Digital Photography Equipment Review—The Olympus E-620 DSLR Camera, Part 1

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Olympus has made a living in the entry-level DSLR market, having been one of the first manufacturers to introduce two cameras into this niche: the E-410 and E-510, which were later redesigned as the 420 and 520. With the new E-620, Olympus is even more prepared to battle other cameras in this market segment, such as the Canon 500D. Olympus has outfitted the E-620 with a number of features from the company’s more costly E-30, but has been able to put them into a smaller camera body that is reminiscent of the E-4X0 series, which includes the E-420, the smallest DSLR in the market.

The Olympus E-620 is clearly showing its muscles with an articulated LCD screen, various “art” modes, four different aspect ratios and in-body, optical image stabilization. The E-620’s through-the-lens optical viewfinder and fast, phase-detection auto-focus system also outshines the newer Olympus E-P1 mirror-less, interchangeable lens camera. Despite many similarities, both Olympus cameras target different market segments; and the E-620 is going toe-to-toe with the more “conventional” entry-level DSLRs.

Nikon D600 | Nikon D7100 | Nikon D800 | Canon 5D Mark III | Canon EOS-Rebel T4i

The E-620 wouldn’t be much of a competitor unless it improved some of the primary flaws of the E-520. The E-620’s viewfinder is a bit larger and the information panel is now in a more convenient location just below the view screen. Other outstanding features of the E-620 include:

  • 12.3-megapixel, high-speed live MOS sensor and TruePix III+ image processor, which is the same as the Olympus E-30.
  • Sensor-shift image stabilization system, with a claimed four-stop advantage.
  • The E-620 new auto-focus system has seven AF points compared to the E-520’s three, and five of the seven are cross-type sensors. They are sensitive horizontally and vertically.
  • The 14–42mm f/3.5–5.6 is the standard kit lens for the E-620, and delivers contrast-detect auto-focus in Live View.
  • The E-620’s viewfinder provides 95% coverage and 0.96x magnification, improving these specifications compared to the E-4X0 and E-5X0 models.
  • The versatile wireless flash will control as many as three groups of flash units.

What may give the Olympus E-620 the greatest advantage over equivalent DSLRs is how close it comes to the bigger, more expensive Olympus E-30. There aren’t many features differences between the two cameras, but they make for an excellent method to compare them before deciding which to purchase.

  • The E-620 is smaller, approximately fourth-tens of an inch (1cm) in each dimension and approximately 6 1/3 ounces (180g) lighter (body only).
  • A bit smaller viewfinder with reduced frame coverage (0.96x, 95% vs. 1.02x, 98%).
  • 7-point AF (5 cross-type) vs. 11-point (all cross-type).
  • That aforementioned fully articulated screen is a 2.7” HyperCrystal III LCD with 230,000 pixels, multi-angled, which is better than the E-30’s version II unit.
  • The E-620 has one control dial, the E-30, two.
  • The E-620 maximum continuous shooting rate is 4 frames per second for 5 RAW frames, compared to the E-30’s five frames per second for 12 frames.
  • The E-620 only has three aspect-ratio crops while the E-30 has eight.
  • The E-620 does not have a built-in digital level gauge.
  • Only two exposures can be superimposed in the multi-exposure mode of the E-620. The E-30 allows four.
  • The E-620 has neither a PC flash sync nor DC-in connectors.
  • X-synch and maximum shutter speed is slower: 1/180th vs. 1/250th and 1/4000th vs. 1/8000th, respectively.
  • The E-620 has less battery capacity. The specification for its BLS-1 battery is 7.2V 1150 mAh, compared to the E-30’s BLM-1 battery at 7.2V 1500 mAh.

Read Part 2 of this PhotographyTalk.com article for additional information about the Olympus E-620 DSLR camera.

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