Olympus
January 14th, 2010 by D-Photo
Harley Ogier tests the retro-chic EP-1
Look and Feel
Camera manufacturers exist in a flurried blur of technological change, so it’s nice to see someone tip their hat to tradition. The new E-P1 pays homage to Olympus’s Pen SLR, released 50 years ago and a camera famed for its pocketable size, phenomenal popularity and chic styling.
But for all that it bears a physical resemblance to a camera five decades old, under the hood the E-P1 is all 21st century. By subscribing to the new Micro Four Thirds standard, the E-P1 does away with the mirror and pentaprism of traditional SLR cameras. Instead of an optical viewfinder, the camera features a large 3.0-inch LCD monitor, making the E-P1 the lightest interchangeable-lens digital camera I’ve worked with.
Despite its light weight, the E-P1 sports a gorgeous all-metal body with leather handgrip. From the front it looks very much like a compact film camera; only when viewing the controls and monitor on the rear does the E-P1 resemble the piece of modern technology it really is.
Usability
Following traditional digital compact camera designs, almost all of the E-P1’s controls are located on the right-hand side of the camera; most shooting and playback functions can be operated one-handed.
The mode dial is recessed into the top of the body, accessible only via an exposed plastic wheel on the back of the camera. This definitely prevents flipping between modes accidentally, but also makes intentional mode changes a little difficult. Switching from one mode to the next is easy, but it’s not possible to quickly spin the dial to reach a mode on the opposite side.
Two scroll wheels are provided on the back: a vertical wheel near the top and an iPod-style mechanical click wheel below it. The click wheel also serves as a four-way directional pad with an ‘OK’ button in the centre. The directional pad is the best option for navigating menus, while the scroll wheels work well as traditional controllers of exposure, aperture and similar settings.
Image Quality
The E-P1 produces high-quality images with a lot of fine detail. I had some issues with image noise while shooting in the fully automatic mode, but was able to limit it to very reasonable levels using the camera’s noise reduction feature. The automatic mode also gives slightly oversaturated images, and over-exposes at night: the manual shooting modes can produce noticeably better results.
The pre-programmed scene modes are a decent compromise for those not wishing to venture into full manual territory.
Being a fan of long exposures, I was delighted to find the E-P1 supports up to 60-second timed exposures in Shutter Priority mode. Most cameras don’t allow exposures nearly as long without going to Bulb, and it makes for some great fun if you’re dealing with night-time traffic, aircraft, starry skies or cats chasing laser pointers. At the shorter end of the scale, simple night landscapes are a breeze — the E-P1 gave some of the best performance I’ve seen to date on my Auckland City view.
Optical image stabilisation does a good job of eliminating camera shake; I found that my night shots came out perfectly sharp even without the two-second self timer. Shooting freehand in daylight is no problem —I don’t think I encountered a single case of motion blur, even though I did my test shooting on the go.
Performance
Like the Live View mode of most dSLRs, the E-P1 suffers from slow contrast-detect autofocus. Unlike a dSLR, however, there’s no option to switch back to the viewfinder and letting the much faster phase-detect autofocus do the work instead.
Panasonic’s Lumix G1, the first Micro Four Thirds camera to hit the market, didn’t suffer so obviously from this problem, and its autofocus performance was more in line with the average entry-level dSLR. Olympus doesn’t seem to have quite such a good implementation of contrast-detect at this stage.
If you carefully frame your shots and aren’t the quick-fire type, this isn’t likely to be a huge problem. The E-P1 has so much else going for it that slow autofocus shouldn’t be a deal breaker. However, expect to be a little disappointed if you’re after dSLR shooting speed.
Lens Compatibility
The E-P1 is available with either or both of two kit lenses: the Olympus M.Zuiko Digital 17mm f2.8 and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f3.5-5.6.
The 17mm (equivalent to 34mm in 35mm film terms) is a wide-angle pancake lens with a length of just 22mm and a weight of 71g. This makes it the perfect travelling companion for the E-P1 if you can do without a zoom. Alternatively, it allows you to carry the camera ready to shoot while your larger lenses are packed away.
The 14-42mm (28-84mm equivalent) is a compact and lightweight zoom lens designed specifically for the E-P1. In keeping with the camera’s concise design, the lens is collapsible to just 43.5mm, around half of its fully extended length.
Personally, I would have to stash a 200mm lens somewhere for those long-distance opportunities. Fortunately, there’s a small but growing number of Micro Four Thirds lenses on the market. Olympus also offers an adapter ring that allows the E-P1 to mount standard Four Thirds format lenses.
Finding the View
I can see why Olympus has omitted an electronic viewfinder from the E-P1; it would have taken up valuable space both inside the camera and on the back where the large LCD monitor is located. However, all it takes is one day of shooting in bright sunlight to realise that it can be a major disadvantage.
A snap-on viewfinder is available to match the 17mm kit lens, but this is useless once you start working with zoom lenses. The snap-on also lacks any kind of heads-up information, depth of field preview, and other such features one would expect of an in-camera viewfinder.
Conclusion
The E-P1 is a brilliant addition to the Micro Four Thirds range, especially for those wanting dSLR quality in a small form factor. Slow autofocus and the lack of a viewfinder may be problematic for some users, but others will love the high image quality and point-and-shoot ease of use.
OLYMPUS E-P1 – SPECS
Manufacturer: Olympus
Model: E-P1
Effective Pixels: 12.3 million
Image Sensor: 17.3 x 13.0mm MOS
Viewfinder: None
LCD Monitor: 3.0-inch, 230,000 dot LCD, 176 degrees viewing angle
Shutter: 1/4000 to 60 seconds, bulb
ISO: 200-6400 in steps of 1/3 or 1 EV
Exposure Metering: Digital ESP metering (324-area multi-pattern metering), centre-weighted, spot
Media: SD/SDHC
File Format: RAW (12-bit), JPEG, AVI
Interface: USB 2.0, composite video out, HDMI video out
Batteries: Rechargeable lithium-ion, approx 300 shots
Dimensions: 120.5 x 70 x 35mm
Weight: 335g (body only, without battery or memory card)
CONTACT
www.olympus.com
PROS
- Excellent image quality
- Point-and-shoot ease of use
CONS
- Slow autofocus
- No viewfinder
Design 19
Performance 17
Features 17
Image Quality 18
Value for money 17
TOTAL 88/100
This article is from D-Photo 32.
August 25th, 2009 by D-Photo
When Olympus announced it would up the standard zoom on its entry-level models from 3x to 5x I got excited… then it built the FE-340 with the bigger zoom, as well as face detect and a huge 2.7-inch screen. Now I’m delirious.
Bigger everything
Olympus’s jump in zoom range gives you the bonus of a whopping 180mm telephoto as well as the moderate wide angle of 36mm. The big telephoto sucks in subjects from further away and makes shooting sport or taking candid shots of the kids much easier. The screen has also been inflated in size, that 2.7-incher bulging with a credible 230,000 pixels for a very impressive image. The refresh rate is phenomenal, making flipping through reviewed images like watching a slide show.
Increased ISO
I am generally unimpressed with huge hikes in ISO sensitivity, but with the FE-340 the 3200 setting actually makes images that are almost useable. Usually the noise associated with high ISO is disastrous, but Olympus has finally figured out a logarithm that offers smoother rendering of the image without too much unsightly mosaicing. It still should only be used as a last resort, since images taken with this setting will only print without noticeable imperfections to 6×4.
Bigger, better movies
Olympus has struggled with video on most of its models, largely due to the inadequacies of the xD card, which can’t handle large doses of data at frantic rates. The company is trying to remedy this with yet another card with faster transfer rates, but we’ll have to wait and see how successful it is. This camera has a 640×480 30fps VGA movie setting that delivers smooth motion pictures, but for the limited time of 10 seconds. Slip the setting back to the 320×240 QVGA setting and you’ll fill a card with YouTube-quality video.
Picture this
The beauty of this little camera is the ease of use, a simple control dial and a great range of scene modes. These little pictorial scenes also come with an explanation of what they will do. If all else fails you can even use the guide that gives a series of picture ideas and hints, then directs you to the right setting. It will also shoot as close as 50mm in the Super Macro mode or 100mm in the standard macro setting, so every shooting situation from distant images to close-ups is covered.
Conclusion
The FE-340 has a superb screen and a very useful 5x optical zoom range. Marry this with the eight-million-pixel sensor and you have a starter camera to be proud of. The disappointment would have to be the xD card and its inability to record a decent amount of high-resolution video. The useful scene modes and easy-to-use control dial make operating this model a breeze. For most of us the quality of the images this little Olympus produces will be excuse enough to buy it.
Specs
- Effective Pixels: Eight Million
- Lens: 5x optical 6.3-31.5mm (36-180mm in 35mm terms)
- Monitor: 2.7-inch Hypercrystal LCD (230,000 pixels)
- Shutter: Four to 1/2000 sec
- ISO: Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200
- Shooting Modes: Auto, Program, Anti Shake, Portrait, Landscape, Smile Shot, Action, Documents, Cuisine, Behind Glass, Fireworks, Sunset, Self Portrait, Candle, Indoor, Sport, Night Scene, Night Portrait, Guide, Movie.
- Focus Modes: Face detect,
iESP, Spot
- Media: 15MB onboard memory, xD card
- File Format: JPEG, Motion JPEG video
- Flash: Auto, Redeye, Fill-in, Off
- Batteries: Lithium-ion rechargeable
- Dimensions: 96.9 x 57.5 x 22.6mm
Contact
www.olympus.co.nz
Pros
- Better but not brilliant 3200 ISO setting
Cons
- Average face detect setting
Design 18
Performance 16
Features 17
Image Quality 18
Value for money 18
TOTAL 87/100
This review is from D-Photo issue #024.
August 18th, 2009 by D-Photo
When it comes to dSLR innovation, Olympus has led the field, introducing sensor cleaning and live view functions well ahead of the opposition. Now the company has released the E-3, a professional camera that is so easy to use it’s a crime
Mandatory equipment
Sometimes when you receive a camera you
wish all the accessories had come with it too.
But when the Olympus E-3 arrived at my place it was like being an eight-year-old stepping into Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. HE Perry, the New Zealand importer, sent it with the HLD-4 power battery holder and vertical grip plus the cool wireless flash FL-50R. They might look
like toys, but these two devices should be mandatory equipment.
This 10 million pixel 4/3 model is a handful in the true sense of a pro camera. It’s weighty and big and has buttons and dials, but it is the turning screen and image stabiliser that will woo you.
The motor drive will rattle off images at a slick 5fps up to 16 RAW files or the capacity of the
card in normal JPEG setting using a SanDisk Extreme III card.
If you aren’t happy with just one card slot then you have another reason to use the E-3: it has an xD card slot too.
Live view
Live View is easily accessible. No turning dials or searching menus, just a press of the screen button below the multi-angle LCD and you’re there. Olympus would like you to believe that its Live View is faster than the others but it is still a slow option compared with using the 100 per cent viewfinder.
Sharp
Lens quality is stunning and the 12-60mm lens (24-120mm in 35mm terms) I was supplied with was beautiful to use. Olympus uses a Supersonic wave drive that helps the lens focus quickly but I experienced hunting in low light, even when using the big FL-50R flash with infrared focus illuminator that helps the camera focus in low light.
The E-3 is a fantastic camera to use; for once a manufacturer has made a camera where the LCD screen can be swivelled back out of the way so you can use the camera in its purest form, looking through the viewfinder.
Thankfully this articulated screen can be positioned anywhere, so no more lying on the ground or poking your head round a corner when under fire in hotspots like Kosovo or Kenya.
Conclusion
Olympus has surpassed itself with technology that modern photographers crave. An innovative dust reduction system, image stabiliser that moves the sensor so all lenses are in effect stabilised, and wireless flash that transforms flash images even when you use the built-in flash in conjunction with a gun like the FL-50R.
The size is big and lumpy and you will want to buy the battery booster so you have a comfortable vertical grip. But big is beautiful, and the E-3 is a big camera in anyone’s eyes.
specs
- Effective Pixels: 11.8 million
- Lens: Zuiko Digital 14-54mm
- Viewfinder: Eye-level pentaprism-type optical viewfinder approx 100%
- LCD Monitor: Multi-angle HyperCrystal, 2.5-inch, 230,000 pixels)
- Shutter: 1/8000-60 sec (in 1/3, 1/2,
1 EV steps)
- ISO: ISO100 to 3200 in 1/3 and
1 EV ISO steps
- Exposure Metering: 49 zones multi-pattern sensing system, ESP, highlight, shadow, spot
- Focus Modes: 11 points/fully biaxial, automatic and manual selection
- Media: Dual slot for CompactFlash card (I and II), Microdrive and xD picture card
- Flash: TTL auto (pre-flash mode), auto, manual, FP TTL Auto, FP manual
- Batteries: BLM-1 Lithium-Ion
- Dimensions: 142.5 x 116.5 x 74.5mm
contact
www.olympus.co.nz
Pros
- Limitless shooting at 5fps in JPEG
Cons
- Screen is only 2.5 inches
Design 17
Performance 17
Features 18
Image Quality 18
Value for money 17
TOTAL 87/100
This review is from D-Photo issue #023
July 23rd, 2009 by D-Photo
Phil Hanson says that, despite feeling a little plasticy, the E-520 has plenty of grunt under the hood
Olympus became the first major manufacturer to drop film cameras in favour of digital, and as if to underline its intentions, was jointly responsible for the successful Four Thirds format.
But it is evolution rather than revolution that’s celebrated with the arrival of the 10 megapixel E-520, successor to the capable E-510 dSLR.
What’s new?
The camera has new or upgraded features to make it more usable and widen its appeal. These include contrast detection AF, a larger LCD screen, face detection, shadow adjustment, improved Live View and wireless flash.
Dynamic range has increased and is now close to the level of Olympus’s top — and considerably more expensive — E-3. As before, the E-520 has separate slots for Compact Flash and XD cards and these can be used simultaneously.
Getting to grips
The E-520 sits well in the hands, and while it feels a little plasticy, that’s typical of dSLRs at this price point. Buttons and dials, of which there are plenty, are smooth, precise and their location well placed. Once learnt, these allow quick on-the-run adjustments without having to peer at a screen.
Look
Having said that, a main point of the E-520 is its Live View screen. There are benefits to this feature, although the ‘view’ tends to be dull and grainy. Working without Live View, the LCD panel provides what seems like more information than the Yellow Pages — something like 26 items. However, the more important stuff is repeated in the viewfinder, and the display can be turned off.
Performance
Once started, the E-520 responds swiftly. Autofocus is quick and accurate but can falter a bit in low light situations where contrast is poor. Fortunately, the user can focus manually without having to push a button or change a setting. It’s a convenient feature others could follow.
Weight, balance, ergonomics and adjustability all come together in the field, making the E-520 a pleasure to use.
Image quality
Testing was mainly with Olympus’s versatile 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 kit lens (28-84mm full frame equivalent). It needs stopping down to offer its best sharpness and contrast but produces pleasant, smooth images that will satisfy most users. Vignetting is modest at the wide end.
Conclusion
There’s a lot of picture-taking technology inside the E-520’s body and Olympus has made sure most of it is really accessible. Picture quality is very good, so don’t be misled by the E-520’s pixel count. It took a while to bond with the E-520, but after a day or two I could hardly put it down.
SPECS – Olympus E-520
- Effective Pixels: 10 million
- Viewfinder: Eye level, 95 per cent actual view
- Monitor: 2.7-inch TFT colour with Live View
- Shutter: 60 sec-1/4000 sec
- ISO: auto, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
- Exposure Metering: ESP, spot
- Focus Modes: Digital ESP, centre-weighted, 2% spot, 11-point multiple
- Flash: TTL auto, manual, auto, wireless with compatible units
- Interface: USB, video out
- Battery: 1500mAh Lithium-ion rechargeable
- Dimensions: 136 x 92 x 68mm
PROS
- A delight to use in the field
CONS
- Maybe it tries to do too much
- Plasticy feel to the lenses, body
| Design |
18 |
| Performance |
18 |
| Features |
18 |
| Image Quality |
17 |
| Value for money |
17 |
|
|
| Total |
88/100 |
This review is from D-Photo issue #028.
July 4th, 2009 by D-Photo
Big things can come in small packages, as Phil Hanson discovers with the Olympus MJU 1010
Compact cameras such as the Olympus MJU 1010 serve a twofold purpose: as an ideal introduction to photography, and as a second pocketable, carry-it-anywhere camera for those who normally use a dSLR.
I’ll bet you’ve chanted the “if only I had my camera” mantra when a great photo opportunity popped out of nowhere and your gear was locked down in the office or at home. The MJU 1010 is small enough and slim enough to fit into a pocket or purse, start up quickly and produce good-quality images.
Olympus positions the cameras in its MJU range as ‘luxury’ compacts, and indeed they do look good and suggest they might cost more than they do. But the 1010 is more than just a good looker — it delivers the goods, too.
User-friendly
The review MJU 1010 was delivered without any kind of manual. I was about to growl but quickly discovered it was so easy and intuitive to use, there wasn’t much point complaining.
The controls are arranged in a straightforward manner and the on-screen menu is easy to access and use. Automation rules and there are only limited manual overrides.
Advanced photographers may not be happy with ‘auto everything’ but it’s great for when you want to quickly compose and shoot. A Program mode allows manual selection of such functions as white balance, ISO, autofocus mode, continuous shooting, metering, and scene selection.
Face detection is included, as is a neat panorama function. The user can turn off the flash to capture the atmosphere or work unobtrusively.
Turn on, tune in
Compacts used to take ages to be ready to shoot from start-up, but this little beauty is pretty darn quick. Push the power button, the 7x 6.6-46.2mm lens (37-260mm full-frame equivalent) pops out and you’re ready to fire in less than two seconds.
The thin wedge-shape body is easy to hold, and a raised nameplate on the front provides useful added grip. Much smaller and it would be fiddly; Olympus has struck an ideal size here. There’s enough space between the small control buttons even for people with clumsy fingers like me to work accurately.
Clean crisp
All this would be of little concern if picture quality was poor. It isn’t. Working at maximum JPEG quality, the images captured by its 10.1MP sensor will impress those who use expensive dSLRs.
The Olympus lens is free of barrel distortion or chromatic aberration at the wide-angle end, and maintains acceptable contrast and sharpness at the telephoto end.
Colour rendition and exposure metering are good, but noise begins to become disturbing beyond ISO 400. That’s fairly typical of this category of camera.
I liked the shadow adjustment function, which brightens darker areas of the image, simulating greater dynamic range. Although it increases image noise, it will help smooth contrast-y scenes.
Autofocus is quick and reliable in all but dim light. In these situations you’ll possibly be relying on flash, but I found its metering gave hit or miss results.
Conclusion
I’d have one of these tough, well-built but light aluminium-bodied babies as my carry anywhere shirt pocket camera in a moment, and would also recommend it as a good starter. Optical image stabilisation and a useful long-end to its zoom help ice the cake.
SPECS
- Effective Pixels: 10.1 million
- Lens: Olympus AF 7x optical zoom 6.6-46.2mm (37-260mm in 35mm terms)
- Monitor: 2.7-inch
HyperCrystal LCD
- Shutter: 4 sec to 1/2000 sec
- ISO: Auto, 80, 100, 400, 800, 1600
- Shooting Modes: 23 scene modes
- Exposure Metering: ESP, spot
- Focus Modes: iESP, spot,
face detection
- Media: 20MB internal, xD card
- File Format: JPEG Exif 2.2,
AVI, WAV
- Flash: Auto, redeye reduction, off
- Battery: 925mAh Lithium-ion rechargeable
- Dimensions:
99 x 56 x 25mm
CONTACT
www.olympus.com.au
PROS
CONS
| Design |
18 |
| Performance |
16 |
| Features |
16 |
| Image Quality |
17 |
| Value for money |
17 |
|
|
| Total |
84/100 |
This review is from D-Photo issue #027.
May 19th, 2009 by D-Photo
Olympus has maintained the lead in the race to have the biggest lens in the super-zoom war. The SP570UZ has upped the ante to 20x optical zoom covering an enviable 26mm wide angle through to 520mm telephoto.
Get a grip
Grasp the SP-570 with both hands and you’ll see how comfortable and ergonomic it is. Ingeniously, the zoom is controlled by turning the lens as you would on a dSLR. At the flip of a switch on the side of the lens, focus can be changed from auto to manual. 
This design forces you to hold the camera correctly, ensuring you cradle the camera with your left hand using the index and forefingers to control the zoom, with your right hand’s index finger poised over the shutter release.
Even with an image stabilizer — the sensor moves to counter any movement you make — you’ll still need a good physical grip with this 20x optical zoom.
Time travellers
If you travel you’ll love the dual time function that lets you set the date and time here and then set the date and time for your destination. You can quickly change between the two so that the date and time information actually matches your home or overseas images. Another great thing Olympus provides is an alarm clock, so even if you forget to pack your travel alarm there is one at hand in your camera.
File this
The camera menu is so easy to access and move between functions that you’ll rapidly learn to change file type from JPEG to RAW or RAW to JPEG. With the press of the OK button you can quickly scroll around the whole menu then change the function with the wheel on the top of the camera. There are shortcut buttons for macro, exposure compensation, flash, continuous shooting and the shadow adjust function that gives more information in shadow areas.
Low light
There are things I don’t like about this camera. It won’t focus in low light, even with the illuminator on. And it only accepts xD cards that are limited to 2GB of data. It owes some of its weight to the four AA batteries and you’ll either want to run lithium single-use or rechargeable NiMH batteries to take the most images between battery changes.
Conclusion
Olympus invented super-zoom cameras and is back at the top of the field with the 20x optical zoom. The zoom range is fantastic and will suit anyone who travels or wants a compact camera with a wide focal range. The functions will please anyone from rank amateur to the seasoned pro, as the SP-570 can be used in a simple mode with the scenes or you can take full control.
Fraser Kitt
Specs
Manufacturer: Olympus
Model: SP-570UZ
Price: $799
Effective Pixels: 10 million
Lens: 20x optical, 4.6 – 92mm (26 – 520mm in 35mm terms)
Viewfinder: Digital
Monitor: 2.7-inch hypercrystal LCD (230,000 pixels)
Shutter: 4sec to 1/2000sec (8min bulb mode)
Aperture: f2.8 – f4.5
ISO: Auto, 64 – 6400
Exposure Metering: ESP, centre-weighted, spot.
Focus Modes: Face detect, iESP, spot, area.
Media: xD card
File Format: RAW, JPEG, WAV, Motion JPEG
Flash: Built-in with auto, red-eye, fill in, slow sync, red-eye with slow sync
Interface: USB2.0
Batteries: 4 x AA
Dimensions: 118.5 x 84 x 87.5mm
Weight: 445g
Contact
www.olympus.co.nz
Rating
Pros
- 26 – 520mm zoom rang
- Manual with 8min bulb setting
- Macro as close as 1cm
Cons
- Poor focusing in low light
- xD card limited to 2GB
- Extra weight from four AA batteries
| Design |
18 |
| Performance |
18 |
| Features |
16 |
| Image Quality |
17 |
| Value for Money |
15 |
|
|
Total
|
84/100
|
This review is from D-Photo issue #025.
April 24th, 2009 by D-Photo
The digital SLR market is a cut-throat industry; if you want to survive you have to have a competitive edge.
Canon and Nikon seem stable enough, but who is next? Six months ago I would have said Konica Minolta, but alas it is now gone (its camera division overtaken by Sony). Then there was Kodak, but it too has opted out of the dSLR race to concentrate on its compact sales. So that leaves whom? Well, Olympus, of course.
It is Olympus that rounds out the top three on the dSLR tree at the time of writing – and rightly so. Olympus is a major camera corporation, so it’s really no surprise that it is still messing with the big boys – is it?
Yet some digital commentators will find it very surprising indeed. And this surprise has to do with a decision that Olympus made very early on in the digital race.
Breaking The Mould
Never one to shy away from innovation, Olympus introduced the digital world to its four-thirds system with their very first digital SLR (the E-1). The company has also, since then, introduced the world to the first digital SLR with a ‘live’ LCD preview (the E-330), albeit to a somewhat mixed response.
By steadfastly sticking to the four-thirds system (where the sensor is of a smaller design – approximately 18×13.5mm – to aid in the design of lighter bodies and lenses), Olympus has set itself apart from other manufacturers. And it’s this uniqueness, together with some other nifty technical innovations, that has kept Olympus in the hunt.
Superior Handling
The E-500 continues Olympus’ use of the four-thirds system of image capture and packages it in a nicely compact, more traditional-looking body. Its other siblings, the E-300 and E-330, took on a rectangular appearance and were visually quite distinct (looking rather like compact cameras on steroids). With the E-500, we are back to a more standard shape and the camera handles better for it.
Although small and light, the E-500 fits nicely in the hands, and Olympus has put a great deal of thought into button placement. On the whole, I was really impressed with the E-500’s handling, especially the placement of the exposure compensation button, placed just back from the shutter. Having it there allowed for easy exposure compensation adjustment without having to remove my eye from the viewfinder. Being able to navigate your way around a camera intuitively, without ever having to take your eye away from the finder, is the mark of excellent camera design. And although I missed the inclusion of a front command dial, I found I could change settings on the E-500 quickly without consulting the user manual first. Nice work, Olympus.
Good Vibrations
Another Olympus innovation that I do wish other cameras had is its sonic dust reduction system. What a fantastic idea. Basically how it works is that every time you turn the camera on, a filter placed in front of the sensor is vibrated at a high sonic frequency (30,000 vibrations per second) so that any dust that might have attached itself to the image sensor is shaken off. While I didn’t test this feature to any great extent by immersing the body in dust, I did shoot in dry conditions where dust was a real threat, and also at the beach where sand was an issue. At no time did I get even a hint of dust specs in any of the images I took, so it certainly seems to work.
However, there was one feature I wasn’t fond of and that was having all of the shooting information displayed on the extreme right of the viewfinder, and not along the bottom. But this is just a habit thing, and something I would get used to over time.
From The Beginner…
The Olympus E-500 tries to be all things to all people and manages to do so quite admirably. For the complete novice photographer there is the safety of point-and-shoot simplicity for perfect results. Add to this 15 scene modes and you should be set for any shooting scenario.
But what if you want a little more control? No problem. In fact, it makes the transition painless by giving you six of the most popular shooting situations programmed into the command dial. What separates these from the pack is that they can be adjusted to compensate for changing light, or a different mood, and are not completely ‘auto’.
…To The More Serious
Advanced amateurs are also well served. Almost every button or dial is customisable for those who want to set the camera up to suit their shooting style. The camera doesn’t have a top information panel display, but a detailed information screen on the back more than makes up for this. This shows at a glance exactly how the camera has been set. All the important functions (white balance, ISO, focus points, metering, exposure compensation) can be accessed from buttons on the camera without having to go into nested menus.
Image Capture
The camera’s LCD is a glorious 2.5-inch screen with a fantastic 14x magnification to allow for critical analysis of an image. Colours are punchy and vibrant, while a histogram overlay can be produced for the separate RGB channels, as well as an overall luminosity reading. Pretty impressive stuff for a
sub-$2000 digital SLR.
Photos can be captured either in the JPEG, TIFF or RAW format, as well as a RAW + JPEG option. Serious photographers will welcome the RAW option, but will question Olympus’ use of only three focus points in the E-500, which is somewhat at the low end considering the competition.
Image quality is good at the slower ISOs and rather noisy at 400 and above. I expected this from a camera with a smaller than normal sensor, and I wasn’t disappointed at the lower ISOs. With eight megapixels there’s more than enough resolution there for an impressive 8×12-inch print, even with the smaller sensor size.
Lens Expansion
It’s worth noting that Olympus’ lens offering is gaining momentum for a system that is only three years old (conventional film lenses will not fit any of the four-thirds cameras). I had the use of four Olympus Zuiko four-thirds lenses, all of which performed admirably. Sigma has also started producing a range of four-thirds compatible lenses, so any new owner of the E-500 should be spoilt for choice. In terms of card formats, the E-500 accepts xD cards and the larger Compact Flash cards. This dual format even allows users to copy data between the two types of memory cards if both are installed.Conclusion
Overall, the E-500 is an impressive package with more than enough in it to keep the most novice beginner or serious amateur happy for a long time. Heavy on features, but light in the hand (and the wallet), it’s an excellent go-anywhere camera that represents outstanding value for anyone moving up to a digital SLR.
