Olympus EVOLT E-500 Digital Camera

Olympus has launched the new EVOLT E-500, claimed to be the most full-featured DSLR camera in its class (sub-$1,000.00 SLR cameras). At 8 million pixels of detail, you can well be on your way to professional quality photography, and at the same time be able to blow up prints to large sizes which was previously not possible. Just to give you an idea: a 3264 x 2448 RAW image can occupy about 13.6 MB.

Kudos to Olympus for including their Dust Reduction System in the E-500, so you can now take pictures without worrying about microdust that can potentially ruin them. The cool technology uses a Supersonic Wave Filter that shakes at 35,000 vibrations per second to remove any dust in front of the camera sensor each time you turn on the camera.

The E-500 comes with a 2.5" LCD as well, so you can preview your images with great detail as well. It's always good to have a bigger display (both for preview and the menus), but I am not sure of the implications of battery usage. If you are an amateur or new to digital photography, don't worry; the E-500 comes with an easy-to-use menu system and also adds automatic settings for any situation. It also has 25 exposure modes.

TruePic TURBO Image Processor guarantees fast camera response and processing speed. Of course, you will have to use extreme speed CF cards to take advantage of this feature.

Frankly, it's hard to believe you are getting all this under $1,000.00.

The EVOLT E-500 is priced at $799.99 (with a bundled 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens). A two-lens combo (with 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 and 40-150mm f3.5/4.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens) is available for $899.99. More info available on Olympus' website.

Olympus EVOLT E-500 Digital Camera Features Include:

Patented Dust Reduction System uses our Supersonic Wave Filter (SWF) to loosen and remove any and all dust and debris from the image sensor. The SWF vibrates at a rate of 35,000 times per second upon start-up as well as when manually activated - and is unnoticeable to the user - for clear, aberration-free images. This removal of dust also means you never have to worry about changing lenses because if anything gets in, the SWF will get it out.

Capture sharp, detailed photos quickly. The exclusive TruePic TURBO Image Processor provides accelerated performance such as a faster start-up time, rapid shot-to-shot speed, and quicker playback of smooth, detail-rich photos.

The advanced 8 megapixel full frame transfer CCD uses less space on the chip for data transfer and instead utilizes more of the pixel area to capture data, thereby resulting in images with a higher sensitivity, higher dynamic range, lower noise and better overall quality.

A large, high-resolution 2.5" LCD provides a big canvas with which to review and share pictures and features HyperCrystal technology so you can even do so up to a 160-degree viewing angle, left to right and up and down. The big screen also makes it easier to use the menu, identify icons and adjust settings.

Compatible with the largest selection of digital specific lenses anywhere. Each Zuiko lens is precision-crafted to deliver pristine images and is perfectly matched to the camera's image sensor for amazing sharpness and color from one edge of the image to the other.

Get great photos while barely lifting a finger with 15 scene modes. Just select the one you want from the menu - Beach and Snow, Portrait, Landscape, Sports and more - and press the shutter button. That's it.

For a bit more say in your photos' appearance, choose between 6 basic modes (Auto, Landscape, Portrait, Night Scene Portrait, Macro, and Sports) while still leaving the aperture and shutter speed settings to the camera itself.

Exercise total control with creative modes like Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual.

Shoot using any of five metering modes including the new 49-point Digital ESP metering, center-weighted average metering, spot metering, highlight spot metering (for clean, true whites with detail), and shadow spot metering (for rich blacks with detail).

Use the five most popular black-and-white modes - Yellow, Orange, Red, Green, and Normal (no filter) - to expand your ability to add even more drama to your black-and-white pictures.

Automatic pop-up flash provides just the right amount of illumination when necessary and remains out of the way (closed) when not.

Select the level of lighting you want via any of the seven (7) available flash modes.

Stable and lightweight body is designed with ergonomic styling and an advanced grip making it extremely comfortable to handle and use.

Dual Media Slots let you capture, store, and backup photos on an xD-Picture Card, CompactFlash card or both.

R, G, B Histogram available with both highlight and shadow waning.

PictBridge-compatible. Select from left, center, or right Auto Focus points either automatically or manually.

Use the AF Illuminator to focus in dim light or darkness.

Shoot using any of five focus modes: C-AF, S-AF, MF, S-AF+MF, C-AF+MF.

Choose White Balance or Preset White Balance with the exclusive one-touch WB button on the back of the camera.

Eliminate unwanted image noise with Noise Reduction.

Control color saturation, contrast and sharpness levels separately for each file by selecting any of three available color parameters: Vivid (for printer-ready colors); Natural (for true, accurate colors); and Muted (ideal for Photoshop® users who enhance/scale images).

Add dramatic effects of color to your black-and-white pictures such as sepia, blue, green, and purple.

Choose your preference from two color space settings, sRGB or Adobe RGB, for desired results.

Customize the settings that best suit your subject with Contrast, Sharpness and Tone Controls.

Select the format that best suits your needs: JPEG, RAW, JPEG+RAW, TIFF.

Olympus EVOLT E-500 Digital Camera Specification:

Type	Type	Interchangeable Digital SLR Camera
	Media	Compact Flash Card (Type I, II), Micro Drive, xD Picture Card (Dual Slot)
	Imaging Size	17.3mm x 13.0mm
	Lens Mount	Four Thirds Mount
	Compatible Lens	Zuiko Digital, Four Thirds System Lens
Number of Effective Pixels		8 million pixels
Image Sensor	Type	4/3 type Full Frame Transfer Type CCD solid-state image sensor
	Effective Pixel Number	8.15 million pixels
	Aspect	4:3
	Filter Array	Primary color filter (RGB)
Dust Protect Filter		Yes - Supersonic Wave Filter
Recording System	Recording Format	DCF (JPEG), TIFF, RAW
	Recording Mode	JPEG, TIFF Ver. 6.0 (Exif 2.2), RAW (12bit)
	RAW + JPEG Recording	Yes: RAW + SHQ/HQ/SQ modes
	File Size	RAW: 3264 x 2448 Uncompressed Approx. 13.6 MB TIFF: 3264 x 2448 Uncompressed Approx. 24.5 MB SHQ: 3264 x 2448 1/2.7 Approx. 6.4 MB HQ: 3264 x 2448 1/4 / 1/8 1/12 Approx. 4.5 / 2.5 / 1.8MB SQ: 3200 x 2400 1/2.7 / 1/4 / 1/8 / 1/12 Approx. 6.2 /        4.4 / 2.4 / 1.8 MB        2560 x 1920 1/2.7 / 1/4 / 1/8 / 1/12 Approx. 3.7 /        2.5 /1.3 / 0.8 MB        1600 x 1200 1/2.7 / 1/4 / 1/8 / 1/12 Approx. 1.5 /        1.0 / 0.5 / 0.4 MB        1280 x 960 1/2.7 / 1/4 / 1/8 / 1/12 Approx. 0.9 /        0.6 / 0.3 / 0.2 MB        1024 x 768 1/2.7 / 1/4 / 1/8 / 1/12 Approx. 0.6 /        0.4 / 0.2 / 0.2 MB        640 x 480 1/2.7 / 1/4 / 1/8 / 1/12 Approx. 0.3 /        0.2 / 0.1 / 0.1 MB
Viewfinder	Type	Eye level Penta Dach Mirror type Optical View Finder
	View field coverage	Approx. 95%
	Magnification	Approx. x 0.9 with 50 mm Lens set to infinity on -1diopter
	Eye Point	Approx. 10mm
	Diopter Adjustment	Built-in type -3.0 to +1.0 diopter
	Focusing Screen	Fixed type
	Mirror	Quick Return Mirror
	Viewfinder information	AF frame, Shutter speed, Aperture value, AF confirmation mark, Flash, White balance, AE lock, Number of storable still pictures, Exposure compensation value indication, Metering mode, Battry check, Exposure mode, Record mode
	Eye Piece Shutter	Interchangeable type, EP-4 supplied
	Depth of Field Preview	One-touch WB Button (Customizable)
Playback Monitor	Type	HyperCrystal LCD (TFT Color LCD)
	Size	2.5 inch
	Pixel Number	215,250 pixels
	View field coverage	Approx. 100%
	Brightness Control	+/- 7 steps
Auto Focus	Type	TTL Phase Difference Detection System
	Focus Mode	Single AF (S-AF) / Continuous AF (C-AF) / Manual Focus / S-AF + MF/ C-AF + MF
	Focus Area	3 points
	Detection Range	EV 0 to 19 (ISO 100)
	Focus Area Selection	Automatic Selectable / Manual Selectable
	AF Assist Lamp	Built-in Flash type
	AF Lock	Locked by first position of Shutter Button/ AE/AF Lock Button (Customizable)
	Focus Tracking	Available in Continuous AF Mode
	Manual Focus	Available by rotation of a Lens Focus ring Available for setting Manual focus operation in AF Mode
Exposure Control	Light Metering Mode	Digital ESP/Center Weighted Average/Spot (Approx. 2%)/Spot with Highlight, shadow control
	Detection Range	Digital ESP/Center Weighted Average; EV 1 to 20 (50mm F2, ISO 100) Spot/Spot with Highlight, shadow control; EV 3 to 17 (50mm F2, ISO 100)
	Exposure Mode	Full Auto, Program with Program Shift/Shutter Priority/Aperture Priority/Manual/Scene Program AE/Scene Select AE
	Scene Program	Portrait/Landscape/Macro/Sports/Night Scene & Portrait
	Scene Select	Portrait/Landscape/Landscape & Portrait/Night Scene/Night Scene & Portrait/Firework/Sunset/Macro/Sports/High-Key/Low-Key/ Documents/Beach & Snow/Candle/Children
	Sensitivity	Auto: ISO100 to 400 Manual: ISO100 to 400, Expandable to 1600 (in each 1/3 EV step possible) (Noise filter is selectable in ISO boost)
	Exposure Compensation	Up to +/- 5 EV in each 1, 1/2, or 1/3 EV step
	AE Lock	Locked by first position of Shutter Button / AE/AF Lock Button (Customizable)
	Exposure Bracketing	3 Frames in +/- 1, 2/3, 1/2 or 1/3 EV step
White Balance System	WB mode	Auto WB, Preset WB, Custom WB, One-touch WB
	Preset WB	Lamp1(3000k) / Fluorescent 1 (4000k) / Fluorescent 2 (4500k) / Fluorescent 3 (6600k) / Daylight (5300k) / Claudy (6000k) / Shade (7500k)
	WB Compensation	R-B/G-M up to +/- 7 step in each 2mired step for each Auto / Preset setting
	Custom WB Compensation	up to +/- 7 step 2000-6000K in 100K steps 6000-8000K in 200K steps 8000-10000K in 500K steps
	One-touch Mode	4 one-touch Settings
	WB Bracketing	3 Frames with +/- 4/8/12 mired steps
Picture Mode		Vivid/Natural/Muted/Black & White/Sepia
Color Mode	Color Space	sRGB/AdobeRGB
	Saturation	5 levels in each Vivid, Natural and Muted mode
Image Quality	Sharpness	5 levels in each Picture mode
	Contrast	5 levels in each Picture mode
Shutter	Type	Electronic Controlled Focal Plane Shutter
	Shutter Speed	A,P,Ps: 1/4000 to 60 Sec. (depends on conditions) S: 1/4000 to 60 Sec. M: 1/4000 to 60 Sec. and Bulb (up to 8 minutes) AUTO: 1/4000 to 2 Sec. Scene: 1/4000 to 2 Sec (depends on selected mode)
	Self Timer	12 or 2 Sec (possible to cancel)
	Remote Control	Wireless with bulb function by RM-1 (RM-1:option)
Drive System	Drive Mode	Single/Sequential Shooting
	Sequential Shooting Speed	Approx. 2.5 fps.
	Max. Frame Number on Sequential Shooting	RAW; TIFF:4 Frames JPEG (HQ, SQ); Up to full capacity with high speed Media (with SanDisk Extreme III CF card on default image quality mode {HQ 1/8})
Control Panel	Control Panel Information	Flash mode, Flash compensation value indication, Metering mode, Focus mode, Record mode, Aperture value, Shutter speed, Battery check, Number of storable still pictures, Image quality adjustment, ISO, Color space, Mono tone, Hi/Lo Key, White balance, Remote control, Self-timer, Exposure level indicator, Exposure compensation indicator, AF frame, Number of storable sequential pictures, Exposure compensation value indication, Auto bracket, Noise reduction, Single-frame shooting/Sequential shooting, Color saturation compensation value indication, Sharpness compensation indication value, AE bracket, WB bracket
Flash Control	Type	TTL Auto FP/TTL Auto for Olympus Dedicated Flash
	Built-in Flash	Yes. Flash Guide Number: 13
	Flash Modes	Auto/Red-eye Reduction/Slow synchro/ Fill-in for Exclusive Flash
	X-Sync Speed	X = 1/180 Sec.
	Intensity Control	Up to +/- 2 EV in each 1, 1/2, or 1/3 EV step
	Syncro Timing	Front curtain and Rear curtain selectable
	Multi Flash Control	Yes (control built in and ext FL flash independently)
Playback	Display Mode	Single/Zoom ( 2/3/4/6/8/10/14x)/Index (4/9/16/25 frames)/Calendar View/Slide Show/Light Box View
	Information	Exposure Mode, Metering Mode, Shutter Speed, F-Stop, Compensation level, ISO, Color Space, WB Mode, WB Compensation Level, Focal Length, Focus Area, File type, Picture Mode
Erase/Protect Function	Erase Mode	Single/All/Selected
	Image Protect Mode	Single
Menu	Menu category	REC1, REC2, Play Back, Custom, Setup
	Languages	English, German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean (depending on region)
Customize	Custom Reset	2 types
External Connector	Personal Computer Interface	Full Speed USB 2.0 (12Mb/s)
	Personal Computer Connector	USB connector: MiniB
	Video Signal Output	Video Out Jack (NTSC or PAL selectable)
	X-synchronization Socket (PC Socket)	Hot Shoe, External Flash Connector
	Remote Cable	Through PS-HLD3 with Optional Remote Cable RM-CB1
Power Supply	Battery	Rechargeable Li-ion battery Pack BLM-1/3x CR123A with LBH-1
	Battery Check	Automatic check
	Sleep Mode	Yes (1, 3, 5, 10 min. selectable)
	Date/Time saving	Approx. 5 months using the built-in battery
Size/Weight	Dimensions	5 x 3.7 x 2.6 in. (129.5 x 94.5 x 66 mm)
	Weight	15.34 oz. (435 g) [body only]
Operating Environment	Temperature	Operating Range: 32°F to 104°F ( 0°C to 40°C); Storage Range: -4°F to 140°F (-20°C to 60°C)
	Humidity	Operating Range; 30 to 90%, Storage Range; 10% to 90%
	Dust and Splash Proof	No

Stumble It! | Posted by Paul on September 27, 2005 5:51 AM | Permalink