Product Reviews

Following the popularity of the 12-megapixel E-620 launched earlier in the year, and the introduction of a couple of key models from rivals, demand for a more competitively priced camera has prompted Olympus to respond with a pared-down version, the E-600.

The E-600 lacks the E-620's handy back-lit buttons, multiple-exposure option using the Live View feature and clever overlay of the previous image to aid registration.

One further difference between the two cameras is the E-600 also lacks the three live-preview-based art filters: grainy film (black and white), light tone, and the similar pale and light colour.

While the differences between the two E-series cameras may seem small, Olympus has managed to trim around £50 off the ticket price, making the new E-600, which is available as an exclusive through Currys, compare quite favourably with rival offerings.

In every other respect, the E-600 is the same as the E-620, packing a 12-megapixel Four Thirds-format Lmos sensor with advanced live view capabilities, automated dust cleaning and body-integral image stabilisation. Like rival systems found on Sony and Pentax DSLRs, the Olympus E-600 uses a sensor-shifting function to compensate for camera shake, which means you don't have to budget extra for pricier lens-based image-stabilisation systems like you would if you chose a DSLR from Canon or Nikon.

Despite the camera's small body, Olympus has managed to include a flip-out and swivel 2.7in

ADVERTISEMENT

screen. It's another appealing feature and one that's essential, as Live View features expand in capability. At 230,000 pixels, its resolution isn't as high as some of its rivals, and it can be difficult to use in bright sunlight, but with the hinge to the side, it's well designed and is one of the best we've seen for colour accuracy.

Live View focus options include both viewfinder-based autofocus and image-sensor based autofocus, with the added benefit of face-detection and multiple-focus-detection points. The latter system apes that of a digital compact, but it's too tardy for moving subjects and is still only fully compatible with a limited number of lenses.

Fortunately, the kit lens is one of them, and it's a good performer, both optically and in autofocus operation. Although slightly noisier than the Canon equivalent in terms of focusing speed, it's equally as swift and sure. Like earlier Four Thirds DSLRs, the E-600 viewfinder is quite small, but data is displayed underneath, making it easier on the eye. The new seven-point autofocus system is greatly preferred to the previously underwhelming three-point offerings.

We also approve of the E-600's fast 4 frames per second (fps) sequential shooting capability. Raw capture is limited to a sequential burst of 5fps, but with a high-speed CompactFlash card, high-quality Jpegs can be written to the capacity of the card. Best of all, picture quality and detail is easily on a par with rivals, certainly up to ISO1600, and isn't far behind the Nikon D5000 (see MacUser, 3 July 2009, p25) in terms of noise and dynamic range at ISO3200.

In terms of tonality, we prefer the E-600's out-of-camera Jpegs, although there's little to choose if you prefer a Raw workflow. What's missing is an HD video option, which seems a strange omission bearing in mind that the Lmos sensor is quite capable of it. Be that as it may, at £50 less than the E-620, the cost-conscious E-600 can compete head-on with the Nikon D5000 in terms of stills, but the lack of HD video may be just too much for some to ignore.