Olympus-OM
[Top] [All Lists]

[OM] AP's verdict on E-400

Subject: [OM] AP's verdict on E-400
From: Chris Barker <ftog@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 06:16:16 +0000
John Duggan asked me to repeat what Amateur Photographer had said  
about this little camera:

Angela Nicholson writes:

"The specification of the Olympus E-400 hits all of the right notes,  
and when I first picked it up I was struck by its neatness and  
compact nature.  I was smitten: I liked the way it felt in my hand  
and the layout of the control panel.  However, as I began to use it I  
became increasingly frustrated with the repetitive button-pressing  
necessary to make setting adjustments.  I reminded myself that this  
type of control arrangement is perfect for novice photographers.  By  
locating the controls together they are easy to find and new users  
are more likely to experiment with the settings.  But what happens  
after this learning phase?  The more experienced user is left  
frantically punching buttons to make adjustments.
        
"The E-400 is able to hold its own alongside cameras such as the 400D  
and Alpha 100 with respect to key factors such as its resolution and  
image noise.  At first glance its greater dynamic range might seem a  
bonus, but in  fact the E-400 has more limited ability to record  
highlights than the other 2 cameras.  Fortunately, Olympus provides  
an answer to this in the form of the highlight spotmeter.  However,  
this is a control that needs to be used with care by an experienced  
user.  It also results in darker pictures that will not impress the  
direct printer.  These images need to be adjusted on the computer to  
lighten the midtones and shadows.  Photographers who have the  
experience to to this are unlikely to be satisfied with the slow  
handling of the E-400."

She gave the camera 84% compared with the E-1's 91% (I think I  
remember correctly).  I would not worry about the handling side of  
the camera, but the dynamic range worried me when first I read it.

Chris

==============================================
List usage info:     http://www.zuikoholic.com
List nannies:        olympusadmin@xxxxxxxxxx
==============================================

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
Sponsored by Tako
Impressum | Datenschutz