Olympus E-420 Digital SLR Preview

Camera Reviews Featured Olympus Uncategorized

Olympus E-420 – World’s Smallest Digital SLR

Olympus E-420 Digital SLR

Olympus E-420 Final Pro Review >>

The 10-megapixel Olympus E-420 is currently the world’s smallest digital SLR. It makes the Canon EOS Rebel XSi / 450D look positively chunky. Olympus recently sent us an E-420 for evaluation so I thought I’d get a short preview up while we work on our comprehensive review.



Olympus E-420 & Canon EOS Rebel XSi / 450D

Since I do a lot of outdoor photography where size and weight are an issue, I’m a fan of the compact Olympus Four-Thirds digital SLRs. This is just a quick preview of the E-420 but I did take it out on the mountain bike a couple of times and there’s almost no penalty carrying it. Like the other Olympus E-System digital SLRs, it has Live View and a dust reduction system. The kit comes with a 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ED lens (28-84mm equivalent). It also has a full range of exposure controls and a pop-up flash. The one thing you trade for the small size is the Olympus sensor-level mechanical image stabilization. In good light that won’t matter. But in low light or with long lenses it will be missed.

Olympus E-420 - World’s Smallest Digital SLR

I originally thought the E-420 used the same sensor as the E-510. But Olympus recently informed me it’s a new sensor with more light-sensitive area on each pixel. This should mean less noise and improved image quality. I believe my E-420 photos reflect that with a better tonal range and less of a tendency to blow out highlights or block up in the shadows.

It’s great to have digital SLR performance in a camera the size of a rangefinder or high-end compact like the Canon G9. In my limited testing, E-420 image quality appears to be better than the E-510. It may require a few compromises, but for photographers who want the most performance in the smallest package, I think Olympus has something special in the E-420. Stay tuned for a complete, hands-on review…

Olympus E-420 Final Pro Review >>

Olympus E-420 Studio Sample Photos

Canon EOS Rebel XSi Studio Sample Photos ISO 100 Sample >>
ISO 200 Sample >>
ISO 400 Sample >>
ISO 800 Sample >>
ISO 1600 Sample >>

Olympus E-420 Sample Photos:

Spring Blossoms - Olympus E-420 High-Res Sample Photo Salt lake City Mountain Biking - Olympus E-420 Sample Photo Jungle Cat - Olympus E-420 High-Res Sample Photo Olympus E-420 ISO 800 High-Res Sample Photo

Olympus E-420 DSLR - Top
Olympus E-420 - Back


Related Content:
Olympus E-420 User Reviews
Olympus E-420 Press Release
All Olympus Reviews
All Digital SLR Reviews
Olympus Cameras Forum
Digital SLR Forum
Olympus Cameras Web Site

About the author: Photo-John

Photo-John, a.k.a. John Shafer, is the managing editor of PhotographyREVIEW.com and has been since the site launched back in 1999. He's an avid outdoor enthusiast and spends as much time as possible on his mountain bike, hiking or skiing in the mountains. He's been taking pictures for ever and ever, and never goes anywhere without a camera.


Related Articles


NOTE: There are two ways to comment on our articles: Facebook or Wordpress. Facebook uses your real name and can be posted on your wall while Wordpress uses our login system. Feel free to use either one.

Facebook Comments:



Wordpress Comments:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*
*