Most helpful customer reviews

120 of 122 people found the following review helpful.
Happy I waited.
By goodwishes
I am coming from an Olympus C-8080 and a Panasonic DMC-FZ18. Both of these are decent cameras, but not quite SLR quality. Also, the Panasonic is the worst macro camera I have owned. Since I was looking for more options with macro/closeup photography, I wanted a DSLR. My old SLR was an OM2n (back in the prehistoric camera days). I considered getting the E-510 or Nikon D60. Both are decent cameras, but after seeing pictures, decided to stick with Olympus and wait for the 520. I am glad I did!
I normally have a problem with a bit of camera shake and don’t use a tripod. I just shot 400 pics and not one bit of camera shake! I was surprised to find out that I didn’t even have Image stablization enabled. It is very easy to hold this camera steady. The lens and the viewfinder are crystal clear. I stongly suggest that you get the fastest CF card you can to record your pictures, and at least 4GB. I should tell you though, that I am shooting in both raw and fine jpeg format. This typically takes longer to write. The xd cards are too slow when shooting raw and fine jpeg. Another thing to make yourself aware of: Liveview does not seem perfected in any camera yet. It may take some time, but it is a bit bothersome, because there is a wait between recording photos when using Liveview. If you don’t mind using the viewfinder,or waiting about 2 seconds between pictures, it’s not a problem. Also, my battery compartment door seems to stick a bit. May need broken in, or it’s just tight.
On the plus side: I have only had this camera 36 hours and already feel totally comfortable with it. I have heard people say that it’s not user-friendly. I disagree with that statement IF: you have previously owned and used Olympus cameras. This camera isn’t that foreign when coming from Olympus. Yes, it takes getting used to the buttons a bit, and my thumb does accidentally hit a button, but heck, I haven’t even had the camera a couple of days. I also suggest that you buy the telephoto lens. Unless you shoot all wide-angle pictures, you will not be satisfied with this lens package. Regarding the Olympus lenses … Primo, very good quality for a zoom/package deal. Much better quality than I expected. I like my pictures to be as crisp as possible, with the lowest noise (who doesn’t?), so I have experimented with shutting noise reduction off and using software to reduce noise. The results were good in my test results. The scene modes of the camera are good. I haven’t used them all yet (I had to put the camera down and get some sleep sometime in the past 36 hours), but am impressed with face detection on, macro, night modes. The flash is fairly strong. I have never had a built in flash, which doesn’t give some type of red eye or blue eyes in dogs, this has not happened yet with the 520. Impressive, but I would suggest if doing closeup, that you diffuse the flash, or stand back a bit and zoom on the subject. REVISION: If you use the Macro nature mode, it seems to adjust the flash a bit. Also, if you like to experiment, play withe the “Vivid mode” a bit. I’m usually not a fan of modes, but in bright sunlight, my colors came out exactly as they should be.
If you are considering buying a more expensive camera and are NOT doing professional studio work, I would say; don’t waste your money. Get this camera, because you will be impressed. If you are doing studio work, I would still tell you to get this camera, but get a better lens. After all, it’s not always about the camera, but it is always about the lens. Anyone who has ever bought a no-name, camera-store “pushed on you” lens, knows what I am talking about.
When my next lens arrives, I will post more information under the “40-150mm Olympus zoom lens”. Highly recommend this camera!
REVISION: Today, I received the adapter to let me use my old OM-2N lenses. I bought a generic one through ebay and it works just fine. I attached my old Tamron 90mm SP macro lens and began shooting. First, be aware that everything has to be done manually. This may not be practical if you need speed when focusing, unless you have mastered, manual focusing. I find that I shake the camera more with the heavier, manual lens, but with practice, I think that can be overcome. In other words, if you own the old OM lenses and don’t have the money to get a new lens, buy the adapter and be prepared to make some adjustments.
If you have a flash/lighting system and a tripod, those adjustments will be lessened. I don’t think I would do this for the life of the camera, but I would use the old OM lens (especially if you have a high quality one), until I could afford a new digital lens. I also have the 40-150mm digital lens (the one they give in the package deals), and am very impressed with the quality. I have posted some pictures, so you can get an idea of what this camera can do. If you scroll over the pictures, you will see the pictures I shot with the old OM-2N lens. I didn’t make any revisions, so that you can get an idea of how the pictures come out of the camera (no photoshop).

87 of 90 people found the following review helpful.
E510 / E520 | Awesome – Gem of the mid level DSLR:
By Y. Manoharan
Though I have E510. I actually tried and tested the E520 as well and picked E510 for the 2 kit lens deal and the extra features E520 has over E510 which I rarely care about. I thought to add my E510 review under this to give the readers a better idea about how the Olympus E510/E520 wins over the Canons XSi and Nikon D80 we tested. Hope this helps.

50 of 50 people found the following review helpful.
A New Era in DSLR
By Tzar
I have done quite a lot of analysis before buying this camera, have used Nikon D40, D40x, D80, D200, Canon D350, D400, D450; but finally it was the Olympus E520 I fell in love with. I recently bought this camera in Hong Kong, when it wasn’t even released anywhere in the rest of the world yet.

Why did I like it? The ease of use, I have used a prosumer camera for a couple of years now, and was waiting for a camera with similar ease of use, and Olympus heard my prayers.

Technology wise, its one of the best FourThirds system in the market, this has enabled smaller lenses. The Live View is amazing (though I prefer using the optical viewfinder, my wife loves the Live view), it has Face detection and multi-point focus, all I can say is that it is the best as yet (the Canon D450 liveView is really bad), the kit lens is very good too, awesome wide angle. The assisted manual focus is extremely useful; the auto focus is super fast. There are multiple RAW file formats to choose from. The Sensor based Image stabilization works like a charm, better than the optical image stabilization. The playback features are the best, anybody would want to see the photos they clicked a bit closer, it is such a pain to zoom the preview on the Canons and the Nikons, in this even my 7 year old niece can do it. With respect to image quality, you might have seen them on the internet, its comparable to any of the professional cameras.

One small drawback i have noticed is the built in flash, its not as powerful as the Nikon, though we can increase the flash power, but the default setting is not as powerful as the Nikon.

You can checkout my photostream on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/phalgunp/tags/e520/

See all 65 customer reviews…

Olympus Evolt E500 8mp Digital Slr With

The new Olympus E-520 digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera delivers brilliant images thanks to modern technologies that support take the blur out. Industry leading Image Stabilization built into the portable camera body compensates for motion so that images are sharp and blur-free with any lens and even at slow shutter speeds. Autofocus Live View brings subjects into sharp focus on the camera’s HyperCrystal II LCD. Together, these technologies manufacture awful results, along with the following features that further exaggerate the DSLR experience.

Manufacturer Description

The new Olympus E-520 digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera delivers brilliant images thanks to innovative technologies that support take the blur out. Industry leading Image Stabilization built into the portable camera body compensates for motion so that images are sharp and blur-free with any lens and even at slow shutter speeds. Autofocus Live View brings subjects into sharp focus on the camera’s HyperCrystal II LCD. Together, these technologies manufacture amazing results, along with the following features that further exaggerate the DSLR experience:

• In-Body Image Stabilization with Supersonic Wave Drive engineering provides blur-free images when using any of the more than 30 digital-specific lenses;
• Face Detection Technology targets and locks on faces to see to it they are in focus and blur-free for amazing portraits;
• Shadow Adjustment Technology opens up detail in the shadows that other cameras would render too dark or underexposed while sustaining detail in the highlights; and
• Perfect Shot Preview enables photographers to view and select White Balance and Exposure Compensation effects right on the LCD, and see how the effigy will look before they even capture it.

Evolt E520 Highlights

10-megapixel Live-MOS Sensor Get amazingly detailed, colorful and clear images with the 10-megapixel Live-MOS effigy sensor. This high-resolution sensor captures all the detail necessitated to make huge prints, or even crop without losing detail. The E-520 sensor’s high dynamic range, exact color rendition and low noise characteristics let you capture great images, even at high ISO settings.

Enhanced In-Body Image Stabilization For the original time, in-body Mechanical Image Stabilization has three modes for increased versatility. IS-1 mode for usual shooting adjusts the sensor on both the X and Y axes to remunerate for motion by the photographer so images stay sharp even at slow shutter speeds. To capture the motion of athletes and animals, and other moving subjects, the E-520 offers two specialized modes. IS-2 mode is idealisti for capturing a racecar flying down the track, sustaining the sense of motion while panning with the moving subject and keeping the camera horizontally to dramatically portray the car’s high speed. For sharp images of moving subjects like a basketball player charging up the court, the IS-3 mode allows a photographer to hold the camera vertically while panning. The artistic effects of panning heighten the shot and render the player in sharp detail with blurred background.

The Live View Experience The portable E-520’s modern autofocus Live View enables photographers to compose their images and fetch them into sharp focus on the HyperCrystal II LCD — just like a point-and-shoot camera. By plainly pressing the shutter button halfway, subjects come into focus on the LCD, so when the perfective moment occurs it is easy to compose, focus and capture sharp images while watching on the LCD. Live View makes it possible to shoot upward from a low angle for dramatic composition, in close for elaborate macro photos of an exotic insect, or over a crowd of humans at a tennis tournament.

New and Improved HyperCrystal II LCD The E-520’s viewable HyperCrystal II LCD is the key to it is Live View capabilities. While numerous LCD screens strength photographers to squint to preview images in bright sunlight or a dimly lit room, the E-520 features a large, bright 2.7-inch LCD display that incorporates new technology. It also offers twice the contrast for better observing in extreme light conditions, a more prominent color gamut that displays a dandier range of color detail, and a 176-degree looking at angle.

Always Find a Face in the Crowd The E-520’s Face Detection reduces the prospect of blurred subjects in photography by distinguishing amongst people’s faces and the background. It tracks up to eight faces within the effigy area even if humans are moving and mechanically focuses and optimizes exposure for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures.

In Sunshine or the Shadows, Never Miss a Detail Shooting scenes with shadows may be tricky because of the extreme contrast amidst dark and bright areas. The E-520 addresses this challenge with Shadow Adjustment Technology that compensates for uttermost contrast and maintains visible detail in both the shadow and spotlight areas of the scene. Now users may preview and capture images showing the shadow detail they saw. This feature is likewise available in the Edit menu after the shot has been taken.

Preview a Multitude of Possibilities Perfect Shot Preview enables users to preview and select from a potpourri of thumbnail previews of the photographic effects of white remainder and exposure compensation adjustments live on the LCD before taking the photograph. It is an idealisti way for novice users to learn with regards to the effects of dissimilar photography techniques, visually, without having to scroll through menu options. With 20 preset scene-select modes for each imaginable shooting scenario from underwater photography to fireworks, and program, automatic modes and full manual controls, the E-520 offers a world of future prospects or potentials to photographers.

Experience Life underneath the Sea Olympus will offer the PT-E05 optional underwater housing for the E-520 to grant photographers to document the richness of life in the depths. Capable of reaching depths of 130 feet underwater, the housing will make sure that divers will not miss an effigy for the duration of their journeys to the abyss. Special underwater scene modes on the E-520 will assure that the camera is set up correctly for underwater use.

Wireless Flash Capability Sometimes wireless flashes may aid photographers cast the best light on their subjects and capture outstanding images. For this reason, the E-520 is compatible with the Olympus FL-50R and FL-36R wireless electronic flashes that are designed exclusively for digital photography. When these flashes are employed in combining with the E-520, wireless multi-flash photography is possible. The E-520 may control up to three wireless flash groups independently, with multiple flash units in each group.

TruePic III for Image Clarity & Speed The 10.1-megapixel E-520’s TruePic III Image Processor gives rise to crystal-clear photos using all of the pixel info for each effigy to provide the best digital images possible for each photo with exact color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies and precise tonal representation in between. TruePic III likewise lowers effigy noise by one step to reduce graininess in images shot at higher ISO settings, enabling great results in low-light situations.

Dust Reduction System for Spot-Free Images Life moves too fast to spend time worrying when it comes to dust ruining the perfective image. Olympus’ proven Dust Reduction System formulates spot-free photos with the exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter. The patented ultrasonic engineering science vibrates to remove dust and other corpuscles from the front of the effigy sensor and captures it on a particular adhesive membrane each time the camera is turned on. These spot-free photos liberate users from hours expended retouching photographs at the computer or sending their cameras back to the manufacturer to remove dust trapped inside.

Easy to Handle, Easy to Operate The E-520 is exceedingly portable, measuring 5.35 inches (width) by 3.6 inches (height) and 2.68 inches (depth), excluding protrusions, and weighing 16.75 ounces (body only). The new camera has a classic penta-mirror design that is light and compact sufficient to shoot with all day. It features a comfortable ergonomic grip to ascertain that the camera fits snugly in the hand. Beyond it is portable size, the E-520 has an expanded menu for more outstanding control and buttons on the body for quick and easy direct access to the most mutual settings. Accepting both CompactFlash Type I & II, Microdrives and xD-Picture Cards, the camera provides a choice of data-storage choices for intensified flexibility, and it is possible to transfer effigy files from one card to the other right inside the camera.

100-percent Digital-Specific Lens for Sharpness and Rich Colors The E-520 outfit includes a compact, Zuiko Digital 28-84mm equivalent (ED 14-42 mm Four Thirds) f3.5-f5.6 lens that perfectly matches the imager so light strikes the sensor directly to ascertain rich, precise colors and edge-to-edge sharpness. Its 3x ED Glass zoom lens covers the range most often employed in photography and weighs just 7.5 ounces, supplying users an exceedingly dynamic, portable, everyday-use zoom. Close-ups as near as 9.84 inches (0.25 m) are possible allround the zoom range. This lens is portion of Olympus’ expanding line of 100 percent digital lenses — designed specifically for digital photography. Unlike other camera companies, Olympus does not rely on old film lenses, which many times result in images with soft edges or other imperfections.

What’s in the Box

E-520 body, 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko lens, USB cable, video cable, Li-Ion battery pack (BLM-1), Li-Ion battery charger (BCM-2), shoulder strap, Olympus Master software CD-ROM, manuals and warranty card

Review from dpreview.com

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Olympus Evolt E500 8mp Digital Slr With Image

Olympus Evolt E500 8mp Digital Slr With Picture

Olympus Evolt E500 8mp Digital Slr With Picture

Olympus Evolt E500 8mp Digital Slr With Photo

Olympus Evolt E500 8mp Digital Slr With Pic