Product Description

The Olympus E-520 delivers brilliant results thanks to advanced technologies that produce clear, sharp images. The E-520's industry-leading Image Stabilization technology, which is built into the camera body, compensates for movement so you can capture blur-free shots with any lens - even at slow shutter speeds. Autofocus Live View brings subjects into sharp focus; it is the perfect tool for macro, portrait or even landscape shooting. This camera was built to produce amazing results for photo hobbyists and serious digital photographers alike.This product bundles with ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 lens.This 3x standard zoom lens is the smallest and lightest in its class and features a closest focusing distance of only 25cm. The ED (Extra-low Dispersion) and two aspherical lens elements correct aberrations without increasing lens dimensions. The circular aperture diaphragm enables beautiful defocusing - one of the big advantages of this lens. Excellent mobility is assured by a weight of less than 190 grams.

---

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #388 in Camera & Photo
• Brand: Olympus
• Model: E520 14-42
• Dimensions: 4.00" h x 4.00" w x 4.00" l, 2.25 pounds
• Display size: 2.7

Features

• 10-megapixel CMOS sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality 18 x 24-inch prints
• Lightweight ergonomic design; kit includes 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko lens
• Enhanced in-body Image Stabilization with Supersonic Wave Drive technology
• Face Detection and Shadow Adjustment technologies; Perfect Shot Preview
• Compatible with CompactFlash Type I and II, Microdrives, and xD-Picture Cards (not included)

Manufacturer Description

The new Olympus E-520 digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera delivers brilliant images thanks to advanced technologies that help take the blur out. Industry leading Image Stabilization built into the portable camera body compensates for movement so that images are sharp and blur-free with any lens and even at slow shutter speeds. Autofocus Live View brings subjects into sharp focus on the camera’s HyperCrystal II LCD. Together, these technologies produce amazing results, along with the following features that further expand the DSLR experience:

• In-Body Image Stabilization with Supersonic Wave Drive technology provides blur-free images when using any of the more than 30 digital-specific lenses;
• Face Detection Technology targets and locks on faces to ensure they are in focus and blur-free for amazing portraits;
• Shadow Adjustment Technology opens up detail in the shadows that other cameras would render too dark or underexposed while maintaining detail in the highlights; and
• Perfect Shot Preview enables photographers to view and select White Balance and Exposure Compensation effects right on the LCD, and see how the image will look before they even capture it.

Evolt E520 Highlights

10-megapixel Live-MOS Sensor Get amazingly detailed, colorful and clear images with the 10-megapixel Live-MOS image sensor. This high-resolution sensor captures all the detail needed to make large prints, or even crop without losing detail. The E-520 sensor's high dynamic range, accurate color rendition and low noise characteristics let you capture great images, even at high ISO settings.

Enhanced In-Body Image Stabilization For the first time, in-body Mechanical Image Stabilization has three modes for increased versatility. IS-1 mode for general shooting adjusts the sensor on both the X and Y axes to compensate for movement by the photographer so images stay sharp even at slow shutter speeds. To capture the motion of athletes and animals, and other moving subjects, the E-520 offers two specialized modes. IS-2 mode is ideal for capturing a racecar flying down the track, preserving the sense of motion while panning with the moving subject and holding the camera horizontally to dramatically portray the car’s high speed. For sharp images of moving subjects like a basketball player charging up the court, the IS-3 mode allows a photographer to hold the camera vertically while panning. The artistic effects of panning enhance the shot and render the player in sharp detail with blurred background.

The Live View Experience The portable E-520’s advanced autofocus Live View enables photographers to compose their images and bring them into sharp focus on the HyperCrystal II LCD -- just like a point-and-shoot camera. By simply pressing the shutter button halfway, subjects come into focus on the LCD, so when the perfect moment occurs it is easy to compose, focus and capture sharp images while viewing on the LCD. Live View makes it possible to shoot upward from a low angle for dramatic composition, in close for detailed macro photos of an exotic insect, or over a crowd of people at a tennis tournament.

New and Improved HyperCrystal II LCD The E-520’s viewable HyperCrystal II LCD is the key to its Live View capabilities. While some LCD screens force photographers to squint to preview images in bright sunlight or a dimly lit room, the E-520 features a large, bright 2.7-inch LCD display that incorporates new technology. It also offers twice the contrast for better viewing in extreme light conditions, a larger color gamut that displays a greater range of color detail, and a 176-degree viewing angle.

Always Find a Face in the Crowd The E-520’s Face Detection reduces the chance of blurred subjects in photography by distinguishing between people’s faces and the background. It tracks up to eight faces within the image area even if people are moving and automatically focuses and optimizes exposure for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures.

In Sunshine or the Shadows, Never Miss a Detail Shooting scenes with shadows can be tricky because of the extreme contrast between dark and bright areas. The E-520 addresses this challenge with Shadow Adjustment Technology that compensates for extreme contrast and maintains visible detail in both the shadow and highlight areas of the scene. Now users can preview and capture images showing the shadow detail they saw. This feature is also available in the Edit menu after the shot has been taken.

Preview a Multitude of Possibilities Perfect Shot Preview enables users to preview and select from a variety of thumbnail previews of the photographic effects of white balance and exposure compensation adjustments live on the LCD before taking the photograph. It is an ideal way for novice users to learn about the effects of different photography techniques, visually, without having to scroll through menu options. With 20 preset scene-select modes for every imaginable shooting scenario from underwater photography to fireworks, and program, automatic modes and full manual controls, the E-520 offers a world of possibilities to photographers.

Experience Life under the Sea Olympus will offer the PT-E05 optional underwater housing for the E-520 to allow photographers to document the richness of life in the depths. Capable of reaching depths of 130 feet underwater, the housing will ensure that divers will not miss an image during their journeys to the abyss. Special underwater scene modes on the E-520 will assure that the camera is set up correctly for underwater use.

Wireless Flash Capability Sometimes wireless flashes can help photographers cast the best light on their subjects and capture great images. For this reason, the E-520 is compatible with the Olympus FL-50R and FL-36R wireless electronic flashes that are designed exclusively for digital photography. When these flashes are used in combination with the E-520, wireless multi-flash photography is possible. The E-520 can control up to three wireless flash groups independently, with multiple flash units in each group.

TruePic III for Image Clarity & Speed The 10.1-megapixel E-520’s TruePic III Image Processor produces crystal-clear photos using all of the pixel information for each image to provide the best digital images possible for every photo with accurate color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies and precise tonal representation in between. TruePic III also lowers image noise by one step to reduce graininess in images shot at higher ISO settings, enabling great results in low-light situations.

Dust Reduction System for Spot-Free Images Life moves too fast to spend time worrying about dust ruining the perfect image. Olympus’ proven Dust Reduction System produces spot-free photos with the exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter. The patented ultrasonic technology vibrates to remove dust and other particles from the front of the image sensor and captures it on a special adhesive membrane every time the camera is turned on. These spot-free photos liberate users from hours spent retouching photographs at the computer or sending their cameras back to the manufacturer to remove dust trapped inside.

Easy to Handle, Easy to Operate The E-520 is extremely portable, measuring 5.35 inches (width) by 3.6 inches (height) and 2.68 inches (depth), excluding protrusions, and weighing 16.75 ounces (body only). The new camera has a classic penta-mirror design that is light and compact enough to shoot with all day. It features a comfortable ergonomic grip to ensure that the camera fits snugly in the hand. Beyond its portable size, the E-520 has an expanded menu for greater control and buttons on the body for quick and easy direct access to the most common settings. Accepting both CompactFlash Type I & II, Microdrives and xD-Picture Cards, the camera provides a choice of data-storage options for enhanced flexibility, and it is possible to transfer image files from one card to the other right inside the camera.

100-percent Digital-Specific Lens for Sharpness and Rich Colors The E-520 outfit includes a compact, Zuiko Digital 28-84mm equivalent (ED 14-42 mm Four Thirds) f3.5-f5.6 lens that perfectly matches the imager so light strikes the sensor directly to ensure rich, accurate colors and edge-to-edge sharpness. Its 3x ED Glass zoom lens covers the range most frequently used in photography and weighs just 7.5 ounces, offering users an extremely dynamic, portable, everyday-use zoom. Close-ups as near as 9.84 inches (0.25 m) are possible throughout the zoom range. This lens is part of Olympus’ expanding line of 100 percent digital lenses -- designed specifically for digital photography. Unlike other camera companies, Olympus does not rely on old film lenses, which often result in images with soft edges or other imperfections.

What's in the Box

E-520 body, 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko lens, USB cable, video cable, Li-Ion battery pack (BLM-1), Li-Ion battery charger (BCM-2), shoulder strap, Olympus Master software CD-ROM, manuals and warranty card

---

Customer Reviews

Happy I waited.
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).

E510 / E520 | Awesome - Gem of the mid level DSLR:
Though I have E510. I actually tried and tested the E520 as well and picked E510 for the 2 kit lens deal and the extra features E520 has over E510 which I rarely care about. I thought to add my E510 review under this to give the readers a better idea about how the Olympus E510/E520 wins over the Canons XSi and Nikon D80 we tested. Hope this helps.

Myself and a Canon lover Friend and a Nikon lover Cousin were hunting for DSLRs. We had Film SLRs and few Point & Shoot Digis. We don't want to spend $1500+ for the DSLR and was waiting for the price to come down. When it reached $1000 mark, we started hunting for it and tried out few DSLR models in-stores by carrying our own flash memories and took few sample shots at the same lighting, focal length, ISO, f-Stop and Shutter and narrowed down to most people(s) three choices - Olympus E510, Canon XSi and Nikon D80. I went with E-510 right on the spot after looking at the images on the digital PC monitor in just 4 week end hunting. The other two contemplated a while and my friend went with Canon XSi and my cousin chose D80 as he wanted to use his old Nikon lenses and gears.

On a fine evening we got our stuffs ordered online. As soon we returned from work, we were excited to experiment our choices.

Right out of the box results: (No tweaking)
E-510 - Great Outdoor results with very good natural color processing well exposed. Indoor shots were good natural color tones with a bit dull and underexposed.
XSi - Great Outdoor and Indoor results with very little pink tinted color processing with a good exposure.
D80 - Great Outdoor results with little blue tinted color processing. Indoor results with very little blue tinted color processing with a good exposure.

You can see the pink and blue tint obvious on the skin tone and on the white base subjects. We actually compared the images captured by these three with what we saw with bare eyes. We all observed this very little tone changes when tried out at stores and agreed upon the myth that "Every brand has it's own way and nothing is perfect". But still it's too early to decide which one is best.

We tried it every evening as soon we come back and with little tweaking as suggested by the reviewers and professionals. In just 3 days - I made everyone to think that - I WON. Still those guys wanted to give a try because some times the results from Canon XSi and Nikon D80 will have the same color as E510 in long shots and when occasionally (say like one in 100 shots) E510 underexposes the skin tones will look greyish. We almost go as a group for all the functions/festivals and fill with flashes everywhere :)

After 3 months of coutinuous use at the same places, here is our findings:

Speed: XSi is better than E510 and D80. but thats for just 6-7 frequent shots. after that, the XSi will pop up with "BUSY" icon. It is famous and you can see the complaints in Amazon reviews. The other to will be steady through out the the session. no BUSY nothing.

Color Tone: E510 is more natural across the lighting conditions. Indoor shots need to have exposure compensation set to either +0.3 or +0.7

Indoor Photos: E510 is a bit dull and underexposed right out of the box but after a little tweaking it just blows the other two out of the window with very natural color tones and bright images. It actually chooses the right ISO required where as the Canon XSi always chooses ISO 400 when using flash I don't know why it is set like that.

Dynamic Range: Though the pro reviewers say, D80 is more dynamic we haven't came across a situation to prove it. Under most common outdoors shooting, we all three got almost identical resluts and we liked the E510 processing much better than the other two.

ISO:
upto ISO 400, E510 is noise free. It get's a slight noise pushing in at ISO 800 and at ISO 1600 noise is obvious. Canon XSi is noise free till ISO 1600. Nikon D80 is noise free till ISO 800 and at ISO 1600 it introduces a little noise. It is worth to be noted that we haven't seen a situation that we need to use more than ISO 400 under normal indoor/outdoor common user needs. We actually forced the camera to use ISO 800 and ISO 1600 just to see the results where the camera picked ISO 400 by it's own when you leave it to the camera choise in ISO. This is actually a dark night shot on the river bank pointing the camera at the lighted buildings on the other side of the river and the situation is really dark.


Auto Focus: E-510 locks on for sharp focus almost 99% of the time but hunts for focus at low light with too much flash strobes for 4-5 seconds drving you nuts. XSi is zippy but occasionally the focus is not properly locked. When you view on the camera display it looks fine but when blow up in the monitor, it's unfocused. Nikon D80 had the most mis focus. You can see these misfocus issues at both Amazon reviews and DPreview.

Image Stabilization: E510 wins hands down. I took tack sharp pictures using 70-300 lens zoomed all the way at 300mm with shutter going down till 1/30. XSi's lens based stabilization is not that effective when we used it with 50-200mm lens zoomed to 200mm. It was effective till 1/40. Nikon we haven't tried it as we don't have IS lens. Not to mention the hefty price my friend paid for the Canon 50-200 IS lens while I paid just $240 for the 70-300 lens as I had an effective IS built into my E510 body.

Fit and Feel: E510 wins again with more robust build quality. Nikon D80 is also built good but a bit bigger. XSi looks kind of plasticky and has an uncomfortable grip. E510 just lays in your hand so comfortable and is a joy to use.

Value for Money:
I paid $560 for the 2 kit lens. Sold my 40-150mm for $110 and bought the 70-300 for $240 making my kit to cost me $690. FL-36 flash costed me $150, totalled to $840.
XSi costed my friend $869 with 18-55mm (Now it is around $500-$600), 70-300mm IS lens for $510. With no flash his kit is now $1379.
Nikon D80 costed my cousin $910 with 18-135mm with no IS !!! He can't simply use his camera hand held as I am using it with my long zoom 300mm or as my friend using his XSi with his 200mm or in low light.
Now...you decide which one gives you more dollar for dollar...XSi with 70-300mm auto focus is faster than the E510 with 70-300 mm at the very long end of the zoom. XSi with 300mm zoomed couldn't get sharp results all the time, less than 250mm is ideal for hand held. E510 has effective IS and works all the way till 300mm handheld but had focus hunt when used in a slight shadow area.

Follow this link "http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/43/e510-sett.html" to tune up your E510 and enjoy the long journey of Digital photography. Good luck.

Verdict:
We also asked the rest of the people at home and our friends to see the pictures and pick which one looks better without telling them which one came from what camera. The end result is 80% of the images picked by the them who don't even know which camera produced it, picked E510's pictures.

We all three agreed that E510 is the best all around DSLR in it's category and we just pay the hyped price for the Canon and Nikon just for the label which produces image quality that is equal to inferior than the low priced, light weight E510. Look no further, go for this little gem and you will be more pleased than the Canon and Nikon users.

A New Era in DSLR
I have done quite a lot of analysis before buying this camera, have used Nikon D40, D40x, D80, D200, Canon D350, D400, D450; but finally it was the Olympus E520 I fell in love with. I recently bought this camera in Hong Kong, when it wasn't even released anywhere in the rest of the world yet. :D

Why did I like it? The ease of use, I have used a prosumer camera for a couple of years now, and was waiting for a camera with similar ease of use, and Olympus heard my prayers.

Technology wise, its one of the best FourThirds system in the market, this has enabled smaller lenses. The Live View is amazing (though I prefer using the optical viewfinder, my wife loves the Live view), it has Face detection and multi-point focus, all I can say is that it is the best as yet (the Canon D450 liveView is really bad), the kit lens is very good too, awesome wide angle. The assisted manual focus is extremely useful; the auto focus is super fast. There are multiple RAW file formats to choose from. The Sensor based Image stabilization works like a charm, better than the optical image stabilization. The playback features are the best, anybody would want to see the photos they clicked a bit closer, it is such a pain to zoom the preview on the Canons and the Nikons, in this even my 7 year old niece can do it. With respect to image quality, you might have seen them on the internet, its comparable to any of the professional cameras.

One small drawback i have noticed is the built in flash, its not as powerful as the Nikon, though we can increase the flash power, but the default setting is not as powerful as the Nikon.

You can checkout my photostream on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/phalgunp/tags/e520/