4.2The Olympus E-620 is a close cousin to the company's recently introduced E-30, sharing 12.3-megapixel resolution and six elaborate Art Filter special effects modes, but priced $600 apart, with the E-620 body selling for $699.99. We had the opportunity to shoot with a pre-production version of the E-620 and were impressed with the range of capabilities offered, making this a camera suited for both SLR newcomers and more sophisticated shooters. A detailed First Impressions review follows.
Working with a pre-production sample of a camera, particularly when it's a good two months from ship date, is no way to draw buy-don't buy conclusions, but we are genuinely intrigued by the unusual Olympus E-620. For point-and-shooters looking to move into the digital SLR space, you get full automation plus a host of step-up features, including the dramatic Art Filters, wide array of scene modes and simple multiple exposure creation, that rewards a little exploration with distinctively different results. At the same time, a full range of manual exposure controls, pinpoint tweaking of white balance and extensive customization options beckon to sophisticated shooters without a lot of money to burn. The body still felt a bit too small in our hands, but on the flip side this is one of the most portable SLRs on the market, the pivoting LCD is a lovely piece of gear, and dual memory card slots, even if one is for an xD card, is another welcome feature. If the photo quality stands up in our lab testing, this could prove to be an important camera.
