Review: Olympus E-450

Review: Olympus E-450

Olympus makes it even lighter
The successor to the E-420 (previously discussed by us) is equipped with an LCD screen 2.7 inches, an enhanced Live View mode, wireless flash control, Shadow Adjustment Technology and a Supersonic Wave Filter for dust counter but strangely enough has no internal image stabilizer. Wonder if the E-450 - which is priced soft - it also does well in practice!

Draft
Like the E-400, E-410 and E-420 E-450 sees a bit of retro. This means that no clear handle exists, what also causes the camera to remain smaller. Despite its light weight (just over 425 grams with the battery in the body) feels the unit to a sufficiently robust. The latter is made possible by the use of fiber-reinforced plastic, the material for most Olympus cameras within this range is used.

To the E-450 comfortable to hold, you need the weight and the lens - just as photographers did that decades ago - to support the left, while the right to use the buttons to operate and to keep everything in balance. Nevertheless, this camera more suitable for people with smaller hands than for giants.

The buttons are also very easily accessible and are all to be found in smart site selection, while the optical viewfinder is fairly clear and we have little in the picture could detect abnormalities. Who wants manual focus and sufficient time to take a picture, but that does better in Live View.


As was the case with the E-420 is the status LCD screen vertically along the right side. The rear LCD screen is 2.7 inches wide and there is no separate monochrome LCD screen, you can during the "record' mode just push the INFO button to display the status to call. Through the OK button you can in a similar way, even all the important settings from the display to match, a great way to ensure that the E-450 very user remains. Unfortunately, some common values (such as focus mode, white balance and ISO sensitivity) is not directly adjusted via the four directional buttons (which only the left one is adjustable), as you can to include the E-620.

Now we are a fully mobile cameras LCD screen to be discussed, we lack that feature. However, Olympus has clearly thought well, because the screen is viewed through a very wide angle views are, which is useful for, among other concert photography through between the public must remain. If you use manual focus and Live View, you can make a green rectangle appear in the middle of the display. Controlled by the four directional buttons and can be enlarged by clicking "OK" to push. Handy! Of course you can on the LCD will also display a histogram, a grid or information on the call settings. Who calls the Super Control Panel can continue to use a semi-transparent "overlay".

Obviously, this is again a "FourThirds' camera, meaning you get more focus and depth smaller sensors. The lenses can thus remain quite small and light, as is clear from the standard 14-42 mm zoom lens that belonged to our unit. Normally all this theoretically yield more noise (especially at higher sensitivities), but in practice, that usually turn out okay. But we discovered that the detail sharpness from f/16 really began to decrease, as can be expected. What we now expect from Olympus is even the possibility of both a Compact Flash and xD-Picture card, all you need to record a still image of the two cards to choose. Simultaneous recording is not an option yet, but copy from one card to another can of course.

Taking pictures
When the optical viewfinder and Live View not used, the E-450 provides for a reasonably fast autofocus, although so only through three focus points. A bit rudimentary, so, not enough for most professional photographers, but enough for most users. But in January as usual you choose between different institutions, which are directly available through a wheel first: fully automatic, P, A, S, M ... The E-450 is clearly designed for amateur photographers who like to have more options than usual, because there are fewer than 18 scene settings and 3 'creative' functions available. The latter are: pop, soft focus and pinhole. If you are used to complete the E-620 to use, know very well that the stocks of grainy black and white, pastel colors and light colors are missing, but it is nice to pop in for example directly to work. The Four Thirds system has no way to soft focus lenses, so we especially welcome the addition of that option.


The lack of more creative tools is partially offset by the fact that you have several filters to choose from. Whoever takes snaps in black and white, so can choose among red and orange (for a 'hot' sky), green (for more contrast with leaves), etc.. We recommend it to first to try this in Live View, which is also ideal for adjustments in the hue, such as sepia, ice blue or violet. Anyone who now claims that Live View is a significant addition, is either very stubborn or of ill will, because it really is very handy at the screen to see exactly how a picture will look. That way, you are much faster to choose the correct settings.

Image
While we initially went into the fog a few times when we had to use flash, it is recorded that the new imaging system (TruepicIII +) is indeed a (slight) improvement over its predecessor. While we take pictures under an ISO value of 800, not moved too much and not too much zoomed in, we were always sharp images. Unfortunately showed the lack of stabilization in the body is sometimes felt, or so we were slightly blurry pictures. Usually, however, we had little trouble, so we are quite pleased with the performance of the E-450. The E-620 seems a better choice, but is more expensive, while the price-quality ratio of the E-450 really is very good.

Even in the "Natural' mode we got bright colors and also led the Shadow Adjustment Technology ensure that we were little affected by high contrasts. We recommend it to SAT only to be in situations where there is strong light and high-contrast, but in such cases the technology well. Not surprising, because in this field Olympus has already built a good reputation.


Moreover you can even noise filter set to 'Low', 'Standard' or 'High'. Very useful, because in an environment with natural light is a little grain in the picture quite charming. As usual we were at ISO values above 800 are significantly more noise, but as long as you do not artificially inflate the images, everything falls perfectly into. Those who like night shooting, the "Bulb' mode switching for exposure times of 30 minutes to get to. The shutter speed is adjustable up to 60 seconds.

After a while we were working, the flash appeared to be in order. Users can choose between 'Auto', 'Manual', 'Fill' and 'Slow Synchronization ", as you usually" Red Eye Reduction "can turn. The red eyes that we often saw in pictures that we took were almost always almost completely eliminated when liked that last option. All this can also wirelessly, we probably should not mention.

Assessment
If we take account of its light weight and the fairly extensive options, we must conclude that the E-450 a great value for money. In this price range there are little devices that better. It is true that the absence of (mainly) stabilization and half LCD sometimes a thorn in the eye. Moreover, you no video recording with the E-450 and that is something even a mobile phone of today is 50 euros. Anyone who has more money, so most opt for the E-620, while wealthy photographers may drool on the E-30 (discussed in our next article). Amateurs are not too deep into the pockets to attack, but will be very satisfied with the E-450, the purchase of an ordinary digital camera is almost insane.