Last update 07 September’09 – Review and Sample Photos @ DPS
Olympus E-620 is a 12.3 megapixel in-body image stabilized compact DSLR that features six in-camera art filters, multiple exposure shooting, 7 point twin AF system, tracks up to 8 faces, shadow adjustment technology, dust reduction system, 2.7 inch LCD, and an ISO range from 200 to 3200.
Loading ...
| Lowest Price
Review Index – (updated 07 September’09)
DPS
“I found the camera very easy to use but it may be a little too basic for the more experienced. Picture quality was accurate with excellent colour saturation and resolution.”
DPExpert
“Olympus has worked hard at refining the Four Thirds system. The E-620 also provides the internal workings for the new E-P1, sharing most features but without a viewfinder or built-in flash. So there is a choice – one lovely camera in two different body forms. You can’t go wrong.”
Neutralday
“Factoring in the articulating LCD, the very effective image stabilization built right into the camera, and very good image quality, the E-620 is more than a worthy competitor to some of the bigger name offerings. It isn’t without some problems. The menu system isn’t exactly intuitive, and the Olympus system does take some time to get used to.”
Rating: 
DPReview
“When we reviewed the Olympus E-30, we said it was the best Four Thirds DSLR yet – it didn’t hold on to that crown for long. The E-620 crams most of the E-30’s feature set into a much smaller, much less expensive package that competes more convincingly with its peers than any Four Thirds camera we’ve yet seen.”
Rating: 
About.com
“Overall, the E-620 has a sturdy feel, and it seems to be constructed well. The 2.7-inch LCD is very bright, and it can twist away from the camera body for odd-angle photos. You also can use either the LCD’s live view or the viewfinder to frame photos, which is a handy option.”
Rating:
Steve’s Digicams
“Olympus continues to offer high-quality features and abilities in their E-series models. While the E-620 is what we consider an advanced amateur model, it sports an entry-level price tag of about US$699 or less for the body/14-14mm Zuiko lens outfit. With excellent image quality both indoors and out, pleasing High ISO capabilities, and loads of easy to use features, we have no problem giving the Olympus E-620 dSLR a high recommendation.”
Wired
“You get what you pay for: The E-620’s middling-to-poor low-light performance and less-than-bulletproof plastic body will draw scorn from serious shooters. But its rapid firing, ease of use, light weight and low price make it a good intro to SLR photography for the budget minded.”
Rating: 
Photocrati
“All in all, I’ll admit that I found this to be an admirable system, with enough functionality to suit even the needs of the advanced amateur, while giving photo enthusiasts a camera they can use immediately sink their teeth into. If you’re a pro, you’ll find this a capable camera for travel photography.”
DCResource
“Overall, the E-620 is a camera that I enjoyed using. I found that I did have to tweak some settings to get the most out of it — such as switching to AF sensor focusing in live view, and bumping up the exposure compensation by 1/3 stop — but once that was done, I was pretty happy with how it performed. Some of the design-related concerns I raised cannot be changed, so it’s definitely worth trying out the E-620 in person before you buy one, in case any of those things bother you as well. Overall though, it’s a nice D-SLR at a great price point, and is worth taking a close look at.”
PVAdvisor
“Between the excellent Live View mode, pop-out LCD screen and the art modes, the Olympus E-620 is a lot of fun to use. We recommend it if you want a compact digital SLR that’s not hard to use and which doesn’t compromise on advanced features. It will also produce vibrant, clear and well-defined shots.”
Rating: 
Trusted Reviews
“Although according to Olympus the E-520 is staying in the range, in many ways the E-620 can be seen as the natural replacement. Inevitably some features have filtered down from the E-30, which is a good thing but that camera is significantly larger and heavier and a good deal more expensive.”
Rating:
LetsGoDigital
“Granted, the camera is not perfect in all its facets, but it does provide a stunningly wide array of options and clever functionalities. The overall impression of the camera is strong and convincing. Not only does the camera continuously seem to offer more than deemed possible before, it is also able to enter the battle with the competition in its very own way. Take for example the large amount of ZUIKO lenses available for the Olympus E-620. In short, the Olympus E0620 provides digital photography on a high quality level.”
Rating:
PhotographyBlog
“If you don’t want to use your DSLR to record movies and you don’t do very much handheld low-light shooting, then it’s very easy to recommend the Olympus E-620, so much so that we’ve given it our highest possible Essential! award. It’s one of the cheapest and most full-featured mid-range SLR cameras, with great ease-of use, compact size and light weight, and excellent image quality in good light.”
Rating: 
Camera Labs
“Ultimately the E-620 represents great value and is a DSLR we can whole-heartedly recommend. As always though, be sure to think carefully about your personal requirements and closely compare the features and image quality of its rivals. The E-620 is a great DSLR for the money.”
Rating:
OutBackPhoto
“The Olympus E-620 may be not ideal if your main interest is low available light photography. In all other areas we like the E-620 and especially the Olympus lenses a lot. If you look for a light DSLR for travel the E-620 should be very high on your list. The Olympus E-620 also handles and acts extremely well.”
CNET
“Though it’s a solid, serviceable dSLR, if you’re looking for an easy-to-learn, entry-level camera, I’d steer clear of the Olympus E-620. It’s got a lot of semiadvanced features that most beginning dSLR users don’t need or want, and a more complex design and user interface than necessary.”
Rating: 
Digital Trends
“We’ve had issues with the sub-par quality Olympus aim-and-forget cameras, and the E-620 has its issues as well. Even though the kit with a single lens is only $699, or $799 with the 14-42mm and 40-150mm lenses (both real world prices), it’s hard to recommend.”
Rating: 
PCWorld Australia
“Between the excellent Live View mode, pop-out LCD screen and the art modes, the E-620 is a lot of fun to use. We recommend it if you want a compact digital SLR camera that’s not hard to use, and which doesn’t compromise on advanced features. It will also produce vibrant, clear and well-defined shots.”
Rating:
InfoSync
“This little four-thirds champ succeeded to delight us in numerous ways when we reviewed our RAW images on our high-resolution monitor. Clarity, detail and lifelike renderings were the main themes as far as our Olympus E-620 review unit was concerned. We couldn’t believe the level of raw intricacy that seemed to flourish in a majority of our test samples.”
Rating:
Professional Photographer
“In a digital world overrun by clever SLRs, Olympus has managed a trick of pulling one of the cleverest cameras out of their hat in a long time. If you’re shooting Olympus system, you know you want one and if you’ve been wondering what the fuss is about this whole Four-Thirds thing is about, the E-620 is the answer.”
DigitalCameraInfo
“Color accuracy surpassed the other four cameras we used for comparison purposes, a strong start to our testing. Resolution didn’t test as well as the E-30, but was quite respectable, with low distortion and chromatic aberration that’s particularly impressive given the inexpensive kit lens used. The problem areas we uncovered are all related to image noise, and they’re significant. Dynamic range, the ability to maintain detail in both light and dark areas of a photo, suffers when image noise obscures those details.”
DigitalCameraReview
“The E-620 may not have an edge on its strongest competition in measures of raw performance, but with quick continuous shooting, a boatload of processing controls, a full complement of Olympus’s latest creative features, and the ability to get plugged in with Olympus’s legendary lenses, the E-620 also has some advantages that no competitor can match.”
Photo Review
“For long exposures, we found image noise could become intrusive at high ISO settings. Although 30-second exposures taken with ISO settings up to 800 were relatively noise-free in our tests, noise was obvious at ISO 1600 and shots taken at ISO 3200 were grainy-looking and dotted with stuck pixels. Applying long-exposure noise reduction processing eliminated most of the granularity and stuck pixels – but at the expense of image sharpness.”
Rating:
Pocket-lint
“The E-620 is a little like the Tardis; on the outside you see a relatively small, entry level DSLR, while on the inside, you find the specification and features of much bigger enthusiast or semi-pro model. Picture quality is great too and it’s nice to see noise control so very accomplished.”
Rating:
PopPhoto (Hands-on)
“If you prefer to shoot in an aspect ratio other than the Olympus-native 4:3, you get a choice of seven others, ranging from widescreen to square—especially cool in live view mode. Of course, these reduce the pixel count a bit, since they involve cropping the image, but they do save you similar cropping in postproduction.”
DPInterface
“Image quality of the Olympus E620 was generally good – the camera took nicely exposed photos with good color accuracy, sharpness and images were clean at ISO 800 and below. Though it can’t be denied that some of the E620’s 1.5X/1.6X crop APS-C format competitors produce slightly cleaner images, you have to take into consideration the fact the E620’s 2X crop Four Thirds sensor is smaller than the sensors of its competitors.”
TechRadar
“The E-620 shines, and the sheer amount of features that Olympus has managed to pack into its diminutive frame is astounding. No other camera offers such advanced Live View functionality along with a flip-out screen, inbuilt image stabilisation and sensor-cleaning in such a tiny form.”
Rating:
Biofos (Olympus collectors & users)
“I genuinely believe this camera is a tipping point for Olympus. The E-620 will become a very popular DSLR. It offers almost the same compact body size as the very well received and best selling E-420 plus many of the technological benefits from the E-520 and E-30 at a mid-level price. Combined with the superb Zuiko Digital lens range the E-620 represents a real ‘added value for money’ camera.”
Photography Review
“The Olympus E-620 is using the same 12-megapixel sensor as the E-30. I’ve been shooting with the E-30 for a while now and I love the image quality I’m getting. It’s the first sensor in an Olympus DSLR where I haven’t worried about image quality at all. I use whatever ISO I want (up to ISO 800) with no concern about noise or other image quality problems.”
WhatDigitalCamera (Video Preview)
Popular Photography Magazine
“Also like the E-30, the E-620 lets you create multiple exposures, though you’re limited to two frames instead of four. Auto Gain ensures the combined image is properly exposed, even if you shot the frames without intending to combine them. Shooting RAW or RAW + JPEG? Combine images using Overlay in playback mode.”
ePhotozine
“What I can say is that the user interface is just as good and easy to use as previous Olympus models but what I really saw a difference in was the live view focusing. It’s fast and accurate, thanks to the hybrid AF system and doesn’t require the screen to raise or even a drop in light levels to lock.”
DigitalCameraInfo
“We are genuinely intrigued by the unusual Olympus E-620. For point-and-shooters looking to move into the digital SLR space, you get full automation plus a host of step-up features, including the dramatic Art Filters, wide array of scene modes and simple multiple exposure creation, that rewards a little exploration with distinctively different results.”
DigitalCameraReview
“While we weren’t able to evaluate the image quality or performance from our pre-production sample, some hands-on experience with the new model was helpful in beginning to sort out where Olympus is headed in launching yet another mid-tier DSLR. For a basic overview of the E-620 and our impressions on it, take a look at our Olympus E-620 Video Preview.”
UArts Students in Philadephia take the E-620 art filters for a test drive.
]Sample Photos
[Sample Photos @ DPReview]
[Sample Photos @ Steve's Digicams]
[Sample Photos @ DCResource]
[ISO Performance Photos @ Trusted Reviews]
[Image Quality Photos @ LetsGoDigital]
[Image Quality Samples @ PhotographyBlog]
[Sample Photos @ Camera Labs]
[Sample Photos @ OutBackPhoto]
[ISO Comparison Photos @ CNET]
[Sample Photos @ InfoSync 1, 2, 3]
[Sample Photos @ DigitalCameraInfo]
[ISO Sample Photos @ Pocket-lint]
[ISO Sample Photos at DPInterface]
[ISO Sample Photos at Photography Review]
[RAW and JPEG Comparison Photos at Four Thirds User]
Press Release
CENTER VALLEY, Pa., February 24, 2009 – As children, our imaginations run wild and finger-painted artistic creations are proudly displayed on our family refrigerators. But as we grow older, we learn to color inside the lines, and have less and less time for art. We often lose touch with how satisfying it is to create something uniquely our own. Olympus delivers the new E-620 digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera to bring back that free-style experimenting and the magical feeling of being inspired by our own art.
The new camera’s easy-to-use Art Filters and Multiple Exposures (built right into the camera) are fun for consumers – whether you’ve been shooting for years or picked up your first digital camera today. Enjoy capturing creative images on the go – without being tethered to a computer and editing software! Now it is possible to easily customize your images so they’re worthy of posting on the gallery wall (or at least the family fridge).
“Experimenting and creating your own unique masterpieces has never been easier or more fun,” said John Knaur, senior marketing manager, Digital SLR, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “Pop Art, Grainy Black & White, and Pin Hole are just a few creative options that can be effortlessly found on the camera’s mode dial. The access is easy, and the results are fun and limitless.”
The new camera’s freedom of expression is matched by its freedom of mobility. First, the camera travels with you to more places, thanks to its compact size and light 16.76-ounce body. Second, as the world’s smallest DSLR with in-body Image Stabilization, the E-620 adjusts when your body moves to remove blur caused by camera shake (with any lens attached). Finally, add Live View shooting with a swivel 2.7-inch HyperCrystal™ LCD that frees you to cover subjects from a range of angles, and this 12.3-megapixel DSLR seamlessly combines motions with emotions – proof that Olympus lets you capture it all.
Make Your Vision Come to Life with Art Filters
If you’re hoping to get more out of your camera than simply capturing and documenting a scene, and enjoy enhancing or customizing an image to make it your own, then you will value the camera’s Art Filters. The filters, which are built into the camera, provide incredible individual artistic control over an image, and remove the need to spend time altering images on the computer with editing software.
This camera was made for free-style shooting, experimenting and engaging with events and subjects. Enjoy the freedom of Autofocus Live View and dramatic effects to transform your day-to-day shots into compositions that you can be proud of with the following in-camera Art Filters:
- Pop Art: Enhances colors, making them more saturated and vivid, creating high-impact pictures that express the joyful, lighthearted feeling of the Pop Art style of the 1960s;
- Soft Focus: Creates an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere that renders subjects in a heavenly light without obscuring details; Pale & Light Color: Encloses the foreground of an image in flat gentle light and pastel colors reminiscent of a flashback scene in a movie;
- Light Tone: Renders shade and highlight areas softly to lend an elegant air to the subject;
- Grainy Film: Evokes the feeling of documentary footage shot in monochrome with grainy, high-contrast film; and
- Pin Hole: Reduces the peripheral brightness of an image as though it were shot through a pin hole, connecting the viewer intimately with the subject at the center of the picture.
Art Filters are easily activated with the mode dial on the right side of the camera body. The effects are viewable right on the new camera’s 100 percent accurate swivel 2.7-inch Live View HyperCrystal™ III LCD when using the E-620 in Live View mode or when reviewing the captured image.
Express Your Inner Artist’s Multiple Personalities
With the new camera’s Multiple Exposure function you are free to tell a visual story your way, whether in a portrait, a landscape or a combination of both. For instance, capture an image of the spring leaves on a new tree and then overlay an image of your child’s face into the leaves for a stunning image that expresses the newness of the season. The image capture options allow you to shoot one shot, then another, or to capture both shots separately and combine them in the camera later. Or superimpose your own portrait with a starry night sky to create a photo with the impact you desire. Let your imagination lead you to new creative discoveries.
Ready, Steady, Go with In-Body Image Stabilization
The E-620 travels with you to more places, thanks to its compact size and light 16.76-ounce body. Capture sharp images on the go with the camera’s in-body Image Stabilization, which virtually eliminates blur with any lens attached. Three IS modes handle any situation. The IS-1 mode is for general shooting and adjusts the sensor on both the horizontal and vertical planes to compensate for movement by the photographer so images stay sharp in low light even at slow shutter speeds. To capture the motion of moving subjects, the E-620 offers two specialized modes: IS-2 mode is ideal for capturing a runner or cyclist traveling by in the horizontal mode, preserving the sense of motion while panning; IS-3 mode achieves the same effect when the camera is held vertically. In either mode, the artistic effects of panning enhance the shot and render the subject in sharp detail with blurred background. Moreover, the E-620 is the world’s smallest DSLR with built-in Image Stabilization, so you’ll feel comfortable taking it on the road with you to capture the action.
Superior Image Quality
The new camera’s high-performance 12.3-megapixel Live MOS image sensor delivers excellent dynamic range, accurate color fidelity, and a state-of-the-art amplifier circuit to reduce noise and capture fine image details in both highlight and shadow areas.
Its Live MOS image sensor is complemented by Olympus’ TruePic III+ Image Processor, which produces clear and colorful photos using all the pixel information for each image to provide the best digital images possible. The new image processor is noted for accurate natural color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies, and precise tonal expression; it also lowers image noise in photos shot at higher ISO settings, enabling great results in low-light situations.
