Review based on a production E-500, Firmware 1.0

The E-500 EVOLT was announced on 26th September 2005, almost exactly a year after the E-300 which was the first affordable Four Thirds System digital SLR. The E-500 features an eight megapixel Kodak 4/3 Type CCD sensor, a Four Thirds System lens mount and a more traditional pentaprism viewfinder. Appearance wise the E-500 looks more like a traditional film SLR than the long and flat E-300 with its sideways swinging mirror and viewfinder setup. Improvements over the E-300 include an all new metering system, a larger 2.5" LCD monitor, better control layout and other firmware delivered improvements.

Compared to the E-300 EVOLT feature and specification differences

 
Olympus E-500 EVOLT

Olympus E-300 EVOLT
Sensor • Kodak 4/3 Type CCD
• 8.0 million effective pixels
• Modified Hot Mirror (InfraRed filter) 		• Kodak 4/3 Type CCD
• 8.0 million effective pixels
Metering sensor New 49 area (7 x 7 matrix) Unspecified
Metering modes • Digital ESP
• Center-Weighted Average
• Spot
• Highlight based spot
• Shadow based spot		 • Digital ESP
• Center-Weighted Average
• Spot
ISO sensitivities • Auto (ISO 100 - 400)
• ISO 100
• ISO 125
• ISO 160
• ISO 200
• ISO 250
• ISO 320
• ISO 400
• ISO 500 *
• ISO 640 *
• ISO 800 *
• ISO 1000 *
• ISO 1250 *
• ISO 1600 *
* With ISO Boost set to On
• Auto (ISO 100 - 400)
• ISO 100
• ISO 200
• ISO 400
• ISO 800 *
• ISO 1600 *
* With ISO Boost set to On
Noise filter • New High ISO noise filter
• Optionally enabled 		Unspecified
HQ compression options • 1/4
• 1/8
• 1/12 		• 1/4
• 1/8
Focus modes • S-AF
• C-AF
• MF
• S-AF & MF
• C-AF & MF 		• S-AF
• C-AF
• MF
• S-AF & MF
MF bracketing Yes No
Continuous • 2.5 fps
• RAW: 4 frames
• JPEG: Unlimited with high speed card 		• 2.5 fps
• RAW: 4 frames
• JPEG: 4 frames
My Mode Yes No
B&W Mode Selectable filters Fixed monochrome filter
Custom WB 1 memory 3 memories
Kelvin WB 2000 - 14000 K 2000 - 10000 K
Flash • Electronic release pop-up
• 53 mm above lens when raised
• Guide no. 13 		• Manual release pop-up
• 40 mm above lens when raised
• Guide no. 11
Flash bracketing Yes No
Info. display • Two levels
• Color selectable 		One level
Record review Any of the seven play display modes Single image, no histogram
Play display modes • No overlaid information
• Basic overlay
• More detailed overlay
• Thumbnail, AF point, 4 way histogram
• Large histogram overlay
• Blinking highlights
• Blinking shadows 		• No overlaid information
• Basic overlay
• More detailed overlay
• Large histogram overlay
• Blinking highlights
• Thumbnail, AF point, info
Play magnify Up to 14x Up to 10x
Play index 4, 9, 16, 25 frames, Calendar 4, 9, 16 frames
Play marking Yes, batch erase and copy No
Red-eye fix Yes, play mode 'Edit' No
Storage • Compact Flash
• xD-Picture Card 		Compact Flash
Viewfinder • Top mounted pentaprism
• 95% field of view
• 0.9x magnification
• Clip-fit eyecup 		• Side mounted Porro Finder
• 94% field of view
• 1.0x magnification
• Fixed eyecup
LCD monitor • 2.5" TFT LCD monitor
• 215,250 pixels
• Wide viewing angle		 • 1.8" TFT LCD monitor
• 134,000 pixels
Portrait grip Not available Optional HLD-3
Dimensions 130 x 95 x 66 mm (5.1 x 3.7 x 2.6 in) 147 x 85 x 64 mm (5.8 x 3.4 x 2.5 in)
Weight • No battery: 435 g (1.0 lb)
• With battery: 479 g (1.1 lb)		 • No battery: 580 g (1.3 lb)
• With battery: 624 g (1.4 lb)

Two new ZUIKO Zoom Digital lenses

In conjunction with their announcement of the E-500 Olympus also announced two more ZUIKO Zoom lenses. The EZ 14 - 45 mm zoom used as the E-300 Kit lens is destined to be one of the E-500 Kit's lenses, however there will be a second (slightly lower priced) kit which will included the new 17.5 - 45 mm zoom lens. In addition Olympus has introduced the ten times optical zoom 18 - 180 mm lens which will provide a 36 - 360 mm equivelant field of view.

ZUIKO Digital 17.5 - 45 mm F3.5 - F5.6
(35 - 90 mm equiv. FOV, 2.6x zoom)
(Only available with E-500 SE Kit) 		ZUIKO Digital 18 - 180 mm F3.5 - F6.3
(36 - 360 mm equiv. FOV, 10.0x zoom)
US$ 499