Olympus E-420 (Kit with 14-42mm lens)

CNET editors' take

• By: Lori Grunin
• Published on: 03/04/2008

There isn't a helluva lot new about the E-420, Olympus' minor update to its E-410 bottom-of-the-line dSLR, but that's not unexpected for a model that will only set you back between $500 and $700. The most significant new capability is a built-in wireless flash controller, which Olympus seems to be putting in many of its enthusiast models (including the SP-570 UZ).

Though Olympus makes a big deal about the E-420's size, in truth it's only 0.01 to 0.02 inches smaller in any dimension than its predecessor, and in fact weighs a couple of ounces more. Still, it remains relatively compact compared with the rest of the field. Olympus has increased the size of the LCD from 2.5 inches to 2.7 and made the grip a bit larger as well.

Some of the changes and enhancements seem to compensate for the white-balance and exposure problems we encountered with the older model, such as the new Shadow Adjustment Technology and improved white-balance algorithms. Olympus also says continuous-shooting speed picks up from its predecessor's three frames per second to 3.5fps.

Along with the E-420, Olympus announced a low-profile 25mm f2.8 lens (equivalent to 50mm in the Four Thirds standard); a kit with that lens will run $699.99. The body alone will cost $499.99, while a kit with the f3.5-5.6 14-42mm lens (28-84mm equivalent) will be $599.99. All are slated to ship in May.

Recent user reviews

• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 4 reviews
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• 4.5 stars

  "Outstanding and small, great pictures 4/3rds camera."

  by Philip A Parker on March 8, 2009

• 3.0 stars

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  "kool but have video!!!!!!!"

  by petexxxxx on January 9, 2009

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  "Excellent images, small package"

  by GazzBC on October 29, 2008

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Reviews from around the WebPowered by alaTest

• alaTest.com

  Editors' rating: 88

  Summary: alaTest has collected and analyzed 2028 reviews of Olympus E-420 from international magazines and websites. Experts rate this product 78/100 and users 86/100. Comparing these reviews to 123322 other Digital SLR Cameras reviews gives this product an overall alaScore™ 88/100 = Very Good.

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• maclife.com

  Editors' rating: 80

  Summary: The Evolt E-420 includes the features and quality we expect from an entry-level DSLR. While its quirks disappoint, it's a great value for beginners

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• dpreview.com

  Editors' rating: 90

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• digitalversus.com

  Editors' rating: 60

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• digicamreview.co.uk

  Editors' rating: 100

  Summary: If you want to move into the world of Digital SLRs and don't know where to start then the Olympus EVOLT E-420 is probably one of the best cameras to choose - despite being Olympus' "budget" digital SLR - it is not overly limited in any way like some ...

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• techradar.com

  Editors' rating: 90

  Summary: At its heart, the E-410 has a Four-Thirds NMOS image sensor with an increased dynamic range with about an extra stop or so over the E-410. The colours are superb with skin tones, landscapes and blue skies rendering well in JPEG. Auto white balance has ...

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