Olympus EVOLT E-500

Manual Control Options
The E-500 offers full manual control of shooting and digital parameters. As we reviewed in the Menu and Ease of Use sections, the controls aren't all quick or convenient, but they are complete.

Focus
Auto Focus (6.0)
Olympus doesn't seem enthusiastic about autofocus. While other manufacturers have improved speed, low-light sensitivity, and the number and placement of sensors, Olympus hasn't. Instead, it introduced focus bracketing.

The E-500 has three AF sensors arranged in a row across the middle of the frame. They sometimes had a hard time focusing in moderate room light – enough to read by – when trained on a subject's eye. We had to use manual focus for our low-light color test, even at the 60 lux setting, because the autofocus system sporadically shot with the focus completely blurred. Such troubles are common with compact cameras, but rare in DSLRs.

The through-the-lens phase difference detection system can operate singly or continuously. In Continuous mode, focus tracking is available. In very low light, the Olympus E-500 shoots out a red assist beam from a lamp on its front.

Manual Focus (6.0)
The focus ring on the E-500 is convenient and comfortable, and since it's electronic, the user can choose whether it turns clockwise or counter-clockwise to get to infinity. The viewfinder is small and fairly bright, given the aperture of the standard lens.

It used to be a rule of thumb that bright finders weren't as contrasty as dark ones, and that designers had to balance the two attributes to make a good viewfinder. The E-500 suggests the problem still exists because, though it is bright, it lacks the snap that better viewfinders show when an image comes into focus.

Users can activate a focus bracketing option in the Recording menu to ensure subjects are sharp in one of the three shots.

Metering (6.0)
The Evolt E-500 has five metering patterns. They are: A 49-zone Evaluative mode, which takes 49 readings, compares them, and arrives at a logic-based reading; Center-Weighted Average, which takes a single measurement, with an emphasis on the middle; Spot, which measures a small area at the center of the frame; High Key, a mode designed for scenes that are supposed to look bright; and Low Key, for scenes that should look dark.

We found the various modes work as described. Evaluative modes are supposed to detect backlighting and other tricky situations. The E-500's Evaluative mode beat its Center-Weighted mode in metering backlighting, but it isn't magic – like competing systems, it's designed to compromise, and retains detail in as much of the frame as possible. In many situations, the better choice would be to let a bright background blow out, and keep the subject better exposed. Low and High Key work, but they don't seem to be a big advantage over judicious use of exposure compensation.

Exposure (6.0)
The Manual exposure modes on the E-500 are typical and complete. There's full Manual, for control of both aperture and shutter speed; Aperture Priority, which sets a shutter speed to match the user's chosen aperture; Shutter Priority, which sets an aperture to suit the user's aperture; and Program, which sets both, but allows the user to shift between equivalent shutter/aperture combinations. The E-500 allows the users to set exposure compensation in 1/3 stops from 5 EV below to 5 EV above the meter reading, which is a very wide range of compensation.

White Balance (6.0)
Olympus has a good attitude about white balance – it indicates the Kelvin temperature of each of its seven presets, including Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Tungsten, and three fluorescent shades. The E-500 also allows the user to set Kelvin color temperatures directly, and to take "one-touch" white balance readings.

The E-500 adds a two-axis white balance compensation control that adjusts red-to-blue and green-to-magenta up and down seven steps. This control adds a significant range of adjustment. The camera has a white balance bracketing mode that shoots three frames in +/- 4, 8, or 12 mired steps.

ISO (6.0)
The Evolt E-500 has its share of noise, and part of Olympus's response to that is to shorten its standard ISO range from 100 to 400. Anything above that is "extended," a range that reaches 1600. The settings can be made in increments of 1/3, 1/2, or 1 EV. The E-500's full range is standard for entry-level DSLRs, with the Pentax *ist standouts offering an extra EV up to 3200.

Shutter Speed (6.0)
The E-500 shutter ranges from 1/4000 to 60 seconds, and offers a Bulb setting in Manual mode. The range is shorter in some Scene modes, where long exposures aren't appropriate. The range is available in 1/3 and 1/2 EV intervals, and it's appropriate for the E-500's likely users.

Aperture (6.0)
The E-500 controls aperture electronically, offering 1/3 and 1/2 EV steps. The kit lens, with a maximum aperture of f/3.5 at wide angle to f/5.6 at telephoto, is pretty dark, and limited for available-light use. Some compact cameras are nearly as dark, but many of them have image stabilization, allowing longer shutter speeds.