Olympus E-520: Review

Posted to Digital SLR 2009-08-20

Olympus E-520 Review:

The Olympus E-520 DSLR is Olympus' latest model in the upper entry-level segment of the DSLR market. It replaces the highly successful E-420. The new DSLR features in-camera image stabilization (sensor-shift), autofocus with Live View and face-detection technology. The camera features a 10MP live-MOS sensor, a dust reduction system (sensor vibration) and a 2.7" Hypercrystal II LCD display with 230,000 dots.

Additional features include shadow adjustment technology, which adjusts the exposure in shadows while retaining details in the bright areas, 20 preset scene modes, and Perfect Shot Preview, which allows you to view and select the effect you want and see how the image will look before taking the shot. The camera uses Olympus' new TruePic III image processor and is compatible with the Olympus FL-50R and Fl-36R wireless flash units.

Rating:

3.6 out of 5

Value

The E-520 is available with an excellent kit lens, a 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko, at a very reasonable street price. In fact, it's one of the lowest-priced 10MP DSLRs on the market. Given the number of features that Olympus' has packed into this compact DSLR, this makes it an excellent value for the money. The camera has enough auto functions to make the transition from a point and shoot camera an easy one, yet allows plenty of room to grow with full manual control of most settings.

Performance

This would be 5 stars but for a couple of items. One is that the image quality at high ISOs is a little disappointing. This shouldn't be surprising, as the four-thirds sensor system used by Olympus is the smallest in the DSLR market, and a smaller sensor means more noise. The other item is the camera's small viewfinder, which feels a bit cramped. On the other hand, image quality at lower ISOs is excellent, and the E-520's in-camera JPEG processing is as good as it gets. Continuous shooting times are also excellent at 3.5fps.

Summary

If you're ready to replace your stripped-down entry-level DSLR, or taking a step up from the point and shoot world, the Olympus E-520 definitely deserves a hard look. It has all the features of any of its upper entry-level competition, and you just can't beat the price with the kit lens. If you can live with the small viewfinder (Live View helps here) and shoot mostly in good lighting, then this could be the right DSLR for you.

Pros

10MP resolution
Live View with autofocus
In-camera image stabilization
2.7

Cons

high ISOs is a little disappointing