Olympus E-620 — big money, small camera
The Olympus E-620 digital SLR, due out in late April, is claimed to be the smallest DSLR with built in image stabilisation. The 12.3Mp SLR, according to Olympus, weighs only 475g (without the battery) and has compact dimensions. It has a maximum ISO sensitivity of 3,200 and is based on the four thirds standard.
This phrase, “four thirds standard,” keeps coming up and is spoken of as the Holy Grail. Technical explanation coming up. Surface where you see *** if you have little or no interest in the subject.
The Four Thirds system is a standard created by Olympus and Kodak for digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) design.
The system provides a standard that, with digital cameras and lenses available from multiple manufacturers, allows for the interchange of lenses and bodies from different manufacturers. This is claimed to be an open standard which, in truth, it is not. It is only accessible to companies and under a non-disclosure agreement.
Unlike older SLR systems, Four Thirds has been designed from the ground up to be entirely digital. Lens design has been tailored to the requirements of digital sensors, most notably through telecentric designs. The size of the sensor is slightly smaller than for most DSLRs and thuslenses, especially telephoto lenses, can be smaller.
For example, a Four Thirds lens with a 300 mm focal length would cover about the same angle of view as a 600 mm focal length lens for the 35 mm film standard, and is correspondingly more compact.
The name of the system comes from the size type of the image sensor used in the cameras. The image sensor is commonly referred to as a 4/3″ type or 4/3 type sensor.
*** You can come up for air now.
TheE-620 camera has all sort of benefits built in but a lot them are gubbings. New developments like ‘Art Filters’ can be much bettered controlled in any half way decent PC PaintShop or Adobe program.
The Art Filters will allow you to take pictures and then have effects added in camera without the need for a PC.
The E-620 features six filters, which Olympus describe as “enticing users to be artistic by allowing them to apply stylish effects at the touch of a button.’ Sounds more like ’stuff up a picture before you actually see it.”
The filters include pin hole,’grainy film, and pop art. There are also five different aspect ratios to choose from, for creative framing and composition.
That is pure gubbins.
It has little to do with the process of taking pictures and if you are paying £650 (US$933) you expect a lot more. One wonders what Cartier-Bresson (or Cartier Bresson, both spellings are acceptable) would have though of it.)
The Olympus E-620 will be available in the following configurations: body with 14-42mm kit lens (which would be the one to go for), body with 14-42mm lens and 40-150mm zoom lens, and body with 25mm fixed pancake lens which you can safely ignore.
(If you must know it is a lens design based on the Zeiss Tessar design developed at the turn of the 19th century. It is legendary for it’s sharpness,compact size and (for its day) high speed. The design is limited to about 2.8 at the 50mm focal length. Not for the likes of us.)
This camera is small, compact and seems dashed expensive for what it it.
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