Olympus E-620 Review

Olympus continues to improve their advanced amateur dSLR offering, with the latest E-620 for 2009. Replacing the E-520 from last year, the E-620 includes a host of improvements and changes over its predecessor. It also shares many features with its big brother, the E-30 we reviewed earlier in the year. These include the same 12-megapixel Live MOS image sensor, Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system, built-in Image Stabilizer system, TruePic III+ image processor, dual memory card slot (CF2/xD), USB 2.0 High-speed connectivity, sensitivity range from ISO 100-3200, sRGB and Adobe RGB color space choices, Li-ion battery pack (BLM-1), 49-point Digital ESP metering system, 2.7" swiveling Hypercrystal II LCD screen, and Live View capture. The E-620 also offers improved burst rates (4fps compared to 3.5fps on the E-520), adds 6 new Art Filter exposure modes, and a new 7-point TTL contrast/phase-difference AF system (11-point on the E-520).

Like past models, the E-620 offers a great deal of versatility, whether you are an amateur to professional photographer, or simply a novice. With 18 pre-programmed scene modes, 6 Art modes as well as full Auto, the most inexperienced user can pick this camera up and start capturing pleasing shots. Those with a little more experience with also appreciate Program AE mode, which is fully automatic (the camera selects the aperture and shutter values), however now they have access to controls like ISO, White Balance, AF mode, Metering, Color Space, etc. Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sport and Night+Portrait can be accessed directly via the Mode dial, and offer advanced exposure options like those found in Program mode. These same exposure options are not available when you select the Scene or Art positions on the mode dial. The E-620 still retains all of the advanced controls that advanced photographers desire, such as Aperture priority, Shutter speed priority and full Manual exposure modes as well as a slew of custom functions.

The dimensions of the E-620 have only changed slightly from the previous model, measuring 5.1 in. x 3.7in. x 2.4 in. (130 mm x 94 mm x 61 mm) and weighing in at 16.6 oz. (472 g, body only). The overall body design is very similar to past and current E-system models. I found the E-620 was comfortable to hold, thanks in part to the nice "fat" hand-grip, and rubber accents. The camera also offers a nice well-built feel in your hands, adding to the scene of "professionalizm" that it presents. Once you attach all of your accessories (memory card, 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko lens, battery, flash unit, etc.), the weight does increase a bit. However, I still feel the camera has a good weight to it. The control layout is similar to E-520's, however because of the new swiveling LCD, all of the buttons that use to line the left hand side of the screen have been relocated. Overall, I found the control/button placement was done well, all arranged in a comfortable manner over the top and back of the camera. For those who have used or owned an E-series dSLR in the past, you will notice that the menu system hasn't changed much. All of the exposure/camera options are logically organized, allowing for easy menu navigation.

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Olympus E-P1 Review

Olympus has finally released their first Micro 4/3 model, the E-P1 Digital PEN. With a retro look that comes from it's PEN family history, the E-P1 is a powerful and sophisticated digital camera. Many feel that these new Micro 4/3 cameras are not truly dSLRs, because they do not have an automatic moving mirror system. However, the E-P1, along with the Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1 and DMC-GH1, are still interchangeable lens cameras that offer almost all of the same features/options one would find on true dSLR.

The E-P1 boasts some very appealing features, including a 12.3-Megapixel Live MOS image sensor, TruePic V image processor, Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system, 3.0-inch LCD screen, 324-area TTL ESP metering system, 11-area Contrast Detection AF system, sensor-shift Image Stabilization, built-in digital leveling, 720p HD video capture, JPEG and RAW image formats (RAW + JPEG available), sensitivity settings from ISO 100 - 6400 (in 1/3 or 1EV steps), hot shoe for external flash units or Optical Viewfinder, sRGB or Adobe RGB color space options, and burst mode shooting at up to 3fps.

While the E-P1 is loaded with advanced settings and options that you would find on other E-series models, like the E-620, it also shares some similarities with Olympus' consumer point-n-shoots. First being, the iAuto or "intelligent" Auto exposure mode. Just like with their consumer models, the E-P1 will gather information about the scene you are currently shooting, and automatically select the best Scene mode settings to ensure you get the best possible photos. Users can also choose from the typical Program AE, Aperture priority, Shutter speed priority, and full Manual exposure modes, that will give you as much control over the exposure process as you can handle. There are also 13 pre-programmed Scene modes to choose from (like Portrait, Landscape, or Sports) as well as 6 new Art filter modes that allow you to explore your creative side.

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Sony DSLR A380 Review

Sony's DSLR A380 is the top model in a suite of three Alpha DSLR cameras that were announced in late May. Ninety-two grams lighter than its predecessor, the 14.2-megapixel A380 replaces the DSLR-A350 in Sony's line-up. The new camera has been designed for newcomers to SLR photography and boasts a 2.7-inch Clear Photo LCD screen, SteadyShot INSIDE in-camera image stabilisation and dual slots that accommodate Memory Stick PRO Duo and SD/SDHC memory cards (Full functionality is not guaranteed with Memory Stick Duo cards).

Many of the specifications of the new model replicate those of its predecessor - which was reviewed by Photo Review in February 2008 - and the RRPs of both cameras appear to be the same. Both models feature the same sensor resolution, dust reduction system and body-integrated image stabiliser.

The AF system, sensitivity, exposure compensation and white balance presets are unchanged, although the A380 lacks the Kelvin adjustments of its predecessor. Shutter speeds are the same in both models. Both models offer Sony's Quick Autofocus (AF) Live View technology, so users can frame shots on the camera's LCD screen as well as in the optical viewfinder and enjoy fast autofocusing when shooting in Live View mode.

One noteworthy feature that makes the A380 a camera that novice buyers can 'grow' with is the A380's new graphical user interface (GUI). As well as being easy to read, it includes a built-in on-screen Help Guide that shows users the effect of changing aperture and shutter speed settings when the camera is set to the OVF (optical viewfinder) mode.

Margaret Brown

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Olympus E-620 Review

Olympus has established a tradition of offering very well specified cameras at the entry-level, and was one of the first to offer two cameras in this bracket - the little E-410 and its image-stabilized big brother, the E-510 (later upgraded to the 420 and 520 respectively). Now it has introduced the E-620, a model that will 'sell alongside' the E-420 and E-520 (in the sense that we suspect it will eventually replace the E-520) as the company's attempt at a '500D-killer'.

And, even by Olympus's standards of entry-level generosity, it's not short on toys - including an articulated screen to make full use of its live view system, which itself is one of the better implementations of this feature (from the company that got there first). It's also got 'Art' modes and the ability to shoot in four different aspect ratios - adapted from the features of the more expensive E-30. There's also in-body Image Stabilization and a level of configurability that is unparalleled in this class. In fact it's astonishing how much Olympus has crammed into its small dimensions - it's nearer to the size of the E-4X0 than the E-5X0 series (due in part to use of the small BLS-1 battery), and the E-420 was famously the smallest DSLR in the world.

Of course, since the E-620 was announced, Olympus has launched the E-P1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, which shares many features with the E-620 and is still smaller. However, the through-the-lens optical viewfinder and fast, phase-detection autofocus system mean that the E-620 shouldn't face too much of a threat from its more compact sibling (despite the degree of shared componentry, they're different cameras that fulfil rather different needs).

More importantly, perhaps, the E-620 seems to address some of the main shortcomings of the E-520 - the viewfinder is slightly larger and has been reworked so that the information panel appears below the view screen, rather than tucked-away off to the right. It also moves on from the old three-point AF system with the introduction of a seven-point version, which includes five cross-type sensors. In fact, the specification of the E-620 is so high that it makes as much sense for us to compare it to Olympus's semi-pro body, the E-30, as to the company's existing entry-level models.

Richard Butler and Lars Rehm

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Canon EOS Rebel T1i / 500D Review

The EOS Rebel T1i (also known as the EOS-500D) is the replacement of Canon's very successful Rebel XSi (EOS-450D). It takes everything that made the XSi such a hit and adds these improvements:

* 15.1 Megapixel CMOS sensor (up from 12.2)
* Uses DIGIC 4 image processor (XSi used DIGIC III)
* Higher resolution, 920,000 pixel LCD display (versus 230k on the XSi)
* Wider ISO range
* Records movies in Full HD (the XSi had no movie mode)
* HDMI output

That's not too bad of an upgrade! There are two things that got worse on the new Rebel T1i: battery life is down 20%, and the burst rate is slightly slower, though the latter isn't entirely surprising.

Everything else remains the same. The Rebel T1i is compact, supports both EF and EF-S lenses, and offers both automatic and full manual controls. And, as you'd expect from a digital SLR, it's quite expandable.

Jeff Keller

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