Side by Side Comparison of: Olympus vs Canon

I used to work in a photography studio, and my boss had this camera back when it was the newest thing on the market. I got so used to using this camera that when I was shopping for my own DSLR, I ended up buying one for myself. It is much, much cheaper than a lot of DSLR combo packs out there, but in my opinion, it is just as good. I have no problem taking professional-quality images for my online store. This camera takes professional-quality portraits and headshots that we sold to customers at the studio. I used to go non-stop 7-hour work days with this camera, and now when I am using it for my e-commerce business product shots, I still use it on a daily basis. I bought this second-hand, and I have had it for years. After every-day use for years, it still works just as well as the day I bought it.The only down-side that you might experience with this camera is that it comes with a CF memory card. The one I got with my order was only 30 MB, which is fine for me, because I only take a few images at a time, but it will eat up the memory quickly if you take your pictures in RAW format or the highest quality JPEG. If I ever wanted to go on vacation, I would need to buy a larger memory card.This camera also does not take the small SD cards, and many computers only have slots for SD cards. Nowadays, it's easy and cheap to get a 10GB+ SD card, but not so easy or cheap with CF cards.In order for me to use the CF card, I had to make sure I installed a camera card slot in my new PC. There are external card-readers, and you can also buy CF cards with larger memory, but that is something you'll need to consider before buying this camera. You can also import your photos with a cord, but just keep all of that in mind. It takes some getting used to if you are converting from point-and-shoot cameras.

I was one of the last holdouts. I stuck with my trusty pentax K1000 and various Nikons over the years because i was a 'film guy.' I even went out and bought a professional-grade film scanner and developing equipment so that I could stay a 'film guy' well into the future. That was until I really scrutinized the photos, which, no matter how carefully I developed and scanned, all had a grainy look to them. I realized that technology had finally caught up with me, and I needed to get with the program and buy a digital camera. I'm only a hobbyist, not a professional, but I insisted on an SLR to avoid parallax problems. All my cameras save one were SLR's of 1970's vintage. The problem was that the fine cameras in the Nikon and Canon lines were way to pricy for my budget and hard to justify for amateur use; I was almost resigned to one of those consumer-grade units with the built-in non-interchangable lenses until I came upon this camera. The package came with a body, a 14 to 45 mm zoom, a 40-150 mm zoom, a battery charger and battery, and various wires and software. I took the camera on a day trip and used it mostly in "Auto" (easy) mode, and was instantly impressed with the quality of the pictures, especially their sharpness. And since they've dropped the price, I suppose to make way for the 10 megapixel E-510, this package is a STEAL. It has all sorts of programed exposure settings, plus aperture and shutter priority, as well as fully manual exposure. Bottom line: I think this is the PERFECT camera for serious and semi-serious use, or for anyone who doesn't mind a little extra bulk and weight in order to have great pictures (it is not tiny, it's about the size of a standard 35mm SLR). I wish the lenses were a bit faster; they are both only f/3.5, but that's quibbling. Extra lenses are available, in three grades from Olympus but some of them are VERY pricy. Luckily, the two that came with the kit fill my needs wonderfully. If you have need of a very wide selection of lens availablility, Canon or Nikon may be a better bet, but if the two lenses included in this package is all you need, you're good to go, and in style.

I have had this camera for 4 months now and its an outstanding pro-sumer grade digital SLR. The Amazon price for this camera body and two lens kit is simply the best price to be found anywhere, and is less than most vendors charge for this camera with a single lens. No longer do I mourn the loss of my Nikon 8008s 35mm Film Camera.Both lenes have outstanding optics and the metering system is superb. The included lens hoods are very helpful, but make sure you take them off for flash photography. The lenses operate quietly and quickly. They have nice grip.The built-in pop up flash is adequate for close-up snap shots, but you'll want one of the two available dedicated flash units the FL-36 or FL-50. Don't waste your time or money with the FL-20. I bought the FL-36, which is a full featured dedicated flash with significant manual overrides just as with the camera to meet your creative needs. I'm likely to further upgrade to the FL-50 which is a more powerful full professional grade flash.For serious photographers, this camera gives you total manual control that provides overrides for every possible setting to ensure you realize your full creative needs (just as with any professional 35mm or digital SLR).The automatic settings for focus and exposure are outstanding as well. There are several program modes for various types of shooting and a user program mode where you can essentially make your specific manual settings an automatic set-up.The controls are well placed, except for the the one-touch White Balance and the Auto-Focus frame buttons are right where you may normally want to place your right thumb while holding the camera, especially if you're taking vertical shots. The large LCD display is excellent and easy to read even in bright light, but be advised that its not for composing and lining up your pictures. The display is for making your camera settings and viewing the pictures you've taken. You must compose your shots through the viewfinder only. The viewfinder gives you gives you plenty of camera setting information along with immediate exposure and composition feedback so you can make adjustments without removing your eye from the viewfinder.The camera shoots in every file format that complete amatuers want and serious professional photographers need ranging from various degrees of quality for jpeg all the way up to TIFF and several RAW settings. The has shutter speeds that go from manual settings up to 1/4000th and an ISO range up to 1600.The camera is built solid, is very well balanced and lightweight. It looks great and feels great with a nice grip. The included Olympus LBH-1 battery has extraordinary life. I had in the camera for the first 3 months without a change or charge. In that time I took over 600 pictures, and often found that I had left the camera on when I went to pull it out of my bag for the next shoot. In fact, during my trip to Ireland during this mentioned timeframe. I basically left the camera on night and day for an entire week and had juice to spare when I got home. Phenominal!As mentioned the included lenses with this kit (wide angel to normal & normal to long telephoto) are very, very good. I'm so pleased with the overall performance and capabilities of the camera itself, that I'm definitely going to invest heavily in the professional level lens upgrades. With the exception of the Macro and extreme wide angle, those lenses are essentially the same focal lengths as included with this camera kit. However the upgrades are "faster" lenses allowing for more very low light levels and a greater ability to capture sports activity.Bottomline, this camera is fantastic and has everything that far more expensive professional cameras have. Olympus has a full range of accessories for serious and professional photographers that amatuers can work their way up to. This camera has it all at price that no one seems able to beat.

I did a lot of research when I was looking for a digital camera because they are not cheap. If you want a digital SLR, there is not a better value out there. This camera comes out of the box with 2 fully digital lenses. It has a ton of features and a pretty large display. I found it very easy to use in point and shoot mode. It took about 5 minutes to look through the quick start guide to get it set up that way and start shooting. For those that are more serious, it has a ton of different options for white balance, exposure settings, etc.. Those will definitely require more time investment to master. The E500 also has multiple image quality modes, so you can easily adjust for picture size and amount of detail you need.It takes excellent photos, and while a professional might be able to spot the differences at higher ISO settings, 1. you probably won't be using it at those extremes, and 2. you also won't notice any degradation. Even at the highest settings, the camera still produces excellent shots suitable for 8 x 10 printed pictures. Any noise you might see in the shots (again, rare) can be pretty easily handled by most graphics software.There might be a better camera out there, like the Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi, but you will pay a lot more for it and you won't get any lenses. (A decent lens costs more than the camera.) I would also be amazed if you noticed any difference in picture quality, even though it has a higher megapixel rating. The E500 comes with two digital lenses that will handle just about any shots you're going to want to take. Olympus also has a whole family of digital lenses avialable if you are more serious about your photos or if you need something that the included lenses don't cover (extreme close up or miles away).Olympus includes decent photo capture software for PC or Mac, but I'd recommend something like Paint Shop Pro or another package. Other notes: The battery charge lasts a reasonable amount of time and the camera comes with USB and other video cables. One minor knock, the USB is not 2.0, so if you are going to transfer that way, it will take a bit longer. It took a few minutes to transfer 50 pictures at the highest quality setting. A plus is that the camera accepts both xD and CF memory cards.Two recommendations other than buying this great camera: 1. Try this and the other cameras in person, this isn't a casual investment, and 2. check out this web site: [...]

I'll start by admitting I am a satisfied Olympus 4/3 customer. I have a 2.5 year old E1, the first of their 4/3rds DSLR cameras. I have Zuiko 50-200mm, 300mm, 18-45mm and several other lenses. I bought the E500 body to get more pixels: the E1 has only 5.5 megapixels and for the kind of work I do, that's just not enough.The E500 has a slightly less "professional" feature set than the E1, but adds many features that the older E1 doesn't have, including 25 (!) exposure modes and a digital viewing screen on the back that is bright, crisp and a true joy to use. You will want to download the firmware updates promptly on purchase; they help a lot with auto focus and exposures in low light conditions. But except for the firmware update, this is a fine camera out of the box.Pluses: The Kodak KAF-8300CE CCD sensor does a very nice, even exceptional job with colors and tones, and when you keep it at or below ISO 800 there is very little noise even in poor light conditions. The dust removal system introduced with the E1 works as well or better than ever. As I watch my buddies struggle with dust on the CCD sensor with each lens change, I appreciate even more the Olympus dust removal technology. It really works, and is a tremendous timesaver in the field. Finally, the camera is sturdy, ergonomic and the primary controls are convenient.Minuses: unlike the E1, it doesn't have a "firewire" port and the single port it has seems to be USB-1, not USB-2. It takes a long time to download photos shot in RAW/SHQ. The solution is to get a card reader instead. The 25 pre-defined shooting modes are simply too many. I shoot mostly in MF/MEx anyway, but I suspect it would take longer to select a suitable "mode" than to manually focus and set your exposure.Overall, though, this is an excellent camera and works well with all of the Zuiko lenses. It's a relative bargain, too. Very highly recommended.

As an amateur photographer who has used a conventional film SLR (Olympus OM-1) for years and transitioned to digital with a lesser camera before purchasing the EVOLT E500 kit, I think I made the right choice. The overall package of picture quality, camera construction quality, logic of controls, and general "feel" is right where I hoped it would be.A couple of more specific comments:Some reviewers have commented on the relatively small viewfinder. I was concerned about it before seeing the camera, but as soon as I started taking pictures I realized it was not an issue. I wear glasses most of the time and it is not a problem. It can be difficult in brighter lighting to see the information to the right of the image in the viewfinder, though.I find the menu system, particularly the ability to jump quickly into any part of it via the viewing screen, to be well done. There are several pathways available to changing settings.The kit lenses are only so-so. Not long after I bought the kit, I upgraded to the 14-54 and 50-200 lenses, which are truly excellent. Probably should have bought the body only and gone straight to these lenses.The auto white-balance button is easy to press accidentally while taking a hurried action shot. It just takes a bit of practice to avoid doing it.The USB 1.1 means relatively slow transfer of images off the card, but I consider that a minor annoyance.The LCD screen on back is superb.In theory, at least, the automatic dust reduction system is a great feature.Summary:I have no second thoughts about this purchase. I am really enjoying photography again, this time in the digital world.

my new favorite toy - user friendly and great pictures !

I purchased this camera about two months ago. I had an Alaskan cruise booked and did not want to come home with point and shoot or phone camera memories. Unfortunately, my business got crazy busy at about the same time and I was not able to get myself fully attuned to all features and uses of this great little SLR. That said, even with bare basic knowledge I was able to take what I think are really stunning photos. (Some not so good due to my inexperience) Since returning, I have begun to go thru the pdf manual and familiarize myself with the functions more fully with much better results.
As an aside, I took photography classes back in the 80's and had some pretty decent equipment and a home darkroom. As often happens, life intruded and I ended up having to sell those items, but I promised myself that someday I would return to what was for me a passion. I feel great that I have chosen an instrument that will help me eventually fulfill that promise. NICE!!!

I researched DSLRs for the last year before choosing the Canon; I had a Fuji finepix that I loved, but I wanted something more advanced now that I know what I am doing with a digital camera. I also wanted speed; my son plays soccer and football and the regular digitals are too slow for fast-moving bodies. So far, I am extremely pleased with the fast-action sports photos I have taken. After playing with the camera for a few months and reading the manual thoroughly, I realized using the manual Tv mode outdoors and setting the shutter speed to around 1600, I get crystal clear, "action" photos so detailed you can sometimes see the letters on the ball and the dirt flying up, etc. With the shutter speed set at that speed or even a little lower, I can still take multiple pictures per second like in the sports mode, but much clearer and crisper. I will never buy a regular digital camera again after having a DSLR; I also purchased the 55-250 IS lens for the further away shots, and I feel that the lens is a must-have for anyone who wants to take great shots from a distance. So far, so good!

After a long and detailed due diligence on a mid-level professional digital cameras, my search ended between Nikon (D70/D50) and Canon (20D/350D). I finally decided on 350D for its balance of a great value and a huge variety of after-market accessories and web-based support and advice.

I recently received this camera from Amazon and, though my expectation was rather high and the camera did not blow me away, I'm very happy with the purchase.

PROS:
- Light, compact, and ergonomically designed.
- The camera does NOT feel plasticky at all. It feels solid and radiates the craftsmanship of a prosumer product.
- Easy to use. Take the camera out of the box and start snapping away.
- The bundled software is useful if not professional quality.
- Amazing flash performance. Pictures taken in total dark comes out looking professionally lit.
- Quiet when snapping pictures. Fast startup time. Very good batter life.
- For a fan of Canon, add to the inventory of other Canon products, from camera to lenses to printers to photo paper.

CONS:
- The EF-S zoom lens that comes with it is rather slow and a bit disappointing in picture quality.
- The camera - as many reviewers complained - is ergonomic but does not feel very well balanced. It's very awkward to take a picture with only one hand holding the camera - you need two hands. No matter how I tried, my grip on the camera never feels comfortable.
- Documentation is buggy and uneven. Some of the step-by-step instructions simply do not work, and I had to figure out the correct steps by playing with the controls myself.

(...)Amazon double-boxed the package, which arrived without a dent.

Having used the pocket Canon S110 for the past three years, and already owning a Canon EOS Elan 35 mm camera, I've long been a fan of Canon. I'd held off on buying a digital SLR due mainly to price. Finally, with the Digital Rebel XT, I could buy for less than $1,000 the quality that pros paid $7,000 for just a few years ago.

Likes:

- Size and feel: it's about as small as you're going to get for an SLR, yet it still feels good in your hands, with all controls pretty accessible.

- Speed: having spent three years cursing shutter lag on my point-n-shoot S110, it's amazing to be able to get off 2 or 3 frames per second. You'll quickly find that you shoot 3-4x as many shots in a day, just because you can get them off quickly.

- Battery life - I purchased a second battery but have yet to have to use it. I can shoot 200+ shots and the battery is still going strong.

- automatic modes (portrait, action, etc) with options to override focus mode

- Basic 18-55mm EF-S lens is a solid, well-performing lens

Dislikes:

No strong complaints overall. It's taking me a little longer than I expected to learn all of the control options on the menu. Also, in bright daylight, the menu's not that easy to see on the LCD.

All in all, the combination of high picture quality (equal to that of the 20D) and virtually no shutter lag makes this a fantastic entry level digital SLR. The ability to change lenses, use filters and modify settings as you would in the 35mm world changes the whole realm of digital photography. I have a feeling my 160 GB hard drive may not support me for long...

I am an amateur photographer but I've worked with many types of cameras, most recently I've been using the lower grade for my job (point/shoot, tablet). I am launching a website and needed a DSLR camera but not professional level. After searching and talking with friends I decided on a used Olympus E500 for price and extras. I was not disappointed. The picture quality is good, has a solid feel and is relatively easy to use. I haven't used all of the features yet but I am pleased thus far for an entry level DSLR. Again, a good choice for the money.

I am still learning to use all the features, but it has been fine so far. I like the manual settings, but it works well on the auto ones too, for quick work. I am disappointed in the clarity of the manual focus. It has no stops on the closest or infinity ends so one really has to pay attention to the actual image or get lost focusing instead of really seeing the shot. The auto-focus is real good and maybe I should just learn to trust that. I was hoping to get, essentially, a digital version of my beloved OM-1 film camera, but now I have to reserve judgement on that until I have learned how to use all the features that make digital so much more versatile than film. The price for this "like new" used unit was very good, and the seller gave "above and beyond" service.

The E-500 has been a great camera for me overall. It is easy to use and controls are well placed. It is of comfortable size and fairly light in weight even with a zoom lens on. While the camera is light in weight the materials used do not feel cheap and it fits well in your hand(I have big hands) while in use. Auto focus works well in the conditions I have used it. Images are well exposed and color reproduction has been very realistic. 8 MP is fine for my uses and the "truth be told" enough for most people. Battery life has been excellent as well. Cons-doesn't have Live view and the view finder is on the on the smallish side.

At the time I bought this camera, it was at the end of its product life. The E-510 had just come out and was selling for more than a $300 premium over the E-500. Yes, the E-510 has a better pixel count and image stabilization. But I just couldn't pass up the relative bargain of the E-500. It's a very satisfying camera. Very good picture quality, good lenses, decent manual (considering the complexity of digital SLRs, a good manual is a necessity) and light weight.My one complaint is the lack of a usable remote trigger. I have the infrared remote and it's really only useful for taking pictures of yourself as it must be aimed at the lens side of the camera. I like to take shots of birds at my bird feeder using a tripod and this remote is useless for this purpose.

I love the camera. Good weight, good design, comfortable to use even for someone with small hands, like me. Lots of options, pop up flash, easy to use menu configuration, and it comes with two wonderful lenses. Love the solid 'cha-chink' of the shutter release. The photos, even just on AUTO mode, are far, far better than my mother's automatic digital camera (also an Olympus) takes. The HyperCrystal LCD is huge - huge and a perfect preview of the photo to be, rather than a pale imitation. The battery lasts a long time - have only had to recharge twice since I bought it.Has so many settings I haven't had time to try or master them all.The bad?Not even a tiny bit of internal memory for photographs. Make sure you have a card on hand. Or two.And also, while using the camera in AUTO mode, where the light is dim enough that a flash is needed, the flash can be VERY irritating. As the camera adjusts itself for the photo, it often performs several test flashes, meaning that taking an indoor picture on auto can actually take up to ten seconds - and multiple flashes that thoroughly blind your victim before the photo is actually taken. This is irritating.I have not used the included software, so I cannot comment on it. It seems that the only way you can update the camera's firmware is by using this software - this, to me, is a minor pitfall, because I don't use Windows.Overall, I'm VERY impressed with the camera, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a digital SLR.

This is my first venture into the world of digital slr cameras and I'm very pleased. The camera feels and handles like a standard slr camera. The two lenses in the package that I purchased are very good, although I do wish that one of the lens was a macro. I think the only dissapointment so far is that there are not many second party lens makers out there for the 4/3 lens system.However, overall the price and the camera package are an extremely good buy.This is the first time that I've purchased a camera that was not a Nikon and once I got over the fact that I was no longer a loyal Nikon user, I was able to really appreciate my purchase. Nice, very nice SLR system.

Very pleased looks like new and still takes great pictures.

Cheap way to buy a good camera.

The Digital Rebel XT is a pretty fantastic camera if you just look at the unit itself. Anyone migrating from the Digital Rebel (300D) as I did will pick up the camera with no problems. They're functionally identical. The pictures are crisp, even with the kit lens though you'll soon want to upgrade to get the full use out of the dSLR. I bought this camera even though the XTi was out because the dust reduction and larger LCD didn't seem to justify an additional $175. That's a personal choice though as the XTi is a great camera as well.Unfortunately, the XT is becoming dated quick. Canon released information about the XSi which includes a new battery type and SD cards instead of CF. Basically this means that the extra card, extra batteries, and battery grip pack I bought won't be sticking around when I upgrade my body again. I don't regret this purchase but I probably would have been a bit more calm about my accessories if I had known about the XSi earlier.

I bought this camera in hoping to upgrade from my Canon A610 (fantastic camera btw). The main reason for the switch was because I wanted to take night shot without having the lag that is normally associated with Point and Shoot cameras. My impression:The Good stuff:-Camera shutter speed is fast. It was better than I had expected.-Easier to use than expected.-Shoots great photos in Auto mode-Good amount of manual selections to work with-Lightweight and small-Compatible with many Canon lenses-Priced very low for a DSLRThe Bad stuff (opinion):-Camera feels cheap. Too much plastic, but I'm sure canon had to cut cost somewhere to be able to sell the camera this cheap. At least they cheapen the external rather than the internal.-Cannot turn off flash in some mode. You'll have to either set the exposure, aperture, or the contrast in order for the flash to not come on. It's very annoying since some of the photos I want to take do not need more light.-The camera will not take pictures because there is not enough light for a particular setting. I cannot see why the camera cannot just let me take the photo and let me do whatever I want with it. I am using the camera to take picture. I'm the photographer, not the camera.-LCD screen is a bit small (hence the XTi is better in this department)-Camera kit does not come with a standard memory card. I recommend at least 1GB. You'll be taking more pictures than you'll anticipate.Conclusion: For the price I paid for this camera, I am happy with my purchase. It's a great camera, and I can see why it's been one of the best selling cameras in the world. However, if you can fork out a bit more for the XTi, I would recommend so for the bigger LCD and the self-sensor cleaning system. The pictures I take with this camera is not leap and bounds better than my Canon A610, but I bought the camera for its ability to shoot at night

The camera comes with a comprehensive and easy-to-follow instruction manual for people (like me) who don't have too much experience with a Canon SLR. It comes with its own battery charger, so there's no need to buy another one unless you want to keep a spare someplace.The camera was a little heavier than I anticipated since I was used to the weight of the 35mm Rebel. From other reviews, I thought the camera would be quite small, however it's a pretty good size. I do agree with others that the size is more suited for smaller hands.The shutter noise was also much louder than I expected, so I won't be taking any photos in quiet, public settings (the reason I gave 4/5 stars). However, the quality of the photos you get is excellent. I chose to get the EF-S 17-85mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM and theEF 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 IS USM lenses. Both are great lenses for beginners without having to sacrifice picture quality. There are many examples of photos taken with those lenses from dpreview.

The circle is now complete: I started with film SLRs about 35 years ago, used them professionally in my job, but for personal use, I had gone to point and shoot film and recently point and shoot digital. I have not been happy with the sharpness of the point and shoot cameras so I thought it might be time to try the digital SLRs for sharpness and higher resolution.I ordered the silver body Rebel XT camera as I like it better than a faux pro black camera (this is afterall not a pro camera), and black cameras look dirty or dusty all the time. It came rapidly from Amazon.com. I have had mostly good pictures with this camera, but there are a few things I would add to the other posters.Pro: compact, light, fast, good in outdoor daylight.Cons: in incandescent light the AWB is only fair. The picture color is better if you set this manually in a manual mode rather than using the AUTO mode.Sometimes the autofocus has a tough time figuring out where things are indoors, and sometimes there is severe hunting, with an occasional focus which is way off. You can fool this autofocus in situations where the subject is further back than foreground objects unless you set the focus point ahead of time, which is usually not what you think about on the spot.ISO speeds in AUTO mode is 400, and cannot be set higher. You can set this to 1600 with very little noise in the non-auto modes.Kit lens is a bit soft in my example, despite good reviews. I got in a Tamron lens (28-75) which seems sharper, but some say this lens has a yellowish cast, which I have not seen yet. One other thing pointed out by the professionals: you have to wait till the buffer has saved the picts to the CF card or they will be lost. So long as the little red led has stopped flashing you are OK.Overall I am happy with this camera. I wish it were a bit more user friendly and intuitive, and there was more control over the ISO and AWB in auto modes. You can't expect the kit lens to be very good considering the price it is, but I would rather have a better prime lense than a cheap zoom which you have to replace anyway. Next time round I will just get a body and forget about the kit lens. For those looking to step up from a point and shoot film camera or a lessor digital, this is the right direction. I do wonder if I should have got the 20D instead, but for the difference in price, I got my Tamron lens and I am happy I did it this way. Good luck and happy picture taking to you all...Edit 4/10/2005: before doing my 24-75 zoom Tamron lens rebate, I wanted to be absolutely sure there were no front focus issues with this lens in this camera. Some have said the Tamron lens might have a front focus issue, and I spent a lot of time yesterday and today specifically looking for front focus problems, and found none. I took dozens of pictures indoors and out, with flash and without, and found no consistent problem worth sending the lens or camera back for. As I said above the focus is sometimes off indoors, probably due to low light, but much more often than not it is good. Outdoors today I shot some sharp pictures which focussed spot on, and I am pleased with the Tamron len's performance in my Rebel XT.

Camera is good, and does what its supposed to.The camera itself is okay, without the 2 lenses it wouldn't be worth it.Otherwise I'm fairly pleased.

All I know about photography was from a class I took in High school 10 years ago. I bought the Olympus, for its price considering the 2 lenses. The menu was confusing even after I read the manual. I didn't love the lenses that much, there was too much play in the manual focus, and the view finder was pretty hard to see into.I went to a camera store and played around with a Nikon and a Canon, both had better menus, the Nikon had the better manual focus. So I ended up with a Nikon. The manual focus was like black and white, compared to the E-500.The camera itself was a great size, and fit well in my hands. The nikon (D50) feels a bit heavier, but I think it could be the 300mm lens. Maybe if I weren't a beginner I'd feel better about it, but I'd like my husband to be able to play with it too, and the Nikon is a lot easier to use.

I owned an Olympus C 5000 Zoom 5 megapixel camera before I bought the EVOLT 500 . I was very satisfied with that camera .I know that the majority of the reviews for this camera are very good . That is why I was surprised that the results I have had with the EVOLT 500 were somewhat disapointing . The auto white balance was very inconsistent. I took about 30 pictures within 10 minutes at an outdoor Soccer game . They were all taken under the same conditions yet the picture quality varied greatly. Some were yellowish and some were blue and flat . I was able to correct this by using the custom white balance .I set it at 5000K . After that the pictures stayed consistent . I also have a problem with indoor pictures using the flash. The pictures are quite often under exposed . I now set the flash compensation to +.03 or +.07. This seems to correct the problem . I upgraded to this camera because I take a lot of sports photographs and I needed the higher shutter speeds . I also needed a camera that took pictures at a higher ISO without too much noise . The EVOLT 500 does accomplish this very well.Other than that I honestly have to say I was more satisfied with my C5000 Zoom which cost half as much.

I had high hopes for this one... I have had an Olympus C-2100UZ for about 5 years and it has been a great camera, but I was ready to upgrade to a true digital SLR. I have had very good 35mm SLR cameras for a couple decades and been a serious armature photographer.This camera disappointed me. It sure has an amazing number of features packed into it, but in the end a good camera boils down to photo quality, period, and the photo quality I get from this camera is not as good as I get from my C-2100UZ (a long ago deprecated 2MP model).The E-500 does best outside with bright light, but inside it has serious focus and exposure problems. The photo quality is more on par with an old 110mm camera, or a Polaroid. They are just not at all crisp and clear as you would expect from a camera of this caliber. The photos are either grainy or out of focus. It uses the flash to create light for the auto-focus in low-light scenarios, which drives human subjects insane, and must just not really work very well. I tried manual focus too and still it just doesn't take clear pictures inside.Most professional reviews (e.g. PC Magazine) seem to echo the same...that this camera is okay, but just not quire there yet.I returned this one and ordered a Nikon D50. A lot more 3rd party lens options are available for it because it's built on existing standards. Maybe the problem with the E-500 is the new "four thirds" lens system...and if so maybe they will eventually get that right, but for now, and for this kind of money, I suggest you buy the Nikon, or wait for the next generation Olympus DSLR but then still read the reviews to make sure they got it right.

Buy it

Old version of a good camera for beginners. Uses compact flash instead of an SD card which is a pain sometimes but overall a decent camera.

Would have been ok if it included the manual.

It didn't come with the battery charger had to buy one before I was able to use it

I love this camera now, even though it is a dinosaur in terms of its age in a world where technology advances rapidly.When I first bought this camera in 2007, it had early problems freezing and giving error codes. After performing all the recommended tests & resets, it kept failing. I actually used the camera very little early on and, thus, forgot about the errors. Once I started using the camera regularly again and taking more still photos, I had run out of warranty coverage. So, it cost me a few hundred send the camera back to Canon to repair what was a manufacturing and/or chipset defect.Once the repair was made, the camera operated flawlessly and still does to this day. Although this model is no longer current, I wanted to add my review for anyone who might be trying to buy one used. Be aware that this model had known issues with freezing as I mentioned above. If that has been repaired, then it is an otherwise excellent camera for the entry-level or intermediate SLR user.

I have owned the Digital Rebel XT many months ago and have been mostly pleased. The various modes give great control over subjects and the size makes it easy to carry around to the various locations. The camera started giving "Error 99" and eventually ended up sending it to Cannon in California. They fixed the problem quickly, and because I had my original Proof of Purchase information and warranty card, did not charge me, and sent it back mostly fixed. The meter still acts up at random times highlighting multiple instances in the meter display when it gets an light source on it. It is still an amazing camera, much lower in price now than when I purchased in new, though it would be good to explore your options.

Can't take decent pictures in manual.

The E-500 is my first DSLR. I have owned it for about two years. Overall, the camera is not too bad for what it is, but you need deep pockets for any upgrades. Also, the kit lenses are soft (fuzzy). Later, you will find out that the "high grade" upgrade lens are soft, too. This camera is about the same level as the Canon Xti. If you have ever dreamt about learning professional photography, go with Canon or Nikon and forget about this camera.

didnt inspire me to take pictures. looks dull and eh.the lens kit is a great price but thats all.

I bought E500 as birthday Gift for my brother , hoping he will love this camera. I am not sure what features he did not like, but he told me to get him Real DSRL like Canon or Nikon and return this one.He complained about shutter speed, startup time and also lack many many things which he loved in other cameras but I did what he wanted to do and got him Canon Rebel XT , which made him much happier.I am guessing it is still a good camera, but may not be upto real DSLR grade as Canon or Nikon are.

The camera lens was all scratched up.

Had to send it to canon to have it repaired, pins missing in the flash memory bay.

not what expected. didn't know it needed telescopic lenses. thought was like a regular digital camera

The camera was a birthday gift. When it arrived the memory card was missing and I had to go find one. The box and camera strap reaked of cigarettes. Had to get rid of them. Would have sent it back, but the birthday was too soon. The camera works, so two stars is fair and may be generous.

took absolutely forever to ship: this camera only came with body, lens, and strap. it was missing usb and software. I would say that the cannon xs that i bought that did come with everything as described, for less money is an easier better camera with almost exactly the same capabilities.

I've had this for quite some time so this review is overdue but well-considered. Canon products aren't what the once were. The auto-focus struggles with alarming frequency. The display is minute and of poor resolution. The manual adjustments are somewhat non-intuitive. The build quality is a bit weak and questionably arranged. All things considered (after several years' consideration), I should have gotten the comparable Nikon.

First of i have to aplogize. I reviewed the camera case, which is a good product. The camera, however, i got screwed by the seller. Yes i knew it was used, but the white balance doesn't work on auto and i can't seem to get the focus to be sharp. I would think there would be enough integrity to check out the item before you sell it. It took so long as i had to find someone to help me (not a manual person). Don't buy from this seller.

I'm a film major so ive worked with a few cameras - this is by far the worst one I have been forced to touch. I bought it at a discount brand new and have been disappointed every time I use it. It won't let you do what you want and if you tinker with any settings it automatically lowers the shutter speed making everything incredibly blurry and wont let you change it. If you shut the flash off the pictures arent even visible and if you put it on auto it takes about 3 minutes for the camera to finally stop auto-focusing and by then the picture is usually gone. There is no option for manual focus which makes this camera completely useless for the price. DO NOT BUY.

Had this camera for a few years. Always felt pictures were not very sharp. I though It might be problem of my naked eyes. Unitill recently, I happened to take pictures on some prints, and pictures came out so blury it could not be read(I was using a tripod). I switched to a Sony camera, which is not as fancy as this one, and the result was 1000 times better. Wow, what a disappoint.

I have been using SLR cameras for 30 years and have had a digital camera since they came out on the market, most will last at least 5 years. This thing began to break a week after I got it. The second time I removed the compact flash card two of the pins came with it which rendered the slot useless, fortunately the XD slot was still functioning. One week after the waranty expired the thing stopped working completely.The pictures were ok but nothing to brag about, my little Casio Exilim takes much better pictures than the Olympus ever took in any mode and it only cost $ 150 that was $ 500 less than the Olympus.Get a Fuji S700 or a sony DSC H5 they give professional results and require no expensive special batteries or cards. Both offer manual and automatic settings which work great and are simple to use for the beginner or the professional and both are under $ 250.

Had memory card stuck in slot. Physically could not remove it. Had to send back.

Horrible. Does not like anything like photos. I understand refurbished, but I would have hoped that meant the pins and actual casing for the SD card would be there. For 10 months have tried to reach seller. So basically I bought a lens. If you can't put a memory card in it it's useless. And no it's not user error.

There's a reason Canon updated this to the new version - this is horrible! The controls are NOT intuitive, the ability to do simple things (like turn off the flash) are so archaically done that we only take this out if it's an outside shot or every other camera and smart phone is gone. For the amount we spent on this, I can only say we got ripped off.Canon makes great products, and the new version of this camera is no exception. This one, however, is barely good enough to be a backup camera.

Missing computer cord, instructions and power supply.

Mailed it to someone else.

The setting on "TV" amd ASA400 did not work properly. the shutter hung up and exposed the picture. Too bad.