This is the start of something new for us here at G Style Magazine. This is our first camera review! As we constantly evolve and cover more consumer tech, we will start to cover items we might have before. To kick off covering cameras, we decided to go with the newly released Olympus E-620. If I was going to sum up this camera, I would say it is a great camera for the semi pro crowd and a decent DSLR.
When I’m not working at G Style, I like to do some photography when I get a chance….*shameless plug in 3…2….1..* (www.vmsphotography) and I’ve always wanted to get into the DSLR game. My previous camera was the Olympus C5060 Wide Zoom and while it has served me well, it was time for something with a little more kick. The E-620 is just that. From start up to snapping of the picture, the E-620 worked flawlessly!
Boot up time for the camera was fairly quick, taking only about 3-5 seconds at most. and toggling between options and settings was easy and smooth. The E-620 came with what is called Art Filters, 6 of them to be exact. This is great for someone who was to show off their more creative side. Each art filter makes automatic changes to the camera settings to focus on a specific look. There is Pop Art which super-saturates colors, creating brighter, more vivid photographs. Soft Focus creates a dreamlike quality giving photographs a fantasy feel. Pale and Light Color brings soft, flat light and pastel coloring to photographs. Grainy Film my personal favorite produces a gritty high-contrast black-and-white film look. Light Tone brightens the image and its darker areas, providing more detail. Pin Hole darkens the outer edges of a photograph, therefore enhancing the subject in the center and bringing the photograph to life. All of these are in addition to the many other setting from Aperture, Shutter, and the existing scene selections from Olympus like Portrait, e-Portrait, Landscape, Sport, and Night scene to name a few.
When it comes to look, this camera definitely has the retro feel of the cameras of old. Though being a digital camera, it definitely has the feel of a film camera. For those of you who have been using a point and shoot digital camera for some time now, this would be a new experience. Many of us are use to clicking the shutter button, but sometimes waiting a sec or two while the camera takes the picture. But not with a DSLR and not with the Olympus E-620. Anyone with kids, will love this camera! But now let’s get to some specs and price. This Olympus E-620 has the following:
–12.3-megapixel – The powerful 12.3-megapixel Live-MOS sensor means you’ll capture more detail than ever before in your pictures. And you’ll have the flexibility to crop and still produce large, detailed prints.
–Aspect ratios – Express yourself by altering how you frame the world — choose from four aspect ratios, from the standard 4:3 to the cinematic 16:9. By selecting an aspect ratio before shooting and easily reviewing images on the LCD throughout the shoot, the Multi-Aspect function adds a new means of expression to your photography.
–AF system – The seven-point twin AF system has five twin-cross AF points with two horizontal and two vertical lines and two twin vertical pairs in a houndstooth alignment which allow for more accurate focusing than a single line sensor. Twin AF points means you’ll get accurate focus and capture the best images possible.
–In-Body Image Stabilization – In-Body Image Stabilization is a state-of-the-art technology that prevents camera shake. Built into the camera body, Olympus’ image stabilization works by moving the image sensor and it works with all Four Thirds Zuiko Digital lenses from the 8mm fisheye (16mm equivalent in 35mm photography) to the 300mm super telephoto (600mm equivalent) for handheld shots. Shoot in low light and slower shutter speeds without worry.
–Continuous shooting – Fire off a burst of shots at four frames per second continuous shooting. The E-620’s burst rate is perfect for capturing the ideal shot at a backyard birthday party or at a youth soccer game.
–TruePic III+ Image Processor – Olympus’ TruePic III+ Image Processor produces clear and colorful photos using all the pixel information for each image to provide the best digital images possible, it also lowers image noise in photos shot at higher ISO settings, enabling great results in low-light situations.
So how much will this beauty set you back? While there are a range of prices for the camera body itself to the camera body and 2 two lenses. The Olympus sites retails it for $699.99 with a 14-42mm lenses, but if you shop around you can fine it anywhere from $577 to $800 with both a 14-42mm and 40-150mm lenses.
For more information check out www.olympus.com
