Olympus E-620 Digital Camera First Impression Review

Product Tour

Overview

The 12.3-megapixel E-620 is an extraordinarily petite SLR, along the lines of the company's existing E-420, weighing just over a pound (475g) and measuring 5.11 x 3.70 x 2.36 inches (130mm x 94mm x 60mm). It will sell for $699.99 for the body alone, or $799.99 bundled with the ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 kit lens, as shown here.

Front

The right grip is shallow, without enough depth to fill your palm while holding the camera. On the grip is a combination self-timer lamp / remote control lamp/ remote control receiver. The small white circle below the mode dial is a white balance sensor. The lens release button sits to the right of the lens mount, looking from the front.

Back

The most noteworthy feature on the camera back is a 2.7-inch LCD that pivots out horizontally from the camera and 270 degrees vertically. To the left of the optical viewfinder are the MENU and INFO buttons, to the right is the Autoexposure lock/Autofocus lock button. There's a diopter adjustment dial on the right of the viewfinder. The ON/OFF switch is a horizontal throw around the mode dial. Completing the suite of controls at the top of the camera back are the programmable FN (Function) button and the autofocus target button beside it.

There's a substantial curved, textured thumb rest above the four-way controller. To its left are the Playback and Live View buttons. The sections of the four-way controller, in addition to maneuvering through menus, are used for direct access to (clockwise from the top) white balance, autofocus mode, ISO settings and metering mode.  The two buttons below include the red trash can for image erase and the IS button for controlling the image stabilization setting. A nice bonus feature here: the buttons illuminate when pressed, making navigating the camera in dark environments much more practical.

Finally, there's a small rubber door that opens to reveal a single USB port used for both data and video connections.

Sides

On a camera body bristling with buttons, the left side offers a bit of breathing space, with only a metal tab for connecting the neck strap.

The right side offers the other strap connection plus a door that slides back to reveal dual memory card slots, one for CompactFlash, one for xD card.

Top

Our tour of the top begins at front left with the flash button, which is used to pop up the built-in flash and then bring up the flash intensity control. The multipurpose button behind it accesses drive mode and self-timer controls.

The pop-up flash in the middle is hinged in front of a hot shoe for connecting an external flash unit. To its right is the mode dial, with positions for full auto and PASM (program, aperture-priority, shutter-priority and manual) exposure control plus Art Filters/Scene Modes and direct access to five frequently used scene modes: night portrait, sports, macro, landscape and portrait.

The lamp labeled SSWF lights when the automatic dust removal system is working. In front of that is the shiny silver shutter button and beside that, the exposure compensation control. Behind these is a single control dial that spins 360 degrees. When shooting in manual exposure mode, pressing the exposure compensation button toggles the control dial function between shutter and aperture adjustment.

Bottom

The battery compartment door, with a sliding lock mechanism, is on the left, and the metal tripod socket is centered behind the lens, with a textured surface to provide extra grip.