The Olympus E-420 is the most ‘junior’ member in Olympus line of digital SLRs. It was announced on the 5th March 2008, exactly one year after the launch of its predecessor, the E-410. Like the E-410 it comes with a 10 megapixel resolution, live-view and the SSWF dust reduction system; and like its predecessor at the time it is also the currently lightest and smallest digital SLR on the market, especially if you combine it with the Olympus Zuiko 25mm pancake lens that has been launched at the same time. All in all the E-420 is only a relatively minor update but it does also incorporate a number of new features.
New features (compared to the E-410)
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Larger, 2.7″ LCD display (versus 2.5″ on the E-410)
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Contrast detect autofocus (with select lenses)
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Face detection in live view mode
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Auto Gradation (Dynamic Range enhancement)
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Faster continuous shooting speeds (3.5 vs 3.0 fps)
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Improved right hand grip
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Perfect Shot Preview
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Wireless flash control
Olympus E-420 EVOLT Specifications
| Prices | $499.99 – Body Only $599.99 – with ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom lens $699.99 – with ED 25mm f/2.8 Zuiko Digital lens |
|---|---|
| Body material | Plastic |
| Sensor* | • 4/3 type Live MOS sensor • 17.3 x 13.0 mm • 11.8 million total pixels • 10.0 million effective pixels • RGB color filter array • Fixed low pass filter (anti-alias filter) |
| Dust suppression | Supersonic Wave Filter |
| Image processor | TruePic III |
| Image sizes | • 3648 x 2736 • 3200 x 2400 • 2560 x 1920 • 1600 x 1200 • 1280 x 960 • 1024 x 768 • 640 x 480 |
| File formats | • RAW (12 bit) • RAW + JPEG • JPEG |
| Lenses | • 4/3 standard lens mount • Range of ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses available • Multiply focal length by 2 for 35 mm equiv. FOV |
| Auto focus |
• 3-point TTL phase difference detection |
| Focus area selection | • Automatic • Manual |
| Focus modes | • Single shot AF • Single shot AF + MF • Continuous AF • Continuous AF + MF • Manual focus |
| Manual focus | On lens |
| AF assist lamp | Yes, flash strobe (flash must be raised) |
| Shooting modes | • Auto • Program AE (with shift) • Aperture priority AE • Shutter priority AE • Manual • Portrait • Landscape • Macro • Sports • Night Scene • Scene |
| Additional scene modes* | • Landscape & Portrait • Night scene and portrait • Children • Sports • High Key • Low Key • Digital Image Stabilization (High ISO) • Nature Macro • Candle • Sunset • Fireworks • Documents • Panorama • Beach and Snow |
| Sensitivity |
• Auto (ISO 100 – 1600) |
| Metering system | • 49-zone multi-pattern • Range: 1 to 20 EV (50 mm F2, ISO 100) |
| Metering modes | • Digital ESP • Center-Weighted Average • Spot • Highlight based spot • Shadow based spot |
| AE Lock | • AE/AF lock button • With shutter release half-press |
| AE Bracketing | • 3 frames • 1/3, 1/2, 0.7 or 1.0 EV steps |
| Exposure compen.* | • -5.0 to +5.0 EV • 1/3, 1/2 or 1.0 EV steps available |
| Shutter speed |
• 60 – 1/4000 sec |
| White balance | • Auto • Daylight • Shade • Cloudy • Lamp • Fluorescent 1 • Fluorescent 2 • Fluorescent 3 • Flash • Manual ‘one-touch’ • Kelvin (3000 – 7500 K, 7 steps) |
| WB fine tuning | +/- 7 steps in each A-B/G-M axis (in Auto WB/Preset WB mode) |
| Color space | • sRGB • Adobe RGB |
| Image parameters* | • Color mode (Natural, Vivid, Muted, Portrait, Monotone) • Saturation (5 levels) • Contrast (5 levels) • Sharpness (5 levels) • Monochrome (B&W, Sepia, Purple, Green, Blue) – filter (Ye, Or, Re, Gr) • Gradation (Auto, High Key, Normal, Low Key) |
| Drive modes | • Single • Continuous |
| Continuous* | • 3.5 fps • JPEG: Unlimited with fast memory cards • RAW: 6 frames maximum |
| Self-timer | • 2 sec • 12 sec |
| Flash* | • Pop-up • TTL auto / manual • Guide no. 12 • 1/180 sec X-sync speed, Super FP up to 1/4000 sec • Sync modes: Auto, Red-eye reduction, Slow syncro with red-eye reduction, Slow syncro, 2nd curtain slow syncro, Fill-in, Off • Flash power: Up to +/- 2EV in 1/3 EV steps |
| External flash | Hot shoe |
| Viewfinder | • Eye-level optical single-lens • Field of view 95% • Magnification 0.92x with a 50mm lens and -1 dioptre • Eye point 14 mm at -1 dioptre • Dioptre adjustment -3 to +1 dioptre • Focusing screen: Fixed type (Neo Lumi-Micron Mat Screen) • Mirror: Quick return mirror • DOF preview: press left arrow button |
| Viewfinder info | • Aperture value • Shutter speed • Record mode • AF confirmation mark • Flash • WB • AE lock • Number of storable still images • Exposure compensation value • Metering mode • Battery warning • Exposure mode • AF frame (super impose) |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| LCD monitor* | • 2.7″ TFT LCD monitor (wide viewing angle) • 230,000 pixels • Live View available |
| Live View* | • 100% field of view • Pre-view of Exposure compensation, White balance, Gradation, Face detection and Perfect Shot • Grid line displayable • 7x/10x magnification possible • MF/S-AF • Display of AF frame, AF point, Shooting information, Histogram, Heat warning |
| Playback functions* | • Single • Magnify (2 – 14x) • Index (4, 9, 16, 25, 49, 100 frames) • Calendar view • Rotation • Slide show • Histogram (Lum / RGB) • Highlight & Shadow point warning |
| Playback information | • Exposure mode • Metering mode • Shutter speed • Aperture value • Exposure compensation level • ISO • Color space • White balance mode • White balance compensation level • Focal length • Focus area • File type • Picture mode • File name • Image size • Recorded card type |
| Editing | • RAW development • JPEG editing (B&W, Sepia, Red eye reduction, Gradation, Color saturation, Resize, Trim) |
| Menu languages | • English • German • French • Spanish • Italian • Russian • Czech • Dutch • Danish • Polish (Other languages can be downloaded) |
| Storage | • Compact Flash (Type I and II) • xD Picture card |
| Connectivity | • USB 2.0 (Hi Speed) • Video Out (NTSC / PAL) |
| Vertical / portrait grip | Unknown |
| Power | BLS-1 Li-ion battery (rechargeable) |
| Dimensions | 129.5 x 91 x 53 mm (5.1 x 3.6 x 2.1 in) |
| Weight (no batt)* | 380 g (13.4 oz) |
| Weight (inc batt)* | 445 g (15.7 oz) |
