Don Lindich’s Sound Advice Blog

Two  of the most interesting cameras I saw at the March 2007 PMA (Photo Marketing Association) trade show in Las Vegas were Olympus’ new digital SLRs, the Evolt E-410 and Evolt  E-510.   Their feature sets, combined with the design, reflects where I have long thought Olympus should go with their digital SLR line.

You see, Olympus made a name for itself with its original OM series of 35mm SLRs, introduced back in the  1970s starting with the OM-1 of 1972s.   The hallmark of the OM cameras and lenses were their compact size and originality- you saw features on them you did not see anywhere else, for example a shutter-speed ring on the lens  mount.   Compared to the competition from Canon, Nikon, Pentax, and Minolta, which were almost interchangeable in their  size and  basic design,  the Olympuses (Olympi?) definitely were distinctly different.   Below is a scan of a February 1987 Popular Photography magazine advertisement- almost exactly 20 years ago.

Up until now, the Olympus digital SLRs were different and distinct, but not in enough ways to be truly compelling.   The new cameras definitely are.  

Finally, they are small… the smallest system SLRs on the market,  harkening back to the OM-1.   In fact, you can see a bit of the OM-1 in the E-510′s prism design.   Compare the prism box holding the Olympus logo (located above the lens) on the E-510 to the one on the picture of the OM-1 above.   The 4/3 (Four-Thirds) system they follow has long held the promise of a smaller camera, but up until now (for the US market, anyway)  it has not been realized.   With the E-510 and E-410 it has been.   Learn more about the Four-Thirds system at http://www.four-thirds.org/.

The E-510 and E-410 both have very solidly-made bodies, as good or better than anything in its price point, going back to the bricklike construction of the OM-1.   A new kit lens has been introduced, which hopefully will outperform the 14-45 it replaces… a lens that was somewhat inconsistent compared to some of its competitors.   I do believe Olympus is up to the task in this regard.   The E-510 introduces something new for an Olympus digital SLR- image stabilization, in this case a sensor-based system similar to the systems found on Pentax and Sony digital SLRs.   If it performs as well as Olympus’ Ultrasonic Wave Filter  Filter used to remove dust from the sensor, it will be a very good system indeed.   The image stabilization is a very big deal and I would strongly recommend anyone considering this system pass on the E-410 and go straight to the E-510.   Finally, live view is available, just like a digital compact.   So far, very impressive and unique.

 What will ultimately make or break the E-510 and E-410 is image quality, and this is where enthusiasts are holding their breath.   The   Four-Thirds sensor format  is noticeably smaller than the APS-sized sensors found in its direct competitors from Canon, Pentax, and Nikon, and the sensor used in these cameras  is 10 megapixels.   Lots of pixels on a small sensor usually hurts image quality, especially in low light, and the 10 megapixel E-400 (European market)  didn’t receive rave reviews in the image quality department.   One would hope Olympus (and others) would buck the trend of making cameras with “marketing megapixels” that look impressive on paper but not when looking at the pictures produced.   Consumers will embrace a 6 megapixel camera if it is done right- the  outstanding Pentax K100D’s  success and rave reviews from consumers and journalists alike proves this out.

Olympus has always been a bit of a niche player compared to the competition, and these new cameras show a lot of promise into carving a comfortable new niche.   I’m looking forward to seeing some real-world results from them this summer.