Olympus E-420 Review: Digital Photography Review

Top of camera controls (right)

The layout on the top of the camera is identical to the E-410's - The exposure mode dial with the power switch below it, the shutter release and exposure compensation buttons and the main dial overhanging the rear. Some settings such as exposure compensation are changed by holding a button and turning the main dial, others just by turning the dial (such as aperture in aperture priority mode). The dial is responsive, ideally located and allows for quick alteration of settings.

Exposure Mode Dial

Icon	Mode
AUTO	Fully Automatic Mode In Auto mode the camera is essentially 'point and shoot' with automatic pop-up of the flash and Auto default settings. Interestingly however you can still access the same range of settings as in the 'advanced shooting modes' (PASM).
P	Programmed Auto (Flexible) The Program AE on the E-420 is flexible, this means that you can select one of a variety of equal exposures by turning the main command dial (rear of camera) left or right. Slowest shutter speed is 60 seconds (at ISO 100). Example: • 1/160 F3.2 (turn CCW a click) Ps • 1/125 F3.5 (turn CCW a click) Ps • 1/100 F4.0 (metered) P • 1/80 F5.0 (turn CW a click) Ps • 1/60 F5.6 (turn CW a click) Ps
A	Aperture Priority Auto In this mode you select the aperture and the camera will calculate the shutter speed for the exposure (depending on metered value; metering mode, ISO). Aperture is displayed on the viewfinder status bar and the LCD monitor (if INFO display is on), turn the main dial to select different apertures. A half-press of the shutter release causes the cameras exposure system to calculate the shutter speed, if it's outside of the cameras exposure range the shutter speed will blink. • Range depends on lens max. and min. apertures, in 1/3 EV steps
S	Shutter Priority Auto In this mode you select the shutter speed and the camera will calculate the correct aperture for the exposure (depending on metered value; metering mode, ISO).Shutter speed is displayed on the viewfinder status bar and the LCD monitor (if INFO display is on), turn the main dial to select different shutter speeds. A half-press of the shutter release causes the cameras exposure system to calculate the aperture, if it's outside of the cameras exposure range (for instance trying to take a shot at 1/500s in darkness) the aperture will blink. • 60 seconds - 1/4000 sec (in 1/3, 1/2 or 1 EV steps)
M	Full Manual Exposure In this mode you select the aperture and the shutter speed from any combination of the above (and additionally Bulb shutter). Turn the main dial to adjust either shutter speed or aperture, press the exposure compensation button (+/-) to switch between the two. The viewfinder display will indicate how close you are to the metered exposure (+/- 5 EV). In addition a graphical representation is shown on the LCD monitor.
	Scene: Portrait Selects large apertures (low F numbers) to provide narrow depth of field, this creates the out of focus 'blurred' background effect which enhances portrait photographs.
	Scene: Landscape Selects smaller apertures (high F numbers) to provide larger depth of field (foreground and background appear in focus). This mode also appears to adjust color balance to optimize blues and greens. WB: Daylight, Image parameters: Sharpness +1, Contrast +1
	Scene: Macro Selects an aperture above F4.0 to improve sharpness from the lens, also enables the continuous manual focus mode (S-AF + MF).
	Scene: Sport Selects large apertures (small F numbers) to achieve the fastest possible shutter speed to try and freeze fast action and avoid blurring. Enables continuous AF (C-AF).
	Scene: Night Scene and Portrait Enables noise reduction and configures the camera for optimum night exposures (although for some reason the camera picks Daylight WB, this won't work in a city night shot environment). Also enables Slow Sync flash. WB: Daylight, Image parameters: Sharpness -1, Contrast -2. Flash: Slow Sync
SCENE	Custom Scene Allows you to select one of the eighteen built-in scene modes (each is shown on the LCD monitor with an image sample and short description): • Portrait • Landscape • Landscape & Portrait • Night Scene • Night Scene & Portrait • Children • Sport • High Key • Low Key • Digital Image Stabilization • Macro • Nature Macro • Candle • Sunset • Fireworks • Documents • Panorama (req. Olympus xD-Picture Card) • Beach & Snow

Buttons (Shooting mode)

Button	Function
	Exposure Compensation • -5.0 EV to +5.0 EV • 1/3 EV steps
AEL AFL	Auto Exposure / Auto Focus Lock The AEL/AFL button can be programmed in a variety of different ways for different focus modes (Single AF, Continuous AF and Manual Focus). It can be programmed to be momentary AE Lock or Memo/Cancel AE Lock, it can also be programmed to perform and lock Auto Focus at the same time (these modes are described later in this preview). It's also used to trigger Auto Focus in Live View mode.

Button

Function

Exposure Compensation

• -5.0 EV to +5.0 EV
• 1/3 EV steps

AEL
AFL

Auto Exposure / Auto Focus Lock

The AEL/AFL button can be programmed in a variety of different ways for different focus modes (Single AF, Continuous AF and Manual Focus). It can be programmed to be momentary AE Lock or Memo/Cancel AE Lock, it can also be programmed to perform and lock Auto Focus at the same time (these modes are described later in this preview). It's also used to trigger Auto Focus in Live View mode.

Buttons (Play mode)

Button	Function
	Rotate Although not labeled as such pressing the exposure compensation button while in play mode rotates the displayed image through 90, 180 and 270 degrees.
	Thumbnail index / zoom out Rotate the main dial clockwise to switch to thumbnail index view, the E-410 provides a range of index views; four images, nine images, sixteen images, twenty-five images, fourty-nine images, one-hundred images and finally a calendar view. If the playback magnification is active then turning clockwise steps out.
	Play magnification Rotate the main dial counter-clockwise to magnify the currently displayed image, there are a range of magnifications available; 2.0x, 3.0x, 5.0x, 7.0x, 10x and 14x. Use the multi-direction controller to move around the magnified image.
	Protect / Unprotect Protects (or unprotects) the current image, this sets the file system 'Read Only' flag which means you can't accidentally delete the image using the erase button, however this does not protect against formatting of the storage card (an extra 'This card contains protected images, really format?' dialog would be good).

Top of camera controls (left)

On the top left of the camera are two more buttons, at the front the flash up / mode button and towards the rear the drive mode button. Once pressed these buttons display an on-screen selection menu, you can either turn the main dial or use the multi-direction controller to adjust.

Buttons (Shooting mode)

Button	Function
	Flash up / Flash mode The first flash button is an electronic release for the pop-up flash, note that the flash will only automatically pop-up in Auto mode and some scene modes otherwise it must be raised by pressing this button (even if flash mode is Auto). You can hold this button and turn the main dial to select flash mode: • Auto • Red-eye reduction • Flash on (Fill flash) • Flash off • Red-eye reduction & Slow-sync • Slow-sync • Slow-sync (Rear curtain) • Full • 1/4 • 1/16 • 1/64
	Drive mode • Single shot • Continuous (3.5 fps) • 12 sec Self-timer • 2 sec Self-timer • IR remote • IR remote with 2 sec Self-timer

Button

Function

Flash up / Flash mode

The first flash button is an electronic release for the pop-up flash, note that the flash will only automatically pop-up in Auto mode and some scene modes otherwise it must be raised by pressing this button (even if flash mode is Auto). You can hold this button and turn the main dial to select flash mode:

• Auto
• Red-eye reduction
• Flash on (Fill flash)
• Flash off
• Red-eye reduction & Slow-sync
• Slow-sync
• Slow-sync (Rear curtain)
• Full
• 1/4
• 1/16
• 1/64

Drive mode

• Single shot
• Continuous (3.5 fps)
• 12 sec Self-timer
• 2 sec Self-timer
• IR remote
• IR remote with 2 sec Self-timer

Buttons (Play mode)

Button	Function
	Copy / PictBridge Print Allows you to copy images between the CF and xD cards (multiple images using the marking system, see below). If a PictBridge printer is connected to the camera via USB then you can print the currently displayed image.