Olympus has promised small, lightweight SLR cameras when introducing its E-Class in the “Four Thirds” standard. Now they are there, with 10 megapixels and live view. In contrast to the competition, the Olympus sensors do not measure 23.5 x 15.7 mm (aspect ratio 3: 2), but 17.3 x 13 mm (aspect ratio 4: 3). This allows for more compact cameras as well as smaller and lighter lenses, since they only need to illuminate a smaller image circle. A further advantage for the size is the smaller sensor diagonal, which leads to shorter focal lengths. At the Olympus (Crop factor 2), a 25 mm lens is used to normal focal length, on a competition model with APS-C sensor (Crop factor 1.5) it is 33 mm. Thus, the Zuiko 14-42 mm supplied in the set has an image angle like a 28-84 mm small-format lens. It is extremely small and light. The advantages of the 4/3 system cameras are considerably more square than those of the other digital SLR cameras with the classic 35: 3 aspect ratio. In addition, there is a “traditionally” higher noise of the Olympus models compared to competitive cameras – probably the sweep of the small sensor and the correspondingly smaller pixels.
In the two models, Olympus uses a new 10 megapixel CMOS sensor, which allows the viewfinder to be viewed against the 10 megapixel CCD in the E-400 Live View. Probably originates the sensor from Panasonic and should then also emerge in the next Panasonic SLR. Otherwise, the new E-models continue the operating concept of the E-400, in which one can select a function with the four-directional rocker on the monitor and then change it with the dial. The Olympus E-program will consist of three cameras: the E-400 as a cheap supercompact entry-level model for 420 Euros, the E-410 with an additional live view in almost the same housing for 650 euros and the slightly larger E-510 with additional image stabilizer For 750 euros
We have re-balanced: the E-410 has not grown any more compared to its predecessor - even though it has become a richer feature. The live view system used for the first time in the Olympus E-330 is now also modified in this light weight. The second CCD in the beam path of the optical viewfinder does not have the same Live View function with the E-410 as with the E-510.
Instead, only the recording sensor provides the image signal for the monitor. Like almost compact cameras, the 2.5-inch monitor can serve as a viewfinder - almost: because Olympus must fold up the mirror so that the light falls through the lens on the sensor, and thus the autofocus sensors of the SLR are cut off from the beam path: use compact cameras The shooting sensor for focusing, and SLRs, on the other hand, are faster special sensors. For the exposure and distance measurement, the mirror has to fold back so that light falls on the sensors, which are located in the viewfinder mirror beam path. When measured, the mirror folds up loudly and the recording is done. Thus, during the measurement no light falls on the chip, and the monitor freezes the picture at short notice. In addition, the camera always clicks twice, which can be annoying - in the rest of the fast-paced motifs like to shun.
The advantages: Comfortable cut-out control from unconventional angles and fewer circumstances for spectacle wearers. However, the sharpness judgment on the monitor with 230 000 pixels good resolution is worse than compared to the SLR competition also not very large viewfinder image. To make it work better, the hopelessly overlayed Info button, after placing a grid pattern or a recording histogram over the screen, displays a green mini-square, which can be moved as desired. Pressing the O.K. button increases the image selection selected by means of the window. With this pickup, it is not a problem.
Another problem for Olympus has been solved: If the exposure and distance measurement is performed normally by half-pressing the shutter button during viewfinder operation, this is not possible with Live View. The sensors are blind at this moment. Thus, the focus / aperture stop button (AEL / AFL) was converted to the "metering slave". At the push of a button the mirror folds down, the measurements are taken, a green dot reports completion, and the mirror flips open again to reactivate the live preview. AEL / AFL is therefore only possible when Live View is deactivated at short notice.
Visually, the E-410 hardly differs from the E-400. The same high-quality case with gumming for the handle rack, the same two-part menu, but in gray instead of blue. The only visible difference is the conversion of the function key into the Live View power switch. So the camera has no freely assignable function buttons - we thought. If you check in the menu, you will notice that the left button of the four-directional rocker has now taken over its function. This also makes it possible to reactivate the sharpening depth. Live viewing is the other way round. Since the sharpening depth is always displayed here, the function key raises the use blinds in favor of a bright, more controllable display. The new, almost 90 g heavier top model E-510 differs more clearly from E-410 and E-400: the back adds additional keys for the function button and the quick selection of one of the three focusing frames. The handy four-directional buttons are designed as quick accesses for white balance, exposure, sensitivity and autofocus, which considerably speeds up the operation thanks to the lack of menu controls - this would also be fine in an "E-420". On the front side, the voluminous grip is visible. On the one hand, it makes the camera more handy, especially when using large lenses. On the other hand, the image stabilizer integrated in the housing requires additional energy. The 1500 mAh battery is completely different shaped to the little sister, whose "energy tank" only 1150 mAh. As a result, neither batteries nor chargers can be exchanged between the devices.
On the E-510, micro-motors move the sensor, suspended in an extremely light carbon frame, in opposite directions to the photographer's slight wobble movements, so as to keep the image on the sensor unmoving. The E-510 came too late for our image stabilization test. In a few practice tests, sharp images of immobile objects are obtained at 1/20 s and 84 mm focal lengths.
The operating principle operates in three steps and is structured according to the user's requirements. Automatic photographers can find exposure and time pre-selection as well as 20 scene modes on the mode dial, which, together with the plastic rotary control for time and aperture adjustment, fits easily behind the shutter release. If the time and aperture are adjusted in the fully manual mode, the exposure compensation button must be pressed simultaneously for the aperture selection. Extremely practical: the monitor shows all the essential settings, and can be corrected immediately. To do this press the O.K. button, activated by four-way rocker the decisive field on the monitor and use the dial to change the setting. This fast-input menu provides access to essential presets such as ISO, white balance, exposure and focussing methods, or the numerous flash modes. In addition, you can also activate a second, somewhat more complex display mode with more parameters, such as sharpness, contrast and color. All basic settings are also found in a versatile menu whose list form allows additional basic settings for further parameters. And here, the E-510 shows that it still has a few points more than the E-410: While the E-410 "only" an aperture bracketing with three different aperture value ranges (0.3, 0.7 And 1 EV), the E-510 also makes flash series with three shots each. Also added is the practical ISO limitation, which sets the ISO automatic to a maximum. You select the level of the maximum sensitivity boost, avoiding noisy images. Also the distances of the exposure correction are adjustable. The setting range with 5 screens is extremely wide. In addition, you can select three image quality levels, E-410 two. Image size and compression rate can be pre-selected in a wide range for both cameras. The flash sync time can be adjusted between 1/60 s and 1/180 s. A connection for the remote release is missing. Other additions include saving personal preferences, file management, and the ability to delete more quickly. All in all, the E-510 brings a lot of handling advantages to multi-color photographers.
With 0.34 and 0.37 seconds of firing delay including focusing time, the cameras work fast enough for most applications. A series of digital SLRs is slower, but with Canon, some models currently reach values around 0.25 s. In low light, the AF should be slightly faster. Although the flash can be used as AF-assist light, the pre-flashing staccato does not lead to a satisfactory AF-speed, and secondly, several test persons found the "flash light storm" very disturbing. Fast focus in low light is therefore not the great strength of the E models. The motor-controlled focus ring of the Zuiko lens runs without a stroke; there are settings for the two automatic modes "Single AF" and "Continuous AF", which allow the manual adjustment of the automatic movement without having to switch on manual focusing
The most pleasurable finding in the image evaluation is that Olympus has significantly reduced the noise reduction and the noise compared to the E-400 has been significantly reduced - but without reaching the level of a competing Nikon D40X with 10 megapixels. At the resolution, the measured values of the two new ones correspond to the result of the E-400. A look at the pictures, however, shows that Olympus uses a noise filter, which also reduces the edge sharpness with the noise, so the recordings look slightly soft. The pictures are clearly crisp and more plastic with the noise filter switched off, the resolution increases by 100 line pairs / picture height, but the noise also increases visibly, but less than with the E-400. In comparison, the E-510 is tuned somewhat harder than the E-410, but the difference is not critical.
The image contrast is typical Olympus not very high and also with the accuracy of the white balance both models left a few points. The E-410 goes up late in the automatic mode with the sensitivity upwards, which can lead to images with low sharpening depth due to small apertures or even blurred images when daylight diminishes. The E-510 scores with the stabilizer in these situations.
$ Break $
$ Break $
Evaluation according to new test criteria
Olympus E-410
The 10 megapixel camera is the most inexpensive and in terms of firing delay slowest of the Olympus cameras in this category. If the image quality is still good at ISO 100 and also at ISO 400, the values in the higher sensitivity ranges fall into the weak to poor grades. What does not lie in the loss of the texture, the Olympus cameras are quite good in the field - picture noise and object contrast feed on the values
Olympus E-510
Also a 10 megapixel camera, the model E-510 is the camera among its Olympus contestants with the best values in texture loss. But according to ISO 100, the image quality decreases in upper sensitivity ranges ever more and occupies at ISO 1600 one of the lowest values. This is due to the strong noise in the top sensitivity level.
Olympus E-410
No comments:
Post a Comment