Usage and Results

One advantage of the Four-Thirds system is a low incidence of lens flares and an even image quality into the periphery of the frame. I noticed clear details throughout frames and did not encounter any lens flares or ghosting effects. The sensor is relatively noise-free up to ISO 200, and is usable at 400. ISO 800 is quite noisy, but can be cheated by using the image stabilization functionality.

There are three modes of image stabilization, corresponding to one or more axis of sensor shifting. I found I could clearly snap a photo at shutter speeds as low as 1/20th of a second. The sensor-shift mechanism is very loud, and sounds like a low grinding noise.

In my hands, the camera is slightly too small, but this is one of its selling points as an entry-level SLR system. For such an “entry level” system, it offers quick controls to its multitude of functions.

Auto focusing is sloppy and unresponsive at times. In dark conditions, the flash will pop-up and strobe uncontrollably for up to thirty seconds, leaving me in a whirlwind of curses as I slap it down, only for it to pop up again. In live-view mode, the auto focusing is limited to contrast-comparison mode, and takes an eternity. Occasionally the camera would decide to refocus the scene as the shutter button was pressed from halfway to full. This is unacceptable, and can ruin an otherwise fast camera. Hopefully a firmware update will fix this. High-speed shooting was fast, although nowhere near a higher-end SLR with a battery pack (the modern-day equivalent of a motor drive).

I never ran out of battery power, even with heavy flash shooting. Two memory card slots are available. In another shining example of Olympus designing its own standards, one of the slots is for an XD slot. Fujifilm and Olympus went in on this technology a while back, and Fuji has recently been phasing it out in favor of the more common (and decidedly less expensive) SD format.

Test Shots

Click on any of the thumbnails to view the full size picture

Conclusions

As forward thinking as redesigning the standard sensor size was, it has fallen from its peak. Other manufacturers are providing backwards compatibility with 35mm lenses once used for film bodies with their lens systems, and larger sensors are allowing more pixels and less noise to define the current generation of cameras. Advances in silicon processing have lowered the costs of a 35mm, full-frame, digital sensor. The Four-Thirds standard seems a shaky ground to stand on, whereas Canon and Nikon users are swimming in backwards-compatibility.

All Four-Thirds arguments aside, the camera represented Olympus well. It does not perform like a high-end camera in terms of speed and precision, but offers a wide array of features to entice amateur photographers or those looking for a high-quality point-and-shoot with the flexibility and performance of an SLR.

Pros

+ Small form factor packs features
+ Good image quality for the price

Cons

- Unresponsive at times
- Controls are difficult to learn
- Lens compatibility and a shaky future for the Four-Thirds standard

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Tags: Camera, digital, E-620, four-thirds, Olympus, SLR