image: Olympus E-420
The compact E-420 has 2.7in LCD display at the back

Review: Olympus E-420 digital camera

'World's smallest' digital SLR gets a revamp

Written by Gavin Stoker, Computeractive

Larger Image

Verdict:

Good points

  • Improved grip over the earlier E-410 and £170 cheaper on launch
  • Faster operation, while larger LCD screen aids visibility
  • More consistent white balance performance from shot to shot
  • Realistic colours, with a vivid option to increase saturation still further

Bad points

  • Functional improvements over the earlier E-410 are relatively minor ones
  • Two of the E-410’s scene modes have sunk without a trace

Overall An excellent choice if you want a more professional camera that's still compact and easy to use.

Rating:

n/a

Price:

£330 (body only); £450 (with 50mm pancake lens)

A year on from the Olympus E-410 comes the company's new entry-level model, the E-420.

Initially, the two 10-megapixel digital SLRs look identical, save for a raised ridge on the E-420’s grip, which affords a firmer hold on the camera. The lack of any true grip on its equally compact predecessor was disappointing, so this is a step forward.

Turn the camera on and you’re ready to shoot in a second. At the back the E-420 has a 2.7in screen, up from the 2.5in of its predecessor, though resolution remains the same so you won't see any more detail.

Advertisement

Dual memory slots – it can accept both Compactflash and XD cards – are still there, as is Live View, which allows the rear screen to be used for composing shots, rather like you’d find on a compact camera (it's not something normally found on digital SLR cameras, which typically only use the screen for reviewing shots).

The camera, when it's switched on, shakes its sensor free of any dust that has intruded (while changing lenses, for instance), but there’s still no built-in image stabilisation to counteract wobbling hands and avoid blurred images when shooting in low light (the higher-up E-520 has that).

A new processor – the brains of the camera - in the E-420 does allows a faster shooting speed of 3.5 frames per second, and Shadow Adjustment Technology (SAT for short) now automatically adjusts tricky exposures so that detail in both light and shade is maintained.

Despite the busy control layout, the E-420 is surprisingly easy to use. Light sensitivity is limited to a maximum of ISO1600, but whereas many rivals would display a destructive amount of image grain at this setting, the E-420 delivers relatively clear shots. Colours are realistic too, with the option to add punch with a Vivid setting.

Mysteriously though, the E-420 has lost two scene modes – the function whereby the camera automatically adjusts its settings depending on the subject you’ve told it you’re shooting – but since these were for shooting underwater, most users won’t grumble.

Incidentally, in tandem with the E-420 comes a new compact 50mm-equivalent portrait lens, its ‘pancake’ construction further helping to reduce the size and weight of this DSLR when you’re on the move.

Vista compatible: Yes

Manufacturer: Olympus 0800 072 0070

See more Digital Cameras

Reader comments

More from Computeractive

News

The latest home computing news

Downloads

The best PC tools, applications and more

Reviews

Independent opinions on new hardware and software

Step-by-step guides

Easy-to-follow projects with pictures

PC Help

Solve PC problems with our Q&A

Videos

PC projects demonstrated and product reviews

Articles

An in-depth look at how to get the best from your PC

Magazine

What's coming up in Computeractive

Forums

Get help with your PC problems from our readers

Competitions

Your chance to win computing prizes

Shopping

Great deals on products, services and more

Computeractive Back Issue CD-Rom 11
All 26 issues of Computeractive from 2008 on one CD-Rom.

Ultimate Guide to Free Computing
Find out how you can get free software, services and more!

Create your own calendars softwareCreate your own Calendars
The fun and easy way to create your own calendars!

Computeractive - Issue 280Computeractive Back Issues
Missed an issue? Click here to find a back issue

Save money on software and PC utilities!

Visit the Computeractive Software Store

Advertisement

Free email newsletters

Techno babble demystified...

[Display all definitions]

Or type in any computer-related word and click "Go"

Blogs

Windows Watch

Windows Watch

Keeping an eye on the latest XP and Vista news

Office 2010 preview

I had a meeting with Microsoft to have a look at Office 2010 and some of the changes that are being made....

Download Junkie

Download Junkie

Your daily dose of download discussion

Remove Norton products from your PC with Norton Removal Tool

It's well known that certain security applications can be difficult to completely remove from your PC. This is because security applications consist...

The test bed

The test bed

The hottest products, news and gossip from PCW's Labs

Traditional computing versus the app store

What will computers be like in ten years time? The answer is harder to predict now than if the same question was...

Primary Navigation

© Incisive Media Investments Limited 2010, Published by Incisive Financial Publishing Limited, Haymarket House, 28-29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4RX, are companies registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 04252091 & 04252093

Search computeractive.co.uk
opfine.com - markets sentiment analysis