Olympus Camedia E-20N

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At a Glance
Low megapixel count
Small LCD screen
Smaller-than-average optical zoom range

User Reviews for Olympus Camedia E-20N

Reviewed by: digitaldog

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: TTL format is much better than the usual rangefinder digital. It even has a digitized sound of a shutter mechanism.

Weaknesses: Finnicky camera. Does not want to recognize flash card and needs to be reracked between power downs. Even with maximum resolution, the images are so-so quality. Individual shots can't be deleted.

Overall Evaluation: I really dislike this camera for several reasons. The menu is perplexing and obtuse. The active LCD menu on top of the camera has tiny symbols and fonts that are very hard to read and interpret. I had to do a shoot early in the morning...the camera was cold from being in the a/c all night. The humidity was high which caused some condensation on the interior of the lense. It took 45 minutes aiming the lens into the sun to dry out this leaky, poorly sealed lens. Now I have a haze inside the lens requiring a warranty repair. The camera also does not always recognize a flash card. I have to re-rack the card after every power up. This camera is just too finnicky.
Reviewed by: photoman645

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Durable construction; good placement of controls; high degree of manual control/overrides

Weaknesses: AF weak in low light; power hungry; OEM accessories are overpriced: hopefully aftermarket options will soon be available. I'd like to see an option where I could manually clear out the buffer.

Overall Evaluation: I'm a dyed-in-wool film camera old timer, but got such a deal on my E20N I took the plunge and I'm glad I did! I'm truly impressed. So much so, that on a recent trip to Vegas, the E20N is the only camera I took. The night metering of the Vegas Lights was right on. While I did use the aperture priority and shutter priority modes, I found I could leave it on PROGRAM and get great results. Random observations: 1)Being an eyeglass wearer, the diopter adjustable eyepiece is a nice feature. 2) White balance button is an excellent feature as well. 3) Having cut my photo-teeth on a Yashica-mat and Bronica, the waist level capability of the flip-out LCD is a big asset for me. 4) Great optics!
Reviewed by: jthomas

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Professional Camera at a prosumer price

Weaknesses: some noise at higher ISO settings.

Overall Evaluation: This is the digital camera I have been waiting for. My last camera was the Olympus C-2500-L. I bought it based upon a review that went something like this : "this is a $5000 Camera for $1400". Olympus has done it again. The E20N is the best camera you can buy without spending $4000. The E20N is a MACHINE. Do not waste your money on a thousand dollar Nikon or Sony. Unlike the Nikon the E20N is a REAL SLR. Unlike the Sony the E20N uses regular off the shelf batteries and two kinds of common memory cards plus microdrive. There is some noise at higher ISO settings in bad light, but you would have the same problem with 400 speed film.
Reviewed by: karmafungus

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: True 5 megapixel images; metal case; placement of feature buttons.

Weaknesses: Watch where you put your thumb! If it ends up on the lcd screen, you're screwed! Eats up batteries quickly.

Overall Evaluation: A good choice for a 5 megapixel camera. The frame is substantial. It's a heavy camera at 37 oz. I recommend getting filters as well. Rechargeable AA batteries are a must. Extra-length warranty is available from Olympus.
Reviewed by: eyecu524

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: great weight and feel,just like a pro SLR.controls take only a few hours to master for the serious amateur or pro,incredible image quality and totally adjustable for any application of imaging softwar

Weaknesses: slow replay of images on screen

Overall Evaluation: As 20+ yr. user of olympus cameras it's all you'd expect from them. great lenses,very functional,user-friendly and a great value. Anyone interested in taking their pics to the next digital level w/o spending a fortune, this is the camera to buy...:)

What You Should Know about the Camedia E-20N

Low Megapixels For an Advanced Camera

For an advanced camera, this model has a low megapixel count--but it may suit your needs anyway. A 3- to 4-megapixel camera lets you print images at sizes up to 4 by 6 inches without visible reduction in quality or sharpness. Though you can print images at sizes up to 8 by 10 inches, the prints will lose sharpness and detail noticeably. Cameras (such as cell phone cameras) with a pixel count below 3 megapixels are best used only for images destined for e-mail, Web pages, or presentations. As the pixel count on an image sensor increases, so does its tendency to produce images plagued by noise--ugly speckling patterns. To avoid noise, look for a camera with the lowest pixel count that still serves your output needs.

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