Reviews for Olympus EVOLT E-500 8 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body with Lens Kit - 0.55"-1.77" Lens 1 1.57"-5.91" Lens 2

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

Strengths: Pleny of file formats; 1/2.7 to 1/12 compression ratio, 640x480 to 3264x2448 image resolution and the ability to save in RAW format and a compressed format at the same time. Compact Flash II support.

Weakness: Not at all for the novice user.

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!

100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Great Camera and Great Deal

Strengths: Lens are good, good features, easy to use menus, Auto-Focus with Manual Focus Assist

Weakness: Limited Auto-Focus areas, One dial to affect both Shutter Speed and F-Stop, no smaller LCD for settings (eat battery)

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.

100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Solid Package

Strengths: tough, light, fast, and versitile doesnt break the bank to start out with

Weakness: additional zuiko lenses are expensive with few compatable 3rd party alternatives.

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.

100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Nothing less than terrific

Strengths: Lightweight, fast action, dead-on autofocus, and a good price on the 2-lens package.

Weakness: Getting used to a smart flash, which will light the nearest of two small items in macro leaving the back on dark. This is a "feature" not a fault.

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.

98% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Olympus Evolt E-500

Strengths: good ergonomics, fast memory card writing, both xD and Compact Flash slots, image quality excellent

Weakness: small viewfinder, no separate information LCD window,ISO only usable up to 800 with 1600 too soft

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!

98% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Love is in the air

Strengths: Supersonic Wave Filter; Large LCD screen; ergonomics; versatility; Robust kit lenses; unsurpassed values/dollar

Weakness: Remote control feature; can't save RAW and JPEG to different memory cards simultaneously; user manual could include more technical details

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.

96% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Olympus E-500, two lense kit

Strengths: Fast and great auto focus.

Weakness: Viewfinder takes more time to manual focus, but Olympus is coming out with a new ME-1 eyecup to correct this issue.

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.

96% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Olympus Evolt E-500

Strengths: Fast camera, beautiful pictures, easy download.

Weakness: software could be better for a camera of this price.

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.

96% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Pretty Darned good!

Strengths: SLR! > Inexpensive even Value minded, came with a wide and telephoto lens, an OM adapter for Olypus OM lenses is very affordable, making this an easy move from film.

Weakness: None worth mentioning to the "Average" Amateur Photographer!

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

95% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

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

Strengths: best kit lenses, solid construction, great value, an open four thirds standard

Weakness: poor high ISO performance, smallish viewfinder (soon to be corrected with the ME-1 eyecup)

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

95% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

OLYMPUS EVOLT E-500

Strengths: GREAT QUALITY OF THE PHOTOS, AND THE MENU SYSTEM IS EASY TO USE. HAD A CANON REBEL, WENT BACK TO THE STORE AND EXCHANGED IT. LARGE LCD SCREEN, AND THE DUST OFF FEATURE IS GREAT.

Weakness: THE VIEWFINDER COULD BE A LITTLE BIT LARGER. FOR SOMEONE LIKE THAT WEARS GLASSES, AND NEEDS MAGNIFICATION. THERE ARE NO OPTIONS, TO HAVE BOTH.

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.

91% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Evolt lives up to its billing

Strengths: Professional action shots right out of the box, fool proof metoring, strong battery

Weakness: Can't edit photos in the camera, i.e. resize, change exposure, also must purchase large memory card to get full advantage and the battery takes awhile to charge

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

90% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

The most light weight SLR camera

Strengths: The reasonable price and the superior quatlity

Weakness: Less lens group support than Canon 350D

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

86% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Excellent DSLR in this class

Strengths: Price, of course 2 Lens Kits Performance Quick continuous shots (3~4 per second, about 8 continuous shot)while data saving is kind of slow Long Battery Life

Weakness: None so far, If being picky, it might be a problem to upgrade it to higher level camera.

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.

75% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Not quite a Begineers Review

Strengths: The lenses are great the 4/3 system is the best one yet It is fast on Focus. all photo's I have taken so far in the last 3 weeks have been extremly clear. That is about 1500 photos. But who counts.

Weakness: Two things I wish for are the underwater housing and the LCD live view that the e-330 has. Problem is the 500 is better in all other ways. Do not let anyone tell you that the e-1 is better tis a lie.

I first did this as a living back in 1994 with a Kodak DCS462 that used a Nikon F5 body and a Micro hard drive. The 450megabyte mini hard drive cost me over $800 for just one of them I get compact flash drives now in the 1 gig range for less than $59 Sunpak has a really nice flat panel flash for this camera it covers 11 meters or 38ft. it is about 1inch thick and 6x8in miniscle red eye plus get the usb card reader that run 20 bucks to handle the xd cards keeps you from having to use the camera battery or waste time for the camera. I may shoot as many as 30 photos of one Item and later slide play them to see which I like the most and then I will sometimes paste four or more together with photoshop or paint shop pro x to get what I want look for the next two years of contests I plan to enter at least 5000 entries I might even win one if I get lucky not bad for an old guy huh. DRAY

50% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Grat Value, Packed With Features

Strengths: TWO lenses. Many file options. Dual memory cards. UI is consistent, logical, and versatile. Two reset modes for quickly switching configurations. Software runs on Mac or Windows.

Weakness: Some unexpected restrictions on the the reset modes. Battery status only appears when the battery is low.

My previous digital cameras have all been of the point-and-shoot variety - capable, but limited in their creative options. The E-500 shatters all of those creative barriers! While its automatic and pre-programmed scene modes allow an inexperienced user to get great shots effortlessly, nearly every aspect of the focus and exposure can be easily overridden, allowing complete creative control. As an old time 35mm photographer, I really appreciate that flexibility, and I'm looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship with this fine camera.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Best Digital SLR Pictures Anywhere

Strengths: Great Pictures, Easy Menus, Great Features, Anyone can pick it up and use it, Great 2.5" LCD screen, Great Value.

Weakness: No picture preview, you have to use the viewfinder which is a little small, but it is not that big a deal. I have always used the viewfinder most of the time on all my other cameras.

This Camera takes the best pictures hands down. The Picture comes out just as you saw it with your own eyes. You don't have to fix them at all. I just take the pictures to the lab and have them printed. The color reproduction is the best I have ever seen. The speed of the downloads to the Compact Flash card is unbelievable. I only use Sandisk Extreme III. The Price of the camera is great to. I use this camera Professionally also. Once you use an Olympus Digital SLR, you are hooked for life.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Looks good but a piece of crap

Strengths: Looks good

Weakness: Stopped working after three months

I bought this camera (in the UK) for my daughter for a digital photography course. Bought in Octovber 2006, it worked fine for three months then stopped working. I sent it back for repair, eventually receiving it back. On testing it was still not working. After my initial complaint, Customer Support sent me a new battery and charger, as they said the fault may be in the batteries. Still not working. Sent the camera back to Customer Support, received it back, with job sheet saying it had been repaired and tested. Not working. Have requested a refund for the camera, but on Olympus' showing so far I expect I'll have to take them to court.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Olympus E-500

Strengths: Many features such as CF/xD slots, dust removal system, multiple lenses.

Weakness: Almost too many controls

This is the first digital SLR that I have purchased. I have, however, owned several (both SLR and rangefinder) 35mm cameras. I was pleasantly surprised at the creativity that this camera brought back to me. I've been using a Nikon 4 Mp point and shoot digital and there is no comparison in the quality of my results. I would highly reccommend this camera to anyone who is looking to take the next step in photography.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

e-volt 500

Strengths: works great, very fast focus and photos are very good. a very good camera for the buck.

Weakness: view finder is small and difficult for me ( I have glasses ) lens cap a little difficult to get off and lens hood is loose fitiing.

I would recommend for anyone amateur to pro.
I am surprised the other manufacturers haven't copied the dust reduction system , it's great. I tried the burst frame
mode and it performed like a motor drive on a 35mm camera.
I really like this camera.

Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Olympus E-500

Testseek.com has collected 47 expert reviews for Olympus E-500 and the average expert rating is 83 of 100. The average score reflects the expert community’s view on this product. Click below and use Testseek.com to see all ratings, product awards and conclusions.

Read Full Review

ReviewGist for Olympus Evolt E-500 (Double Lens Kit) Digital Camera

Image is Good according to 36 Digital Camera experts. -- "This screen has an impressive resolution, too -- there are over 215,000 pixels on this screen, so images are nice and sharp."-dcresource.com -- "accurate color"-dcresource.com -- "Detailed, Bright and Colorful Photos"-photo.net Read more to find expert opinions on more features like Video, Optics, Interface, Battery, ISO, etc.

Read Full Review

Olympus Evolt E-500

Olympus Evolt E-500 receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 2.2 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #43 Professional DSLR digital camera of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value,...

Read Full Review

Olympus EVOLT E-500 Review

Good times for dSLR shoppers. It's really hard to go wrong with any of the intro offerings from Olympus, Canon, Nikon or Pentax. The EVOLT E-500 does give a lot of bang for the buck, especially if you go with the 2 lens bundle. It has some of the most user-friendly controls we've seen, that won't scare the pants off of point and shoot folks, feels good in the hand, looks and feels well made and...

Read Full Review

Camera Labs – Olympus EVOLT E-500 review

The Olympus E-500 is a mixed bag with plenty of things going for it, but equally a number of aspects which could be considered deal-breakers by some photographers. Highlights of course include the SSWF anti-dust system, an impressively high level of information and control for a budget body, very good overall image quality and an affordable twin lens bundle which will cover most eventualities. On...

Read Full Review

DCRP Review: Olympus EVOLT E-500

The Olympus EVOLT E-500 offers many improvements over its predecessor (the E-300) with photo quality and design being the most notable. One thing hasn't changed though, and that's the fact that the E-500 is an excellent value. Priced at just $699 (body only), $799 (one lens kit), and $899 (two lens kit), you get a lot of camera for very little money, which is why the E-500 gets my recommendation.

Read Full Review