The Olympus PEN E-PL9 is inexpensive and portable, ideal for shooting travel and street photos in all kinds of light, like this shot. It lacks a viewfinder, though. So, you need to rely on the display, which can get washed out in bright light.

Credit: OlympusThe first mirrorless mirco-four-thirds mirrorless cameras from Panasonic and Olympus arrived about 10 years ago and significantly changed the higher-end camera market as truly viable alternatives to shooting with bulker DSLRs. Olympus' latest, the PEN E-PL9 ($599; body only), is a 16-megapixel entry-level mirrorless camera for novices looking to step up from a point-and-shoot or smartphone, and it keeps the same styling as its first model, including a retro camera-body design.

This latest iteration strikes a nice balance between offering easy-to-use, physical controls while also keeping its size compact and folding some features into the menu. And while it doesn't match the quality and versatility found on the top models in its class, it's quite capable, rich with features and enjoyable to use.

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