Sorry to Say, but not a winner for Olympus
Written: Aug 13 '03 (Updated Aug 13 '03)
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Pros: Crisp Viewfinder, Strong 4X Zoom
Cons: Not a true SLR, SLOW Shutter Speeds, Bulky, Heavy
The Bottom Line: This unit is NOT an upgrade. Lots of room to improve.
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| justinsdaddy's Full Review: Olympus Camedia E-20N Digital Camera |
The 5 megapixel E20N doesn’t correct the limits in the design of the E10. The Olympus engineers missed out on the market of the E10 and totally ignored what their own consumer level digi cams were offering as well as the competition.
The E20N is a large heavy camera that has solid professional feel. Those who like or need the traditional "click and slap" noise can use the built-in shutter/mirror sound effect, its gimmicky but is also available on the other Olympus cameras.
When you take a snap shot the lense/viewfinder actually blacks for a moment giving the feel of a true 35mm film camera. Why bother guys, the idea is to go forward not backward in life. I think this is a silly waste but its there.
The E20N’s shows the exact image that is in frame in the viewfinder. The E20 doesn’t make use of a mirror in the unit rather it uses a functioning prism that will split the image between the viewfinder and the CCD image (memory card).
The E20's lens is a very large fixed mount 4X zoom, with an 'ED' glass and two aspherical elements to help reduce chromatic malfunciotning.
Since this lens is NOT interchangeable the CCD imager is never exposed to any natural elements such as dust, airborne contaminants, moisture or fingerprints. The F2.0 maximum aperture is ratehr fast and multi-blade diaphragm give a true depth of field control.
Although the zoom's focal length is manually controlled like 35mm SLR zooms by turning a ring on the lens, the fact that it is NOT an interchangeable lens is why I don't feel that this is a true SLR camera. While you can add lenses such as a wide angle (at a cost of $179) you are somewhat limits in lens modifications. Unlike shall we say a Canon, or Nikon which has truly interchangebale lenses.
Some of the nicer features are:
White Balance
Sharpeness: Hard, Normal or Soft
Contrast: High, Normal or Low
Interval Timer/ Time-lapse Mode: The camera will take pictures automatically (from 1 minute to 24 hours) until the batteries die or the memory card is full.
Noise Reduction
Fast Focus
Two types of Storage Media (Smartmedia, and Compact Flash), Come on Olympus even your C-5050 has the new XD ability, what are you thinking?
The battery life is less than I would have expected, so always, YES ALWAYS have at lease one spare set, and you should look to purchase re-chargeable batteries. They are not inlcuded from Olympus with this unit. Also a downside!
Resolution: 5.24 megapixels 2560 x 1920 (interlaced scan mode) or 1792 x 1344 (progressive scan mode)
LCD Screen: 1.8”
Viewfinder: Optical (TTL w/full info display)
Flash: Built-in multi mode and external flash capable. PC Flash Sync for Studio and PC Sync type flash units.
Image Formats: RAW, TIFF, JPEG
Metering: Multi-pattern ESP, Center-Weighted, and Spot
Exposure Modes: Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, & Manual
White Balance: Auto, Preset (7 step from 3000K to 7500K) & Manual
Histogram: yes
Sensitivity/ISO: User selectable 80, 160, & 320
Shutter Speed: 60 seconds to 1/640th of a second plus (IS mode) 1/18,000th of a second (PS mode) “B” (up to 8 minutes)*
Shutter Lag: 60 Ms
Exposure Compensation: ±3 EV in 1/3 EV steps)
Lens: 4X Zoom, f2.0-f2.4/35-140mm (35mm equiv) 14 elements in 11 groups. Filter size 62mm
Power: 2 CR-V3 lithium or 4 AA batteries "BUY RECAHRGABLES NIMH)
Storage Media: Dual Slot CF or SM (32mb SM card is included) You should look into buying a larger memory card. With 5megapixels the 32mb does not hold very many shots appx 16 at the high resolution.
Connectivity: Auto-Connect USB, easily recognized by most computer running Windows XP
Overall this is a nice camera, but when push comes to shove it just does not make the grade. Other camera are faster (Nikon, Minolta, Sony) The time this camera takes to store an image feels like forever. You may miss that one shot as a result, that you where looking to get if using it to capture wildlife.
In closing:
I would figure that with the price of this camera there would have, or should have been at least a 64mb or 128mb memory card, this is a 5megapixel unit!
Where are the proper batteries?
The accessories for the camera (ie. the optional “Power Grip” costs $600) are expensive to say the least.
The camera is pretty but bulky, and heavy. Also somewhat clumsy to use because it is slow to write, and recover to be ready for the next shot.
I could go on and on in writing but I feel that it is better said that you can do better in looking for an SLR digital camera. I hate to say it, because I am a loyal Olypmus user. I own the C-5050, owned the C-4040, and C-3030. I will let my dad keep this one!
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 1750
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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