Olympus E-500

Reviewed February 2006

Image Quality

Digital single lens reflex (dSLR) cameras are attracting a growing audience, and some of the reasons for this growth involve the versatility SLR cameras offer in terms of optics, and the image quality they yield.

The Olympus Evolt E-500 joins other SLRs geared to a non-professional audience. The camera offers Program, Priority and Manual shooting modes, a variety of scene modes, and an unusually flexible Auto mode. In addition, it also offers a few features that up to now have not been seen on other dSLR cameras.

The Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system is one such feature and is only found on Olympus dSLR cameras. The system is effective at eliminating most microscopic dust specs that can settle on the CCD, and helps ensure a consistent image quality.

Another example of features that are so far specific to Olympus is a selectable compression ratio, for both the HQ and SQ image qualities. This feature allows the user to select a compression as low as 1/2.7. This feature should be standard on all dSLR cameras, but regrettably is not.

In addition to offering a choice of compression, the E500 can capture RAW format images simultaneously with any one of three JPEG format images (SHQ, HQ, or SQ), a flexibility that also goes beyond what is currently available on other dSLR cameras.

The RAW format of the E500 is supported by Olympus Master, part of the software included with the camera, and even allows a modest level of editing prior to saving a copy of the image into a more broadly supported image format. Moreover, for users equipped with Adobe Photoshop, the ORF files of the Olympus RAW format are fully editable using the latest RAW Plug-in. And, beyond a useable RAW format and a selectable compression level for two of its JPEG formats, the E-500 also offers a TIFF format that can be used immediately and is well-suited to printing.

The SHQ format, the highest quality JPEG image format available with the E-500, warrants a special mention. The compression applied with the SHQ format is very light, and the image quality and detail make it almost indistinguishable from either the RAW or TIFF formats, but admittedly, without the ease of post-capture correction offered by the RAW format, nor the colour range of TIFF which can be necessary with some types of printing.

When left to its default settings, the E-500 produces images that have accurate, but muted colours. For those who prefer more vibrant colours, the Picture Mode option can be set to Vivid, boosting colour saturation to levels that are similar to what other dSLR cameras produce.

The lenses included in the kit version of the E-500, both Zuiko Digital lenses, one a 14-45 mm f3.5/5.6, the other a 40-150 mm f3.5/4.5, turn out to be excellent value. The 14-45 mm, which is equivalent to a 28-90 mm lens on a 35 mm camera, includes 2 aspherical elements, and as a result the lens has minimal barrel distortion at the wide angle end, no pincushion at the telephoto end, and is entirely free of chromatic aberration throughout its focal length range.

With the E-500, noise appears more tamed than with previous Olympus dSLR cameras, and is significantly lower than on a compact digital camera using a smaller sensor. For example, photos shot in daylight at 800 ISO show a level of noise that is comparable to images captured with a compact camera at 200 ISO. And at 1600 ISO, the E-500's upper sensitivity limit, noise is comparable to the 400 ISO level of many current compact cameras with a similar resolution.

A low sensitivity to noise is just one aspect of the E-500 that merits mention. The metering, — in particular the ESP + AF metering, which links the averaging pattern to the focus point, and which is the default — yields very well-exposed images. Similarly, photos show very little loss of detail in both highlights and shadows, even when the scene contains a great range of contrast.

Likewise, the built-in pop-up flash produces excellent results, albeit with some practice to fully take advantage of its functions. Regrettably, the instruction manual supplied with the E-500 is not as clear on flash photography with the camera as it should be.

With the E-500 in hand, the difference between its Four Thirds CCD and the sensors used in other digital SLRs is only noticeable when framing a shot, or printing one. The E-500's CCD yields an image that has the proportions of a standard television (4:3), but not those of a print. With 4 x 6 inch prints, or 5 x 7 prints, parts of the image get cut-off.

But, by the same token, while its image proportion may be different than other current dSLR cameras, the in-hand weight and feel of the E-500 is not really different than that of a Pentax *ist D, or of a Canon Rebel XT. Effectively, the E-500 is as they are, light to carry, user-friendly and able to yield a professional quality image.

Moreover, as a kit with both the 18-45 mm and 40-150 mm zoom lenses, the E500 is nothing short of very good value, and is well-deserving of focused attention from all amateur photographers.