Olympus Evolt E-500 SLR Digital Camera W/14mm-45mm & 40mm-150mm

Best DSLR Value out there with the 2 lens kit, I b ...

Posted Dec 15, 2005 - Best DSLR Value out there with the 2 lens kit, I bought at Costco because of there liberal Return policy (which is Great) too bad they don't sell OLY len's. fyi: the Cannon XT felt and looked like a toy compared to the E-500. Also, Like the fact that the OLY/Zuiko Lens is fully digital and feedback to the camera body. With the ability to update firmware in the lens. The virtually Free 40-150mm is a very usable lens, at 150mm f4.5 it takes a very good portrait with nice blur on the background ... I like the 40-150mm best of the two kit len's ... even thought the 14-45mm is the basic one you will need. The viewfinder is smaller but brighter IMHO than the XT,350D,D50,istDS ... and the size will be corrected with the ME-1. p.s. being able to use the OLY/Zuiko 50mm f2.0 lens (at aprox. $400.00 more) should be the reason why you get the e-500 if you shoot Portraits or macros. Also the 2.5" LCD that is high res and bright ... with a Very good detailed shooting mode menu that let's you change the settings right on screen. For your business or personal you will love the images the e-500 produces. For more detailed info ... * My favoite site on the e-500: wrotniak.net/photo/oly...

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OLYMPUS EVOLT E-500

Posted Mar 30, 2006 - FOR THE VALUE, I THINK THIS IS THE BEST DSLR IN THE 8MP RANGE OUT ON THE MARKET. OLYMPUS MIGHT NOT BE AS BIG AS CANON OR NIKON. BUT THE QUALITY IS THERE. I WISH THERE WERE MORE AFTERMARKET CHOICES. EVEN THOUGH SIGMA AND TAMRON ARE STARTING TO COME OUT WITH SOME NICE LENSES. I OPTED FOR THE SINGLE LENS KIT. THEN PURCHASED THE 14-54 THE 50-200 MM LENSES AND THE 50MM MACRO. THOSE LENSES ARE GREAT. I WILL PROBABLY SELL THE 14-45 LENS. SINCE I DON'T EVEN USE IT. BUT OVERALL, VERY VERY HAPPY WITH IT. MY FIRST DIGITAL.

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A camera to last me the next ten years...

Posted Dec 9, 2005 - Geat camera with plenty of features. The preprogrammed shooting modes make it easy for the average photographer to take great pictures. The internal self cleaning mode has kept my camera clean and my pictures dust free. The two lense system has provided plenty of optics for all of my typical picture taking situations. Great system and I was able to find it for just under $800!

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Great Camera and Great Deal

Posted Jan 8, 2006 - After research and thought, I settled on the E-Volt E-500 because it was the best features for a great price! I worried about the price, because you usually get what you pay for (and compared to the other D-SLRs in its class this is cheap), but that worry was unfounded! The Lenses are good quality, they provide great optics. The zoom slides easily but not too loosely. The focus is tight. The features are great on the camera. There is a continuous shot mode that is surprisingly good. The AF-M focus mode is great. Sometimes the AF doesn't focus exactly where you want, and you can change the focus to get the image you want. One of the features I wish the E-500 had was a separate control for Shutter Speed and F-Stop. Adjusting both with the same dial can be frustrating, but it works! The use of the main LCD as both review/preview screen and as info screen is both a Strength and Weakness. It's easy to see the options, but it can eat up the battery.

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Excellent DSLR in this class

Posted Apr 27, 2006 - I think it should be the best, excellent DSLR in this price range... < USD 1000 Of course you need to choose the effect of shots by your own, different DSLRs have different effects. However, after comparing several same class DSLRs, I love the Olympus E-500 most. Anyone who is interested in buying one DSLR should go to some websites to compare the photos in detail. Hey, don't be lazy to do that.... it's a ~USD 700 deal....:) Should make some conclusion... 1. Best Price/Quality I've ever seen for DSLR. 2. Best Performance for me, but everyone has his preference. 3. Dual Lens Kit..... You won't be able to beat this advantage.... especially, the 40-150 mm is made in Japan... obviously has better performance than the other one... that's my feeling. 4. the weight and size is perfectly matched with my hands.

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Solid Package

Posted Mar 27, 2006 - I am so happy i chose this camera setup over other entry d-slr camera packages. I have more camera on a college student budget than i would have otherwise. this camera setup has already proven versitile at family functions, backpacking, underground concerts. At a tech institute this camera impressed many engeneers with its solid preformance and quality. I would definetly recomend this camera to anyone looking to either upgrade from film or buy a more serious starting setup.

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Nothing less than terrific

Posted Nov 25, 2005 - I migrated from a very heavy, very expensive Leica 35mm system and was somewhat hesitant to gone the DSLR route, having had a few point-and-shoot digital cameras of the medium-priced variety. Those digital cameras suffered from a lag before snapping a picture. Fast action and quick moving subjects were lost. With this camera, you think you're using a high grade 35mm. It is a wonder. I recommend a fast CompactFlash memory card like the SanDisk Extreme III 1 gig for the best performance.

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Olympus Evolt E-500

Posted Nov 29, 2005 - I bought this two lens kit and have been happy with it from day one. Compared to the main competition, the Canon Rebel XT, this camera is more ergonomic with a better size (not too small) and better hand grip. When you pick it up it feels like you are using a traditional 35 mm film camera, which is important to people changing over to digital for the first time from a film SLR. The pictures are excellent and can be viewed nicely through that big 2.5 inch LCD TFT screen even in fairly bright conditions. The writing to a fast Compact Flash card is really fast, so be sure to get a Fast one like the Lexar Pro wWA, etc. The xD card writing is much slower. Overall, for the price you can't get a better dSLR camera with the ergonomics, the features, and the two lenses in this kit!

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Love is in the air

Posted Dec 23, 2005 - I was shopping around for my first upgrade to dSLR. My candidates are Nikon, Minolta, Olympus, and Canon. Nikon and Canon are great cameras, but I did not own any legacy lenses, and so I could venture to other brands. Canon just didn't fit right in my hand, and the camera design was just not appealing at all. The kit lens is plastic and looked dirt cheap as well. After some comparisons it quickly came down to Minolta 5D (the in-camera anti-shake feature) and Olympus E-500 (the supersonic wave filter). I went for Olympus for the ergonomic and rugged design, incredible value (2 lenses), higher resolution, lenses specifically designed for digital photography, and fantastic features for amateur photographer. After a few days of trying, I can only say I am loving it more and more, and I don't need to worry about dust on the sensor. What a wonderful feeling, because no matter how good you are at taking photos using various features, if you got dust on the sensor, you'll see it on every photo. And I don't intend to touch the fragile sensor. There are too many nice things to say about Evolt E-500, so I'll just mention some drawbacks that aren't really significant but worth taking into account when you purchase. 1. The remote control feature. There is NO wire remote socket. But you could buy an IR remote control. However, the corresponding sensor is located in the front of the camera, not in the back or on the side, which limits the range of triggering shutter. 2. There are a lot of nice features in the camera, such as the 15 shooting modes. But the manual doesn't provide detailed information about those setting. It would have been nice to know. But if you are always comfortable with setting up your own shutter speed, aperture, WB, EV compensation, etc, than you don't need to know. In summary, Olympus E-500 is the best deal of 2005/2006 so far. You really can't beat that price when it contains so many wonderful features. It makes a perfect first dSLR for sure.

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Olympus E-500, two lense kit

Posted Dec 4, 2005 - This camera is a suprise for the money being asked. It's light weight with a good hand hold design. The start up time and speed in taking a picture is fast. I usually go with manual focus, but I have found the auto focus to be most accurate. The two lenses included with the kit is quality constructed for a lense. I very much like both lenses with this camera. For the price being asked, this is a good deal and I would buy it again. I've used the Olympus E-1 before buying this camera, so I would highly recommend buying this camera with two lenses.

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E-500 2 lens kit... Best Entry level DSLR

Posted Dec 1, 2005 - In the market fot an entry level DSLR? Don't overlook this little gem from Olympus. The proof is in the pictures. Spend some time on www.pbase.com or www.myfourthirds.com and you'll easily see that the photos taken by people with varying expertise and experience with Olympus entry DSLRs (E-300, E-500) are far superior to their Canon, Nikon, Pentax and Konica-Minolta counterparts. There are a couple of good reasons why this is so... First, the 2 kit lenses are far superior to the usual coke bottle lenses that come with competitor entry level DSLRs (D50, 350D, 4D, istDS). One would literaly have to spend 2x the $$$ with these other brands to match this kit. For example, in order to equal the performance of the Oly 40-150 kit lens with the Canon Digital Rebel XT, one would need at least the 70-200/f4 L series glass ($600). Don't take my word for it... again take a look at pbase or myfourthirds. The 14-45mm is easily runs circles around the other kit lenses as well. Rhe 2 lens kit comes at a $$$ that is equivalent or a little more than others' single lens kit. How's that for value! Second, the E-500 produces images that are great straight from the camera. Many olympus DSLR owners shoot JPG over Raw simply because they find no need to Post Process the images to get good results. While the other DSLRs, given good glass and some effort can produce images close in quality to the Oly's, most folks just don't bother... again let the pictures speak here. The E-500 and the lenses are built very solid. Compare it to a 350d side by side and it's no contest. It also has the perfect balance between compactness and ease of handling. The camera just "feels right". I like the fact that the four thirds standard is an "open" one. Next year, Panasonic will introduce a body, perhaps Fujitsu, Sigma and Kodak as well. Bodies and lenses from ALL of these manufacturers will be interchangeable. There'll be real competition. Compare this to the Canon/Nikon system where they sucker you with an inexpensive body+lens kit and hit you with exorbitant $$$ for good glass once they have you locked in. OK... now for the not so good... The four thirds sensor is slightly smaller than the APS sensor used in all of these other entry DSLRs. As a consequence, the sensitivity is not as good so high ISO performance suffers. Up to ISO400 there is little difference amongst all of these DSLRs but there is notieable noise at ISO 800 and ISO 1600 for the Oly. This is not a problem for me since I rarely shoot above ISO200. Additionally, the Viewfinder is a bit small... but this is not a problem as Olympus has announced a magnifying eyecup (ME-1) for the E-500. Once again... in the end... let the pictures do the talking. www.pbase.com www.myfourthirds.com

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Olympus Evolt E-500

Posted Dec 6, 2005 - My other camera seemed to always have red eye and had shutter lag. This camera takes beautiful detailed pictures that you can zoom way in. It was fast and easy to download pictures to my computer without a card reader.Just plug in the usb cable, turn the camera on and it shows up like another drive. I didn't know that you have to look through the eyepiece to take a photo as with all SLRs. I called tech support about this issue. I was not on hold for very long and understood the person I was talking to, a big plus. I like the idea of the dust reduction feature.The lcd is large and clear. This camera is packed with features! The camera came with a nice strap and two lenses for a better price than the competitors. It feels very professional. The only thing I need is a fast compact flash card and a nice bag.

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Pretty Darned good!

Posted Feb 12, 2006 - I have had my E-500 for several months now, great value, even though I payed about $100 more than everyone else, I purchased it the day they were released. . I purchased a lense adapter for Olympus OM lenses (35mm film)and some filters, and even a 1300mm "Telescope" that have provided me many hours of photo-fun! . If you are the "Average" Amateur Photographer, taking random pictures of family, friends, your house, vacations, etc., then I strongly recommend buying this camera... especially if you have any 35mmOM lenses laying around. . Every camera has is strenghts and opportunities, they are different for each user. The strengths with the E-500 well overcome any opportunities where I am concerned. . If you use Adobe Photoshop, the adobe color scheme is a selectable mode in this camera, and yes, it does .RAW photo's as well. . On a scale of 10 the E-500 earns a full 10, not because I own one, because Olympus has put together a full feature dSLR "KIT" at an affordable price, that performs well enough to "earn" a 10. . 73

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Evolt lives up to its billing

Posted Nov 7, 2005 - I received this camera on Friday, bought a 2 GB memory card, and set the shutter at four exposure mode and off I went off to my daughter's soccer game he next morniing. 200 great action photos later I was a very happy consumer. The auto focus was fast, the shutter was right on, (no lag) and the exposure was awesome. I tried different modes, shutter priority, sports and even did "program" where you can adjust for shutter or aperture. The Evolt has met my expectations although I was surprised I could not resize and save images in the camera like can with my point and shoot Optio 550. I am glad this is not my first digital camera becasue the menu can be daunting if you are not familiar with the various options. Also, the manual could certainly use a few more references in the index so you can find the questions faster and easier. If you want to shoot like a pro at a very solid price you can't beat this camera

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The most light weight SLR camera

Posted Dec 27, 2005 - I like the kit since it is the camera with two lens at a very reasonable price. Advantages 1) Small and light weight. 2) 8 million FFT-CCD and TruePic TURBO Image processing unit which make the picture wonderful. 3) 2.5 inch lcd screen, which is very clear. 4) support CF and XD card, which is more convenient for shooting. 5) 2.5 ms continuous shooting so as I can capture the excellent moment. Disadvantage: 1)Slow data saving speed. 2)Need improvement on exposure control. 3)Longer processing time on longer exposure time. In sum, it is very good SLR camear at a very reasonable price. Enjoy it

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