TIPA Awards 2010: the best hybrid and prestige cameras named

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The Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) recently crowned its selection of 2010's best imaging products at its annual awards ceremony. As ever, the products were carefully picked to represent brands across the market, with choices that are often logical, but sometimes questionable. Let's see which of this year's cameras with interchangeable lenses went home with a prize.

The Olympus Pen E-PL1 took the prize for Best Compact System Entry-Level Camera—it looks like TIPA too is having trouble finding a short, catchy name for this type of 'camera with interchangeable lenses'. Like us, the TIPA panel liked the simplified interface and the built-in flash.

The Panasonic G2 was the Best Advanced Compact System Camera. I'm a little less convinced by this choice. The G2 is certainly the first camera of this type to feature a touch-screen, but for the rest, it's basically just an updated version of the G1 with added video recording, for example, but without the aspect ratio selection function of the GH1. We thought the winner would have been the Samsung NX10, which has a slightly larger sensor and an excellent AMOLED screen.

The Best Prestige Camera was the Leica M9, the first digital rangefinder with a 24 x 36 mm sensor. This camera has been eagerly awaited by fans and specialists alike. It has the same classic, old-school Leica design, as well as a particular layout and a price tag that'll bring you out in a cold sweat. However, for hardcore rangefinder fans, there's simply no other choice since the Epson R-D1 range was discontinued. It reckon it's pretty much indestructible.

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