Olympus E-620 flips out and shoots people

Olympus's E-620 DSLR camera has a flip-out LCD display, four-thirds sensor, and a compact body. Hardware image stabilization aims to make low-light shooting particularly sharp, and it'll ship with a 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 lens. It also includes some interesting software features: "Shadow adjustment technology" captures fine detail in dark areas, while "Art Filters" recreate effects associated with old-school technology like grainy film and pinhole cameras. A multiple exposure mode shall make HDR composition easier.

The $800 price point ($700 for just the body) sets it above the D-40/Rebel XTi/A200 Peloton of cheap DSLRs, but given its similarity to more expensive Olympus models, it's more interesting, too.

Olympus E-620 announced and previewed [DPReview]

[#1 posted by Mr_Voodoo , February 24, 2009 8:59 AM]

I'm putting this one up with "Ike Beats Tina to Death" in the awesome headline archive.

[#2 posted by Cpt. Tim , February 24, 2009 9:35 AM]

"while "Art Filters" recreate effects associated with old-school technology like grainy film and pinhole cameras."

this is a fun toy for the kids i guess, but its better suited to camera phones. i'd rather do all of that stuff later. you have way more control over the finished product.

[#3 posted by Freddie Freelance , February 24, 2009 11:45 AM]

What's a "Four-Thirds sensor"? It senses when someone is more than a third overweight & switches to Landscape mode?

[#4 posted by Rob Beschizza , February 24, 2009 12:15 PM]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Thirds_System

[#5 posted by hohum , February 24, 2009 3:41 PM]

This looks pretty promising, if only Olympus would start using SD...

[#6 posted by Anonymous , February 24, 2009 10:17 PM]

awesome headline.

[#7 posted by Adam Stanhope , February 25, 2009 6:15 AM]

Is the D40 still the standard cheap DSLR from Nikon or has it not been replaced with the D60?

[#8 posted by Phikus , February 25, 2009 6:31 AM]

WANT!

What does the additional LCD screen provide?

Best headline evar!

[#9 posted by Chrs , February 25, 2009 9:06 AM]

@#2: If the menu system is well-designed, they can drop this relatively trivial processing into the camera without really getting in the way of people who don't care about having it in hardware.

[#10 posted by Hugh , February 25, 2009 11:04 AM]

"Hardware image stabilization aims to make low-light shooting particularly sharp"

""Shadow adjustment technology" captures fine detail in dark areas"

Sounds like press release bullshit to me. Good quality optics and good quality sensors make images sharp and capture details in dark areas. Camera manufactures routinely cough up these baloney chip-based algorithms as "features" to list on the side of the box, but all they typically do is mask shooting artifacts with processing artifacts. Occasionally there's an improvement in the pixel interpolation pipeline, but it usually doesn't come as an optional setting with a trademarkable name.

Not that it's necessarily a bad camera, but if it's a good one it's not because of that nonsense.

[#11 posted by Mr_Staypuft , February 25, 2009 2:36 PM]

Erm, our Canon G5 has the same "flip out LCD"
& we've been "shooting ourselves" since 2003.

"Flip outs" are the best invention ever.

We've got so many great "travel" photos because we don't have to rely on asking
well-meaning (but not really careful) strangers to take our picture.

[#12 posted by Anonymous , February 25, 2009 3:21 PM]

"Shadow adjustment technology"= PR bullshit
"Hardware image stabilization"= actual functional feature. Unless "Hardware image stabilization" is some kind of jargon beard for digital instead of optical stabilization in which case = sneaky pr bullshit.

[#13 posted by Anonymous , February 25, 2009 3:37 PM]

I'm sort of curious about the 4/3 format lenses. Specifically, why they cost as much, or even more, than full-35mm frame lenses. As I understand it, the 4/3 format has about 25% of the area of a full 35mm frame - so dedicated 4/3 lenses can be smaller/lighter - and smaller lenses should be less expensive, too - shouldn't they? Why are the Olympus lenses so expensive? The Oly 35-100mm f/2.0 is $2100 at Adorama, and a Nikon 80-200mm f/2.8 lens (full 35mm coverage) is $1100. Despite the greater aperture on the Oly lens, I can't help but feel that I'm getting a little screwed if I buy the Oly lens.

[#14 posted by Anonymous , February 25, 2009 7:11 PM]

The Nikon Coolpix 5000 had a flip-out display that could do this. Useful for chasing kids around, steadicam style.

But it wasn't really as useful as you might think otherwise, and was a weak spot on the camera body you always had to worry about.

[#15 posted by pyrotmaniac , February 26, 2009 1:50 AM]

Adam asked if the D40 is still the base model nikon, and it is for now. But some would argue that the D40 is a better camera. shure the 60 has a few new features. but the 40 can drop the shutter speed slower, as well as use a higher shutter speed with the flash than the 60. I know all about that self cleaning sensor. I would rather clean my own sensor and be able to have more range, to shoot the conditions.
but before I get flamed I own the d60 its just my impression. Also I agree great headline!!

[#16 posted by Anonymous , February 27, 2009 2:57 AM]

"Camera manufactures routinely cough up these baloney chip-based algorithms as "features" to list on the side of the box, but all they typically do is mask shooting artifacts with processing artifacts."

Your comments do apply to shadow adjustment, but not image stabilization. Hardware image stabilization on this camera is what it says. It's hardware not software. There is no processing artifacts since it's not done digitally. The sensor physically moves to compensate camera shake.