Another robust, enthusiast-targeted camera is the dustproof and splashproof E-5, which tops Olympus’ E-system range. At £1,500, this Four Thirds system camera isn’t cheap and its 12.3-megapixel resolution feels modest in present company.

Ironically, Four Thirds was supposed to be about smaller camera bodies and smaller lenses. Yet at a body-only weight of 800g, the E-5 is one of the heaviest DSLR in our current round-up, second only to Canon’s chunky 60D, and even heftier when twinned with the superb 12-60mm (24-120mm equivalent) zoom supplied with our test unit.

Something else it shares with the Canon is a tilting LCD screen. The large, bright optical viewfinder above offers a 100 per cent field of view. HD movies are new – at 1,280 x 720 pixels and a transitional rate of 30fps – while up to 5fps is offered in continuous capture mode. The 11-point AF system locks onto target in a second or so and top light sensitivity is ISO6400. The E-5 feels well made and brick-like compared with most modern DSLRs, though operation doesn’t feel as intuitive and fluid as it could be. CompactFlash compatibility still features, which most others have jettisoned, though SD/SDHC is offered alongside it.

What we particularly like about Olympus E-system cameras are the Art Filter digital effects filters and 10 have been shoehorned in here, including our favourites of pop art, pinhole and toy town-effect diorama. Further tweaks include a TruePic V+ image-processing engine that Olympus claims provides enhanced detail over cameras with physically larger sensors. Certainly the E-5, when used with our test lens, delivered bags of detail despite the low-ish headline resolution. It’s versatile too; we achieved some lovely shallow depth-of-field effects ideal for portraits, as well as more expansive landscape shots at maximum wide angle.

Olympus has hinted this might be the last proper DSLR it produces. Its focus has presumably redirected towards its Micro Four Thirds ‘Pen’ range, a market sector still in growth. This leads us to wonder how long it will keep producing compatible lenses and accessories and whether the E-5 is a sensible purchase for anyone who isn’t already an Olympus E-1 or E-3 user, no matter how stunning the E-5’s images look.