New Olympus E-420 DSLR - World's Smallest & Lightest

[Photo-John]

Olympus announced a new 10-megapixel digital SLR this morning. The new E-420 is the world's smallest and lightest digital SLR. Olympus also introduced a new 25mm f/2.8 (50mm equivalent) lens that is less than an inch thick.

Olympus E-420 press release, specs, and photos >>

[metallicblack]

Olympus sure is prolific when it comes to releasing bodies.

Does anyone know if all current Olympus DSLR's (from E-410 to E3) use the same image sensor?

[Greg McCary]

I think the E3 has different processing technology that reduces noise and creates a better quality image than the others. Just from what I have been reading and looking at it is a big improvement over the 510. The 410 is just stripped down versions of the 510. For those wanting a smaller more compact camera without IS. The 420 is just an improved version of the 410. Check the link in PJ's post to see the new features.

[metallicblack]

It's just that dpreview.com seems to always point at the image sensor of all models as being the weak link on Olympus DSLRs. Mainly that dynamic range is less than stellar and highlights can be clipped.

[Greg McCary]

I have read some of the same things. Even that the 510 under exposes slightly to keep from blowing the highlights, but all cameras have there draw backs. I have found the picture quality of the 510 to be really good. I have had several pictures blow up to 16x20's and they look great. It helps a lot to nail exposure. Also shooting in RAW as well. The 4/3rds technology is still new and I look for Olympus to keep improving image quality as new cameras hit the market.

[metallicblack]

Can you adjust for this underexposure with the +/- exposure compensation exposure button or is there a better way? (Or do you leave it alone since you will defeat the purpose and blow the highlights by over exposing manually?)

But you are right about every camera having drawbacks. It would hard to go wrong with any camera on the market now it seems.

[Photo-John]

Does anyone know if all current Olympus DSLR's (from E-410 to E3) use the same image sensor?

The E-3 was a brand new sensor. It is a serious improvement over the E-510's 10-megapixel sensor. Olympus made the improvement by reducing the non-imaging area of each pixel. So they actually made each pixel larger, without having to change the physical dimensions of the sensor. This is happening with a lot of sensors right now. And the E-3 image quality is very, very good. I don't know if the E-420 uses the E-3 sensor. But I doubt it. Not for that price. I would expect that Olympus would keep their best sensor in their best camera and make people pay for it. It's worth the money. And that's not a knock against the E-510 or the E-420. I love the E-510 because it's so small. Love it!

[Photo-John]

It's just that dpreview.com seems to always point at the image sensor of all models as being the weak link on Olympus DSLRs. Mainly that dynamic range is less than stellar and highlights can be clipped.

Welllllll....

Sensors and image quality aren't the be-all and end-all. That's why we have real working photographers write our digital camera pro reviews. If image quality was all that mattered, we'd all be shooting with Canon EOS 1Ds Mark IIIs. But who wants to carry one of those around all the time? I love the Olympus E-System cameras because of their size - especially the lenses. So far, no one can compete with Olympus for power-to-weight ratio. (That may be the first time anyone has used that term for cameras :-) )

You guys probably all know that I've ben a Canon shooter for years. And once your seriously invested in a system, you're not likely to change. But I am very attracted by the Olympus DSLR system. The E-3 is a unique and wonderful camera. I also really like the E-510, although it entails some image quality compromises compared to other cameras I use. But the real beauty of the Olympus system is the combination of built-in image stabilization and the super compact, excellent Zuiko lenses. For someone who spends a lot of time carrying as much power in as small and light of a backpack as possible, Olympus really has a compelling system. And for people who aren't as weight-conscious as me, the E-3 is a solid alternative to what Nikon, Canon, and Pentax have to offer. I shot all of our PMA coverage with the E-3 and I thought it worked great. With built-in image stabilization and good ISO 800 performance, it did a wonderful job.

[Greg McCary]

Thanks PJ, yes the IS is an amazing technology and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I have been very pleased with the 510. I am looking to get an E3 sometime this year, I hope.

[Photo-John]

But you are right about every camera having drawbacks. It would hard to go wrong with any camera on the market now it seems.

That's very true. All the comparison that's done is sort of ridiculous if you look at how far we've come in the past five years. In my opinion, there really isn't a bad digital SLR to be had right now. They're all very, very good.