Olympus E-420 Expert Reviews

The Olympus E-420 is an unusually small and light 10 Megapixel DSLR aimed at point and shoot owners looking to upgrade, along with enthusiasts who want a camera they can use in situations where a traditional DSLR would be too cumbersome

Small and light without compromising comfort., Very effective anti-dust system., Live View with contrast AF and face detection., Quick handling and broad customisation., Small and light without compromising comfort., Very effective anti-dust ...

Very limited anti-shake options., Small viewfinder with basic 3-point AF., Body may be too small for bigger hands., E-520 a tempting alternative with anti-shake., Very limited anti-shake options., Small viewfinder with basic 3-point AF., Body ...

Note: where features are identical to the E-410, we've reused some sections of our E-410 review

Since the 1970s and the days of Olympus's classic OM-1 35mm SLR, the company has tended to go in the opposite direction from several other manufacturers, building a lineup that emphasizes smaller and lighter.

Compact size, light weight ; Good image and color quality ; Handy, intuitive controls (once you get familiar with the Super Control Panel ; 2x sensor crop factor maximizes telephoto lens length

No image stabilization ; Small size may prove problematic for large hands ; 2x sensor crop factor detracts from wide angle lens width

being the latest addition to a lineup that emphasizes smaller and lighter. Back then, film was the big equalizer, but today's digital cameras from different manufacturers use (generally) proprietary technology. Is Olympus still cranking out nice ...

A light package with a light price.

We mentioned at the outset that the Four-Thirds lens mount/sensor standard has allowed Olympus to produce unusually compact DLSRs. Last year's E-410 was the smallest DSLR we'd encountered when it was first introduced; now Olympus is claiming that the ...

Pocketable size (particularly with 25mm pancake lens) ; great walk-around camera ; 11-point contrast-detect autofocus in Live View (but slow, and works with only a few lenses) ; Digital-specific lens line offers advantage in edge-to-edge sharpness ; ...

Small grip can make it difficult to comfortably handle camera ; becomes much more pronounced when long lenses are applied ; Shutter lag in Live View (can reach at much as 2.6 seconds) ; LCD show odd metallic-like sheen in bright daylight, can be ...

While we enjoyed the exceptional compactness of the E-410's body, it always seemed a little hard to hold onto in our large hands: Its body was quite svelte, lacking the bulging handgrip of larger DSLR's we've used. Olympus appears to have remedied ...

The Olympus E-420 digital reflex camera aims to achieve a balance between the power and performance of a digital SLR while holding everything up in the body of a standard point-and-shoot camera. This 10 megapixel camera tips the scales at a mere 380 ...

Olympus introduces the world's smallest Digital SLR. Based on the 4/3 system, the new camera is complete with small lens choices for the smallest complete DSLR system you can buy.

The Olympus E-420 (announced March 5, 2008) is a 10 megapixel small and light digital SLR. The E-420 features: "AF Live View" for easier compositions, Face Detection, a large 2.7 inch HyperCrystal II LCD display, 28 automatic, semiautomatic and manual ...

Olympus's second pass at the super-small digital SLR, the E-420, gets a lot more features, with a new hybrid Live View autofocus system that includes contrast detection, a new daylight-viewable LCD, and even Face Detection technology. The Olympus E ...

Pocketable size (particularly with 25mm pancake lens) ; great walk-around camera, 11-point contrast-detect autofocus in Live View (but slow, and works with only a few lenses), Digital-specific lens line offers advantage in edge-to-edge sharpness, ...

Small grip can make it difficult to comfortably handle camera ; becomes much more pronounced when long lenses are applied, Shutter lag in Live View (can reach at much as 2.6 seconds), LCD show odd metallic-like sheen in bright daylight, can be ...

Olympus' entry-level dSLR is the world's smallest and lightest digital SLR. An upgrade of the E-410, the E-420 boasts a larger, better, 69mm LCD, improved autofocus in live view mode, face detection and slightly faster continuous shooting

Size ; controls and interface ; classy feel

Slow live view AF ; smaller sensor than rivals

The E-420 is beautiful but flawed. The controls, the design and the more advanced photographic features are excellent, but it relies on its above-average lens rather than its below-average sensor to keep up with its rivals. Despite the gripes, though, ...

Not only is it one of the most lightweight and compact models in the world, the Olympus E-420 is an inexpensive DSLR that's a mighty £170 less than its Olympus E-410 predecessor.

Compact, easy to use and inexpensive, the Olympus E-420 is a good DSLR option for anyone nervous about trading up from a pocket camera, while E-410 owners can rest easy that any upgrading is relatively minor.