A minor name change but a major under the skin upgrade for the Olympus E-410 DSLR, including live view
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Welcome to part 1 of our multi-part in-depth review of the Olympus E-410 compact DSLR, featuring live view. In part 1, we take a basic look at the design of the camera and provide some example images for you to download.
In part 2, we will look at the camera's noise and resolution characteristics and examine its colour rendition, with some more sample files to download. In part 4, we examine the 14-42mm (28-84mm equivalent) kit lens that comes with the E-410 and put it through its paces on the technical benchtest.
Finally, in part 5, after we've had some time to get really acquainted with the E-410, we'll cover aspects of living with the E-410 and its general effectiveness as a modern DSLR camera.
Audience participation!
During the review period, we encourage you to join in the process by posting to a dedicated review thread in our discussion forum. I'll do my best to respond to any questions in order to widen the breadth of the review.
The camera we have been supplied with for review is labelled 'pre-production' by Olympus . However, it was supplied in a store-ready box, in twin-lens kit form (bundled with the 14-42 standard kit lens and the 40-150 kit telephoto zoom) and have been assured by Olympus that the camera is representative of final production models, and image quality can be safely judged with this camera. However, we note that the camera's firmware version number is '0.0' and we expect final shipping versions to have version 1.0 installed.
The E-410 is an important camera for Olympus as it represents their first 'new generation' Four Thirds DSLR and its image quality should be representative of the forthcoming E-510 DSLR, which shares the same sensor, but adds in-body image stabilisation via a sonic-wave controlled sensor platform.
Below is a gallery of product images to give you a feel for the design of the E-410. It's essentially the same physical design as the E-400 that was launched in the autumn of last year. There is only one external difference, where the E-400's Fn button has been replaced by a display mode selector button to accommodate the new live view feature. For a more extended look at the E-400/410 design, please look at our larger product views gallery for the E-400.
On page 2 of this article, we cover the new operational features introduced in the E-410 and on page 3 we have original image samples from our review camera for you to download.
E-410 product photo gallery
For more E-400 product images, including comparisons with a classic Olympus OM-4 film DSLR, have a look at our E-400 article from last year.
Click on a thumbnail image below to see a larger version plus its caption:
Reader feedback:
Camera Features
When Olympus launched the E-400 late last year, it was hailed as a super-compact and light DSLR camera and it featured a ten megapixel resolution sensor, bringing Olympus in line with its competitors. But apart from that, it was fairly conventional and could be regarded as a version of the two year old Olympus E-500, reduced in size, with new matching compact kit lenses and a simplified external control set.
On the E-400, the Fn button was used for multiple functions, like setting custom white balance. Here, on the E-410, the Fn button has metamorphosed into the live view mode selector, so programmable functions are now assigned to the left (east) nav pad key.
The E-410 is visually identical - even upon fairly close examination - to the E-400, but under the skin some major changes have been made and, in many ways, the E-410 is a very different beast.
New LiveMOS sensor
First of all, there is a new ten megapixel sensor. Although Olympus did not officially reveal the make of the E-400's CCD-type sensor, we understand from a very reliable source that the E-400 used a Kodak-sourced part. You could say it was an E-500 sensor, but scaled from 8 megapixels to 10 megapixels. Olympus also improved the image processing at the same time, managing to reduce noise despite the increase in pixel density.
With the E-410, the sensor is from Panasonic and it's a LiveMOS type (apparently an Olympus trademark, not Panasonic) that can stream video, so providing the E-410's headline feature; a live 100% frame view via the 2.5 inch LCD screen. At the beginning of last year, we saw the first LiveMOS sensor in the Olympus E-330 and, later, the Panasonic DMC-L1 and the Leica Digilux 3, all variations of the E-330 Four Thirds platform chassis. That sensor was a 7.5 megapixel part.
Although we will examine image noise and resolution in more detail later in part 2 of this review, early indications show that Olympus is really getting on top of the thorny issue of noise. The with the E-330, the LiveMOS sensor has already shown that it's superior to the equivalent resolution Kodak sensor Olympus has used when it comes to noise and the E-410's high ISO image quality we've seen backs this up.
Three levels of noise filtering are now available on the E-410, a series of modes distinct from the usual long exposure Noise Reduction mode.
The noise filter function, first seen on the original E-1, makes a return on the E-410 and it offers three levels of filter intensity: low, standard and high.
Live view modes
Unlike the E-330, the screen on the E-410 is fixed, so the E-330's tilting screen benefits are not so apparent. However, you can still use the E-410, with its live view mode switched on, for low angle shots and by raising the camera up to get a view over, for example, people in front - just like you can with a compact camera.
In this view it's not easy to see if the focus is accurately fixed. The green square indicates the coverage of a magnified (7x) live view manual focus check mode.
At 7x live view zoom, the focus is clearly out.
Now, with live view-assisted manual fine adjustment, focus can be accurately found.
But the news is one of gains as well as losses. First of all, the E-410's live view mode is brightness and colour calibrated, so you can use the display to help you evaluate exposure and colour balance.
The E-410's live view mode can now be used to check colour balance and exposure, aided by a live exposure histogram display.
There is also a genuinely live histogram. The E-330 had none of these features.
Gone is the E-330's secondary live view mode that used a CCD in the viewfinder system. The E-410 only shows the actual imager's view of the world. This means autofocus can only be performed by re-deploying the reflex mirror temporarily, but it's relatively seamless and although it's not much use for action photography, you get used to it very quickly. When not using live view mode, the AF and optical TTL viewing system is quite conventional.
I originally thought another feature of the E-410 that was previously unavailable on Olympus' first live view DSLR, the E-330, was any form of enhanced framing aid. However, the E-330 does in fact share the E-410's options, including this grid line display.
Bright, if small viewfinder
The E-330 (and Panasonic DMC-L1 and Leica Digilux 3) incorporates a semi-silvered mirror (to accommodate the E-330's secondary live view sensor) in an unconventional 'Porro' viewfinder system that reduced viewfinder brightness. With its conventional pentaprism reflex finder system, the E-410 does not suffer from compromised viewfinder brightness, though the small Four Thirds sensor does mean the eye-level viewfinder view is not as 'spacious' as in full frame and other DSLRs with larger sensors. In practice, it doesn't present a major problem, though.
One aspect I'm surprised about is that Olympus chose not to use the shutter release, by default, for autofocus during live view mode. Instead, you need to use the AE-Lock button on the back of the camera.
No AF upgrade
Anyone hoping for an upgrade to the simple three-point AF system that is featured in all Four Thirds cameras to date, will be disappointed. The viewfinder layout, with the LED information panel, unusually, to the right, plus the three AF points in the centre of the screen, is basically the same as the E-330, E-500 and the E-400. If there is a benefit to this simplicity, the screen itself is less cluttered than most. AF responsiveness in low light is not radically different to the E-400 or E-500 and, it has to be said, is not as good as some rivals, but in normal conditions it works well and the kit lenses have quiet AF motors.
Neat menu-less controls
One feature that works better than most is Olympus' dual mode control display. Like most other more affordable DSLRs, there is no secondary LCD status display, just a large 2.5 inch colour display that serves to display pictures taken (not forgetting live view, of course) as well as view mode and settings status. Most cameras simply present a system of menus, but since the E-500 was introduced, by pressing the OK button, you can use the navigation buttons to highlight settings displays that, once highlighted, become adjustable, without delving into a menu, by turning the click-stopped settings adjustment dial.
Olympus has incorporated menu-less access to key camera settings for several model generations and the E-410 follows the same example. This is the 'simple' view with the ISO speed highlighted. It can be adjusted directly by turning the top-plate mode adjust dial.
This is the advanced mode display, with more modes packed into the available display space. White balance settings are highlighted for direct adjustment.
The system is brilliantly effective and you can choose between two display sizes, one with larger legends, though less options displayed. Conventional menus are also available via the 'Menu' button, or by clicking a highlighted option again using the OK button.
We'll cover more of the E-410's functionality features later in the review.
The next page has an initial eight original image samples, taken with the two kit lenses, available for download.
Sample Images
The following sample images are made available for your personal evaluation only and may not be republished, in any form, or linked directly from another website, without our prior permission. Please note, by clicking on the the thumbnails below, the full original six megabyte megabyte, 10 megapixel, JPEG image will show in your browser. You may prefer to download the image to your computer for convenient browsing offline. Windows users can do this by right-clicking and using the 'Save Target as...' option.
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14-42 kit zoom, 34mm (68mm equiv) 1/160th @f/6.3 ISO 100
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14-42 kit zoom, 42mm (84mm equiv) 1/400th @f/7.1 ISO 100
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14-42 kit zoom, 19mm (38mm equiv) 1/1000th @f/4 (full
aperture) ISO 100 |
14-42 kit zoom, 42mm (84mm equiv) 1/160th @f/7.1 ISO 400 |
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40-150 kit zoom, 150mm (300mm equiv) 1/125th @f/5.6 (full
aperture) ISO 100 Spot metering |
40-150 kit zoom, 150mm (300mm equiv) 1/1000th @f/8 ISO 400 Highlight spot meter.
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| 40-150 kit zoom, 150mm (300mm equiv) 1/400th @f/9 ISO 400
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40-150 kit zoom, 150mm (300mm equiv) 1/500th @f/9 ISO 400
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Specifications
| Type
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| Lens mount
| Four Thirds
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| Body material | Glass reinforced plastics
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Image Sensor
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| Effective pixels | 10 Megapixels
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| Filter array | Primary colour filter (RGB)
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| Full resolution | 10.9 Megapixels
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| Type | 4/3'' Live MOS sensor
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| Aspect ratio & area | 4:3 / 17.3 x 13.0mm
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| Engine
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| Type | TruePic III
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| Filter
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| LPF filter | Fixed type
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| IR cut filter | Hybrid type
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| Dust protection filter | Supersonic Wave Filter
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| LCD
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| Pixel number | 230,000 pixels
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| LCD type | HyperCrystal LCD
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| Monitor size | 6.4cm / 2.5''
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| Brightness adjustment | +/- 7steps
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| Control Panel Information
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| Displayed information |
Metering mode, Exposure mode, Aperture value,
Shutter speed, Exposure level view, Flash
compensation value, Exposure compensation
indication, AE bracketing, ISO, Colour space,
Picture mode, Gradation, Colour saturation
compensation value, Sharpness compensation
value, Contrast compensation value, White
balance, White balance compensation value, Noise
reduction, Flash mode, Focus mode, AF frame,
Drive mode, Record mode, Number of storable
frames, Memory card, Battery indicator
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| Viewfinder
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| Viewfinder type | Eye-level single-lens view finder
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| Field of view | Approx. 95%
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| Magnification | Approx. 0.92x
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| Depth of field preview | Yes
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| Eye point | 14mm
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| Diopter adjustment | -3.0 - +1.0 diopter /built-in type
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| Focusing screen | Fixed type (Neo Lumi-Micron Mat Screen)
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| Mirror | Quick return mirror
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| Viewfinder Information |
AF frame (super impose), AE lock, AF confirmation
mark, metering mode, exposure mode, shutter
speed, aperture value, white balance, exposure
compensation value indicator, flash, battery check
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| Eye piece shutter | Eye-piece cap EP-4 supplied
E-410
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| Live Preview
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| Information |
100% field of view, exposure adjustment preview,
white balance adjustment preview, gridline
displayable, 7x/10x magnification possible,
MF/S-AF, AF frame display, AF point display,
shooting information, histogramme, heat warning
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| Focusing System
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| Method | TTL phase difference detection system
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| Focus areas | 3 points / Automatic and manual selection
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| AF illuminator | Built-in flash (external flash available)
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| AF lock | >
Locked by first position of shutter release button,
AE/AF lock button (customised)
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| Focus tracking | Available in continuous AF mode
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| Manual focus |
Available by rotating focus ring, available for setting
manual focus operation in AF mode (customised)
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| Single AF | Yes
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| Single AF + MF | Yes
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| Continuous AF | Yes
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| Continuous AF + MF | Yes
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| Detection range | 0 - 19 EV (ISO 100)
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| Light Metering
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| Method zones | TTL open aperture light metering
49 zones. Multi-pattern Sensing System
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| Detection range | 1 - 20 (50mm, 1:2, ISO 100)
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| ESP light metering | Yes
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| Spot metering | Yes
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| Centre weighted metering | Yes
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| Highlight | Yes
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| Shadow | Yes
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| Exposure Modes
| Auto | Yes
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| Programme automatic | Yes
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| Aperture priority | Yes
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| Shutter priority | Yes
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| Manual | Yes
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| Scene Modes | Yes
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| Scene Modes
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| Number of scene modes | 20
Portrait, Landscape, Landscape with Portrait, Night
Scene, Night Scene with portrait, Children, Sports,
High key, Low key, Image Stabilisation Mode,
Macro, Nature Macro, Candle, Sunset, Fireworks,
Documents, Beach and Snow, Underwater Wide,
Underwater Macro, Panorama
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| Exposure System
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| Exposure compensation | +/- 5 EV / 1/3 steps
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| Exposure bracketing | 3 frames / +/- 1/3, 2/3, 1 EV steps
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| Sensitivity
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| Auto | ISO 100 - 1600
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| Manual | ISO 100 - 1600 (in each 1/3 EV steps possible).
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| Shutter
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| Shutter type | Electronically controlled focal plane shutter
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| Shutter release | Soft Touch Electromagnetic
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| Self timer | 2s or 12s
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| Shutter Speeds
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| Shutter speed range | 1/4000-60s
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| Shutter speed P, Ps | 1/4000-60s
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| Shutter speed A priority | 1/4000-2s
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| Shutter speed S priority | 1/4000-60s
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| Shutter speed Manual | 1/4000-60s
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| Shutter speed scene mode | 1/4000-4s
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| White Balance
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| AUTO WB system | Advanced detection system with Live MOS sensor
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| Manual White balance (One-Touch) | Yes
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| Selectable steps in Kelvin | 7 steps (3000 - 7500 K)
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| Overcast | Yes
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| Shade | Yes
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| Tungsten | Yes
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| Sunlight | Yes
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| Flourescent 1 | Yes
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| Flourescent 2 | Yes
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| Flourescent 3 | Yes
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| White balance adjustment |
Yes +/- 7 in each R-B / G-M axis (in Auto WB and
preset WB mode)
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| Internal Flash
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| Guide number | 10
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| AUTO | Yes
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| Red-eye reduction | Yes
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| Slow synchronization | Yes
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| Slow synchronization 2nd curtain | Yes
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| Fill-in | Yes
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| Slow synchronization with red-eye reduction | Yes
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| Off | Yes
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| Flash compensation | +/- 2 EV / 1/3EV steps
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| External Flash Control
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| X-sync speed | 1/180s in Super FP up to 1/4000s
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| Type |
TTL Auto for Olympus dedicated flash, Auto or
Manual
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| Synchronisation modes |
Auto, Manual, Red-eye reduction, Slow syncro with
red-eye reduction, Slow syncro, 2nd curtain and
slow syncro, Fill-in for exclusive flash
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| Intensity | +/-2 EV in each 1/3 steps
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| Sequence Shooting
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| Sequential shooting mode | 3fps / Up to card capacity in HQ
3fps / 7 frames RAW
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| Image Processing
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| Colour space | sRGB/AdobeRGB
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| TruePic TURBO | Yes
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| Sharpness + Contrast | 5 levels
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| Saturation | 5 levels
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| Contrast | 5 levels
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| Black & White filter | Yellow, Orange, Red, Green
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| Black & White toning | Sepia, Blue, Purple or Green in Black & White
mode
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| Picture mode | Vivid, Natural, Muted, Black & White, Sepia.
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| Gradation | 4 (auto, high key, normal, low key)
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| Image Editing
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| RAW data edit | Yes
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| Red-eye reduction | Yes
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| Sepia | Yes
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| Black & White | Yes
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| Resize | Yes
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| Correction of saturation | Yes
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| View Images
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| Histogram in playback mode | Yes
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| Zoom | 2-14x
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| Index | 4, 9, 16, 25 frames
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| Slide show | Yes
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| Calendar | Yes
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| Shooting information |
Exposure mode, metering mode, shutter speed,
aperture value, exposure compensation level, ISO,
colour space, white balance mode, white balance
compensation level, focal length, focus area, file
type, picture mode, file name, image size, recorded
card type.
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| Exposure level view |
Histogram (R,G,B available), High light point
warning, Shadow point warning.
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| Erase / Protect / Copy Function
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| Erase modes | Single, All, Selected
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| Image protect mode | Single, Selected
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| Copy mode | Single, All, Selected
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| Recording Formats
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| RAW | 12 bit
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| RAW & JPEG | Parallel recording
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| JPEG | Yes
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| JPEG compression | 1/2.7 SHQ, 1/8 HQ, 1/2.7, 1/4, 1/8, 1/12 SQ
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| Still Image Recording
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| EXIF | 2.2
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| PIM | III
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| DPOF | Yes
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| DCF | Yes
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| Image Size
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| RAW | 3648 x 2736 12MB / frame
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| SHQ | 3648 x 2736
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| HQ | 3648 x 2736
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| SQ | 3200 x 2400
2560 x 1920
1600 x 1200
1280 x 960
1024 x 768
640 x 480
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| Menu
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| Menu languages in camera |
English, German, French, Spanish, Italian,
Russian, Czech, Dutch, Danish, Polish
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| Menu languages by download |
Additional one language from 15 further languages
by download via the internet.
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| Customisation Options
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| Left arrow button |
Off, one-touch WB, test picture, preview, Live
Preview
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| Custom preset options | 2
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| Power Supply
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| Battery | BLS-1 Li-Ion battery (included)
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| Battery life |
Approx. 500 shots with BLS-1 under CIPA testing
standard.
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| Sleep mode | 1, 3, 5, 10 min. and off selectable.
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| Interface
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| Media |
Dual slot for CompactFlash card (Type I and II),
Microdrive and xD-Picture Card
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| USB 2.0 HI-speed | Yes
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| Combined V & USB output | NTSC or PAL selectable
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| Environment
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| Temperature |
0 - 40°C operating temperature -20 - 60°C storage
temperature
30 - 90% operation humidity 10 - 90% storage
humidity
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| Size
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| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 129.5 x 91 x 53mm (without protrusions)
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| Weight | 375g (body only)
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Specifications and design are subject to change without notice.
