Olympus EVOLT E-520

Reviewed December 2008

Ergonomics

As compact digital single-lens reflex cameras go, the E-520 is among the smallest and lightest. With its 14-42mm (28-84 quivalent) F/3.5-5.6 Zuiko ED Digital lens it weighs in at only 27 ounces. That compares very favorably with compact models from some other well-known camera makers that tip the scales in the three-pound range.

Lenses are attached to the E-520 through a Four Thirds mount at the front of the camera. The lenses are specifically designed to work with the unit's Four Thirds image sensor. To marry a lens to the DSC, a red dot on the lens is lined up with a red dot on the mount and the lens turned clockwise. To remove the lens, the glass is turned in the opposite direction while holding down the lens release button located beside the mount at the left side of the camera. The red dots are a good size and easy to see. Changing lenses can be done quickly and smoothly.

Zooming with the lens is controlled by a ring at the base of the glass. It has ridges that make it easier to grip. However, we found the ring a bit stiff to rotate. At the front of the lens is another ring for manually focusing. It, too, is ridged, but in a different pattern so it can be distinguished by touch from the zoom ring. The manual focus ring turned more smoothly than the zoom ring. One advantage of the torque differences needed to turn the rings is that you can easily determine which ring you're turning by twist alone and without removing your eye from the camera's viewfinder.

On the front of the camera's hand grip is a large red LED that flashes when photos are taken in self-timer or remote mode. The hand grip is very comfortable to hold and nicely contoured to fit the fingers. On some cameras, the self-timer lamp also doubles as an auto-focus assist light for obtaining the proper focus in low-light conditions. The E-520, though, uses its built-in flash for that purpose.

On top of the digcam controls can be found both to the left and right of the viewfinder housing.

To the left of the viewfinder there's a button for manually popping up the camera's built-in flash and one for immediately displaying the continuous shooting menu on the LCD. In Playback mode pressing the continuous shooting button will store a copy of the image on the display on the unit’s storage medium.

Atop the viewfinder housing is a hotshoe for connecting an external flash unit to the camera.

To the left of the viewfinder is the Mode dial. It allows you to switch to three custom shooting modes--Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual; a Program mode; five easy shooting modes and 20 scene modes.

At about 11 o'clock from the Mode dial is a small LED labeled SSWF (Super Sonic Wave Filler). It blinks blue when the camera is turned on to signal that the unit's ultrasonic dust fighting system is cleaning its sensor.

At one o'clock from the Mode dial is the exposure compensation button and in front of that, the shutter release. The power switch is a tabbed ring around the Mode dial. Located as it is in a recessed area occupied by the Mode dial and Control dial, it's a little awkward to manipulate. On the other hand, it's also less likely to be inadvertently activated or deactivated in that area.

At the back of the camera is its 2.7-inch, 230,000-dot color LCD. Menus and images can be displayed there and in Live View mode, photos can be framed and shot through it. You can also preview on it setting changes to a shot you're about to take.

To the left of the LCD are buttons for entering Playback mode, trashing photos, entering the menu system and paging through screens of information about an image. In Live View, the INFO button allows you to make modifications to the focus, exposure and other settings for a shot.

Above the LCD is the optical viewfinder. It has a very cozy removable rubber eyepiece. Beside it is a diopter dial for adjusting the VF to a person's eyesight. Manipulating the tiny dial is challenging, but no more so than similar controls found in other cameras.

Below the diopter dial is the auto-exposure/auto-focus lock. It can act as an alternative to partially depressing the shutter button to obtain the focus and exposure for a shot. In Playback mode, the AEL/AFL control will protect an image so it cannot be accidently erased.

Below the focus-exposure lock button is the image stabilization (IS) control. Each time it is pressed, it will page through the unit's IS settings.

To the right of the Live View button is the Arrow Pad formed by four curved buttons around an OK button. The curved buttons can be used for navigating through menus and information screens. The OK button is used to select menu items, as well as toggle between the main information screen and Master Control Panel. From the main information screen, the curved buttons let you quickly change the White Balance, Auto Focus, ISO and metering settings for a shot.

At six o'clock from the Arrow Pad is the camera's micro USB port protected by a rubber cover. The port can be used for both computer transfers and display of images on a TV.

At one o'clock from the Arrow Pad and below the Control dial are the function (Fn) and AF target buttons. The Fn button can be programmed from a menu to perform a variety of tasks. The AF target control is used for choosing a target scheme for the unit's auto focusing system.

On the right side of the camera is a compartment with slots for an xD or CompactFlash card, as well as a microdrive. At the bottom of the unit is a tripod mount and compartment for the camera's rechargeable lithium ion battery.