Strengths: Great build and feel.
Excellent IQ
Articulated screen very useful for studio work
Good and accurate autofocus
Weaknesses: Old tech
Write speed very slow
Bottom Line:
Another awesome antique from Ebay. This one came with 2 auxiliary lenses, one wide, one tele and the almost unused Olympus FL-40 flash outfit. An early version of photoshop was also included. This camera really rocks with stellar image quality, tack-sharp lenses and accurate autofocus. Built like a tank and about as heavy this beast gives the impression of a professional workhorse that was built to an exacting
professional standard. Makes a Nikon or canon entry level DSLR look very flimsy indeed. The downside of course lies in the fact that this old girl is now more than 7 years old and suffers from the 2002 perils of slow write speed and power hungry electronics. But it can still do almost any job admirably and produces brilliant
pictures.
Strengths: Superior optics, extremely well designed ergonomically, overall robust construction, easy of use and versatility, quality engineering throughout
Weaknesses: slow write to the card
Bottom Line:
This was my second digital camera, the first being an entry-level zoom model. I was attracted first by the form, it being very much like my Olympus IS-3 DLX. It's akin to the shape of the then current video cameras. It is a heavy unit, even more so than the IS-3, but the shape and overall ergonomics make it very easy to handle and contribute to it's stability and general comfort in your hands.
Then lens is phenomenal opening up to F2.0-2.4 depending upon the zoom. It features a permanently mounted 35-140 (film equivalent) lens. Fantastic optics and clarity. There is a teleconverter for both a longer and a wider zoom. I have the wide angle adaptor which gives the camera an effective 28mm bottom end. I can't get to excited about it as it is very large and tends to curve the image at the sides.
Other than that, the basic zoom lens is nearly flawless in its performance. I do believe that Olympus has made some of the very best lenses for the money. The controls are more or less intuitive, though one must refer to the manual on occasion.
Yes, it's only a 5MB camera, but I simply have not found a picture than I could not blow up to most any reasonable size. The pixels in this camera are 5MB worth of quality.
The one downside that you'll read about elsewhere is that it does take a while to write the image to the card(s). By the way, it uses both CF and SM cards. There is a slot for one of each.
Strengths: Lens & image quality (35-140mm is very usable and 5mp is more than sufficient to 8x10)
Weaknesses: Slow write/flush times
Bottom Line:
Exceptionable build quality with image quality to match. It's been superceded by the new E1 and the newer 8mp prosumers out-spec it. Nevetherless, it's still an exceptional camera as long as you can live with its weaknesses and are willing to learn how to exploit its strengths.
Biggest disappointment is the slow write/flush times. If you're photography requires fast sequence shooting like action or sports, look elsewhere.
Biggest plus is the lens/image quality. Lens is bright (f/2.0-2.4) and its zoom range covers a very usable 35mm-140mm (great for portraits/lanscape). Having graduated from a Fuji S602 with motorized zoom, the mechanical zoom on the E-20 is a revelation. Images are very neutral in color and contrast, lending themselves well to post processing.
Camera feels great in-hand and virtually all controls are easily accessible through on-camera buttons. The only exception being the histogram display function, which is accessed through the PC-data connection menu (?). Favorite shortcut is the custom white balance button located on the grip just next to the lens. Pressing it fires the shutter, with flash if selected, to capture a custom white balance without having to dig through any menus/settings.
Lack of interchangeable lenses hasn't been a problem. I have the TCON 14B, WCON 08B and MCON 35 to extend zoom range to 200mm, widen it to 28mm, and tighten macro distance to less than 4inches, respectively. Those lenses would have cost significantly more on a DSLR (but that D-70 sure looks tempting).
If you're contemplating an E-xx, I highly recommend reading the discussions theads about it on the Olympus SLR forum on > as well as the comprehensive reviews on >, > and >. That way you'll get a balance of owner feedback and professional opinions.
In terms of finding one, Olympus runs its own company store on EBay. New and refurbished E20s show up about once a week and include their warranty,
Similar Products Used: Other digicam is a Fuji S602 (now backup)
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
imageexcellence
a Professional
Date Reviewed: January 26, 2004
Strengths: Excellent image quality, extremely versitile for this type of camera. Multiple color temps, multiple modes including manual, works well with studio flash. For corporate-event type photography, it is wonderful, except in dark situations (see "weaknesses, below).
Weaknesses: The buffer download time can really be a bottleneck for a pro shooting high-res jobs. The lens is not linear at wide angles, especially with the WA adapter. Autofocus and even manual focus is sometimes impossible in low-light situations. Very easy to forget to set the color temp when using studio flash.
Bottom Line:
For what it is and what it was designed for, this camera kicks butt. I am a professional shooting everything from newspaper work to high-end magazine assignments to portraits and (gasp) the occastional wedding if somebody offers me enough. I purchased this camera for spot news, some studio, digital test shots in the studio and on location, and to back up my 35mm equipment. I had battery concerns, and so I bought a Quantum Turbo at $200 instead of the $500 Olympus battery grip, but let me tell you a secret-- buy the new 15-minute 2,200 MHr NiMH batteries. I'm filling up an entire half-gig card with one set, and if I bring along the charger, I have a constant stream of fresh batteries without a big device hanging off the bottom! Will I get a Canon 1Ds when I get the funds? You bet, but this will be in the bag right next to it. Many a time I have shot a few digital images with this camera just to cover myself when shooting medium format, and the client picked out the digital shots for use. Under good circumstances, it can go to 11 x 14 in without a problem. Again, you have to know the camera's limitations, but within those limitations, it has no peer.
