Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 and 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 ED Zuiko Lenses Review

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(More customer reviews)The E-520 is my very first DSLR and I have had it now since April '09 (the Easter Bunny brought it :-) and I can't say enough good things about this camera or this combo.
The camera body is lightweight enough to carry all day without getting tired but sturdy enough to not feel "cheap". The two kit lenses cover most of the distances the average user will want or need, and again neither one is a back-breaker. I use the 40-150mm when I am going to spend a day at the zoo to bring the animals closer to me (since they won't let me get closer to them :-).
One really nifty feature that the camera offers is the ability to use Live View Boost to focus and frame pictures with an infrared filter in place on the front of the lens and to actually see what the camera will record. Pretty cool.
The controls are easy to use and I think the only challenge I have encountered where they are concerned is not in using them but in remembering what to use when and to remember what menu it is under. Fortunately, most of the things you will need most often (wb, AF, Flash, ISO, etc.) also have dedicated buttons easy to find right there on the camera body. You can also set your own custom profile combos to allow you to quickly switch from one set up to another without having to remember what you did the last time that you liked.
The 20 scene modes make life very easy especially when you are just starting out or if you don't want to think and just want to shoot. And the ability (with the optional waterproof housing and light) to shoot underwater would be a really cool thing to do.
Color is great, clarity is great, the ability to remotely control the FL-36R or FL-50R flash units without having to have them attached to the camera by wires of any kind is great too.
A word about the proprietary XD card (the camera supports three different recording formats, CF, XD and Microdrive (But who uses those really?)) you can have the card in the camera in addition to the CF card and I would recommend having one just for the panoramic assist option which is only available if you use the XD card. The panoramic assist supports horizontal and vertical pans and the stitching software is built into the Olympus Master software that comes standard with the camera.
The only down side to having this camera is that you may find it difficult to find all the different lenses available at your local camera store (but there is always Amazon) as Nikon and Cannon have much better marketing. Oh, and one more word about lenses, you can get adapters which will allow you to use not only Olympus OM mount lenses from your SLR but also Pentax, Minolta, Nikon, Cannon, Miyama, and all the rest. Olympus only makes the OM mount adapter but you can find all the others aftermarket. You will need to be able to manually focus and set the f-stop on the lens itself as those features won't be supported through the adapters but it sure opens up options.

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Olympus EVOLT E-520 Digital SLR Camera 10 Megapixel - 3x/3.8x Optical Zoom - 2.70

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Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization (Body Only) Review

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(More customer reviews)I am coming from an Olympus C-8080 and a Panasonic DMC-FZ18. Both of these are decent cameras, but not quite SLR quality. Also, the Panasonic is the worst macro camera I have owned. Since I was looking for more options with macro/closeup photography, I wanted a DSLR. My old SLR was an OM2n (back in the prehistoric camera days). I considered getting the E-510 or Nikon D60. Both are decent cameras, but after seeing pictures, decided to stick with Olympus and wait for the 520. I am glad I did!
I normally have a problem with a bit of camera shake and don't use a tripod. I just shot 400 pics and not one bit of camera shake! I was surprised to find out that I didn't even have Image stablization enabled. It is very easy to hold this camera steady. The lens and the viewfinder are crystal clear. I stongly suggest that you get the fastest CF card you can to record your pictures, and at least 4GB. I should tell you though, that I am shooting in both raw and fine jpeg format. This typically takes longer to write. The xd cards are too slow when shooting raw and fine jpeg. Another thing to make yourself aware of: Liveview does not seem perfected in any camera yet. It may take some time, but it is a bit bothersome, because there is a wait between recording photos when using Liveview. If you don't mind using the viewfinder,or waiting about 2 seconds between pictures, it's not a problem. Also, my battery compartment door seems to stick a bit. May need broken in, or it's just tight.
On the plus side: I have only had this camera 36 hours and already feel totally comfortable with it. I have heard people say that it's not user-friendly. I disagree with that statement IF: you have previously owned and used Olympus cameras. This camera isn't that foreign when coming from Olympus. Yes, it takes getting used to the buttons a bit, and my thumb does accidentally hit a button, but heck, I haven't even had the camera a couple of days. I also suggest that you buy the telephoto lens. Unless you shoot all wide-angle pictures, you will not be satisfied with this lens package. Regarding the Olympus lenses ... Primo, very good quality for a zoom/package deal. Much better quality than I expected. I like my pictures to be as crisp as possible, with the lowest noise (who doesn't?), so I have experimented with shutting noise reduction off and using software to reduce noise. The results were good in my test results. The scene modes of the camera are good. I haven't used them all yet (I had to put the camera down and get some sleep sometime in the past 36 hours), but am impressed with face detection on, macro, night modes. The flash is fairly strong. I have never had a built in flash, which doesn't give some type of red eye or blue eyes in dogs, this has not happened yet with the 520. Impressive, but I would suggest if doing closeup, that you diffuse the flash, or stand back a bit and zoom on the subject. REVISION: If you use the Macro nature mode, it seems to adjust the flash a bit. Also, if you like to experiment, play withe the "Vivid mode" a bit. I'm usually not a fan of modes, but in bright sunlight, my colors came out exactly as they should be.
If you are considering buying a more expensive camera and are NOT doing professional studio work, I would say; don't waste your money. Get this camera, because you will be impressed. If you are doing studio work, I would still tell you to get this camera, but get a better lens. After all, it's not always about the camera, but it is always about the lens. Anyone who has ever bought a no-name, camera-store "pushed on you" lens, knows what I am talking about.
When my next lens arrives, I will post more information under the "40-150mm Olympus zoom lens". Highly recommend this camera!
REVISION: Today, I received the adapter to let me use my old OM-2N lenses. I bought a generic one through ebay and it works just fine. I attached my old Tamron 90mm SP macro lens and began shooting. First, be aware that everything has to be done manually. This may not be practical if you need speed when focusing, unless you have mastered, manual focusing. I find that I shake the camera more with the heavier, manual lens, but with practice, I think that can be overcome. In other words, if you own the old OM lenses and don't have the money to get a new lens, buy the adapter and be prepared to make some adjustments.
If you have a flash/lighting system and a tripod, those adjustments will be lessened. I don't think I would do this for the life of the camera, but I would use the old OM lens (especially if you have a high quality one), until I could afford a new digital lens. I also have the 40-150mm digital lens (the one they give in the package deals), and am very impressed with the quality. I have posted some pictures, so you can get an idea of what this camera can do. If you scroll over the pictures, you will see the pictures I shot with the old OM-2N lens. I didn't make any revisions, so that you can get an idea of how the pictures come out of the camera (no photoshop).


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Olympus EVOLT E-520 Digital SLR Body.10MP, 2.7" HyperCrystal II LCD, 20 Scene select modes, Built-in Image Stabilization (IS 1, 2 & 3) in a portable body, Autofocus Live View, Face Detection, Shadow Adjustment Technology, Dust Reduction, Perfect Shot Preview, Truepic III, Wireless Flash, Underwater Housing.

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GSI Super Quality Eyepiece Extender For the OLYMPUS E3, E400, E410, E420, E500, E510, E520, E620, E300, E330 - Functions Exactly as the OLYMPUS EP-7 Review

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(More customer reviews)This product worked as advertised and arrived in perfect condition. If you do loose your eyepiece as I did, I recommend purchasing this product as a replacement.

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The GSI Eye Cup Extender mounts between the camera's eyecup and the viewfinder. It provides a 15mm extension that makes the viewfinder easier to use - by keeping your nose off of the LCD, and thus avoiding smears. The eyepiece extender makes using the viewfinder noticeably more comfortable.

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