Olympus EVOLT E-500By: Shawn Barnett and Dave Etchells8.0 megapixels, ZUIKO DIGITAL lens mount, digital SLR design, and loads of features! <<User Report :(Previous) | (Next): Viewfinder>> Page 4:DesignReview First Posted: 09/25/2005, Updated: 12/05/2005 |
Design
One of the largest of Olympus' consumer-oriented digicams, the EVOLT E-500 is a true digital SLR, designed to please the serious photographer, but without alienating the novice. Featuring an interchangeable lens mount, a host of exposure controls (including full manual exposure control), and a wide range of 15 preset exposure modes, the E-500 is a capable option for those amateurs looking for a meatier camera, but who aren't willing to shell out the big bucks on a pro level digital SLR. A plastic and aluminum body surrounds the E-500's aluminum die-cast chassis, which weights in at just under a pound (0.95 lb or 435 grams) for just the camera body, without CF card and battery. This is actually a little lighter than the preceding E-300 model, and lighter than any other digital SLR on the market. With the 14-45mm lens, battery and card, the EVOLT's total mass comes to 1.86 pounds (846 grams). Measuring 5.8 x 3.7 x 2.6 inches (129.5 x 94.5 x 66 millimeters), the E-500 is only slightly larger than the Pentax *istD, with an excellent grip and very good balance.
The EVOLT's control layout is similar to the E-300 model, featuring a vertical array of buttons left of the LCD, a mode dial and power switch on top, and a control dial and AE/AF and Focus point selector buttons next to the thumb rest. The large Mode dial on top of the camera accesses the main exposure modes, plus a few of the more commonly used Scene modes, and a wide selection of external controls is useful for changing camera settings without the LCD menu. However, the E-500 does lack the small status display panel used on most d-SLRs to report camera settings. Instead, the camera has a startup screen mode that displays the "Control Panel," a brief, iconic display of the current settings. The optical viewfinder also features a smaller information readout on the right. A truly unique Supersonic Wave Filter prevents dust from accumulating on the CCD while changing lenses, something we'd love to see other camera manufacturers adopt. The E-500 features a 8.0-megapixel (effective) CCD, which delivers a maximum image size of 3,264 x 2,448 pixels. This is enough resolution to print quality images as large as 16x20 inches, or to 11x17 with cropping.
The front of the Olympus E-500 has the lens mount, self-timer LED / IR remote sensor window, and the lens release button. The medium-sized handgrip is covered with a textured, leathery material that helps improve grip.
Visible on the right side of the camera is the memory card compartment, as well as one of the eyelets for attaching the neck strap. The media compartment opens from the rear panel, with a hinged, hard-plastic door that snaps shut securely.
On the opposite side of the camera is the second neck strap eyelet, as well as the connector compartment, which houses the Video Out and USB shared jack. A flexible, rubbery flap protects the compartment.
The Olympus E-500's top panel has just a few controls on it, including the Shutter button, Exposure Compensation button, Power switch, and the Mode and Control dials. Also on the top panel are the pop-up flash unit and external flash hot shoe. A small SSWF (Super Sonic Wave Filter) LED flashes blue whenever the camera is powered on, indicating that the filter is operating.
The majority of the Olympus E-500's controls are on the rear panel, and are clearly and logically laid out. A series of buttons lines the left side of the 2.5-inch LCD monitor, and includes the Flash Release, Playback, Erase, Menu, and Info buttons. The four-way arrow pad serves multiple functions depending on the camera's operating mode, and is adjacent to the right of the display. Starting with the "up" arrow and moving clockwise, the Arrow Pad buttons double as White Balance, AF, ISO, and Metering buttons. A small OK button is in the center of the Arrow Pad. Above the top right corner of the LCD display is the AE/AF Lock button, with the One-Touch WB and AF Area Selector buttons over to the far right. A Drive / Copy / Print button is above the Four-Way Arrow pad, and enables one-touch printing when the camera is connected to a printer. The optical viewfinder eyepiece is surrounded by a rubbery cup that won't scratch eyeglasses when closed, and features a dioptric adjustment dial on its left side to correct the view. (The soft eyecup is necessary, as I often found myself having to press my eyeglasses against it to see the full viewfinder frame.) Also on the rear panel is a small LED below the arrow pad that lights whenever the camera is accessing the memory card (meaning you shouldn't remove the card).
The bottom of the camera holds the battery compartment cover and a metal screw-mount tripod socket. The tripod socket is just far enough from the battery compartment to make battery changes easy when mounted on a tripod, something I always notice given the extensive amount of studio shooting I do. The battery compartment door features a sliding lock to keep it in place, as well as an internal secondary latch that prevents the battery from falling free when the door is open. This latch was missing on the E-300, so we're glad to see it here.
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