PP= Post Processing (Photoshop and other image apps)PQ= Picture Quality
My older brother, who by no means is a professional but has been an enthusiast since my father gave him his old Canon F series 35mm SLR in the 80s, has been my mentor.
He currently uses a 20D with a 420EX flash and some ungodly multi thousand dollar L series lenses. I recently purchased the E-500 dual lens kit for a fraction of the cost and must say that my brother and I both agree it is by FAR the best bang for the buck.
At the level 98% of us are at it is all user error and not camera error when our pictures don't come out as we would like (most professionals even say its mostly user error or lack of knowledge). I still have a friend who uses a small 2001-Canon S230 and takes pictures that are far better then most of mine.
In low light I have noticed that my E500 does not focus as fast as my brothers 20D (but it definitely still focuses) but from reading online with firmware upgrades they remedied this problem in the E300.
We both also agreed that it felt better in our hands (grip and general ergonomics) and was quite a bit lighter then the 20D as well.
He ,just as myself, LOVED the rear LCD controls for everything from ISO to flash speed and exposure, far more easier and quicker then the 20D for a newbie such as myself. But he commented saying it would have been nice if it had the small simple LCD up top that the canons do as a supplement to the detailed and informative one of the back.
PQ was amazing requiring very little PP, and with the vivid setting we both agreed that the colors did feel better and more vibrant (of course with a small PP Tweak the 20D was right there but for the casual photographer as myself I shy away from PP).
Bottom line we were both floored at what a phenomenal deal this kit is for the price.
---------UPDATED 3/29/2006 ------------
Everything said above still holds true, and I must say this is one of the few purchases that almost 6 months later Im still VERY happy with and use it frequently. Through no advertising or sales pitch I have created 3 new customers for Olympus's E500 kit up to date.
My brother has over $4000 now invested in his camera and he still finds it amusing that my little old $700 kit gets as much attention from all our friends as it does. He recently upgraded to the 580EX flash and a new Wide angel L series lens, and I must admit VERY VERY amazing hardware bursting 3 or 4 pictures WITH flash is very cool.
But we recently went to India to tour Agra, see the Taj Mahal, Sikhanders tomb, and other such sites on the way. At the end of the trip without PP during the day my pictures looked better (we both agreed) and thats all I cared about (mainly talking about color saturation and not detail, just over all presentation). I will admit though in a couple action shots from our speeding bus his camera did perform better, and in the evening some of mine didnt focus properly while his did on the same subject, but Im not a pro, I just enjoy the hobby.
One of my better purchases in recent years.
His camera IS better, mine is just a better deal, it's all about peace of mind..
First, let me say that this camera is an excellent value 8 megapixels and packed with features, including the wonderful super sonic wave filter (which removes dust from the digital sensor). The Olympus line of Digital Zuiko lenses are fantastic, including one of the kit lenses (40-150).
A word to those folks like me (new to the SLR world) to clear up some confusion: a few of the reviewers have mentioned "bad low light performance." This is not a camera issue, it is more a function of the lens that is attached (or, the speed of the "film" (AKA sensor) that you have the camera set too). Without getting into too much detail, kit lenses included with all of these entry-level DSLR's are not exactly the best in low light situations they are referred to in the photographic world as "slow" lenses meaning that the aperture values they have at the low end are really only good in sunny conditions at least without setting the camera to a much faster ISO (or film speed setting). So, in other words, the guy that said he is returning his Olympus to go get the canon kit is going to be just as unhappy with the performance of that camera in these situations as he was with the Olympus (from what I've read on the professional reviews of the canon, the kit lens is possibly the worst of all the major manufacturers). Blurry pictures are NOT the camera's fault they are the user set the ISO higher to get a higher shutter speed or buy a lens with a "faster" aperture. This is the same with all cameras.
So where does this leave one who is interested in purchasing this camera, well there are two options (at least in my opinion):
1. Buy the 14-45 and 40-150 kit. This really is an excellent value, and while the 14-45 lens isn't bad (it's very good outdoors), the 40-150 lens is fantastic. Search any major review especially those folks that are enthusiasts about olympus and they'll tell you the same this lens is remarkable for the price. However, if you do buy this kit (like I did), and you're planning on taking a lot of pics indoors or in low light situations, do yourself a favor and upgrade to the 14-54 f/2.8-3.5 Digital zuiko lens. This is the kit lens for the professional Olympus DSLR the E-1. I purchased this recently and the difference is night and day compared to the kit 14-45 f3.5-5.6. The camera has no issues in low light situations, and the "speed" of the lens is fantastic. (BTW, I bought this off of ebay for $400 I think amazon has it for about $430 with free shipping so it's probably a toss up. (this price BTW is much cheaper than upgrading to comparable lenses of competitors like canon and Nikon remember, you're going to have to do it no matter which camera you buy if you want good indoor/low light performance).
2. If I had to do it over again, I may have just bought the body. Save yourself $200 and just buy the e-500 body. Then take that $200 and apply it to the price of the 14-54 f2.8-3.5 lens this would put the total purchase around $1000 and you'll have a fantastic lens to really learn how the camera works in all situations. So how do you get the great 40-150 lens? I noticed that there are probably 10 on sale on ebay at any given time (from people that are upgrading to the absolutely wonderful 50-200 digial zuiko zoom) for around $100-125.
Whichever option you choose, you really can't go wrong this is a wonderful camera for a beginner or serious amateur in SLR photography.
Good luck and welcome to the olympus family!
Buy Olympus Evolt E500 8MP Digital SLR (Body Only) Now
I should preface this review by saying I'm a bit of a Luddite: I hang on to the traditional tools in my primary fields of interest--music (both listening and performing) and photography. To me the Nikon F2 (well, OK, I'll stretch my endorsement to something as technically advanced as the aperture-priority F3) are the quintessential cameras: rugged, natural in the hand, and immune to the demons that possess electronic devices.Then four years ago, my father gave me my first digital camera, a Minolta. I was initially skeptical, but I quickly came to enjoy the convenience of the camera. Then, when I paired with it the right printer (an Epson Photo R-800), I became a confirmed user, if not yet a fan. Based on that camera-printer combination (with the addition of a scanner for the conversion of my B&W negatives), I packed up my darkroom and offered it to the local public schools.
But even though I was happy with the print quality of the digital setup, I still missed the heft and the old SLRs, and I lamented the loss of control they offered me.
Then, based on fairly extensive reading of advance reviews, I decided to buy the Olympus E-500.
This camera is a revelation to me. I can't compare it to its competitors (none of which I've used extensively), but I can say that this camera fully reconciles me to digital photography. It gives me that reassuring "whump" when I press the shutter (rather than that puny "snick"), offers me total control in manual mode, allows the flexibilty of interchangable lenses, and--most importantly--seems to be to have as its paradigm (sorry for the word choice) the ways of a photographer trained on manual film cameras (rather than catering the "point and shoot" audience).
The menus are easily mastered, the features (including filters in B&W mode!) are remarkable, the battery lasts for hours of heavy shooting, and the images--even with the equivalent of a 300MM focal length--are stunning.
This is a remarkable camera at a very reasonable price.
Read Best Reviews of Olympus Evolt E500 8MP Digital SLR (Body Only) Here
I have previously owned several different long zoom compact consumer cameras. I wanted to upgrade to higher quality images though, and the E500 with the two lens kit came in at the perfect price and weight point for me. I don't want anything so heavy that it is a burden to haul around, and the two lens kit gives me 35mm equivalent range of 28mm to 300mm. I immediatly fell in love with this camera, and can hardly put it down. It is simple enought for a beginner, but has advanced features that will make a pro happy. (I used to be a pro)-The most important thing when buying a camera is how it "fits you", but the E-500 has great ergonomics and speed, is easy to learn and provides outstanding quality. You can see some photos that I took on my very first day out with this camera, atIf there is any knock at all, it is that the kit zoom lenses perform better at least one F-stop down from wide open. But that isn't really a knock, as that is true of most lenses, especially the lower prices ones.
Want Olympus Evolt E500 8MP Digital SLR (Body Only) Discount?
First of all, let's get it clear, this camera is not perfect. But it IS very good, and at the prices Olympus has been selling it for. It is a downright remarkable value.Size/Weight As I write this, it is the lightest DSLR on the market. A major selling point IMO, after a couple of hours 3 or 4 extra ounces can feel like a ton. Size is about average though.
Comfort/Ergonomics OUTSTANDING The best and most comfortable fit of any DSLR I tried. It FEELS like a quality camera (unlike the Canon DRebelXT/300D-outside North America), and my hand didn't feel cramped like with the Canon. While the Nikon D70 was almost as good in this category, I'd give the Oly E500 a slight edge. Menus and manual controls are well placed and made sense to me. Learning to use the camera was quick and easy.
Viewfinder A weak point for some, but not me. It is a smallish viewfinder compared to the Canon or Nikon. But as compensation, I felt it worked the best with my eyeglasses. The exposure and other info is not very bright in the viewfinder and difficult to see, especially in bright light.
Image quality with Kit lenses Very good with lenses stopped down to f/5.6 or f/8 or so. A little soft with the lenses wide open, but better than the Canon lenses. Olympus has always had a reputation as one of the best of the Japanese lensmakers and these kit lenses continue to promote that reputation, I think.
Image Noise definitely has noise issues starting at iso 800. However it is manageable with software like NoiseNinja and such. Also how many people shoot at iso higher than 400 anyway? but If you intend to do something where noise is an issue like concert photography or astronomical phototography, this is not the camera for you. for everyone else, 'fugedaboutit!'.
Autofocus about average IMO. There is no such thing as a GOOD autofocus IMO. Manual focus is pretty good, but the ground glass optical viewscreen really needs a split image for good focus.
Exposure seems dead on accurate no complaints whatsoever. I shoot raw mostly and the only exposure correction I've been doing is for effect only, not to correct any deficiency in exposure. All the detail is there.
Things I wish it had better remote control or a cable release socket. A bigger viewfinder, the one it has is perfectly acceptable, BUT. . . bigger IS better. Ability to use standard photoflash connectors without a hotshoe connector (for manual and studio flash). That's pretty much it. Nothing really major.
I'd buy it again. Especailly at these prices!
Update: 2/9/2008 A little guidance for those who wonder if they should still buy the E500 when the E510 is out and the competition has released cameras with 'better' specs. In my opinion, it is still a viable option for a beginner especially at the close-out prices we are starting to see.
The practical difference between 8 and 10 megapixels is pretty small. And while the E510 has addressed the image noise issue pretty well, many people feel that the E500 still has a slightly better Dynamic Range (the ability to differentiate various shades of gray without being too contrasty or too dull). This can be compensated for by manual adjustements in the E510, but for those who want full auto and are super picky about their photos, that may be more hassle than they want to deal with.
The E500 lacks the Image stabilization and live view capabilities of the E510, and while these are nice features to have, I would remind you that people have been taking great photos without them for 200 some odd years. This isn't nearly the handicap that a lack of talent would be!
It still takes great photos and it's cheaper than the rest. It may not be for everyone, but I think it's still worth considering.
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