Digicam Reviews Olympus EVOLT E-420 [Archive]

Suhit Gupta

06-18-2008, 03:00 PM

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.digicamreview.com/olympus_evolt_e420_dslr_review.htm' target='_blank'>http://www.digicamreview.com/olympu...dslr_review.htm</a> </div>"Announced on the 5th of March 2008, the Olympus EVOLT E-420 is Olympus' latest compact 10 megapixel Digital SLR - an update to the E-410 - it features a new live view auto focus mode, face detection focus, a new 2.7" screen, and is the world's most compact Digital SLR, especially when used with the new f2.8 25mm pancake lens. The Olympus EVOLT E-420 is available for £404 with kit lens (as tested here), £485 with twin kit lens, or £500 with 25mm/50mm pancake lens, which makes it great value for money. The camera measures approx. 129.5 x 91 x 53 mm (excluding protrusions), and weighs 380 g (body only)."<img alt="" border="0" src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/dht/auto/1213788574.usr14.jpg" />The Olympus EVOLT E-420 is available for £404 with kit lens, £485 with twin kit lens, or £500 with 25mm/50mm pancake lens, this makes it very competitively priced compared to the competition, especially as the Olympus E-420 feels like a fully featured Digital SLR. However, the article claims that if you want to move into the world of Digital SLRs and don't know where to start then the Olympus EVOLT E-420 is probably one of the best cameras to choose, and I somewhat disagree. I don't see anything in tis camera that would make me want to recommend it to someone over the Canon XSi, or even the 40D, or the Nikon D40x or D60. And I say this because of the fact that if you are new and don't quite know what to get then getting something that is more widely used with a potentially larger support base is what I would gravitate to. Beginners would have access to more articles and more accessories. Of course, this makes things harder for a company like Olympus to make a dent in the budget camera market but that's how things are IMHO.

marlof

06-18-2008, 06:39 PM

Hmmm... as an Olympus user I have to agree with the assessments in the original article, but that won't surprise you. :p I'll quote The Online Photographer (http://theonlinephotographer.typepad.com/the_online_photographer/spring-2008-top-ten-new-c.html) on the Olympus Digital Zuiko lens range "the lens line is simply ne plus ultra—Olympus, we feel, is the world's leading lensmaker at this moment." It's that lens line you're buying into.

Also, the E-420 sensor hits a very nice spot between megapixels and quality.

Next the E-420 will make sure you'll not have to clean your sensors, even when you change lenses a lot. The Olympus dustbuster is one of the few that really works.

And may be the most important of all: the E-420 with the excellent 14-42 and 40-150 kit lenses, or even better the 25 pancake, creates a very nice and small carry everywhere package.

And finally but very personally, I prefer the 4:3 aspect ratio over 2:3, but that's just me.

So there's a few things going on for Olympus. And you'll find enough support, although I agree with you that for many things you can find better (second hand) deals in the Nikon and Canon world, simply because their line has been around a lot longer, and they have a much larger market share. That's the downside to owning an Olympus.

But then again, I never liked to do what everybody else was doing. ;)