I compared the OM System PEN and Lumix L10 which classy Micro Four Thirds model wins?

Date:
Thu, 01 Oct 2026 11:46:15 +0000

Description:
The new OM System PEN bears a striking resemblance to the Lumix L1- premium compact camera, so which rangefinder-style Micro Four Thirds camera is the better of the two?

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter OM System PEN Today's best OM System PEN deals 849 Preorder 849 View Deal 849 View Deal Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

Panasonic Lumix L10 Today's best Panasonic Lumix L10 deals 1,299 View Deal 1,299 View Deal 1,299 View Deal Show more We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

OM System has finally given Olympus PEN fans what they've been wanting for years: a PEN update . The series of rangefinder-style cameras with Micro Four Thirds mount has a cult following, and the latest model to join the ranks, simply named the OM System PEN, is surprisingly affordable.

At the time of writing, I'm still using and testing the new OM System PEN for my in-depth review look out for my comprehensive verdict, coming soon. But throughout my time with the retro-cool camera I've been struck by just how similar it is in design and size to another hit camera from 2026: the Panasonic Lumix L10 premium compact. I've already used the Lumix L10
alongside the viral Fujifilm X100VI to see which of those two premium compact cameras I preferred, and there's lots to like about the classy model, which marked the 25th anniversary of Lumix but how does it fare against a mirrorless camera? Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

I took the Lumix L10 and the OM System PEN with me on a work trip to China, where I had plenty of opportunities to shoot cityscapes, street photography and more with both cameras, and get a real feel for them in the process.
Let's dive in and see how they compare. OM System PEN (Black) at Amazon for 849 Lenses: the major difference Image 1 of 3 The OM PEN with the 14-42mm
mark III kit lens attached, the Lumix L10 with its built-in lens retracted (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Both lenses extend when in use, but the Lumix L10 lens packs away smaller (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 3 View Original Image 2 of 3 View Original Image 3 of 3 View Original OM System PEN: Micro Four Thirds lens mount, with hundreds of lenses to choose from Lumix L10: A built-in 24-75mm f/1.7-2.8 lens The OM System PEN features a Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lens mount, meaning it's directly compatible with hundreds of MFT lenses that between them cover just about any situation macro, portraiture, wildlife, you name it. The camera
can be purchased body-only, or with a new kit lens the 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 III (equivalent 28-84mm). Unlike previous versions, this third-generation lens is "splash proof", as is the OM PEN body. You may like I compared the Lumix L10 and Fujifilm X100VI one stole my heart OM System finally replaces the iconic Olympus PEN-F and its shockingly affordable OM System PEN preorders here
are the best retailers, plus where to get a free strap

The Lumix L10, meanwhile, has a built-in 10.9-34mm f/1.7-2.8 zoom lens (24-75mm equivalent), which is more compact than the OM PEN's new kit lens.
It extends when you turn the camera on and when zooming, and is, theoretically, at risk of dust ingress over long-term use. Panasonic doesn't class the lens as dust- and moisture-proof, but does note that the design has been improved from previous LX100 cameras that the L10 is based on.

If I'm comparing the two cameras based on using the PEN with its kit lens, then I easily prefer the Lumix L10. The lenses have similar optical zoom ranges 3x (OM PEN) to 3.1x (Lumix L10) but the wider focal length of the
L10 at the short end of the range makes it the more versatile of the two. The L10's lens is also physically smaller, and its brighter maximum aperture is way more versatile for portraiture and low-light photography. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

All that being said, you can easily swap out the OM PEN's kit lens for another, and doing so makes many of the above comparisons moot. For example,
I also used the tiny 45mm f/1.8 lens (90mm equivalent) with the OM PEN, and capturing shallow-depth-of-field portraits with this combo is a breeze.

Of course, more lenses means additional cost. If you're starting off with the OM PEN's kit lens, and unlikely to buy more glass, then the Lumix L10 wins here. In the hand Image 1 of 2 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 2 View Original Image 2 of 2 View Original It's
remarkable just how similar the OM System PEN and Panasonic Lumix L10 look. Their bodies are nigh on identical in size, and strikingly similar in appearance and layout. If you want retro looks, both fit the bill. What to read next The best mirrorless cameras, based on in-depth testing The best compact camera: top choices to take anywhere The best travel cameras, based
on in-depth testing

Both feature a rangefinder-style 2.36m-dot EVF, and I couldn't spot any real differences between these displays. The same is true of the 3-inch articulating touchscreens, though the L10's has a higher-resolution display that looks slightly crisper to the eye. Both feature a hotshoe for
accessories such as an external flash, and a largely similar control layout.

There are some minor differences; the OM PEN has an additional color mode
dial on the front beside the lens, and it's screen sits nice and flush in the body when folded away. The fiddly on/off switch is poorly designed, though good luck trying to simply turn it to photo mode without shooting past to the video modes. Image 1 of 4 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 4 View Original Image 2 of 4 View Original Image 3 of 4 View Original Image 4
of 4 View Original The Lumix L10 has a slicker, classier feel to it, with a shutter button (complete with a thread for a cable release) set within the zoom rocker, and a button set within an exposure dial (both the button and
the dial are customizable). I'm less convinced about the memory-card door placement being on the camera's underside as opposed to the side. Also, its retractable lens design results in a two-second wait before the camera is ready to shoot from powering up, which limits its street photography credentials.

Battery life is solid for both models too, at 420 shots (L10) to 410 shots
(OM PEN) respectively. Overall, I enjoyed the feel of the Lumix L10 more. Features to play with Both cameras feature a Micro Four Thirds sensor the OM PEN's is a 20.4MP, while the Lumix L10's is 26.5MP. You'd think that would be an image-quality win for the Lumix L10; however it's not that simple. Because of its built-in lens design, the L10 can't use the entire sensor area for photos, and with 20.4MP effective pixels, the playing field regarding resolution is leveled image-quality potential (ignoring factors such as lens choice) is effectively the same. One major difference is that the OM PEN's sensor features 5-axis image stabilization (IBIS), whereas the Lumix L10 has no such feature. OM System rates the effectiveness of the OM PEN's IBIS up to 5.5EV, which makes it the more versatile of the two for some handheld photography and video.

Pair that image stabilization with the PEN's computational photography modes, which includes Live ND for long-exposure effects (up to 4EV), High-Res shot (quadrupling the camera's resolution for detailed landscape shots), focus stacking (ideal for macro photography), and HDR (extending dynamic range in a final single shot), and you have a powerful tool, no tripod needed.

The Lumix L10 has tricks of its own, mind you, including High-Res shot, while it's the more feature-packed of the two for video, with 5.6K recording, 5.2K open gate, and Panasonic's latest Real Time LUTs profiles and phase detection autofocus. For stills, autofocus performance is similar, but for video the
L10 has the edge. Lumix L10 sample gallery Image 1 of 6 The Lumix L10 with
its lens set to 75mm f/2.8 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) I took this night shot handheld using the 24mm focal length (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Here I secured the camera to a tripod and enabled a slow shutter speed to blur the moving water the old fashioned approach to long exposure photography (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 6 View Original Image 2 of 6 View Original Image 3 of 6 View Original Image 4 of 6 View Original Image 5 of 6 View Original Image 6 of 6 View Original OM System PEN sample gallery Image 1 of 6 I used the 14-42mm kit lens and matched the Lumix L10's 75m focal length here, and the maximum aperture available is f/5.3, so the L10 can blur backgrounds better (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Handheld at 28mm, not quite as wide as the Lumix L10's 24mm zoom lens (Image credit: Tim Coleman) A long exposure effect, handheld, using the Live ND computational photography mode. I needed a tripod to get this effect with the Lumix L10 (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) (Image credit: Tim Coleman) Image 1 of 6 View Original Image 2 of 6 View Original Image 3 of 6 View Original Image 4 of 6 View Original Image 5 of 6 View Original Image 6 of 6 View Original Today's best OM System PEN and Panasonic Lumix L10 deals OM System PEN 849 Preorder See all prices Panasonic Lumix L10 1,299 View Deal See all prices We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices Price and availability OM System PEN: $999.99 / 849 / AU$1,499 body-only, $1,099.99 / 949 / AU$1,799 with the 14-42mm kit lens
Lumix L10: $1,499 / 1,299 / A$2,599 OM System has priced the new PEN very aggressively, which is refreshing in a time of component shortages and price hikes. I can't think of another camera with a built-in EVF and in-body image stabilization for a price this low $999.99 / 849 / AU$1,499 body-only, or an additional $100 / 100 / AU$300 for the 14-42mm mark III lens kit.

The latter kit-lens price is the fairer comparison, since you're getting a built-in lens with the Lumix L10, and the PEN is still cheaper. If we're talking optical quality, however, then a pricier OM System lens, such as the 12-45mm f/4 Pro, is an even fairer comparison, at which point each camera feels like similar value for money. Yes, it's cheaper getting started with
the OM PEN, but if you're going to build your lens collection then the Lumix L10's one-off price will likely end up being the lower long-term outlay of
the two. (Image credit: Tim Coleman) OM System PEN vs Lumix L10: early
verdict The OM PEN's rangefinder-style design is well suited to everyday photography, as is the Lumix L10. As such, users are typically going to pair the PEN with lenses that sit within the range that the Lumix L10's built-in 24-75mm f/1.8-2.8 lens already covers. To a degree, therefore, the PEN's lens-choice advantage becomes less important, which surprised me.

Overall, I preferred the feel of the Lumix L10 it's the classier and slicker camera of the two, and better equipped for video. However, it's slow start-up time (because of the retracting lens design) is a drawback, while I appreciated the OM PEN's in-body image stabilization, and its arsenal of computational modes for creative shooting techniques.

As with so many camera comparison tests I undertake, each of these models has its own distinct advantages. I like the convenience of the OM PEN, but as a standalone package I prefer the Lumix L10. Follow TechRadar on Google News
and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/cameras/compact-cameras/om-system-pen-vs-panasonic-l umix-l10-i-compared-these-two-classy-micro-four-thirds-cameras-and-i-was-surpr ised-by-which-model-became-my-favorite


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)