All year, we put photo gear through its paces: we test it, use it, manhandle it. When we’re through, we make a list of the top items we’ve tried and tested. Then we cross off most of the list. The remaining items receive top honors: The POP Award for Photography’s Outstanding Products. Here’s what made the cut in 2012.

Olympus OM-D EM-5
The OM-D nicely reprises the jewel-like looks of Olympus’s legendary OM-series of compact 35mm SLRS. We’re pleased to report that the OM-D’s performance in lab and field tests was also evocative of the OM film cameras. It tested with Excellent overall image quality in the Pop Photo lab and earned kudos from every tester for its rugged, weather-sealed body and fine handling. While it may look very much like a little pro DSLR, the OM-D is actually an interchangeable-lens compact with an electronic viewfinder in place of a prism finder. It accepts lenses from the growing Micro Four Thirds optical catalog, plus a neat accessory vertical grip.

$999, street, body only.