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Reviews (4)
19 May, 2010
Olympus E-420 Body
If you want an entry level DSLR with excellent customization settings or prepackaged point and shoot settings in a small light body and a reasonable price, this is it. If you want to customize be prepared to read and experiment as there are a lot of options that require using a multi-level menu system; a small price to pay for the features you get. The body will require reasonable care when using since its durability is typical of most non-professional bodies. Using the vivid color setting when shooting scenery will yield some impressive photos with rich blue skies and vibrant green grass.
The view finder is a little on the small side for a DSLR but better than most point & shoots. Shooting in live mode with 11 point balanced focus on doesn’t work well due to the slow update of the view screen. I would use these features only if shooting still subjects from a tripod. The large view screen is easier to read in bright sunlight than any of the point & shoots I have used. The standard Zukio 14-42mm zoom lens is OK for an entry level lens but its f 3.5 aperture is not very slow so don’t plan on shooting in low light without additional lighting or flash. Once I bought an adapter for my old 50mm f1.8 Manual Zies lens you could see a drastic improvement in the quality of light and color. Using this lens with the 4/3 system yields an effective 100mm which is perfect for portrait and glamour shots. There are times when using my 60-300mm (effective 600mm) telephoto lens that it might have been nice to have the image stabilization. If your plan is to shoot a lot with a long telephoto lens you might want the E-520. My intended use is mostly outdoor glamour/portrait and some macro so stabilization isn’t as important for me.
Overall I have been pleased with the functionality of the camera. When combining the body with some of my older quality lenses its capabilities really shine through. I have been very please with the overall quality of the photos that are output. It‘s no D5 or E3, but for the money it appears to have been an excellent choice. If you have more money to spend would still recommend this body; use the extra money on a good lens. I can see the image quality produced by this body capable of handling lenses in the $2-5,000 range just fine.
19 May, 2010
Olympus E-420 Body
If you want an entry level DSLR with excellent customization settings or prepackaged point and shoot settings in a small light body and a reasonable price, this is it. If you want to customize be prepared to read and experiment as there are a lot of options that require using a multi-level menu system; a small price to pay for the features you get. The body will require reasonable care when using since its durability is typical of most non-professional bodies. Using the vivid color setting when shooting scenery will yield some impressive photos with rich blue skies and vibrant green grass.
The view finder is a little on the small side for a DSLR but better than most point & shoots. Shooting in live mode with 11 point balanced focus on doesn’t work well due to the slow update of the view screen. I would use these features only if shooting still subjects from a tripod. The large view screen is easier to read in bright sunlight than any of the point & shoots I have used. The standard Zukio 14-42mm zoom lens is OK for an entry level lens but its f 3.5 aperture is not very slow so don’t plan on shooting in low light without additional lighting or flash. Once I bought an adapter for my old 50mm f1.8 Manual Zies lens you could see a drastic improvement in the quality of light and color. Using this lens with the 4/3 system yields an effective 100mm which is perfect for portrait and glamour shots. There are times when using my 60-300mm (effective 600mm) telephoto lens that it might have been nice to have the image stabilization. If your plan is to shoot a lot with a long telephoto lens you might want the E-520. My intended use is mostly outdoor glamour/portrait and some macro so stabilization isn’t as important for me.
Overall I have been pleased with the functionality of the camera. When combining the body with some of my older quality lenses its capabilities really shine through. I have been very please with the overall quality of the photos that are output. It‘s no D5 or E3, but for the money it appears to have been an excellent choice. If you have more money to spend would still recommend this body; use the extra money on a good lens. I can see the image quality produced by this body capable of handling lenses in the $2-5,000 range just fine.
19 May, 2010
Olympus E-420 Body
3 of 3 found this helpful If you want an entry level DSLR with excellent customization settings or prepackaged point and shoot settings in a small light body and a reasonable price, this is it. If you want to customize be prepared to read and experiment as there are a lot of options that require using a multi-level menu system; a small price to pay for the features you get. The body will require reasonable care when using since its durability is typical of most non-professional bodies. Using the vivid color setting when shooting scenery will yield some impressive photos with rich blue skies and vibrant green grass.
The view finder is a little on the small side for a DSLR but better than most point & shoots. Shooting in live mode with 11 point balanced focus on doesn’t work well due to the slow update of the view screen. I would use these features only if shooting still subjects from a tripod. The large view screen is easier to read in bright sunlight than any of the point & shoots I have used. The standard Zukio 14-42mm zoom lens is OK for an entry level lens but its f 3.5 aperture is not very slow so don’t plan on shooting in low light without additional lighting or flash. Once I bought an adapter for my old 50mm f1.8 Manual Zies lens you could see a drastic improvement in the quality of light and color. Using this lens with the 4/3 system yields an effective 100mm which is perfect for portrait and glamour shots. There are times when using my 60-300mm (effective 600mm) telephoto lens that it might have been nice to have the image stabilization. If your plan is to shoot a lot with a long telephoto lens you might want the E-520. My intended use is mostly outdoor glamour/portrait and some macro so stabilization isn’t as important for me.
Overall I have been pleased with the functionality of the camera. When combining the body with some of my older quality lenses its capabilities really shine through. I have been very please with the overall quality of the photos that are output. It‘s no D5 or E3, but for the money it appears to have been an excellent choice. If you have more money to spend would still recommend this body; use the extra money on a good lens. I can see the image quality produced by this body capable of handling lenses in the $2-5,000 range just fine.