Olympus EVOLT E-520 Digital Camera Review

Olympus EVOLT E-520

Digital Camera Review

Jul 29, 2008 - By Tim Barribeau
3.5 The Olympus EVOLT E-520 is a 10-megapixel entry-level SLR that features the best Live View in its price class and noteworthy color accuracy. It delivers a range of useful features, good automatic controls for those new to SLR photography as well as extensive customization options for experienced users. While the E-520 shoots very well in bright lighting, it fares poorly in low light and at high ISO settings, producing noisy photos with  limited dynamic range. The camera retails for $699.99 with a 14-42mm Zuiko lens.
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Conclusion
The E-520 is a camera that manages to package a significant number of excellent features and solid controls into a great body, but really let itself down in our performance testing. There’s one of the best Live View modes on the market (with auto focus), a good image stabilization system that’s built into the body, comprehensive presets and a high degree of customizability and control. However, the test results for noise levels, white balance and dynamic range were so poor that they dragged down an otherwise good camera.

If you don’t need Live View, you could save yourself $100 and get the Sony Alpha 200, which scored better in almost every category except color. Alternatively, the Canon Rebel XSi is only $100 more than the E-520 and outperformed it in every test. The XSi has a slightly less substantial feel in your hands, and lacks the Live View auto focus found in the E-520, but is a superior camera when it comes ot image quality. We admire the E-520 based solely on its features, handling, color accuracy and customizability, but the negatives are just too substantial.

UPDATE: Since this review was published, it has come to our attention that the Rebel XSi does, in fact, have auto focus in Live View, although Canon says that "focusing manually is recommended for precise focusing". This somewhat limited contrast AF mode can be activated through the third Custom Functions menu.


Likes 

- Solid comfortable construction
- Good color accuracy test results
- Auto focus in Live View mode
- Large number of image presets
- High level of control and customizability for   advanced users

Dislikes

- Very poor white balance scores
- Noisy images
- Live View auto focus problematic and slow
- Proprietary port instead of standard USB and AV

Overall Impressions Page 11 of 13 Sample Photos
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