A recent photo.net thread launched with the question, “Have you ever bought a piece of kit that really changed the way you thought about your photography?” The thread excluded cameras as answers. The Olympus E-420 is a tool that can change the way you shoot. The E-420 is arguably underappreciated. I’ll shoot with anything that clicks—Nikon, Canon, Mamiya, Bronica, Crown Graphic, film or digital. The E-420 offers an unusual combination of features that makes it a pleasure to use. It has a few warts (what camera doesn’t?), but it fills a niche in my kit and leaves me taking more pictures more often. I recommend a visit to your local camera shop to test an E-420. You will know if it’s right for you when you pick it up.

There are detailed reviews on the web that will show you the camera’s menu entries and rattle off quantitative details like weight and dimensions. I’ve taken a less conventional approach with this review. I’m examining the camera for what it does for you. The short story is that the E-420 is a fine and competitive imaging machine that compares solidly with other 10-megapixel cameras in its class and beyond. I find the E-420 special for at least two reasons.

• It is remarkably compact, both in size and weight. Olympus advertises it as “the world’s smallest DSLR,” and this claim feels right when you experience the camera’s dimensions and heft. The impression strengthens when the camera is paired with the 25mm Zuiko pancake lens, leaving you with a camera that won’t fit in a shirt pocket, but which essentially disappears in a New England coat pocket. It can go with you practically anywhere, and it offers an image quality that can easily exceed the results you’ll get with a digital point-and-shoot. The photograph below gives you a sense of the E-420’s size. It’s a tad larger than a Canonet, and practically identical in size to the Nikon FG. The relatively thin strap from a Nikon P5000, for example, supports the combination of the E-420 and 25mm pancake lens well and makes it easy to stow.
• Olympus has put together a sparkling combination of performance enhancing features. The E-420 stays out of your way. The controls are quick to find and easy to use, and Live View works well. Exposure is consistent and the evaluative meter and auto-ISO controls work great. The E-420 makes it easy to control strobe lighting, and easy to use lenses across platforms. For example—and this may sound strange but will be explained below—if you are a long time Nikon shooter with a significant investment in manual focus glass, you are likely to love this camera. The E-420 offers features that might not be found in a camera costing three times as much.

Where to Buy

The Olympus E-420 can be purchased from Adorama in the following combinations:

• Olympus Evolt E-420
• Olympus Evolt E-420, 14-42mm kit
• No product information for olympus_e420_25-kit

If you are new to digital photography, start with the photo.net guide Advice on Choosing a Digital SLR.

Image Quality

The E-420 image quality compares well with competitors. To illustrate, I’ve made a few shots of an indoor scene lit by a Novatron 400D studio light system with the E-420, and also with a Nikon D40x, $590 (review), for comparison. Comparing cameras across systems and image formats is tricky, and I wrestled with finding a reasonable comparison to present. I settled for shooting the D40x with a Nikon 18-55mm AF-S (non-VR) kit lens and the E-420 kit with the Zuiko 25mm pancake, an economically similar comparison. Both cameras were shot at ISO 100 from the same tripod mount. The Nikon 18-55mm lens was set to 31mm to yield approximately the same number of horizontal pixels as the E-420 and 25mm pancake combination on any given target object in the scene. Remember, the E-420 is a 4/3’s sensor, and the D40x is approximately a 3/2 or APS-C size sensor, so the resulting overall images have a different dimensional format.

E420 at ISO 100

D40X at ISO 100

Obviously, the lenses are different, and these tests expose differences in the lens optics as well as the camera body sensors, filters, and signal processing circuitry. Also, the cameras perform differently depending on their menu settings for picture optimization. I chose to shoot jpegs to avoid variations due to RAW converters, although the jpeg engines in the cameras will have their own variations as well. For the D40x, the images were captured as “Large Fine” jpegs with the “Optimize Image” setting set to “custom” using the IIIa color space (yielding a touch of “Velvia”) with “Auto” image sharpening and tone compensation, and with white balance set to “flash.” For the E-420, the camera was set to capture “Large Super Fine” jpegs with “Natural” picture mode and no adjustments to the contrast, sharpness, or saturation default settings, and with white balance again set to “flash”. The difference in color space was intentional, to make the images from the two cameras slightly distinguishable in the comparisons.

I shot the studio scene of my trusty Crown Graphic using two pack heads, a main light at camera left, and a fill light set a stop below the main light and located behind and above the camera position bounced off a low ceiling. Apologies in advance for the floral tablecloth in the background: I wanted something with some pattern and color contrast for your inspection. I let the cameras autofocus using their central sensors pointed at the Crown’s lensboard standard on the right in the picture, closer to the Graflex box cover. Both cameras were shot “manual” at 1/60th of a second at F/7.1. For each camera, I used a Wein Safe-Sync in the hot shoe to connect a PC cord to the flash pack.

The overall ISO 100 images for both cameras are shown below. In both cases the images are “as shot” from the camera, with no manipulation other than resizing.

To compare, I used CS3 to excise square stamps from three different places in the test images. I used Photoshop to crop and resize the images, but made no other changes. A side-by-side comparison of the three crops is shown (image right).

To my eye, the E-420 appears a little sharper in this test, but the differences are small and dependent on test conditions. That is, the differences between these images are likely too small to be relevant for preparing 8×10 prints. The cameras may pick slightly different effective focus points. The E-420 winds up with a slight vertical pixel advantage in each crop in this test. The default sharpening levels in the cameras are different, and this test pits a kit zoom lens for the D40x against a kit prime for the E-420. Interestingly, the Olympus 14-42 kit lens set to 25mm produces results at least as good as the 25mm pancake. In general, my experience with the two cameras is that their image quality is practically identical at ISO 100. A little post-sharpening and curve adjustment of the D40x images makes the comparison even closer. Brightness differences are due in part to slightly different definitions of “ISO 100” between the two cameras. My impression is that the E-420 “ISO 100” setting is actually a fraction of a stop faster than ISO 100. But the point is that the E-420 is a solid performer at low ISOs.

More interesting differences appear at higher ISOs. I re-shot the studio image with both cameras at ISO 800 and also ISO 1600. The composite below shows the results for four crops, three from the E-420 at ISO’s 100, 800, and 1600, and one from the D40x at ISO 1600.

The E-420’s 4/3’s sensor is approximately the same size as a 110 film negative, about one quarter the area of a 35mm full frame negative or sensor. This format is closer to 8×10, which I prefer over the approximately 4×6 images from the APS-C sensors, although this is certainly a matter of taste. The sensor in the D40x is approximately the size of an APS-C negative, or a bit less than half of the area of a 35 mm full frame. Both sensors have about the same total number of pixels. The E-420 sensor is therefore relatively thirsty for light and Olympus has done an admirable job maintaining very competitive image quality at base ISO with the smaller sensor, a choice that enables a key feature of the E-420, its compact size.

At ISO 1600, I see more noise in the E-420 image than in the D40x image, especially in the shadows (although the D40x’s noise reduction does remove a little detail). This does not limit the ISO 1600 setting on the E-420 to impromptu photo shoots of your UFO sighting. Well-exposed images from the E-420 look acceptable (or better) to me printed 8×10 compared to the D40x images, although again this is a matter of taste. However, as ISO rises on the E-420, it becomes relatively more important that you get the exposure spot on. My E-420’s evaluative meter seems to consistently choose an exposure somewhere between a sixth and a third of a stop underexposed compared to the D40x. Set at “ISO 1600”, the E-420’s sensitivity seems about right for ISO 1600, so the E-420’s ISO1600 histogram rides a little to the left of the comparable D40x image. All of this puts the high-ISO challenge squarely in the photographer’s hands with the E-420. It’s perfectly possible to create a pleasing ISO 1600 image with the E-420, but it requires careful attention and a possible exposure compensation to “shoot to the right” on the histogram as much as possible. I’ve generally found that attempting to “push” an underexposed ISO 1600 image from the E-420 with a curves or levels adjustment leads to unsatisfying results, more so than with other cameras.

Handling

The E-420 camera controls are generally quick and responsive. The camera is available about one second after turning it on, the delay caused by the automatic sensor cleaning. I have not found a way to deactivate the automatic cleaning or move it to a different place in the usage cycle, e.g., when turning the camera off. Generally, I have not found the brief delay objectionable, and the camera exhibits good citizenship in preserving the battery while hanging around your neck. With minimal flash usage, it shoots all day without exhausting the battery. For further conservation of the battery, there is a menu option that allows you to turn a “sleep” mode on. When set “on,” the E-420 enters sleep mode after a number of minutes that you can choose. It insists on performing a sensor cleaning following the first “wakeup” shutter press, which might be annoying. Turning sleep mode off thwarts these additional sensor cleanings.

With decent light and using a 133x Lexar 4GB compact flash card, I was able to record 14 “Large Super Fine” jpegs at a rate of about 3.5 frames per second (fps) before the camera slowed. Full press shutter lag is a miniscule fraction of a second in good light, and even in dim light the autofocus system delivers in about a second if it’s possible for the camera to focus. The E-420 behaves similarly to other cameras I’ve used in this class—it’s not perfect for fast moving sporting events with a long lens, but its automation generally performs well for most other photography.

Controls

The controls are thoughtfully arranged, even with respect to other cameras in the Olympus line. For my hands (medium glove size), the on/off switch is well positioned, and the rear wheel control is comfortable. The sculpted right hand grip works surprisingly well, and it’s not difficult to drive the camera with one hand in a pinch. The E-420 has no top-deck LCD to show camera status. The rear LCD is used for both image review and camera control. The “ok” button in the center of the thumb pad brings up a control panel menu on the rear LCD that permits quick access to frequently altered settings like ISO, white balance, image settings, metering, and auto-focus mode. This is something you need to try for yourself, but I find the control panel provides convenient top-level access to practically everything I care about while shooting.

Just above and to the left of the thumb pad you will find a button that puts the camera in “Live View”. In Live View, you see an electronic image on the LCD just like a digital point-and-shoot. The camera offers three focusing modes from which you can select for use in Live View. The E-420 has a conventional AF sensor under the mirror, but can also focus directly from the imaging sensor. The three focusing mode menu options for Live View permit you to choose one or the other of the two sensors, or both. While not as fast focusing as the phase-detection autofocus sensor under the mirror, the imaging AF sensor can focus the lens reasonably quickly in good light, and will do so on a half press of the shutter without interrupting the Live View image on the LCD, which is a neat feature to find on a DSLR. Live View only provides “Single” AF. A “Continuous” AF setting is available, but only through the optical viewfinder. The E-420 also offers “face detection” that can be turned on or off, and which steers the autofocus system to locate faces for focus.

Considering its current selling price, the E-420 offers a number of “professional” features. It has a dedicated button for exposure compensation. It provides exposure bracketing for you HDR junkies. You can configure a programmable function button on the thumb pad as a depth-of-field preview, among other possibilities. The camera has built-in timer delays, and also includes an “Anti-Shock” option that lifts the mirror for a programmable time delay before capturing the image. The recent Zuiko lenses are fly-by-wire, and configurable from camera menus. You can change the direction of rotation for focusing, for example, and you can also select manual, automatic, or combined focus.

Flash

The E-420 has a pop-up flash that can serve as a built-in wireless commander for two other flashes in the Olympus system: the FL-36R and the FL-50R. The FL-36R and FL-50R are shoe mount flashes that can also be used wirelessly. One or more can be arranged by channel and group and controlled from a menu on the E-420 that permits you to alter flash mode and flash exposure compensation.

Viewfinder

The viewfinder is bright and has a built-in diopter adjustment, but it is small. I find the viewfinder satisfactory for composing with the autofocus system, but my eyesight has reached the point where manual focus is difficult in lower light conditions with this finder. For me, the ME-1 magnifier eyecup is a welcome accessory. It offers a 1.2X magnification that makes manual focus relatively easy. Reactions to the ME-1 eyecup seem bi-modal: love it or hate it. I wear eyeglasses and have no trouble with it, but it’s something you’d want to try first or be able to return. A picture of the ME-1 (left), and another, for me, essential accessory, a lens adapter ring (right), is shown below.

Lens Adapter Ring

The lens adapter ring is available from Adorama and also a company called Fotodiox that can be found on the web. The ring couples Nikon F mount lenses to the Olympus 4/3’s mount like the one on the E-420. Fotodiox sells adapter rings that mate the E-420 to Leica R, Nikon F, Contax, Olympus OM, M42, Pentax K, and other lenses. (I haven’t found an adapter for Canon lenses to the E-420 yet, which may be because I’m missing it—apologies if so—but may also have something to do with the functional dimensions of the Canon lens mount).

I’ve only used the Nikon F adapter so far, and it is a hoot. The adapter ring, which is currently selling for under $30, will apparently accept virtually any F mount lens, AF or MF, including pre-AI lenses. The only absolute restriction I can see would be the inability to use those few early F mount lenses that required mirror lock-up in order to mount. The image below shows the E-420 peering through a relatively modern 45mm f/2.8 Nikon MF pancake lens at left, and my first lens, a 33 year old pre-AI 55 micro-Nikkor, on the right.

Adapter rings are not a new idea, but the E-420 raises the bar on expectations. The caveats first:

• the adapter ring provides no electronic connections to either the lens or the camera, so of course the E-420 cannot auto-focus Nikon AF lenses.
• the E-420 unfortunately also will not give focus indication in the viewfinder when manually focused with the adapter.
• the adapter ring does not engage the aperture lever on Nikon lenses. Therefore, Nikon G type lenses are effectively useless with the adapter (unless you want to shoot with the smallest aperture at all times), and other lenses are essentially used in a “stop-down” mode. You rotate the aperture ring and the viewfinder darkens immediately as the lens aperture closes.

The miracle is that, other than these provisos, everything else on the E-420 essentially works with the adapter. The camera’s evaluative meter works accurately at the “stopped-down” aperture you select. Live View works! Also, Live View has an enhancement mode that brightens the image (at the expense of a loss in saturation in the preview image, which is essentially irrelevant for focusing). This makes Live View useful for focusing an MF lens generally to at least f/8. Also, manual focusing is no problem with the ME-1 magnifier, in my opinion. The wireless flash system will still trigger with the lens adapter in place. For example, you can handhold an FL-36R to the side of a macro-subject while moving in with any micro-Nikkor mounted on the E-420.

For comparison, I’ve taken three pictures with the E-420, two using the adapter ring with Nikon lenses, shown below. All of the images were taken at ISO 100, f/8 with a 15 second exposure from the same tripod mount. The lenses employed, from left to right, were the Zuiko 25mm pancake lens, the Nikon 45mm MF pancake lens, and a Nikon series E 100mm MF lens.

Zuiko 25mm pancake

Nikon 45mm MF pancake

Nikon 100mm MF

With the E-420’s 2X 35mm crop factor, these three lenses provide effective 35mm field-of-view equivalent to 50mm, 90mm, and 200mm lenses, respectively. All three lenses fit in a stack about the size of a soda can, and all three provide f/2.8 maximum aperture and excellent sharpness at their sweet spots.

Choosing a Lens

The point here is not to imply that any brand of lens is better than another. The key for me is that the E-420 is remarkably compact, pleasingly specified, remarkably inexpensive, and compatible with almost any bargain jewel of a lens. I picked up the 100mm series E for under $50. It fits easily in a pocket. Some pre-AI micro-Nikkors are similarly inexpensive. If you own Nikon manual focus glass from almost any era, the E-420 is the “digital FA” or “digital FM” for which you’ve been waiting. You can put a useful and inexpensive kit of lenses and the E-420 in a small bag and head out with full evaluative metering, Live View, and wireless flash control.

The E-420 with the 25mm Zuiko pancake lens fits in some very small bags that you might have guessed were strictly for point-and-shoots. For example, the Delsey GOPIX 20BG shoulder pouch is available for under $8 from Amazon, and it comfortably holds the E-420 with the 25mm Zuiko pancake lens and the ME-1 eyepiece. The Nikon 45mm pancake lens with the adapter ring will fit in this bag along with the E-420 and the 25mm Zuiko (it just barely fits). The E-420 with the 25mm Zuiko will also squeeze into the Kodak 1348762 camera bag (less than $12 at Amazon—best to remove the ME-1 and put it in the bottom compartment). This bag has a convenient clip and also a belt loop on the back for easy transport.

Alternative Options

The obvious other choice for a compact DSLR with pancake AF lenses is Pentax. The ultra-compact Pentax DA 40mm lens is quite small, and there are other small lenses (but not quite as small as the 40mm) in the Pentax lineup. I haven’t tried the K2000 yet, which is specified as dimensionally similar to the E-420, but a little heavier. I don’t know how the K2000 will handle and deliver in comparison to the E-420, but the Pentax DA 40mm will make me take a look when I get the chance. Olympus announced the E-450 recently, but, at the time of this review, it’s early yet to find one to try. The changes in comparison to the E-420 look minor, and I expect that most or all of the review comments here will apply to the E-450.

Key E-420 Features

• 10MP effective (3628 by 2736 pixels).
• 4/3’s “live MOS” sensor with “Supersonic Wave Filter” cleaning system
• Built-in pop-up flash with GN 12 (m) at ISO 100 and ability to serve as wireless commander
• 3-point multiple AF with the phase-detection system (3 points in the viewfinder), 11-point multiple AF with the contrast detection system
• Approximately 3.5 frames per second (fps)
• Approximately 14mm eyepoint
• Viewfinder coverage approximately 95%
• Diopter adjustment range -3.0 to 1.0
• Dual memory card slots, supporting compact flash or xD picture cards, with copying possible for single frames, all frames, or selected frames
• Metering range EV 1-20, with evaluative, spot, and center metering available
• Auto or Manual ISO ranging from 100-1600 in 1 EV steps
• Live View
• Exposure bracketing available in 0.3, 0.7, or 1 EV steps, selectable
• In-camera JPEG retouch, including shadow adjustment, red-eye fix, trimming, monotone, sepia toning, saturation adjustment, and re-sizing

Conclusion

Olympus has delivered a remarkable product in the E-420 and the 25mm Zuiko. I hope that they’re considering releasing other pancake lenses. A 12 or 14mm prime AF f/2.8 pancake lens would be a very welcome addition.

In the meantime, I’m enjoying the E-420 immensely. It’s with me all of the time, both for its small size and surprising specification. It’s made me reconsider lenses that I haven’t picked up in a while—lenses that work well and are fun to use. Fun and small mean more picture taking, and that’s the bottom line.

Where to Buy

The Olympus E-420 can be purchased from Adorama in the following combinations:

• Olympus Evolt E-420
• Olympus Evolt E-420, 14-42mm kit
• No product information for olympus_e420_25-kit

More

• Photo.net Digital Camera Forum
• Photo.net Olympus and Four-Thirds Discussion Forum
• Building a Digital SLR System

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