Photo Review Reviews section

Olympus Mju 500

Featuring a weather resistant metal body, 5-megapixel CCD and large ‘HyerCrystal’ LCD monitor the Mju 500 is a third-generation model in Olympus’ premium point-and-shoot range. The lens tucks behind a snug-fitting circular barrier, leaving the camera’s front surface smooth and flat. The button controls are small but well positioned, with a low profile that doesn’t gather pocket lint or other undesirable detritus, yet in no way hampers ease of use.

Olympus Camedia AZ-1

Sturdily built with a large LCD monitor, the Olympus Camedia AZ-1 combines some nice picture-taking facilities with superb picture sharing. Played-back photos and video clips look great on the large screen, which is bright and easy to view – even by several people at once. Only two controls adorn the back panel: the wide and tele rockers and the menu/OK button. The right side panel carries the on/off switch, still, movie and playback slider, and back/next toggle. A wheel accesses menu settings and the shutter button is elevated at one end.

Olympus E-520

9 Rating

An affordable, compact DSLR camera with built-in image stabilisation and live view support.Like the recently-released E-420, the new Olympus E-520 is an update of a previous model and doesn’t introduce any radically new features or functions. The tenth Olympus DSLR and the third in the 500 series, it has the same 10-megapixel imager as the E-510 with a few tweaks to the stabilisation and autofocus systems to improve handling and performance. Like its predecessor, the E-520 is targeted at photo enthusiasts.

Olympus E-510

9 Rating

A well-built, easy-to-use Four Thirds System DSLR with built-in dust minimisation and image stabilisation facilities.The differences between the Olympus E-510 and the E-410 model we reviewed last month are largely physical, but the less obvious, internal differences are highly significant. Targeted at more knowledgeable photographers, the E-510’s body is larger and 85 grams heavier, thanks to the addition of a built-in imager-shift stabilisation system. Its battery has a slightly higher capacity, supporting roughly 100 shots more per charge than the E-410’s. Otherwise the two cameras’ specifications are identical.

Olympus E-410

8.5 Rating

A well-built, ultra-compact DSLR camera with some excellent features for novice users.The smallest DSLR on the current market, the Olympus E-410 is 100 grams lighter than its nearest rival and offers 10-megapixel resolution. Targeted at ‘Everyday’ photographers (i.e. novice DSLR users), it’s as easy to operate as many long-zoom digicams but has the benefit of producing much better pictures, thanks to its significantly larger image sensor. Developed by Panasonic, this ‘LiveMOS’ sensor uses CMOS technology and has been developed to allow photographers to compose and capture shots with the camera’s 2.5-inch LCD.

Olympus E-5

8.5 Rating

A new flagship DSLR with upgraded resolution and image processing plus a larger, higher-resolution monitor.When Olympus unveiled its E-5 DSLR shortly before Photokina in mid-September 2010 it was seen as an affirmation of the company’s commitment to the Four Thirds System format. Despite a gap of three years between E-series models, the E-5 has the same rugged body as the E-3 and many similar (or identical) features. Overall, it can be seen as a relatively modest upgrade.

Olympus E-330

8 Rating

The first DSLR to provide a continuous live view of subjects in full colour plus an adjustable LCD monitor.FIRST LOOK: Olympus is renowned for product innovation so it should be no surprise to hear that it’s the first company to produce a digital SLR camera that provides a full-time, live view of the subject you’re shooting on its LCD screen, making a DSLR just as straightforward to use for shot composition as a compact digicam. To date, the only DSLRs that provided any kind of live view were the Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro and a special version of the Canon EOS 20D that was designed for astronomical photography. However, in both cases the “live” view was in monochrome and the display only lasted a second or two. In the E-330, the full-colour display is continuous.

Olympus E-30

8.8 Rating

A feature-rich Four Thirds System DSLR for photo enthusiasts.Designed for photo enthusiasts and amateur photographers who want a more sophisticated camera, the new Olympus E-30 is the first in a series of ‘double-digit’ models that will slot in between the ‘three-digit’ entry-level models and the professional ‘single-digit’ camera. The new camera’s 12.3-megapixel Live MOS sensor replaces the 10-megapixel imager currently used across the company’s DSLR range. The E-30 also features a new image processor.

Olympus E-3

8.5 Rating

A solidly-built, professional-quality DSLR for Four Thirds system enthusiasts.Olympus is targeting professional photographers and ‘advanced enthusiasts’ with its E-3 DSLR model, which replaces the four-year-old E-1, the world’s first Four Thirds system DSLR. However, the promise of smaller, lighter cameras claimed for the Four Thirds system is not delivered in the E-3, which is one of the heaviest DSLR bodies in the under-$5000 category. (Only Nikon’s D200 and D300 weigh more.) But size and weight aren’t the only factors influencing camera choice and the E-3 has plenty to recommend it.

Olympus SP-800 UZ

7.5 Rating

A compact, lightweight digicam with a 30x zoom lens plus 720p HD video recording.When it was unveiled in February, Olympus’s SP-800UZ was one of only two digicams with a 30x zoom lens. Claiming the advantage of being the world’s smallest in this category, the SP-800UZ boasts a 14-megapixel sensor and was released with a ‘sister’ model, the SP-600UZ which sports a 15x zoom lens and 12-megapixel resolution. Reviews of both models will appear on the Photo Review website.