Olympus E450 Entry Level DSLR
New Easy to Use Olympus E-450 DSLR with Image Effect Features
Apr 9, 2009
Entry-level DSLRs from all manufactures come loaded with marketing gimmicks. Fortunately; they also come with the essentials for making great images and the Olympus E-450 is no exception.
Enough Megapixels
The four thirds sensor of the Olympus E450 has 10 megapixels, the same as its predecessor the E420. This is not surprising in light of a recent statement, reported on steves-digicams.com, by Akira Watanabe, manager of Olympus Imaging's SLR planning department.
“Twelve megapixels is, I think, enough for covering most applications most customers need. We have no intention to compete in the megapixel wars for E-System," Olympus' line of SLR cameras.”
In the past a simple megapixel numbers served as indicators of performance this is a sign that manufacturers are turning to other areas of performance to attract photographers.
Art Filters
The main difference between the 420 and the new 450 is the inclusion of three image effects Olympus call in-camera Art Filters:
- Pop Art: Increases color saturation for more vivid high-impact pictures in the Pop Art style of the 1960s;
- Soft Focus: intended to creates an ethereal atmosphere without obscuring details
- Pin Hole: Reduces the peripheral brightness of an image as though it were shot through a pin hole, connecting the viewer intimately with the subject at the center of the picture.
Photographers activate the Art Filters using the mode dial on the right side of the camera body. The effects are visible on the LCD screen when using the E-450 in Live View mode or reviewing a captured image.
Live View and Moving Up From Point & shoot
Photographers graduating from Point & Shoot cameras are seeking the improved image quality that comes from the larger sensors of DSLRs and quality lenses. To make their cameras attractive to these prospective buyers camera manufacturers include many familiar features in their entry-level models. In their E-450 announcement Olympus suggests the using the LCD screen in Live View mode in Point & shoot cameras is somehow superior to the optical viewfinder, the hallmark of quality cameras for decades.
Unfortunately, the E450 comes with a fixed LCD screen, limiting any advantage the E-450’s Live View system may have over the normal viewfinder when photographing from awkward angles and heights.
Convenient Size For Travelers
Olympus is renowned for producing compact SLR type cameras, first for film and now digital models. The small size of the E-450 and the excellent Zuiko lenses optimized for the four-thirds system should suit travelers wanting to minimize the weight and bulk of their camera equipment without sacrificing image quality.
Live View and Battery Life
A small camera inevitably means a small battery, so if you are travelling ort hiking with your Olympus E-450 use the optical viewfinder instead of live view to save on battery drain. This may mean the difference between getting that once in lifetime shot at the end of a day or mountain trek, and missing it with a flat camera battery.
Image Stabilization
The Olympus E-450 lacks the sensor shift image stabilization system from other Olympus models. Although the E-450 offers a digital image stabilization exposure mode, this only forces higher ISO and shutter speed settings. Higher spec Olympus DSLRs come with a proper sensor shift image stabilization system that reduces camera shake when shooting at slow shutter speeds and low ISO settings in low light conditions.
Availability
The Olympus E-450 with a Two-Lens Kit should be in stores at the end of May for an estimated Street Price: $US699.99. It includes E-450 Body, ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens and ED 40-150mm f4.0/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens,
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