Olympus EVOLT E-500

Model Design / Appearance (6.0)
With a viewfinder hump, the Evolt E-500 is conventional-looking compared with the flat-topped E-300 and E-330. It's narrow, with the lens set far to one side, and a wide hand grip. While brands like Canon and Pentax have tended to smooth out their DSLR designs, with bodies that look as if the corners and edges have all worn away, Olympus has ladled on the ledges, corners, and bumps, as if the E-500 were made of Lego blocks. The feel is a little old-fashioned and scientific.

Size / Portability (6.0)
The smallest DSLRs are too big to pocket, and their T-shape is about the most inconvenient shape to store and pack. At 5 x 3.7 x 2.6 inches, the E-500 is on the small side of DSLRs, but requires a carrying case, especially if the user carries an extra lens, external flash, or other accessories which make an SLR worthwhile.

The E-500's Four Thirds sensor is smaller than most of its competition, which leads to shorter-focal-length lenses. All that would logically suggest the camera should be smaller than the competition, but it isn't. The body alone weighs 15.34 oz, and will require the included neck strap for longer photo shoots.

Handling Ability (6.0)
Having the lens all the way at the edge of the camera is a benefit on a small camera like the Evolt E-500, because it's easy to cradle the lens and that side of the body with the user's left hand. The hand grip is boxy and thick, and better-suited for large hands than might be expected. The gripping surface on the right side feels sure and sticky. The E-500 isn't likely to fall out of the user's hands. On the back of the grip is a small bowl molded into the body’s plastic housing; this provides a little support for the thumb.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (6.0)
DSLRs usually offer a wide range of control and quick operation. The E-500 offers plenty of control, and as a DSLR, it's much faster than compact cameras and SLR-like super-zooms. Unfortunately, its control interface is slow and inconvenient, which undercuts the camera's advantages.

The Olympus E-500 has only one control dial, which means that in Manual mode, for instance, the user has to press and hold the EV button while turning the dial to set the aperture. To choose the autofocus site, the user must press the autofocus button while turning the dial. Given how close the two are, this movement is inconvenient to do while the camera is at eye level. The control dial would be easier to use if it were larger and overhung the back of the E-500 better, where the user's thumb could run it faster.

The mode dial is large, which is a tradition for Olympus, but is stiff and centered on top of the camera. Most users will need a thumb and index finger to set it.

Menu (6.0)
The Evolt E-500's menus are a mess. Tools that ought to have low priority are high up in the hierarchy – card format and custom reset are the first two options. The layout shows relatively few options at a time, and some features have puzzling, non-intuitive names.

Setup (1)
ISO Step	Set ISO increment to 1/3, ½ or 1 EV
ISO Boost	Activate ISO settings over 400
ISO Limit	Set maximum ISO
EV step	Set aperture and shutter speed increments to 1/3, ½ or 1 EV
All WB	Bias all white balance settings by a set amount
HQ	Set JPEG compression level for HQ setting
SQ	Set JPEG compression level and pixel dimensions for SQ setting
Manual Flash	Set flash to fixed output
AE and FLE	Link flash and ambient exposure adjustment
Auto popup	Set flash to pop up automatically
Dial	Set control dial behavior in Program and Manual modes
AEL/AFL	Set the exposure and focus lock button behavior in various focusing modes
AEL metering	Set meter pattern for use with AEL button
Quick Erase	Allow image deletion immediately after an image is shot, while it's being reviewed
RAW+JPEG erase	Sets delete behavior when shooting RAW and JPEG simultaneously
One-touch WB function	Set behavior of one-touch white balance button
My mode setup	Create custom shooting modes
Focus ring	Set whether infinity focus is in clockwise or counter-clockwise direction
AF Illuminator	Shines light to improve focus in low light
Reset Lens	Reset infinity focus
Release Priority S	Set whether shutter waits to fire until focus is set in S focus mode
Release Priority C	Set whether shutter waits to fire until focus is set in C focus mode

Setup (2)
Clock	Set time and date
CF/xD	Select memory card type
File Name	Set numbering
Edit File name	Create file name prefix
LCD	Set LCD brightness
Menu	Set menu language
Video Out	Set for PAL or NTSC compatibility
Beep	Set alert beep on or off
Rec View	Set to review image automatically after shooting
Sleep	Set interval before camera goes into sleep mode when unused
4h Timer	Set camera to shut down after 4 hours when unused
Button Timer	Set interval that a button press stays active
Screen	Show startup animation
CTL Panel Color	Set background color for LCD display
Priority Set	Set menus to default to "Yes" or "No"
USB mode	Set for storage, tethered mode, easy or custom printing
Color Space	Set to sRGB or Adobe RGB
Shading Compensation	Set to compensate for lenses that vignette
Pixel Mapping	Set camera to ignore "hot" pixels
Cleaning Mode	Allows cleaning sensor manually
Firmware	Shows version number of internal software

Ease of Use (6.0)
All cameras are designed by engineers for photographers, but it seems as though the E-500 is designed for engineers. It doesn't seem to be designed for either experienced or beginning photographers. We can't imagine what kind of photographer needs fast access to memory card formatting above all other menu functions – putting it up top gives beginners the opportunity to accidentally delete all their images, and it's useless to advanced users, who have probably learned the lesson of prepping their cards at the computer, right after they download their images and back them up.

The Evolt E-500 has some unique options – focus bracketing pops to mind – which beg the question: why not make the basic control better, rather than add an offbeat gimmick? The E-500's autofocus is slow and ineffective in low light – why not improve that, instead of adding bracketing?

The E-500's quirks don't improve its performance. The aspects that are above average feel beside the point, and the aspects that are inferior are often important to shooting.

On the plus side, the E-500's manual is readable, well organized, and exhaustive.