1. Olympus E-620

Backlighting

The E-620 has a very practical feature: backlit buttons at the rear. You don't need them every day, of course, but when you do, they're almost indispensable. Night time photographers will be glad to hear they'll soon be able to leave their torches at home.

However, there is one small problem, as not every button is backlit. Although the button you use to lock the esposure level isn't likely to get mixed up with any of the others, the Fn and AF buttons could easily have benefited from being illuminated, too. As well, of course, as the Menu button.

It's even more annoying to see that not all the buttons are backlit because, with the adjustable screen, you can hold the E-620 at just about any angle, making the layout of the buttons harder to monitor in some cases.

The E-620 is Olympus' first digital SLR aimed at talented amateur photographers--the high end of the bottom of the range, if you will.  It comes in between entry-level options like the ultra-compact E-420 and the more traditional E-530 on the one hand, and the expert E-30 on the other. 

To make a name for itself in this crowded market segment where cameras like those in the Sony Alpha 3xxx series are already very popular, the E-620 is relying on its compact form, backlit buttons and a moveable screen.

The E-620 is a radical update compared to its predecessors, with a redesigned viewfinder and new image stabilisation and autofocus systems.

Handling

In the past, Olympus' lightweight cameras have been incredibly well-built, and the E-620 is no exception.  The plastics used are high quality, and the ports for the battery and memory card open and close firmly.

• E-620 Black SLR...
• • Newegg.com
  • $699.00
• • MacMall
  • $685.99
• • 17th Street Photo
  • $699.00
• • TriStateCamera.com
  • $699.00

Despite the camera's diminutive size, it's easy to keep hold of it, thanks to a solid rubbery grip under your thumb. The E-620 is harder to handle with heavier lenses, where the grip on the E-520 was a lot better.

Being able to adjust the position of the screen is an undeniable advantage when you want to take photos at an unusual angle.  However, focusing using the screen is slower than using the viewfinder.  It's faster than it was on some previous models, but still a long way behind Live View on cameras like the Panasonic G1, despite the technology being up to scratch.  We know that Panasonic has poured a lot of money into getting Live View right on its cameras, and it's becoming increasingly necessary for other manufacturers to do the same.

In the meantime, those who prefer to focus using the screen rather than the viewfinder will be better off with the cameras in Sony's Alpha 300 series, which use the same autofocus system whichever technology you use, meaning you don't lose any of the traditional SLR speed.

If you are using the E-620, focusing is a lot faster when using the viewfinder.  It's a typical 4:3 viewfinder, and although it's a lot better than some of its predecessors, it's still smaller and less clear than those found on competing entry-level digital SLRs.

The new autofocus system is pretty responsive most of the time and although it's less impressive in low light, it does struggle valiantly on where plenty of others give up.

Finally, in burst mode, the E-620 manages just over four photos per second, which is a good result for a camera at this price point.  In regular mode, the time lag between two successive photos is a lot longer, despite the fact that some cameras can keep up with even the most trigger-happy of fingers.  As with many other cameras, switching the E-620 on is held back while you wait for the sensor to be cleaned.

Image Quality

There are two main areas where camera with 4:3 viewfinders traditionally struggle: dynamic range (the amount of light and dark tones that can be captured) and sensitivity.

The E-620 doesn't break with tradition.  Once again, it does better than some of its predecessors, but the competition has moved on too.

Photos are very sharp up to 400 ISO, and are perfectly usable at 800 and 1600 ISO.  Nevertheless, the difference between the E-620's shots at 1600 ISO and the Nikon D90's is very clear.

At 3200 ISO, the lack of detail is very obvious and graininess persists despite activating noise reduction, which is a little too harsh by default.  Turning it down to 'low' produces better results.

In a break with current fashion, the E-620 doesn't have a video mode.

Well thought-out and well executed, the E-620 has got a lot going for it, including the adjustable screen and backlit buttons, making it a very attractive little SLR. However, some areas like Live View could still some additional attention.