Camera Labs

Noisy, noisy, noisy. Noise starts creeping in on ISO200 even in decent lighting conditions with noise reduction on low. With poor lighting at ISO800 with noise reduction on low, it looks bad. I was able to get better results with the E410 at ISO800 even with the noise reduction set on off. E410 and E510 are also much sharper. Most images on the E620 look soft even using the 14-54(I) vs. the E410 using the 14-42. This is while looking at the images at 100%. If I look at the images and fit them to my 19" LCD monitor, I can't see the noise. But put it in 100%, and AARGH!!!

On the plus side, the dynamic range seems to be a little bit better. And the colors are much vivid too.

Ergonomically, the E510 is far easier to hold. The slightly larger grip on the E620 v. the E410 doesn't really add very much. The E510 feels far more balanced for the likes of the 14-54 and 70-300 than the E620. On the other hand, the E620 combination with the 14-42 and 40-150 is perfect and lightweight.

The LCD screen is much better than the E410 and E510. It's brighter and the colors are livelier. Articulated LCD is also great for low angle macro shots. However, as far as using it to shoot moving images with above the head shots (when there is a crowd standing in front of you), the LCD is useless as the live view is WAAAYYY too slow to capture moving images. Even with the constrast image AF, it's still way too slow.

Speaking of AF, the 7 point AF does not seem to have any advantage over the 3 point as far as AF speed. With low contrast subjects or poor lighting situations, the 7 point AF has the same shortcomings as the 3 point AF.

Overall, I am disappointed with the E620. When viewed at 100%, the images are much noisier than the E410 and E510. Images are also softer. Perhaps the key is to NOT view images at 100%.

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Olympus E620 | 25/2.8 | 50/2 | 12-60 | 14-42 | 14-54 | 40-150 | 70-300
Olympus E-P2 | Panasonic GH2 | 20/1.7 | 14-42 | 14-140
Leica M7 | M9 | 21/4 | 35/1.4 | 50/2.5 | 50/1.5 | 70/2.5 | 90/2
Sony NEX-3 | 16/2.8| 18-55
My FlickR!

I hate to say I told you all so, but I told you all so. The new 12MP sensor is noisier than the 10. Thats why I'll be going with the E3.

If you decide to get rid of it, you can probably sell it off without losing much [or anything] because a lot of places still dont have them yet.

Thank you for posting that btw

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E-3!
12-60 2.8-4.0
12-60 2.8-40 [Also going]
40-150 3.5-4.5
70-300 4.0-5.6
Fl-48

Most results I have seen sofar are of the E30, but there noise does not seem as bad as you indicate. Beginning of May there are some Olympus road shows near my home town. I think I will take a memory card and make some photo's.

Hans

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Olympus E-500, 12-60, 40-150, 70-300

LOL! Yes, Atomic, you did say so! My first thought when I saw the noise was of you!

I took about 200 shots on Saturday ago ranging from ISO100 to ISO1000 mostly in the "vivid" setting, noise reduction on low, and sharpness +1. I was pixel peeping at 100%, but that's how I normally look at images to determine how good (or bad) they came out. Reduced the images to monitor size (or print size on 8x10"), and I couldn't see the noise. Irony is that I also took photos a weekend ago with the E-410, and pixel peeping at ISO800 under poor lighting wasn't all that bad.

Took another 100 shots on Sunday primarily on ISO100 and 200. Set it on "natural", noise reduction on standard, and sharpness +1. Not as bad as the first day as I limited the ISO. Images were much softer though. I did take a couple of ISO400 photos on the second day that were somewhat more acceptable than the first day.

I'm going to take some indoor shots in the house today with the E620 and E510 both using the 14-42, and post them up.

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Olympus E620 | 25/2.8 | 50/2 | 12-60 | 14-42 | 14-54 | 40-150 | 70-300
Olympus E-P2 | Panasonic GH2 | 20/1.7 | 14-42 | 14-140
Leica M7 | M9 | 21/4 | 35/1.4 | 50/2.5 | 50/1.5 | 70/2.5 | 90/2
Sony NEX-3 | 16/2.8| 18-55
My FlickR!

Thanks for the posts on the E-620 Armanius and I'm sorry it's disappointed you. I hope to review one in the future, so will look out for the issues you mention.

On another note, do any of you think Olympus has fallen behind by not offering a movie mode? I realise many people don't think it's useful, but then many also say that of Live View and that of course didn't stop Olympus being the first to properly offer it on DSLRs. Do you think the lack of video is actually more about an inability to source a sensor which can offer it?

As long as the movie modes don't offer proper AF, I think Olympus can leave it out, because for example the movie mode on the D90 seems completely useless. Eventually however I would like to have it. I have a video camera, but I hardly use it any more, because I have to bring too much equipment.

As contrast based AF is progressing, I suppose it's only a matter of time before all DSLR's will have a movie mode.

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Olympus E-500, 12-60, 40-150, 70-300

Thanks for the condolences Gordon! I am a bit disappointed given that I think Oly has taken a step backwards in the noise performance department with the E620. IF Oly had at least maintained the noise levels as the 410/510 while increasing the resolution and the DR, it would have been quite nice. Alas, it did not happen, in my layman's opinion.

As for the video, I found myself wanting to have video over this past weekend when I was shooting some flamenco and then belly dancers. I should have carried my Panny TZ5 with me that day too. Oh well ...

As far as sensors for video, I have no earthly idea! I know nothing about cameras other than that it's so addictive and I just want to buy more stuff!!

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Olympus E620 | 25/2.8 | 50/2 | 12-60 | 14-42 | 14-54 | 40-150 | 70-300
Olympus E-P2 | Panasonic GH2 | 20/1.7 | 14-42 | 14-140
Leica M7 | M9 | 21/4 | 35/1.4 | 50/2.5 | 50/1.5 | 70/2.5 | 90/2
Sony NEX-3 | 16/2.8| 18-55
My FlickR!

I thought Olympus would be the first to do movies. They were the first to do Live view, and the first to do the vibrating sensor dust filter, I thought for sure that they would offer up video recording soon. Then Nikon beat them to the punch, and then even Canon. Its been quite sometime since the D90, and Olympus is yet to even make mention of movie recording. Makes me very disappointed. HELL! even Panasonic's GH1 has movie recording! You mean to tell me Panasonic beat Olympus to the punch with Olympus's own format?
I just dont understand why they couldn't put that same sensor into the E620, add a microphone, and voila.

43rumors.com however says that they are working on their m43 camera that will have video.

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E-3!
12-60 2.8-4.0
12-60 2.8-40 [Also going]
40-150 3.5-4.5
70-300 4.0-5.6
Fl-48

Could it be a settings issue? For instance, Olympus may have changed the way NR and sharpening are done.

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PhilipGoh.com

Call me old-fashioned, but I still just can't get my head around a video and DSLR camera in one. I see the convenience factor and all, but can't see myself using it very much, if at all.

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Olympus e-620 / 14-42mm / 40-150mm
Metz 48 AF-1
Kata 3-N-1 20, LowePro Orion Mini, LowePro Nova 2
My Flickr

My first batch of 200 photos had the noise filter on "low." Then my second batch of about 100 photos had it on "standard." Then yesterday I ran some indoor test photos. You can find the test photos on the other thread. I don't know exactly what Oly did, but I can only see the results of the photos that I took. Maybe it's operator error. I finally decided to print a 8x10 photo yesterday of a shot taken at ISO800 and see if the noise shows up on an image that's much smaller than a 100x 12 megapixel image on the computer. Unfortunately, the noise was very apparent in all the darker/shadow areas. I'm sending the E620 back today. Maybe after the 620 been around for a while, and people with more experience can instruct me on how to better use it, perhaps I'll get it again.

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Olympus E620 | 25/2.8 | 50/2 | 12-60 | 14-42 | 14-54 | 40-150 | 70-300
Olympus E-P2 | Panasonic GH2 | 20/1.7 | 14-42 | 14-140
Leica M7 | M9 | 21/4 | 35/1.4 | 50/2.5 | 50/1.5 | 70/2.5 | 90/2
Sony NEX-3 | 16/2.8| 18-55
My FlickR!

I am sad to hear from you.

E-510 got better then E-520 got fair then E-620 got worse.

Olympus E-520 studio ISO test and scroll down slow.
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/olymp ... /#grad_anc

Would you buy New Olympus E-3 ?
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp ... 8285865472

In future, I will buy Olympus E-3 or newer.

I ordered my E-30 some days ago and hope to receive it on saturday. I hoped to get some better image quality, but reading this makes me a bit unsure.

Oh well, I'll have 14 days to return it if I feel it's worse than my E-510.


About videos:
I really would like to have a good video feature like most compacts have. Oly is propably lacking some serious patents in that direction, else they would already have it.

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Olympus E-30, ZD 9-18mm 4.0-5.6, ZD 50mm Makro 2.0, ZD 14-54mm 2.8-3.5, ZD 70-300 4.0-5.6

Light travel equipment:
Olympus EP-2, µZD 14-42mm , Panasonic 20mm 1.7 pancake.

Cullmann Trento IT Daypack

I am waiting for you will post E-30's sample photos.

People were chatting about Olympus 's High ISO results and pages: 1,2,3 .
http://www.cameralabs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=13409

E-30 and E-3's images are not same.
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/olympus/e30-review/
http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/olymp ... ndex.shtml

Don't be unsure! It's probably user error on my part. I was looking at the sample images in DCResource.com, and the night image looked great at ISO400 and usable at ISO800. With some cleaning up, the ISO800 at night looked great too. With indoor lighting, the image looked good up to ISO800, and somewhat acceptable at ISO1600.

I had issues with the E-620 with the AF on live view. That might have contributed to softer images.

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Olympus E620 | 25/2.8 | 50/2 | 12-60 | 14-42 | 14-54 | 40-150 | 70-300
Olympus E-P2 | Panasonic GH2 | 20/1.7 | 14-42 | 14-140
Leica M7 | M9 | 21/4 | 35/1.4 | 50/2.5 | 50/1.5 | 70/2.5 | 90/2
Sony NEX-3 | 16/2.8| 18-55
My FlickR!