Olympus E-5 Review – Putting the “Era” in Digital Cameras
The saying goes that a photo paints thousands of words. What about a photo that has 12.3 millimetres? This is the brand’s newly released Olympus E-5. After more than three years, Olympus has finally upgraded their bestselling E-3 with a more modern and most definitely better model. At first glance, they appear similar – I’m not saying that this is negative because the E-3 is an absolutely stunning camera – however, on closer inspection, you’ll observe the enormous 3 inches tilt-swivel LCD. Also, the controls are identical except for the auto-focus button, which can be used as a video button. This is right; the E-5’s new E-5 comes with the video. It’s not just any video, but a breathtaking HD 720p motion JPEG with 30 frames/second. This gives impressive clarity to the video. It also has a 12.3 millimetre high-speed real-time MOS sensor (that’s 20% more than the E-3) which gives you the best quality images quality that you can get from every Olympus camera.
How does it do?
I was pleasantly amazed and impressed by the E-5’s incredible image quality. With the award-winning performance of Zuiko Digital lenses, it is similar to other crop-sensor digital SLRs, such as those of the EOS 7D, D7000, and so on. Autofocus was much more efficient than I expected when I took two challenging cycling events, and the success rate using continuous autofocus was similar to what I would have imagined for my Nikon D7000 or Canon EOS 7D. This is due to the fact that the E-5 features an 11-point high Precision Full-Twin Cross Autofocus system that is one of the most efficient and precise autofocus systems available. This gives the camera good performance and makes it a formidable contender to any DSLRiavailable in the market and, most likely, the top camera made by Olympus currently.
Specifications of the product
It is among the most miniature cameras in the marketplace today. 5.6 inches x 4.6 inches x 2.9 inches, and weighing just 1.8 pounds it is the E-5 has an ergonomic design that’s simply stunning for shooting with. The 3-inch dual-axis tilt LCD is able to accommodate all angles of view and gives you a clear view. This camera is not only small, but it’s also very robust. Built using “this mould” magnesium-alloy structure, the camera is built to stand up to severe dust, dirt, and water drops, ideal for photographers who require more robust cameras to capture those difficult-to capture photographs. The camera is not only sturdy but also the shutter’s life span, which has been tested up to 150,000 cycles.
Special features
The phrase “what the eye sees is actually what you will get” is evident on the E-5 camera, which has a 100% accurate high-eyepoint optical viewfinder that produces perfect images every time. The camera comes with 10-built-in Art filters that let users create stunning effects when they shoot stills or videos. These include Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Color, Light Tone, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, Gentle Sepia, Cross Process and Dramatic Tone that give you the freedom to be creative and improve your work. The E-5 is also equipped with an incredible dust reduction feature that is the Supersonic Wave Filter (SWF) which vibrates quietly at 30,000 times per second and ensures a spot-free image.
This camera isn’t inexpensive, but it’s undoubtedly one of the top cameras on the market today and is worth every cent.
