Olympus E-420 Expert Reviews

IF you're after a petite SLR then the E-420 is a solid performer that keeps up with the competition.

Small build, great colour balance, excellent noise performance, speedy burst mode

Pictures a little soft at default settings, no image stabilisation, menu can be a little clunky, small design may not suit everyone

If you're after a petite SLR then the Olympus E-420 is a solid performer. It keeps pace with the competition in most areas, while maintaining dimensions that are significantly smaller.

At first glance, the new Olympus E-420 seems like a marginal upgrade to the previous model, the E-410, and in many respects it is. The new model shares pretty much the same tiny plastic body shell and has a similar 10-megapixel resolution LMos sensor, ...

While not a show-stopper, the only feature missing from the Olympus E-420 at this level is the lack of any image stabilisation. All the same, with a price of about 120 less than that of its predecessor when it was introduced, this has to rate as one ...

The 10-megapixel Olympus E-420 is a purposely compact DSLR that features Live View and Shadow Adjustment technology.

Little effort to carry, dust reduction, excellent value for money, consistent AWB

Handling, position of right eyelet, highlight control, slow AF system with standard lenses

It's rare to come across a camera that both pleases and irritates you in roughly the same proportions, and here I have found two. There is a lot to like about each; the E-420 for providing masses of features and a good standard of images in such a ...

The Olympus EVOLT E-420 is the World's smallest Digital SLR and offers a 10 megapixel live view sensor, some great lenses, and a large 2.7 inch screen.

Excellent image quality - excellent auto white balance, accurate colour, good dynamic range ; Excellent 2.7" screen - works well in bright sunlight ; World's most compact DSLR - available with pancake ~50mm lens ; Excellent Zuiko Digital kit lens - ...

Real optical image stabilisation would be nice (see the E-510 / E-520) ; Somewhat complicated menus (partly due to the vast wealth of options) ; Some banding in ISO1600 photos in low light ; ISO1600 results worse than other DSLRs

If you want to move into the world of Digital SLRs and don't know where to start then the Olympus EVOLT E-420 is probably one of the best cameras to choose - despite being Olympus' "budget" digital SLR - it is not overly limited in any way like some ...

'World's smallest' digital SLR gets a revamp

This 10 megapixel digital SLR is built around the four-thirds sensor used by Olympus and Panasonic/Leica. It is the smallest and probably the lightest DSLR on the market, but it is not flimsy. It has one of the best implementations of so-called live ...

The picture quality is very good and the full feature list is truly impressive. Other makers tend to leave functions out in order to distance the entry level cameras from their posher units - Olympus doesn't do that. The live view arrangement is ...

The aspect ratio of a Four Thirds sensor is 43. The aspect ratio of a standard or A4 photo print is 32. So composing in the viewfinder will be a hit and miss affair and pixels are thrown away.

This camera has been created to make the transition from compact to DSLR as easy as possible. If you really like holding a camera at arm's length (a ridiculous posture) to take photos rather than sensibly bracing it against your face then the E-420 ...

Olympus E-420 review : Although we just experienced a hectic period with many introductions, Olympus introduced, rather unexpectedly, their new digital SLR sibling; the Olympus E420. The Olympus E420 SLR is clearly based on the E410, which was ...

'World's smallest' digital SLR gets a revamp

Improved grip over the earlier E-410 and £170 cheaper on launch, Improved grip over the earlier E-410 and £170 cheaper on launch, Faster operation, while larger LCD screen aids visibility, More consistent white balance performance from shot to shot, ...

Functional improvements over the earlier E-410 are relatively minor ones, Functional improvements over the earlier E-410 are relatively minor ones, Two of the E-410's scene modes have sunk without a trace

An excellent choice if you want a more professional camera that's still compact and easy to use.

It's easy to lose sight of the smaller players in a digital SLR market so heavily dominated by Canon and Nikon, but there's still healthy competition for third place. Olympus has been canny in giving the E-420 (and its predecessor the E-410) a unique ...

Enthusiasts probably won't want to use this as their main DSLR, but if you're looking to upgrade from a compact or want a backup camera with character, the Olympus delivers.

Announced early in March, the Olympus E420 replaces the E-410 model at the entry level in the Olympus DSLR line-up, providing several worthwhile updates and a lower price tag. Like its predecessor, it's claimed as the world's smallest and thinnest ...

Shots taken with the test camera were bright and colourful with a slightly more restrained contrast and wider dynamic range than our test shots from the E-410. However, in very contrasty situations and for subjects with a wide dynamic range, ...