Olympus E-420

Opinion: This was my first DSLR so this review should be taken with a grain of salt, but nonetheless I have done my research and I know what I am talking about.

The camera is amazingly small and portable, and even with the lens is quite light. The 14-42mm kit lens is very good, and the 40-150mm telephoto is equally high-performance. At wide angle there are very slight aberrations in the corners, but still better than the competition.

The settings are very numerous and very well laid out, with the Super Control Panel letting you access all the important settings very quickly. The automatic noise reduction is very slight, and almost unnoticeable unless you are doing large prints or posters; it can be turned off, of course.

The ergonomics seem to be a controversial topic, with some people saying that the camera is awkward to hold. I have fairly large hands and have not encountered any problems with the grip, which is ingeniously minimalistic.

Overall, it's a great entry-level camera which is simple enough for novices to learn, but packs enough features to keep every user occupied and producing great images.

Opinion: Shooting with new e-420 and new Canon XSI. Nothing wrong with the Canon but this is a beautifully made solid and easy-to-carry gem that takes very sharp vivid pix. Find myself using it over the Canon 90% of the time. Probably because its so easy to carry in a very small bag.

Opinion: It's very impressive camera, good color, good image quality, good built, good money.

Opinion: I have this camera for almost 2 years now. It does what you expect to do. I like it very much. Easy, versatile and great value.

Opinion: I've owned lots of OM1,2 and 4's. My first digital
camera was the e500 which I've used for more than
three years. I was happy with the results - workng
around the limitations. I've used my e420 for about
two months now and it has the same exciting feel that
made me choose the OM system back in the 70's. I'm
tempted to go with the e620 because of the
impressive results that have been reported. However, I
think I'll stick with the e420 until Olympus release a
new box.

Opinion: Very interesting double lens kit : Very good range and image quality for the price.
Good alternative to premium compact and good choice as first SRL.
Very efficient super menu system (not so for the standard menu system).
Live view auto focus much more useful than expected.
Optical viewfinder very correct even if not the best (I like the info on the right side).
Good body shape so lack of stabilization not so missing.

Opinion: Solid little DSLR - Highly Recommended
I have owned a Minolta 800si (film 35mm), Mamiya c330f TLR and nikon coolpix 995 - the olympus e420 is my entry into the dSLR world...
Image quality > I have read a few reviews complaining that the AA filter is too heavy and images are soft. Admittedly I do not have a lot of experience with dSLRs, coming from the world of film and being out of photography for a while. But I have done some A4 prints on a EPSON R270 photo printer (premium semigloss paper) and I was astounded at the quality and level of detail - it equals/looks better than some of my past prints from some good iso 100 35mm films...
Noise - I have recently read some info on photozone.de which I have to agree with - when using ACR for RAW development noise is not an issue - up to iso 800 the noise is acceptable to me, specially if i simply tone down the colour noise - the luminance noise i can live with - looks a bit like film grain on high speed film. When using Olympus Studio the results are bad - it applies some automatic sharpening and this makes the noise worse.
HAndling - The super-panel is amazing - all important settings can be changed in an instant - much easier/better than my minolta slr was.
Size - The camera is quite small, but depending on the lens it's still very much an slr that takes up space in a bag and also people "notice" - so for candid photography where you want to be unnoticed it's difficult. I can recommend something like crumpler's smaller bags (pretty boy 3000) where the camera can be hidden and quickly taken out for a snap and then placed back in the bag - the camera draws attention when it's slinging around your neck. The grip is somewhat uncomfortable, but i got used to it.
Build quality is excellent - camera feels solid in all aspects.
Features is astounding considering it's an entry-level camera - I have come to the conclusion that maybe it's not entry level, it's just smaller ;) Almost equal to my minolta 800si which was aimed much higher - only thing i miss is a flash sync for studio flashes

Opinion: I have had this camera for one month. I have been concerned by the soft images produced, but have waited to be sure that my opinion can be justified.

Well yesterday, I compared this "2009 camera" to my 2002 Olympus C-4000 ZOOM Camedia a FOUR mega pixel compact. Guess what? The C-4000 produces many images that are sharper than the E420. Also the E420 reminded me of the C-4000 with its over exposure. Plus one stop, seems to be normal.

I also have a Pentax *ist DL2, also reviewed on this site. The SIX mega pixel Pentax produces sharper images than the E420 TEN mega pixel's. I expected at least the same quality from the E420 compared to the DL2.

I also have a Olympus FL20 flashgun. Really "dinky" and suits the camera. I will not buy any more four-thirds equipment.

With the poor viewfinder, by wire manual focusing and average image quality I cannot recommend this camera.

Opinion: amazing little dslr camera, fitted with the 35mm macro lens. It's easy to use and produce beautiful and sharp pictures. Good for street photograph and portrait works.