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Olympus E-20 5MP Digital Camera w/ 4x Optical Zoom
Brand: Olympus Binding: Electronics Warranty: 1 Year Limited
Features:
Quality Product [Posted on 2003-04-22] Most fun I've had with a camera, but get a real memory card. [Posted on 2004-01-29] That said, I have two gripes. First,the 32MB card is a joke --holds 7 pictures at maximum resolution and highest quality compression. If you don't upgrade the card, the only way it is manageble is to drop the resolution to 1 megapixel and 8x compression -- if that is all you'll use, what's the point of getting a 5 megapixel camera. 1GB compact flash cards seem to be the best value today at less than $200 and they will hold 260 shots at the highest quality level. 256MB Cards may be doable at 75 shots, but smaller cards will certainly drive you to sacrifice on resolution and quality to get more shots on the card. Second, rapid shooters will be disappointed since the buffer will hold 4 pictures, and this limit does not change with resolution oddly. After the buffer is full, it takes up to 10 seconds for it to write each shot to the card. You can shoot as soon as 1 slot is open, but to do a 4 shot burst again, you have to wait 30-40 seconds for the whole buffer to clear. This will bother some users but not others. The write time seems the same regardless of whether you use Smart Media or Compact Flash. All pixels are not created equal [Posted on 2004-02-09] I suspect that many of the cameras which purport to offer higher theoretical resolution are in fact limited by lens resolution. The small size of compact digital sensors in comparison with film makes severe demands on lens quality, but the dedicated digital E-10 and E-20 lenses are definitely up to the task. Pixel quality, rather than quantity, is definitely an area where this and the E-10 shine- the rendition and gradation of colours is better than most. Particularly good with greens, golds and blacks. The other outstanding thing about this camera is the way it handles. The user interface (by the standard of DLSR cameras) is elegant, and satisfying. This is particularly the case if you regularly tweak the settings: the interface is aimed at making such tweaks while composing the shot, rather than having to step through menus prior to the shot, although this means you need to get to know where each button is by feel, and stay familiar with what it does. You also need to get into the habit of doing a quick "cockpit check" prior to shooting, in case of an inappropriate setting left from the previous session. I'm a big fan of spinning a rotary switch rather than repeatedly pressing a pushbutton, and the designers of this camera clearly share that preference. In a nice amalgamation of the best of both worlds, you typically hold a button down with one finger to identify which parameter to tweak, while spinning whichever of two rotary knobs comes most conveniently under another digit in order to change that parameter or select from a number of options. The buttons are nicely spread around the available areas, so that you can find them by feel. Many are differentiated in some tactile way which confirms their identity. In some cases (eg manual vs autofocus) Olympus have opted for a dedicated rotary lever even though there are only two choices. This means your finger tells you what the mode is, eliminating the need for yet another confusing light in the viewfinder. Personally I think the E-10 is an even better camera than the E-20, unless resolution is your paramount concern - the E20 has some speed issues, and extra options which may distract rather than adding value, depending on your priorities. The E10, considering how much control you get, has a minimum of fiddly "smart" bells and whistles- a great camera if capturing short movie clips with sound holds no fascination for you. I have one major gripe: while there is a facility for hooking the camera up to an external (TV) monitor, to preview the image in real time (as it falls on the sensor)- and the camera comes with an infra-red cordless remote shutter release - yet, for some *entirely* unfathomable reason, you cannot use both these facilities at once, which reduces the remote to not much more than a gimmick. You have to shell out for an expensive extension cable release, and this is of limited length. Minor gripes are mainly connected with the autofocus- you do have to pander to it in ways which are not necessary in the case of a wet-film SLR, and it is definitely slower. However if I had to choose between a better autofocus and the superb (for a DSLR) manual focus and zoom (both via lens rings), it would be no contest. It used to bother me that the LCD down-angle is insufficient for high overhead shots, until I realised that I could angle the panel to "maximum up" and turn the camera upside down to take the photo. The image will still look "right way up" to you, although not to the camera. All things considered, if you like to have lots of control of the parameters, and you use your camera regularly, this is a very good choice. Best Buy at twice the price. [Posted on 2004-03-06] OLYMPUS BUILDS GREAT PROFESIONAL SLR [Posted on 2004-05-10] Click here for more details and discount information...
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