Olympus E-520 Digital SLR Review
January 18, 2009 by warren
Filed under Featured Review, Olympus Digital Cameras
I have long had a love affair with Olympus cameras since I purchased my first Olympus OM-1 SLR film camera many moons ago. Long after the OM-1 disappeared I continued to purchase Olympus cameras always hoping that just one day along will come another Olympus SLR that would be a match for my trusty old OM-1.
It was therefore with a strong sense of anticipation that I held the Olympus E-520 DSLR in my hand just hoping that this would be the camera. The little outfit I had was the E-520 twin lens kit comprising the 14-42mm standard lens and 40-150mm telephoto lens.
First Impression
Holding the camera in your hand evokes images of old with a compact body that feels quite comfortable to hold onto and the small lightweight lenses make for a package that would be good to travel with. Some people may find the camera just a little too small if they have large hands, my wife however, who has never forgiven me for selling her OM-1 camera, loved the size, she in fact said it makes the perfect Digital SLR camera for every mum!
As we were going away for a few days, a quick look at the manual and I found the battery should last for approx 650 shots, so charge it up before I go and no need to take the battery charger. A quick flick of the on switch and you can feel the camera vibrate in your hand as the supersonic wave dust reduction filter is activated making sure your images remain dust free, this is a great Olympus innovation.
A quick look over the camera and all the buttons look familiar to most digital cameras, whether it’s a compact digital camera or a DSLR there tends to be a bit of uniformity amongst a lot of cameras now. This makes it easy for anyone who is thinking about the move to a DSLR. The big 2.7″ LCD screen is bright and a quick press of the info button brings up the current settings on the camera. There was a little bit of apprehension as I looked over this as some of the terms and icons were familiar and others, well…. they probably required me to get the manual out to find out exactly what they meant, but I am a man, so I don’t read manuals. I will just figure it out myself…. eventually.
The thing I really enjoyed though, was that when I pointed it and pressed the button it was quick, really quick. Zoom it in and out, change lenses, whatever it was really impressive. I remember thinking that this would be a great camera for some with young children that move around a lot and you’ve got to grab that moment instantly.
Camera Controls and Features
Mode Dial
A quick inspection of the mode dial shows the usual choice of the most commonly used modes for quick access. Advanced modes such as Program, Apeture and Shutter priority as well as Manual. The quick access scene modes available from the mode dial represent frequently used settings, however flicking it around to the Scene setting brings up another 15 modes from underwater photography to fireworks.
A feature I really enjoyed about the camera is the built in image stabilisation. As it is built into the camera body, it does not matter what lens I have on, it could be an older Olympus lens or an aftermarket lens made by another manufacturer. The benefit for Olympus owners unlike some competitors that only have image stabilisation in certain lenses, which are usually more expensive. Is that you can pick and choose what ever lens you want and you get 3 different types of image stabilisation built in to the camera for different types of photography.
Something really innovative is the way Olympus use live view on this camera and how easy it is to activate it. The E-520 unlike its direct competition does autofocus in live view mode, not only does it work like a normal compact digital camera, but if face recognition is turned on it immediately becomes active in live view and can detect up to 8 faces in the one picture and applies shadow adjustment technology which adjusts the detail in the shadows while retaining detail in the bright areas.
Using the camera
Handheld resting against the bridge 1/4 sec with Image Stabiliser 1
I really wanted to be impressed with this camera and the more I discovered, the more I liked it. Walking around Melbourne for a few days gives you plenty of opportunity to shoot fast and frequently. A casual stroll over to Southbank found a group of photographers shooting the night scenes, and everyone except me had a tripod. This was an opportunity to put the E-520’s stabiliser to the test, and I must say I was rather impressed.
The next day was an opportunity to experiment with Live View on the E-520. I have never been a great fan of live view, but I think Olympus have done a pretty good job of it on the E-520. Olympus is possibly the first to put face detection into a DSLR in live view and make it work. The other lovely aspect of Live View is Perfect Shot Preview which provides the learner photographer with a ‘four in one’ on screen preview allowing you to scroll through either exposure compensation or white balance settings and select the best picture.
Handheld 1/30sec using 40-150mm lens
I spent a bit of time taking pictures in the different scene and program modes available on the camera as well the different colour modes or picture modes as Olympus call it.
The one thing you learn with this camera is that there is an almost endless amount of ways you customise this camera to the type of photography you want to pursue.
The other surprise was that after 3 days of walking almost everywhere we went the camera had not become cumbersome or too heavy. I imagine it would make a great DSLR to take away on a long trip.
Conclusion
handheld with image stabilisation 14-42mm lens
How did it match up to my beloved Olympus OM-1? Well it was certainly a pleasure to use and so easy as well. It has a lot of great features and is impressively compact and lightweight.
How did the camera perform?
The camera was a dream to use, the little vibration when you turn it on as the dust removal system kicks is very reassuring that you will have clean images. The autofocus appeared a little slower in live view however there are only certain types of photographs you may want to use that for. That said it’s better than the competition.
What were the results like?
Nice natural colour, clean sharp images, I guess what you would expect in a way. I was caught sitting in the hotel room looking through the photos I had taken that day with a smile on my face, which is one way of saying I was pretty happy with my results.
Who is it suitable for?
This camera would make a great step up for anyone wanting to move from a compact digital camera to a Digital SLR. It is certainly a beginners camera, but you would be hard pressed growing out of it as there are just so many ways you can customise it. As my wife says it would make a great camera for a mum or dad with a young family.
If your lost, just stop and look in your guide.
How would I rate it?
Olympus are trying really hard to grab their share of a very crowded market and this camera represents great value for money. My wife still wants her OM-1 back, but I think she would be really happy with the Olympus E-520, it is a great little camera
My Rating, 8 stars out of 10
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A great review, concise and to the point. It is great to read a review from someone who used the camera who can give real examples of how the products work.
Excellent review, look forward to reading more.