E-10 vs Dimage 7i

[John Stavick]

I have been looking at the E-10 every since it came out. I played with one for awhile at my local camera store and it felt right at home in my hand, but backed off due to the price (then $2000) but it has dropped quite a bit.

I bought a Dimage 7 (Minolta) and wasn't thrilled with it. The 7 has a couple of problems that should be corrected with the 7i.

I sold it. I was going to wait till the new 7i comes out, but in the mean time, my thoughts have shifted back to the E-10. One thing that concerns me is that alot of pics I've seen seem to be a little on the flat side. I really like the more vivid color look.
Give me some help here.

 

[erikn]

I like you bought the D7 and was definitely not thrilled with it. I had no idea that there even was a 7i planned, and when the E10 dropped from $2000 to $1400 here in Sweden, I bought it immediately. And I LOVE it. There is no way I would ever trade my E10 in for a 7i, they are just two different kind of cameras. Although the Dimage has a lot of features that are missing on my E10 (especially the 28mm...), it just doesn't feel like a real camera after you've gotten accuainted with the Camedia.

My advice is, rather obvious at this point, that you should go for the E10. You will not be dissapointed, I can almost assure you.
-- Erik

 

[Vance]

Hey John,

Not sure what you mean about flat colors from the E10.

Here are just a few samples from my E10.









Don't want to overload things.

--Vance.

 

[Erik Ehudin]

John Stavick wrote:
One thing

that concerns me is that alot of pics I've seen seem to be a little
on the flat side. I really like the more vivid color look.
Give me some help here.

It's easy enough to boost the saturation of you images, but less so to get good, accurate color from an image that's already saturated. My personal taste runs more toward accuracy, but for stuff for the general public I tend to increase saturation by 10 in PS. Doesn't take a second. Good luck!

 

[Glenn Anderson]

First of all, shouldn't it be a E-20 vs Dimage 7i? Both would then be 5 MegPixel cameras and the lastest models for each vendor?

While I have an E-10 and am quite happy with it, if I had to buy a digital camera today, it very likely would be the Dimage 7i.

The reasons being...

1) Price - the 7i is half the price of the E-20.

2) Lens - 28-200 vs 35-140. I know one can add a 28 and 200 converters to the Olympus, but that adds to 1) the price, also they are less convient.

3) Minolta seems to be keeping up with industry, Olympus doesn't seem to be.

For example, the Minolta price does keep coming down, Olympus on the other hand seems to stay up there. This is what is resulting in reason no 1 going to Minolta.

Minolta's upgrade between the 7 and 7i, from what I can gather offers a number of improvements. The E-20 upgrade from the E-10, didn't offer much other than going from a 4 to a 5 MegPixel sensor. From the sounds of it, the E-20 is actually worse in a number of key areas over the E-10, such as speed of processing the images, and in purple fringing.

Admittingly there are some things I like better about the E-20 than the 7i. The feel of the camera for one, the faster lens, optical viewfinder, etc. If they were close in price, I would go for the E-20 without question.

I do have to admit, I was disappointed by the E-20 over the E-10. I was hoping for much more of an advancement from them, along the lines of the advances between the 2500L and E-10.

 

[Jim N'AZ]

Hi, John, I understand your hesitancy between the two final output differences. The flat(ter) colors out of the E10 are intentional. Olympus and other mfg's of "pro oriented" type of digital cameras have adopted the stance that the owners of these cameras are more involved in the final outcome of their image than the pure consumer type user is. So, they have ratcheted down the in-camera processing in favor of presenting a less manipulated image file for the user to work with. This path (hopefully) results in a final image that is more in line with what the shooter decides he/she has seen in their own minds eye. Rest assured, the Exx series is capable of displaying the full gamut of color for you. Subtle or hit you in the face kind of color as both posted below. These three are rendered exactly as I viewed them.







Regards, Jim N'AZ

I have been looking at the E-10 every since it came out. I played
with one for awhile at my local camera store and it felt right at
home in my hand, but backed off due to the price (then $2000) but
it has dropped quite a bit.
my thoughts have shifted back to the E-10. One thing
that concerns me is that alot of pics I've seen seem to be a little
on the flat side. I really like the more vivid color look.
Give me some help here.

--Jim N'AZ

 

[marc65451]

Before my E10 I owned the Dimage7 as well

main difference : metering E10 is much better and the camera itself gives
a much better feeling because of perfect balance and metal body

Marc--marc

 

[SVJIM]

John,

Like you I have been looking at the E-10, E-20, and D7 and following their respective forums. I've recently added the Fuji S602z. Basically all these cameras have the basic that I want. A real view finder, either optical or electronic. Obviously, the E-10 and E-20 should excell here, although the review of the E-20 by Phil indicates that the E-20 viewfinder may have some limitations. Of course it is hard to believe that the limitations would exceed those with EVFs.

I personally think that the price for the E-10 and E-20 is a bit inflated compared to these other cameras. In particular both Minolta and Fuji took their flag ship design for this type of camera and improved upon it. So the D7i and the S602z should be major improvments over the D7 and 6900z respectively. It is disappointing that Olympus has not done so, at least to this time. Some time in the next couple of months, I am going to get one of those camera's after they are released and reviewed. I could see doing the same for the E-10 or E-20 if there was an incremental upgrade for them at a reasonable price.

I think contrary to a number of opinions that I've seen on this and other forums, that there is nothing bad with incremental upgrades, particularly with these type of camera's. It says to me that the manufactured had a good design to begin with and that as technology improved, they were able to incoporate into their model line without having to completelly redo it.

Find something that you are comfortable with and can live with for a few years. Know that in 6 months to a year that there will be a newer and better model that is going to cost less. Make up your own mind. There is more than sufficient information on these forums to make an informed decision.

--Photography should be fun