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One big difference between rival options is that you can see the effect before pressing the shutter button; with the E-620 they're selected like a shooting mode and are previewed and captured using the live view system. This and the articulated 2.7-inch screen are a real highlight. It might not have the same number of dots as the 920k of the 3-inch panel found on the Nikon D90, but in terms of clarity and colour the HyperCrystal III LCD on the E-620 is even an improvement on that found the E-30.

Although the body resembles that of the E-520, it's more like the E-450 with a slightly larger grip. While it's true the layout is broadly similar to both those models it's the adoption of the E-450's smaller PS-BLS1 1150mAh Li-ion cell rather than the longer lasting 1500mAh PS-BLM1 of the E-520 that allows the reduction in size of the grip.

Of course the big change is the addition of the articulated LCD. The hinge is located to the left, like the E-30 and E-3 models, so the buttons positioned there on the E-520/E-450 have had to be re-located. Two of the four, providing access to the main menu and the Info button have been moved to the shoulder of the top-plate, to the left of the viewfinder. While easily reached with your left thumb, both buttons are quite small.

Playback and Delete buttons now reside near the direction pad, making the back look quite busy but not impacting negatively on handling or operation. One nice touch is that particular group of controls there are now backlit, making the E-620 much easier to operate in low-light conditions, when on a tripod for example.

While the outer shell is made from glass-fibre reinforced plastics, the finish seems like a notch or so higher than previous offerings. In handling terms, the smaller grip is an improvement when the E-620 is paired with the kit lens, and the others in that series, but the larger and heavier pro and semi-pro lenses don't balance so well. What's more it's aggravated somewhat by the lack of an optional bolt-on battery pack, which would help offset front heavy lenses.

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