October 14th, 2008 by 
patia
The Olympus E-420 is currently the world’s smallest digital SLR. Offering professional performance and features in a compact, lightweight body, the 10-megapixel E-420 includes Live View, a 2.7-inch LCD and Face Detection. It can capture both RAW and JPEG file formats.
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Introduction
The Olympus E-420 is my first digital SLR experience. Photo-John gave it to me to review because he thought it would provide an interesting perspective for first-time DSLR buyers considering this camera. Previously, I’ve used film SLRs, compact digital cameras and digital point-and-shoots. The E-420 kit I had for review included the Zuiko Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 lens (28-84mm equivalent) and sells for $600. The body alone retails for $500 and the camera is also available in a second kit with a super-compact 25mm “pancake” lens (50mm equivalent) for $700.
I used the E-420 to shoot landscapes around my home in western Montana, as well as on excursions to the nearby Garnet ghost town and Miracle of America Museum. The E-420’s size and weight compared favorably with the compact digital cameras I’ve used, while offering more features, faster performance and superior image quality.
Features The one feature compromised in the E-420 is Olympus’s sensor-level Image Stabilization. So photos taken with the E-420 are more likely to suffer from camera shake-induced blur than photos taken with other Olympus DSLRs. The exposure mode dial on the top of the camera offers Scene, Night Portrait, Sport, Macro, Landscape, Portrait, Auto, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual. Setting the dial to Scene reveals 18 scene modes optimized for everything from Portrait and Landscape to Sport, Macro and Fireworks. Beach and Snow are combined in one scene mode, which makes a lot of sense to me - why don’t more camera manufacturers do this? Two scene modes I find interesting are High Key and Low Key, which enhance light and dark areas respectively. Navigating through the scene modes displays a large, color image illustrating each scene mode - for example, a cityscape for Night Scene. A moment’s hesitation on a scene mode brings up a thumbnail version of the image and an easy-to-read, one or two-sentence description. Landscape + Portrait mode, says, “For shooting both main subject and background. Vivid reproduction of blues and greens.” The E-420’s three-point auto focus system allows shooting in single shot and continuous auto focus. Focus points can either be individually selected or you can allow the camera to choose the subject. Camera Menus Design At first glance, the E-420’s matte black body appears to be built out of metal, but closer inspection reveals the material is hard plastic. Olympus tells us that the body is made up of both metal and high impact polycarbonate plastic - pretty standard for today’s consumer-level digital SLRs. The right-hand grip is rubber. The 2.7-inch LCD is crisp, vivid and easier than most to see in bright sunlight or from an angle. The optical viewfinder is adequately sized and covered with a removable rubber eyecup. There’s a built-in pop-up flash, as well as a hot shoe if you want to use an external flash. The camera comes with three separate instruction manuals in English, Spanish and French. They are small but thorough, and I can vouch that the English version is clear and easy to understand. Camera Experience One of the benefits of a DSLR is shooting RAW and this was my first taste of shooting and editing RAW photos. The RAW files are bigger and require more post-processing. Unlike JPEGs, which benefit from in-camera processing, RAW images put the responsibility of image processing on the photographer. They also require special software to convert the images from the proprietary RAW format to JPEG or TIFF. The E-420 comes with Olympus Master software for images processing and RAW conversion. There are a lot of other RAW conversion software options, including Adobe Photoshop CS3 and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2. Although RAW files require more work from the photographer, they are much richer in color and density information than JPEG or TIFF files and offer far greater image quality potential. When I’m immersed in shooting, I find it distracting to stop and think about shutter speed and f-stops. I prefer the Auto and Landscape modes, or sometimes scene modes like Night + Portrait. I only change to manual or aperture and shutter priority exposure modes when confronted with a challenging lighting situation that demands careful exposure control. However, it’s nice to have all the options with the E-420. This is a camera I know I would continue to grow with. The lighting conditions at Garnet ghost town were challenging - hot, bright midday sun outside; dim natural light inside. I was not surprised that the E-420 couldn’t handle the extremely contrasty outdoors light — I wouldn’t expect it of any camera. Shooting RAW and layering multiple exposures in Photoshop might have gotten better results, but midday light is always problematic. The E-420 got great exposures indoors, however, where bright light pouring through the abandoned hotel windows was the only illumination in otherwise dark rooms (see “Garnet Hotel” - top of review). The camera performed similarly well on a day trip to the Miracle of America Museum - a kitschy roadside attraction displaying everything from old farm equipment to a saddle Teddy Roosevelt once used. The E-420 also took gorgeous, saturated sunset photos, even focusing perfectly on a rooftop wind vane silhouetted against the evening sky. In general, I found the auto focus was amazingly accurate, focusing even at a distance and in low light. However, I was frustrated in my attempts at manual focus - I simply could not see the difference using either the viewfinder or the LCD. I was also surprised to learn that, unlike point-and-shoot and compact digital cameras, scene modes on digital SLRs do not adjust focus settings. For example, Landscape mode does not set auto focus to infinity, as it does with the compact cameras I’ve used. This was a problem when I was shooting a faraway snowy peak through the branches of a nearby tree and wanted the mountain to be in focus. Like shooting RAW, digital SLRs make the photographer responsible for focusing on the right subject. More control also means you have to pay more attention to what you’re doing. Although Olympus says the E-420 is “small enough to fit into a purse or jacket pocket,” I think that’s a bit of a stretch. Sure, with the impressively small 28mm “pancake” lens, it would fit in a medium purse or large pocket. But it’s certainly not going to fit in a small purse or shirt pocket the way a point-and-shoot would. With the 14-42mm lens, I haven’t been able to carry it in anything smaller than my large fanny pack or tote-sized purse. Battery performance was quite good. Two days after taking the E-420 on a museum visit where I shot about 150 photographs, including some with flash, the proprietary lithium-ion battery still showed up green (charged) on the display. However, it seemed like the battery drained two or three times faster when I was shooting RAW files. The E-420’s battery charger really annoyed me. It has a long cord instead of a built-in plug like many other chargers. I understand that this is a cost-saving measure for Olympus, which can simply swap out the cord when selling the camera in countries with different electrical sockets. But you’d think that the world’s smallest DSLR, would also have a smaller, travel-friendly battery charger. This is a pet peeve of mine and an important consideration for those of us who like to travel light - especially in these days of increasing airline baggage restrictions. After some two-fisted shooting with the E-420 and my regular point-and-shoot, I have to say I’m torn. Would I want to trade in the convenience of a truly pocket-sized camera for a larger DSLR that promises more features and better image quality? Both cameras produced nice-looking images on my computer screen, although close evaluation and studio tests show that the E-420’s image quality is far superior. I think I can safely say that my little point-and-shoot is the camera I’d grab for ordinary snapshot and vacation shooting. It’s simply easier — and the image quality isn’t half bad. The E-420 would be my camera of choice when shooting for publication or any other time I wanted top-notch image quality, control and performance. All 10-megapixel sensors are not equal. The Olympus E-420 has the same resolution as the Olympus E-3, the company’s top-of-the-line DSLR. That being the case, you might expect it to have the same image quality as the E-3. But studio tests reveal that the E-420 produces slightly more noise than the E-3 at ISO 400 and considerably more at ISO 1600. Although the E-420 isn’t intended to compete with the Olympus flagship digital SLR, it is useful to compare it to the best Olympus has to offer. The 14-42mm kit lens doesn’t produce any notable vignetting, and purple fringing is virtually nonexistent, even in mountain landscapes with lots of trees and sky. Contrast and shadow detail are noticeably good, even with backlit faces. Color is superb right out of the camera. The main place where the E-420’s image quality suffers is in handheld, low-light situations, where sensitivity settings of ISO 400 and higher produce noticeable noise and image stabilization would make a difference. The E-420 won’t give comparable Nikon or Canon digital SLRs a run for their money in terms of image quality, but it certainly will in size and weight. For many photographers, packing the world’s smallest DSLR will be worth trading a little image quality. And for those accustomed to point-and-shoot image quality, the E-420 will provide a noticeable improvement. Conclusion If I bought this camera, I would probably also buy the Olympus Zuiko 18-180mm lens. A lightweight, user-friendly digital SLR with a diminutive 36-360mm equivalent lens for under $1,000? I have to admit, it’s very tempting. Who Should Buy It This camera is not the best choice for: - end - Source: http://reviews.photographyreview.com/blog/olympus-e-420-review/5/Olympus E-420 Review
As the world’s smallest digital SLR, the Olympus E-420 packs a lot of features into a compact, lightweight camera body. It has nearly everything you’d expect from a DSLR - a 10-megapixel sensor, a 2.7-inch LCD, Live View with auto focus, Face Detection technology, a Dust Reduction system, and a full range of exposure modes from auto to manual. In addition to JPEGs, it can also capture RAW images for those who want maximum control and the best possible image quality. Olympus’s new “Shadow Adjustment Technology” promises to get more detail out of highlights and shadows with in-camera image adjustment.Left: Olympus E-420 scene mode display.
Right: wait a moment and a description of the scene mode appears.
Olympus E-420 main menu
Olympus E-420 playback display
Olympus E-420 playback with RGB histogram
Olympus E-420 playback with histogram overlay
The Olympus E-420 is a wonderfully comfortable camera. As far as I’m concerned, it perfectly hits the sweet spot between small and substantial. I have large-ish hands for a woman, but lugging around a heavy pro digital SLR all day would make my wrists give out in no time. Even after carrying and shooting with the E-420 for hours at a time, my hands and wrists felt fine. The camera’s light weight - 13.4 ounces — also makes it comfortable worn around the neck.
The Olympus E-420 is fun and seriousness all wrapped up in one tidy little package. It helped me feel like a serious photographer - rather than a point-and-shoot weenie — in front of my journalist friend during our visit to a ghost town. I enjoyed the camera’s satisfying shutter sounds, particularly in burst mode. More importantly, I got great shots, suitable for enlarging and framing. The E-420 looks, feels and acts like a professional camera.Olympus E-420 Review
The world’s smallest digital SLR does not disappoint. The Olympus E-420 packs professional features and performance into a remarkably small, lightweight and comfortable camera body. It’s obvious that Olympus’s designers thought this one through. The E-420 is well designed and user-friendly; its body is exceptionally comfortable; and the controls, menus and other settings are highly intuitive. It is a pleasure to use.
The E-420 is an excellent choice for:Contents of the Olympus E-420 Box
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