Olympus E-620 Review: Small on Size (and Price), Big on Fun.

The first thing you’ll notice about the E-620 is bound to be its diminutive size. I’ll admit when I first opened the box of our review unit, the E-620 instantly brought a smile to my face, and yes, my first reaction was: “Wow, it’s so small.” But as I’ve come to learn over the past month with the E-620, its small size in no way means a compromised shooting experience, nor does it mean lackluster image quality. Instead, the Olympus E-620 turns out to be a pretty powerful camera, borrowing heavily from its costlier stablemates, the E-30 and even the E-3. With a 12.3 megapixel sensor and 7 point AF, the E-620 has no problem taking sharp pictures, all while challenging the other competitors in the entry-level field with features like image stabilization and a fully articulating LCD. So, is the E-620 a worthy contender in such a crowded category of cameras? Find out below in our review of the Olympus E-620.

In the Box

• Olympus E-620 Camera body
• Olympus 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko ED Zoom Lens
• Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery
• Lithium-ion Battery Charger
• USB/Video Multi-cable
• Shoulder Strap
• Olympus Master Software CD-ROM
• Instruction Manual

In Your Hands

Make no doubt about it, the E-620 is a very small camera, and it also happens to be a very affordable camera. Thankfully for the E-620, that doesn’t mean a cut in build quality, because the E-620 is pretty solid camera. There’s quite a bit of plastic to it, but it certainly doesn’t look or feel cheap. You get two areas of the rubber grip material, strategically placed on the grip of the camera, and a patch on the back for the thumb. Pick it up, and you’ll note a distinct lightness. At 16.8 oz, the E-620 is very light, but has enough density to feel right in your hand. Where consumers may run into trouble is with the E-620’s grip. Frankly, there isn’t much of a grip at all, and certainly what grip there is will require an adjustment for most photographers used to shooting with a modern DSLR camera.

In my hands, I wasn’t really able to grip the E-620 in any normal sense, it just isn’t deep enough for the fingers to curl around. Instead, your fingers sort of bend down the camera, and in my case the pinky wasn’t able to find room at all on the grip and instead found a place at the bottom of camera. This isn’t to say the E-620 was uncomfortable to hold, just that it took a few days to get used to. Since the E-620 is so light, this modified grip position didn’t cause me any problems. Any heavier though, and I suspect the E-620 might cause some finger cramping for some photographers. At any rate, photographers with large hands should strongly consider handling the E-620 before purchasing to confirm whether the camera grip would be acceptable or not. Camera layout is dramatically condensed as you’d expect from such a small camera, and I confess not exactly intuitive initially. To be fair, this is my first outing with an Olympus DSLR, but it did take a few days or so to really adapt to this layout. Eventually though, it all “started to make sense”, but for an entry level camera the E-620 seems to favor power over user friendliness. On the back of the E-620 is one of the neatest features about the E-620, a flip out and rotating 2.7 inch LCD display. I feared it might be flimsy, but I’m happy to say that Olympus has done a pretty good job at making the LCD as sturdy as possible. Helped by a large hinge that takes up any remaining space on the cameras left-rear side, the LCD works amazingly well, never feeling flimsy, and quite easily put into any position you can think of. The LCD of the E-620 ends up being a big factor in how you take pictures with the E-620, and you’ll quickly notice your photography evolving as you take advantage of the compositions you can acquire thanks to how effective it is. Self portraits, on the floor shots, it really doesn’t matter where or how you hold the camera, since this LCD can always be turned to your point of view. On the aesthetic front, the E-620 has what I’d call chiseled good looks. It’s got a bit more swoops and slashes than other cameras, but taken all together with the hints of “Olympus Blue” thrown in here and there, it easily sets itself apart from the competitors. On the other hand, taken in from certain angles, like around the shutter, the E-620 can look a bit crowded, not helped by the 2 dials, button, and shutter of different sizes and shapes, with a LED “SSWF” light thrown in for good measure.

A Closer Look

The E-620 is a small camera, and it does have a slightly crowded layout. Still for the most part things are right where you’d want them to be and though small, most of the buttons are tactile enough to be usable without fumbling. On that note lets take a quick tour of the Olympus E-620.

On the front of the E-620 you have self timer/remote control lamp/remote control receiver, a small white balance sensor, the lens mount, and lens release button. Turned around 180 degrees to the back of the camera, a full two-thirds of the rear is consumed by the LCD and hinge, which means most of the buttons and controls are condensed on the right-rear of the E-620. Bucking the trend are the menu and info buttons which are put above the LCD hinge, literally the only place they could possibly fit on the left-rear of the camera.

On the right side you have the AEL/AFL/image protect button up top and right of it, a programmable function (Fn) button paired with the AF target/zoom button. Squeezed between the thumbgrip and the LCD are a playback button and live view button, and below them, a four way arrow pad with a center “OK” button. The navigation “arrows” double as camera settings buttons with the top being for white balance, the right for AF, the bottom for ISO, and finally the right one for metering options. Below the arrow pad are the delete button and the image stabilization button, with a memory card access light tucked in as well. Oddly, below all of this is the USB/video out port, with a rubber covering that I found difficult to move out of the way when inserting the USB cable.

Turn the camera to the left and on the right side of the camera you’ll find the memory card compartment, which accepts both xD and CompactFlash type cards. We’ve saved the best for last, the topside of the E-620. On the left you have the flash settings button and a button below it that doubles as the drive mode button and copy print button during image playback.

In the center we have the pop-up flash and hotshoe (by the way the E-620 features very extensive external flash controls). Right of the flash is the mode dial which is surrounded by the on/off switch. On the mode dial are the following settings:

• Program
• Aperture priority
• Shutter priority
• Manual
• Auto
• Portrait
• Landscape
• Macro
• Sport
• Night + Portrait
• Art filter/ Scene

Right of the mode dial is the shutter, right of it, the well placed exposure compensation button, and finally rounding off the tour is the E-620’s control dial, used for both navigation and the changing of various camera functions. As you can see, there’s a lot going on in the tiny amount of real estate provided by the E-620.

Interface

As we hinted at before, the E-620 isn’t the most intuitive camera initially. For beginners I suspect some time with the manual will be needed to understand all that the E-620 can do and how it does it. Complicating matters is a somewhat clunky menu system and the fact that the E-620 is simply chock full of features and options while providing very little guidance. If you aren’t familiar with the Olympus system, you will need some time to complete the initiation, however once learned, the E-620 becomes very easy to use, full of photographer friendly tools, most tuned or oriented to delivering optimal results from your captures. While I’m surprised at the lack of beginner friendliness, in the end I much preferred the power offered by the E-620, and was happy about the lack of handicapping that can happen sometimes with entry level cameras.

Another confusing aspect initially was that in the menu system, the “advanced” features are hidden by default, which can cause a bit of concern for those wanting to make some rather basic camera setting adjustments. A trip to the manual later, and you realize the E-620 does in fact have more options, which you’ll of course immediately turn on. Once you have access to the full menu, things go much better with 4 pages of basic camera settings and camera info page, with a fifth page dedicated to the more “advanced” features previously mentioned. Navigation can be done via the control dial or arrow pad in combination with the “OK” button, and given what I said earlier about the power provided by the E-620, some of the sub-pages can get a bit deep. There is quite a bit of customization possible with the E-620, right down to dial and focus ring direction, but again, with little on screen help beginners will be needing to keep the manual handy.

While shooting with the E-620, the screen you’ll become most familiar with is the “info” screen. Here you’re provided with a full page of your current camera settings, and if you press “OK”, you can use the control dial and arrow pad to make quick changes to each of the settings. Some of these changes would be possible with the already provided buttons on the camera, but others would only be found in the menu, so the info page ends up being a very convenient and centralized place for both viewing and making necessary adjustments to the camera.

In live view too, the Olympus E-620 provides a number of different looks in order for the photographer to ensure that he takes the best pictures. I of course loved the live histogram provided, but there are also screens for picture leveling help, and even a page presenting various white balance and exposure compensation possibilities, live on the screen. Image playback continues this optimal picture theme with histogram options, and shadow/highlight warning pages, in addition to the default full screen and camera info at capture views.

So, while we wish the E-620 was more friendly for the consumers likely to purchase it, the E-620 is a robust tool for photographers, fully able to be customized to the owners liking, and very biased in helping the photographer bring home the best shot possible.

Using the Olympus E-620

I hate to use the term “fun”, but in use that’s how the Olympus E-620 comes off. This isn’t to say that the E-620 isn’t a serious camera, it is a very capable camera, and chock full of advanced features, perhaps too many given its market. My point is, fun isn’t a sleight with the E-620, it’s just the best way to describe using it. With its small stature and flip out LCD, you can carry the E-620 everywhere, and shoot anything, from any angle. This will likely trigger a whole range of experimentation, trust me you’ll take some shots with perspectives you’ve never thought of. Used in this way, the E-620 is fairly skilled. The LCD works exceptionally well, rotating and adjusting to nearly any position.

Viewing angles are pretty good, but direct sunlight can overwhelm the LCD, making composing images and ascertaining focus tricky. Live view is implemented by hitting the dedicated Live view button on the back of the camera. As we mentioned, the E-620 offers several choice for Live view displays, from just the composition to grids, to live histograms. Focusing presents the user with several different options. “AF Sensor” uses phase detection and the E-620’s 7 AF points to acquire focus (by pressing the AEL/AFL button). Then there’s the “Imager AF” which uses contast detectection for focusing. Finally a third hybrid method is offered, but regardless, none of the methods offer the instant response you’ll likely be used to from point and shoot cameras. That said, I found focusing chores to be handled fast enough for frequent live view shooting. Factor in the E-620’s very effective 4 stop image stabilization, and you tend to get a high rate of well focused images shooting in this way. Naturally I’d hope for faster AF in live view, but given the current state of affairs with Live view AF on DSLR cameras, it’s hard to knock the E-620 too much. Used more traditionally, the Olympus E-620 offers competitive performance relative to other cameras in it’s class. Initially it took awhile to adjust to the E-620’s viewfinder which is dimmer and smaller than what you might find in a prosumer class DSLR, but largely in line with what you’ll get from most entry level typd DSLRs. Past that, there isn’t much to fault with the Olympus E-620. In good light, the AF was responsive and fairly quick to acquire focus. It’s also easy to cycle through the 7 AF points, and it was even effective at capturing objects in motion while using the C-AF (continuous focus) mode. The shutter is responsive and when pressed, you can fire off RAW shots at a rate of 4 fps. Of course this comes with the caveat that you can only do this for about 1 and half seconds, as in my testing I was able to get 6 shots fired before the buffer filled and slowed shooting down considerably. Still, this allows for some rapid fire shooting, and again positions the E-620 very well against its competitors. Camera adjustments were easy and intuitive, that is once I adapted to the Olympus methodology, and the info screen allows for quick changes without the need for diving into menus and the like. I have to emphasize again, that despite being entry level, Olympus really hasn’t handicapped the E-620 in anyway, it’s a robust camera even for more experienced shooters. Another plus is the E-620 features any number of tools and displays for helping you get the best possible capture. From histograms to live exposure compensation options, you’ve got no excuse for coming home with bad shots. A quick word on the art filters. For some photographers, these are bound to be explored but there are a few things to mention about them. First, the E-620 only shoots the art filters while in JPEG mode, and second the processing can take some time, some longer than others. It’s kind of like shoot, wait, and review. Other than that, I enjoyed using them, specifcally the pin hole filter which mimics the effect you might get from cheap film camera. In the end I really enjoyed using the E-620. While live view shooting won’t allow for shooting dynamic subjects (no DSLR can yet), the combination of the tilt screen, and reassurance of the image stabilization compelled me to shoot quite a bit at arms length, pushing and twisting the camera into positions I’d never tried before. In normal shooting too, the E-620 always felt responsive and certainly more robust feeling than its price might indicate. If it had a bigger, brighter viewfinder and a bit more buffer it certainly would be a much better camera, but likely in a different price range.

Image Quality

Image quality is very good. Overall I was quite pleased with the look and feel of the images taken by the E-620. The E-620 takes a RAW file (.orf) measuring 4032×3024 pixels, and at lower ISO settings the E-620 produces relatively clean images with nice detail and color. Left to its own devices, the E-620 does have a tendency to blow highlights, even while tending to underexpose in general, but as we mentioned above, the camera does provide ample warning that this may occur via histograms and the like, if you know to look for such help. High ISO quality is pretty good, but not quite to the level of a Nikon D90 (and thus a Nikon D5000). Still, images taken at ISO 1600 have a good chance of being quite usable. The untouched files can look a little unsharp (in RAW), and even at ISO 100 you can find some noise at times in the darkest shadows. All in all though, the E-620 produced nice looking files that always came off looking very natural. Following the end of the review I’ve included a number of image samples to give you an idea of what the E-620 is capable of.

ISO Samples

As we mentioned, the E-620 is no slouch at handling higher ISO shooting. I’d be quite comfortable at using shots at ISO 800, and even ISO 1600 would be fine for some applications. Even up to its max ISO of 6400 the E-620 maintains a good amount of saturation, though a reduction in print size would be recommended at this level. We’ve included some ISO examples below. The samples were taken at 25mm (50mm equivalent) using f/8. Click each image for a larger view, or better, click the “original size” link for the full size image.

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Conclusion

Borrowing the power and versatility of its more expensive stablemates, the E-620 provides the entry level shooter a DSLR camera that while small in size, is just as capable and powerful as more prosumer level cameras. Factoring in the articulating LCD, the very effective image stabilization built right into the camera, and very good image quality, the E-620 is more than a worthy competitor to some of the bigger name offerings. It isn’t without some problems. The menu system isn’t exactly intuitive, and the Olympus system does take some time to get used to. Further the grip is practically not a grip at all, it doesn’t shoot video, and the E-620 doesn’t have quite the high ISO capability as some of the competition. Still the E-620 is a powerful camera, perhaps too powerful for some beginners, but most will be thankful to have it’s capabilities, and be more than pleased with the pictures it takes. Given it’s affordablility, and abilities, it’s easy to “highly recommend” the Olympus E-620.

Build Quality: 9/10
Features: 8/10
Functionality: 7/10
Image Quality: 8/10
Overall Value: 9/10

Get the Olympus E-620 at Amazon, B&H Photo

Image Samples

First a look at the potential of the E-620. Here’s several examples of how the E-620 might look in a typical workflow. Unlike the rest of the remaining images, these have been adjusted in Photoshop, including sharpening. As you can see, the Olympus E-620 has some serious potential.

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Second, a look at the E-620’s art filters, and how they effect a given scene.

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Image Samples

Click each thumbnail for a larger view. Click the “original size” link to get a full sized, unedited sample of each image.

Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60) Aperture: f/5.6 Focal Length: 42 mm ISO Speed: 400 Art Filter: Pop Art original size	Exposure: 0.125 sec (1/8) Aperture: f/7.1 Focal Length: 42 mm ISO Speed: 400 original size
Exposure: 0.05 sec (1/20) Aperture: f/7.1 Focal Length: 31 mm ISO Speed: 400 original size	Exposure: 0.033 sec (1/30) Aperture: f/5.3 Focal Length: 35 mm ISO Speed: 400 original size
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/640) Aperture: f/4.7 Focal Length: 24 mm ISO Speed: 100 original size	Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400) Aperture: f/4.4 Focal Length: 21 mm ISO Speed: 100 original size
Exposure: 0.002 sec (1/500)Aperture: f/5.5 Focal Length: 39 mm ISO Speed: 100 original size	Exposure: 0.008 sec (1/125) Aperture: f/5.6 Focal Length: 42 mm ISO Speed: 200 original size
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60) Aperture: f/5.3 Focal Length: 36 mm ISO Speed: 400 Art Filter: Black and White original size	Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60) Aperture: f/5.3 Focal Length: 35 mm ISO Speed: 400 Art Filter: Pin Hole original size
Exposure: 0.017 sec (1/60) Aperture: f/5.0 Focal Length: 28 mm ISO Speed: 400 original size	Exposure: 0.001 sec (1/800) Aperture: f/5.0 Focal Length: 29 mm ISO Speed: 100 original size

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