted it with a freshly formatted UHS-1 SD card, turned the stabilisation off, and selected 1/500 at 200 ISO.

As with the Art Filters, you can shoot JPEG and raw, meaning that if you don’t like any of the effects created you can always go back to the raw file and re-process the image to get back to the original. Still, there's no doubt the E-P7 sure does look nice, and for some that may be more valuable than an EVF. These controls feel well made and have a nice action, plus the camera responds quickly to their use.The overall effect is chic and stylish, but it’s not overtly feminine, or for that matter masculine, whatever that might mean. While the E-P7’s internals are very similar to the OM-D E-M10 Mark IV, you miss out on an electronic viewfinder. It’s all wrapped up in a stylish retro design that’s already established its credentials in both the fashion and photography spheres, but does the E-PL7’s allure extend beyond superficial good looks? The custom self timer can be configured to shoot between one and ten frames after an initial delay countdown. Worse, if you’re in iAuto mode, you’ve got to switch to one of the PASM modes to access the Live control or SCP.