Olympus E-600 Review

December 3, 2009 | Gavin Stoker | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The Olympus E-600 is a new entry-level DSLR camera that offers most of the features of the E-620 model at a more affordable price. The E600 drops the backlit buttons, 3 art filters (Pale & Light Color, Light Tone, and Grainy Film), multi exposure mode and aspect mask control of the E-620, but retains all the other core features. These include a 12.3 megapixel Four Thirds sensor, image stabilisation system that's built into the camera body, free-angle 2.7 inch LCD screen, 7-point autofocus system, optical viewfinder with 95% field of view, Live View with high-speed contrast autofocus, 4fps continuous shooting and Supersonic Wave Filter dust protection. The Olympus E-600 DSLR officially costs $599.99 / £549.99 with the 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko lens.

Ease of Use

The obvious markets for the more-compact-than-usual Four Thirds E-600 digital SLR from Olympus are the photo enthusiast, the creative of mind and those upgrading from either a starter DSLR, bridge camera or snapshot… that's basically those of us wanting regular DSLR quality, without the bulk of a camera based on an existing 35mmm SLR body sporting a APS-C sized sensor. See also the recent raft of Micro Four Thirds 'hybrid' cameras mining the same seam to an even more compact degree in the E-P1, E-P2, and Panasonic's GF1, G1, GH1.

Despite how they might appear in press ads however, none of the above can yet claim to be small enough to fit in a pocket, trouser or jacket, so they're only more portable than a standard DSLR up to a point. Perhaps only Ricoh's new but yet-to-be-rated GXR - on which not only lens but also sensor is swappable - has to date come closest to a truly pocket sized interchangeable lens camera.

Currently available in the UK exclusively through the Currys/Dixons retail group - where a body plus 14-42mm zoom was advertised for a very fair £399 at the time of writing - as well as across North America, the traditional SLR resembling E-600 is in effect, a slightly pared down version of the E-620. Or, if you like, it's an E-620 'lite', sitting below that camera yet above the entry level E-450 and E-520 in the range. So, when examining the E-600 in comparison to the E-620, it's as much a case of what you don't get as what you do. And, of those 'omissions', whether any are actual deal breakers.

We were sent the camera not with the 14-42mm lens included in the current Curry's bundle deal but with the marginally broader focal range 14-54mm 1:2.8-3.5 II, equivalent to 28-108mm in 35mm film terms when married with the camera's Four Thirds sensor.

While the core features have remained the same as the E-620 - 12.3 effective resolution from a 13.1MP megapixel Live Mos sensor, 2.7-inch, 230k dot free-angle HyperCrystal III LCD with Live View and 176° viewing angle, 7-point twin auto focus system, Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction plus optical viewfinder with 95% field of view and approximately 0.96x magnification - when it comes to operation the E-600 has only half the six much-touted Art Filters colour effects of the E-620; the so-called 'digital darkroom in a box'.

Retained on the E-600 are the trio of Pop Art (bright colors resembling children's poster paints), Pinhole camera (darkened edges of the frame) and Soft Focus filters, the first two being our particular favourites when it comes to in-camera effects - i.e the ones that are actually the most visually dynamic.

Applying these three does however elongate writing times, as the effects are applied to the image in situ, a progress bar appearing briefly on the tilting LCD screen as the digital alchemy is taking place. Such effects are therefore best applied sparingly and will for most be viewed as fun extra rather than must have, making for pleasing results even if all that the user is really doing is pointing and shooting.

Olympus E-600 Olympus E-600
Front Rear

Another key feature the E-600 has in common with its E-620 big brother is in-body sensor shift image stabilization with three selectable modes, and, like that model, qualifies as one of the world's smallest and lightest DSLRs sporting such a feature, since the likes of market leaders Canon and Nikon have famously opted to incorporate anti shake into their lenses instead. Further aiding shooting in lower light without flash is an ISO range stretching from ISO 100 to ISO 3200 inclusive in 15 incremental steps for an even finer degree of control than usually found at this level.

On the subject of optics, the range of Olympus' own Four Thirds compatible Zuiko digital optics now stands at 20+ in number; nothing like the 60+ offered by Canon and Nikon for their equivalent models, but again more than sufficient for the E-600's target market. It will be interesting to see where Olympus (and Panasonic) place their future development emphasis however, should the newer Micro Four Thirds system capture the public's imagination in greater numbers. Could Four Thirds end up as an increasingly overlooked evolutionary stage, now there's something newer, shinier and sexier on the block in the mirror-less Micro Four Thirds cameras?

Less obviously plastic-y than competing models and feeling solid and well constructed, the E-600's relatively diminutive dimensions (130x94x60mm) mean that it lacks a comfortably moulded grip as found on competing (if marginally larger) rival models. There is something resembling a grip provided, and it's better than Sony's entry level A230 provides, but it's still slightly narrow for our tastes. We had to dig our fingers inwards, claw-like for this DSLR to feel secure in our palm. The provided shoulder/neck strap helps of course, though we found it occasionally flapping across and obscuring the optical viewfinder when tilting the camera on its side to shoot portrait fashion; something to do with the eyelets for attaching the strap being on the top plate rather than slightly lower down on the sides.

From the front the E-600 is unsurprisingly a dead ringer for the E-620, with a relatively uncluttered and therefore friendly looking fascia. Set into the grip near its base, is a self-timer lamp that flashes red as the camera counts down from two or 12 seconds. At the top of the forward sloping grip can be spied a dedicated exposure compensation button (a broader than average selectable +/- 5EV) and self-evident shutter release button with definite halfway 'bite' point, whilst tucked in between this and the lens mount is what claims to be a white balance sensor. We say claims, because from experience white balance performance can be somewhat unreliable across the Olympus range, varying between one shot and the next of the same subject, and under the same conditions.

Across the other side of the lens mount - the right side, if viewing the camera lens on - are a lens release button, and that button alone in the absence of any switch for alternating between the likes of single and continuous capture as found on more 'grown up' models. Still, as we've noted, this makes for a clean, unfussy first impression that shouldn't dissuade beginners or those trading up to a DSLR for the first time. A small, manageable overall form factor however also necessitates a number of small buttons, on the top plate and particularly on the E-600's busy looking back plate, which require fingertip operation.

Looking down on the camera the familiar looking raised shooting mode dial encircled by the on/off switch is the first thing to draw the photographer's attention. Flick the switch to on and after a wait of approximately a second and a half you're ready to begin shooting, the rear LCD providing a collective overview of currently selected shooting settings. Though this disappears after a few moments, should the user bring their eye immediately to the viewfinder the screen below doesn't automatically switch off; there are no built-in eye sensors as on Sony's Alpha range. Not a big deal, though we did find the glare of the screen momentarily distracting when shooting in lower light. Fortunately it can be flipped through 180° to face inwards to the body if it's surplus to requirements. The options it displayed can be tabbed through using the arrow pad at the rear and/or the command wheel situated at the right hand corner of the E-600's top plate, where it falls easily under the thumb as the user grips the camera in both hands.

Olympus E-600 Olympus E-600
Rotating LCD Screen

Top

Consecutively marked on the shooting dial are 11 options, including the standard creative quartet of program, aperture priority, shutter priority and manual shooting modes, plus full auto. The aforementioned art filters get their own setting shared with regular scene modes, plus there's pre-optimised settings for shooting portraits, landscapes, close ups, sports/action and night scenes.

Select the art filters/scene mode setting, and, with a press of the right-hand key of the four-way command pad at the rear, access to the on board scene/subject modes is provided. Here we get options for photographing children, high key and low key effects for those looking to ape fashion photographers, a further digital image stabilisation mode plus 'nature macro' mode, along with candle, sunset, documents, panorama, fireworks, beach and snow, underwater wide and underwater macro options - the last two of course requiring additional waterproof housing for the E-600. What's here is happily well labeled and the myriad of dedicated buttons at least ensures users don't have to wade through several menu screens to adjust basics such as ISO, white balance and metering, all of which have their separate physical controls.

As expected a dioptre adjustment wheel is provided next to the optical viewfinder, though its proximity to the shooting mode dial means it's difficult to actually operate. The visibility provided by the optical viewfinder is OK, if slightly murky for our tastes when compared to the best of what else is out there; especially when days are grey and overcast. Across the other side of the provided hotshoe for accessory flash nestling just behind the integral pop up flashbulb, we find two further dedicated controls in the form of small buttons; one for adjusting flash settings, the other a dual control for calling up self timer or continuous shooting options. The latter button also acts as a direct print control in playback mode, as well as a copy button, to transfer images from CF to xD within the camera. Again, a neat feature and one not expected on a DSLR in this price range.

It's when using the LCD as an angle adjustable electronic viewfinder that Live View comes into its own on the E-600. Accessed via a press of the button displaying a TV screen-like icon to the right of the main LCD, after a brief moment the camera's internal mirror mechanism audibly flips out of the way and said monitor bursts into life. As indicated the LCD can be tilted and swiveled through 270° to afford more shooting opportunities and creative angles, as well as folded screen into the body for added protection when transporting the camera. With the E-600 like its recent forebears delivering lightning fast auto focus performance, for those looking to use whichever DSLR they're trading up to as a glorified point and shoot to begin with, this camera reduces the learning curve required.

With a maximum burst mode of four frames per second for up to five Raw images or up to the available capacity of the card in use if shooting JPEG, plus face detection technology for up to eight faces in the frame, the E-600 once again matches the E-620 feature for feature.

Captured images, whether unadulterated Raw or compressed JPEG are here rapidly committed to a choice of media cards - either CompactFlash (like 'grown up' DSLRs), or the less well traveled xD-Picture Card. The separate slots for both are hidden under a sliding door on the camera's right hand flank (if viewed from the back). You can't help thinking that if Olympus didn't have a vested interest in the unloved xD, including the alternative of the more widely available SD/SDHC would have made much more sense.

Olympus E-600 Olympus E-600
Memory Card Slot Battery Compartment

The main feature of the camera back is of course the aforementioned 2.7-inch LCD. While that's large enough for composition and review, and the resolution is just enough to achieve accurate manual focusing, it's tricky to check critical detail upon playback without using the command wheel to zoom in closer on images. Separate histograms are provided in this mode for each of the image's colour channels, which for a package costing less than £400 in total comes across as an overdose of riches.

Top left of the adjustable screen is a small pairing of buttons for 'menu' and 'info'. The first is self explanatory, calling up a selection of user adjustable options spread across a quartet of folders - two containing image capture options, the third playback options and the forth your standard issue set up menu; all fairly straightforward stuff. The user friendliness continues over on the right hand side of the screen, with a joint auto exposure lock/auto focus lock button falling under the thumb top right of the LCD, and immediately below this another two buttons for playback and activating Live View respectively.

Adjacent to these, located in the top right hand corner of the camera back are a button marked 'Fn' (function) to which various user settings can be attributed - including face detection and live preview, or perhaps just as usefully the ability to swap between JPEG and Raw capture without delving into the menu screens - plus a second button that enables the user to register a frequently used AF target as the 'home' position and so, if so desired, avoid the camera always biasing whatever's slap bang in the middle of the frame.

Also located on the camera back, just below a padded indentation in the form of a thumb rest, we find a quartet of arrow keys with an 'OK' button at their centre for implementing whatever changes are made when scrolling through menu and function options. The arrow keys themselves allow manual adjustment of white balance, the user to switch from auto to manual focus and back again, choose from the E-600's incrementally broad range of ISO speeds and lastly, switch between digital ESP, centre weighted and spot metering.

The final two buttons on the camera back, found just beneath, are a dedicated delete button highlighted with universal trashcan icon and three-option image stabilizer button; stabilizer on, active when panning horizontally, or when panning vertically. Despite the slightly busy layout, small size of some of the buttons and the fact they're quite close to one another, operation is fairly smooth and the controls as quick to respond as you'd expect, leaving the user to get on with the business of taking photographs. A rubber flap protects a joint port for attachment of a USB cable and AV out lead.

With the base of the camera featuring a screw thread for a tripod mount and door with sliding lock protecting the battery compartment, again the E-600 ticks the expected boxes whilst giving the overall impression of being a solidly made, sound buy. Incidentally Olympus suggests battery life is good for 500 shots if using optical viewfinder rather than LCD with Live View for your compositions, which is fair without being overly impressive. In the two weeks we had the camera we found ourselves recharging it once.

So, is Olympus' mid-range camera at an entry-level price too good a deal to be true? Let's examine the sample images produced and find out.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this Review were taken using the 12.3 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 5Mb.

On a clear bright day with our 14-54mm test lens attached, we were blown away by the quality of results achievable when married with the E-600. Images look very crisp, with good exposure latitude and impressive edge-to-edge sharpness, even at maximum wideangle setting. Purple pixel fringing is evident between areas of high contrast, but it's hidden much better than we'd normally witness from DSLRs in this price bracket and only visible when really magnifying detail in an image. The effects filters, though only three in number, are fun, with the pinhole camera ape-ing option getting used the most and delivering particularly moody results.

As we've found with nearly every Olympus digital camera we've tested, the competency of auto white balance can vary from shot to shot, and even when manually selecting the tungsten setting from among its user adjustable options, we got still images with the familiar yellow-orange colour cast when taken without the aid of pop up flash. Not a massive 'problem' by any means, but something to be aware of that seems more apparent on E-series DSLRs than those of competing brands.

In terms of ISO performance, the E-600 doesn't make the best ever showing, noise creeping into shadow areas from as low a setting as ISO 250, and, while it's not really noticeable across the image until ISO 800, any degradation is still at more than acceptable levels. Even at top whack ISO 3200 where noise is taking on a gritty sand-like appearance, results would still be usable at a push, though we'd feel happier sticking at ISO 1600 or below.

None of the above results are deal breakers however, and twinned with our test lens (around £350 if bought on its own) we were generally very pleased with what we achieved on the E-600.

Noise

There are 6 ISO settings available on the Olympus E-600. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting:

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

Sharpening

Here are two 100% crops which have been Saved as Web - Quality 50 in Photoshop. The right-hand image has had some sharpening applied in Photoshop. The out-of-the camera images are just a little soft at the default sharpening setting and benefit from some further sharpening in a program like Adobe Photoshop. You can also change the in-camera sharpening level to suit your tastes by changing the Picture Modes.

Original (100% Crop)

Sharpened (100% Crop)

   

Flash

The flash modes include Auto, Manual, Slow synchronisation, Slow synchronisation 2nd curtain, Red-eye reduction, Slow synchronisation with red-eye reduction, Fill-in, and Off. These shots of a white ceiling were taken at a distance of 1.5 metres.

Flash Off - Wide Angle (28mm)

Flash On - Wide Angle (28mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off - Telephoto (108mm)

Flash On - Telephoto (108mm)

ISO 64 ISO 64

And here are some portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Flash On setting or the Red-eye reduction option caused any amount of red-eye.

Flash On

Flash On (100% Crop)
   

Red-eye Reduction

Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop)

Night

The Olympus E-600 lets you dial in shutter speeds of up to 60 seconds and has a Bulb mode as well for exposure times as long as 30 minutes, which is very good news if you are seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 1 second, aperture of f/2.8 at ISO 800. We've included a 100% crop to see what the quality is like.

Night Shot

Night Shot (100% Crop)

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Olympus E-600 camera, which were all taken using the 12.3 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample Movie & Video

Product Images

Olympus E-600

Front of the Camera

 
Olympus E-600

Front of the Camera / Pop-Up Flash

 
Olympus E-600

Isometric View

 
Olympus E-600

Isometric View

 
Olympus E-600

Rear of the Camera

 
Olympus E-600

Rear of the Camera

 
Olympus E-600

Rear of the Camera / Main Menu

 
Olympus E-600

Rear of the Camera / LCD Screen Rotated

 
Olympus E-600

Rear of the Camera / LCD Screen Rotated

 

Olympus E-600

Rear of the Camera / LCD Screen Rotated

 
Olympus E-600

Top of the Camera

 
Olympus E-600

Side of the Camera

 
Olympus E-600

Side of the Camera

 
Olympus E-600

Memory Card Slot

 
Olympus E-600

Battery Compartment

Conclusion

Like all of the Olympus E-series, with the E-600 you're getting a DSLR that anyone could carry comfortably around with them all day, taking shots as and when they present themselves. Thus, as with the Micro Four Thirds cameras that the original Four Thirds system models now find themselves competing with, the E-600 suggests itself as an excellent tool for the travel or street photographer. Not only that, but if camera and basic kit lens can be picked up for a penny shy of £400, as advertised, it won't bite a huge chunk out of your holiday expenditure either. That was still a good £100 cheaper than we could alternatively find an E-620 with the same lens at the time of writing.

OK, you don't get the latest must haves such as HD video capture, nor a weather sealed body, but in truth it would be a welcome surprise to find them included at this price point. Omitted here, in comparison with the E-620 are illuminated buttons, three Art Filters in Grainy Film, Pale and Light Colour, Light tone, plus the E-620's multiple exposure and multi aspect ratio shooting options, the former overlaying up to three images to produce a single image, and the latter adding cinematic 16:9 framing to the standard 4:3 ratio. Arguably though nice to have, none of these is essential for those trading up to their first DSLR, so won't be missed by those who haven't previously experienced them on models elsewhere in the Olympus range.

OK so it's not the E-620 'proper', but, to summarise, since you're basically getting a user-friendly mid-range camera for an entry-level price, there's little about the Olympus E-600 that can be faulted.

4.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4.5
Features 4
Ease-of-use 4
Image quality 4.5
Value for money 5

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Olympus E-600 from around the web.

macuser.co.uk »

Following the popularity of the 12-megapixel E-620 launched earlier in the year, and the introduction of a couple of key models from rivals, demand for a more competitively priced camera has prompted Olympus to respond with a pared-down version, the E-600.
Read the full review »

Specifications

Product Type
Product type Single-lens reflex Live View digital camera with interchangeable lens system
Memory CompactFlash Type I/II (UDMA), Microdrive, xD-Picture Card
Sensor size 17.3 mm (H) x 13.0 mm (V)
Lens mount Four Thirds Mount
Effective Pixels number
Effective Pixels number 12.3 million pixels
Image Pickup Unit
Product type High speed Live MOS Sensor
Total no. of pixels Approx. 13.1 million pixels
Aspect ratio 1.33 (4:3)
Filter array Primary color filter (RGB)
LPF Fixed type
IR cut filter Hybrid type
Dust reduction Supersonic Wave Filter (dust reduction system for image sensor)
Recording
Recording format DCF, DPOF compatible/Exif, PRINT Image Matching III
File format RAW (12-bit lossless compression), JPEG, RAW+JPEG
Recording image size [RAW] 4032 x 3024 pixels
[JPEG] 4032 x 3024 pixels - 640 x 480 pixels
File size RAW: 4032 x 3024 (approx. 1/1.5 lossless compressed) Approx. 13.9MB
Large: 4032 x 3024 Super fine (1/2.7 compressed) Approx. 8.2MB
4032 x 3024 Fine (1/4 compressed) Approx. 5.7MB
4032 x 3024 Normal (1/8 compressed) Approx. 2.7MB
4032 x 3024 Basic (1/12 compressed) Approx. 1.8MB
Middle 320% x 2400 Super fine (1/2.7 compressed) Approx. 5.4MB
320% x 2400 Fine (1/4 compressed) Approx. 3.4MB
320% x 2400 Normal (1/8 compressed) Approx. 1.7MB
320% x 2400 Basic (1/12 compressed) Approx. 1.2MB
2560 x 1920 Super fine (1/2.7 compressed) Approx. 3.2MB
2560 x 1920 Fine (1/4 compressed) Approx. 2.2MB
2560 x 1920 Normal (1/8 compressed) Approx. 1.1MB
2560 x 1920 Basic (1/12 compressed) Approx. 0.8MB
Small 1600 x 120% Super fine (1/2.7 compressed) Approx. 1.3MB
1600 x 120% Fine (1/4 compressed) Approx. 0.9MB
1600 x 120% Normal (1/8 compressed) Approx. 0.5MB
1600 x 120% Basic (1/12 compressed) Approx. 0.4MB
1280 x 960 Super fine (1/2.7 compressed) Approx. 0.9MB
1280 x 960 Fine (1/4 compressed) Approx. 0.6MB
1280 x 960 Normal (1/8 compressed) Approx. 0.3MB
1280 x 960 Basic (1/12 compressed) Approx. 0.3MB
1024 x 768 Super fine (1/2.7 compressed) Approx. 0.6MB
1024 x 768 Fine (1/4 compressed) Approx. 0.4MB
1024 x 768 Normal (1/8 compressed) Approx. 0.3MB
1024 x 768 Basic (1/12 compressed) Approx. 0.2MB
640 x 480 Super fine (1/2.7 compressed) Approx. 0.3MB
640 x 480 Fine (1/4 compressed) Approx. 0.2MB
640 x 480 Normal (1/8 compressed) Approx. 0.1MB
640 x 480 Basic (1/12 compressed) Approx. 0.1MB
Viewfinder
Product type Eye-level single-lens reflex viewfinder
Field of view Approx. 95%
Viewfinder magnification Approx. 0.96x (-1m-1, 50mm lens, infinity)
Eye point Approx. 18 mm (-1m-1) *from eyepiece lens
Diopter adjustment range -3.0 - +1m-1
Focusing screen Fixed (Neo Lumi-Micro Mat screen)
Eyepiece shutter Eye piece cover EPC-1 supplied
Eye cup Interchangeable type EP-5/6/7/8, EP-8 is supplied (Magnifier Eyecup ME-1 is available)
Optical preview (view finder) Available to set to Fn button
Live preview Available to set to Fn button
View finder information Aperture value, Shutter speed, Record mode, AF confirmation mark, Flash, WB, AE lock, Number of storable still images, Exposure compensation value, Metering mode, Battery warning, Exposure mode, AF frame (super impose), IS, Bracket, ISO value
Live View
Live View High speed Live MOS Sensor for still picture shooting is used, 100% field of view, Exposure adjustment pre-view, White balance adjustment pre-view, Gradation auto pre-view Face detection pre-view, Perfect shot pre-view Grid line displayable, 5x/7x/10x magnification possible, MF/S-AF, AF frame display, AF point display, Shooting information, Histogram, IS activating mode.
AF High speed imager AF, Phase-difference detection AF
Image Stabilizer
System Built in (Imager shift image stabilizer)
Mode 3 modes (2 dimensional activation, 1 dimensional activation in landscape frame to vertical direction moving, 1 dimensional activation in portrait frame to horizontal direction moving )
Manual Function input focal length 8, 10, 12, 16, 18, 24, 28, 30, 35, 40, 48, 50, 55, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 100, 105, 120, 135, 150, 20%, 210, 250, 300, 350, 400, 500, 600, 800, 1000
Effective compensation range Approx. 4EV steps (in maximum effect)
Shutter speed range 2 - 1/4000 sec.
   
LCD Display
Product type HyperCrystal™ LCD (transmissive TFT color LCD)
Size 2.7 inches
Total no. of pixels Approx. 230,000 dots
Playback field of view 100%
Brightness control 15 levels
Color Balance 15 levels
Focusing
AF system TTL phase-difference detection system
Contrast detection system (with 25mm f2.8, 14-42mm f3.5-5.6, 40-150mm f4.0-5.6, 9-18mm f4.0-5.6, 14-54mm f2.8-3.5II)
Focus mode Single AF (S-AF) / Continuous AF (C-AF) / Manual Focus (MF)/
S-AF + MF / C-AF + MF * C-AF mode is not available with the contrast detection system
Focusing point 7 points AF sensor with the phase-difference detection system (5points cross AF sensor / 7 points twin AF sensor )
7-area multiple AF with the contrast detection system (Auto, selectable in option)
Focusing point selection Single target, All targets with the phase-difference detection system Single, all 7 area, or Face detection with the contrast detection system
AF luminance range (phase-difference detection system) EV -1 to 19 (at 20?, ISO 100)
AF illuminator
(phase-difference detection system)
Built-in flash (external flash available)
AF lock Locked at first position of Shutter button in Single AF mode / AEL button (customizable)
Focus tracking
(phase-difference detection system)
Interlocked with Continuous AF mode
Focus aid Available
Fine Adjustment +/- 20 steps, 20 data can be registered
Exposure Control
Metering system TTL open-aperture metering system
(1) Digital ESP metering (49-point multipattern metering) (2) Center weighted average metering (3) Spot metering (approx. 2% for the viewfinder screen. Highlight / shadow bases are available)
Metering range EV 1 - 20 (Digital ESP metering, Center weighted average metering, Spot metering) (At normal temperature, 50mm f2, ISO 100)
Exposure mode (1) Auto (2) P: Program AE (Program shift can be performed) (3) A: Aperture priority AE (4) S: Shutter priority AE (5) M: Manual (6) Scene program AE (7) Scene select AE
Scene program AE Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sport, Night + Portrait
Scene select AE Children, High Key, Low Key, DIS mode, Nature Macro, Candle, Sunset, Fireworks, Documents, Panorama* *(Available when using Olympus xD-Picture Card media), Beach & Snow,Underwater Wide, Underwater Macro
ISO sensitivity AUTO: ISO 20% - 320% (customizable, Default 20%-800) / Manual ISO 100 - 320%, 1/3 or 1 EV steps
Exposure compensation ±5 EV in 1/3, 1/2, 1 EV steps selectable
AE lock AEL button (customizable)
Exposure bracketing 3 or 5 frames in 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1EV steps selectable
ISO bracketing 3 frames in 0.3, 0.7, 1EV steps selectable
Metering standard value adjustment 1/6 EV step, +/- 1EV range
White Balance
Auto WB system Hybrid detection system with High speed Live MOS sensor and dedicated external sensor.
Preset white balance 8 settings (3000K - 7500K)
Lamp (3000K), Fluorescent 1 (4000K), Fluorescent 2 (4500K), Fluorescent 3 (6600K), Daylight (5300K), Flash (5500K), Cloudy (6000K)
Shade (7500K)
White balance compensation ±7 steps in each A-B/G-M axis (in Auto WB / Preset WB mode / One touch WB)
CWB (Kelvin setting) 1 setting can be registered at Kelvin temperature (20%0K - 14000K)
One-touch white balance 1 custom setting can be registered
White balance bracketing 3 frames in 2, 4, 6 steps selectable in each A-B/G-M axis
Color Mode
Color space sRGB, Adobe RGB
Picture Mode
Mode Vivid, Natural, Portrait, Muted, Monotone, Custom (default setting: Natural)
In custom mode, basic 5 modes and adjustment is available.
Adjustment parameter Contrast, Sharpness and Saturation level available in 5 steps for Vivid, Natural, Portrait and Muted.
Contrast and Sharpness level available in 5 steps for Monotone.
In custom mode, gradation level available in 4 steps.
Filter effect Yellow, Orange, Red or Green filter available for Monotone
Picture tone Sepia, Blue, Purple or Green tone available for Monotone
Gradation 4 levels (Auto, High key, Normal, Low key)
Shutter
Product type Computerized focal-plane shutter
Shutter speed P(Ps), S, A, M mode: 60 - 1/4000 sec.
Bulb: Up to 30 min. selectable via menu (Default: eight mins.)
1/3, 1/2, or 1EV steps selectable.
Self-timer Operation time: 12 sec., 2 sec. (cancel available)
Remote cable release Available (with optional RM-UC1 Remote cable.)
Optical remote control Operation time: 2 sec., 0 sec., bulb control available (with optional RM-1 remote control)
Anti shock mode Available (1 to 30 sec. selectable)
Drive
Drive mode Single-frame shooting, Sequential shooting H, Sequential shooting L, Self-timer, Remote control
Sequential shooting speed Approx. 4 frames/sec. in sequential shooting H, 1 to 3 fps selectable in sequential shooting L.
Max. recordable pictures on sequential shooting RAW mode: Max. 5 frames.
JPEG mode: Depends on compression ratio and no. of pixels (Large normal mode: approx. up to card capacity with SanDisk Extreme IV 4GB)
Integrated Flash
Built-in flash Retractable flash, GN=17 at ISO20%, (GN=12 at ISO 100.m)
Compatible external flash FL-50R, FL-36R, FL-50, FL-36, FL-20
Flash control mode TTL Auto (TTL pre-flash mode), Auto, Manual
Flash mode "Auto, Red-eye reduction, Red-eye reduction slow sync., Slow sync at 1st curtain, Slow sync at 2nd curtain, Fill-in, Manual (1/4, 1/16, 1/64), Off."
Synchronization speed 1/180 sec. or less
Flash intensity control Up to ±3 EV in 0.3, 0.5, 1 EV steps
Flash bracketing 3 frames in 0.3, 0.5, 0.7, 1 EV steps selectable.
Wireless flash control
Compatible external flash FL-50R, FL-36R
Control method Triggered and controlled by built-in flash light
Flash control modes TTL Auto (TTL pre-flash mode), Auto, Manual, FP TTL Auto, FP Manual.
Number of channels 4 channels
Group setting 3 groups
Art Filter
Mode 3 Types (Pop Art – Soft Focus – Pin Hole)
Multi Exposure None
Multi Aspect None
Illuminated button icons None
Universal design
  Color Universal Design Organization has certified (E-600,BLS-1 Li-ion battery,BCS-1 Li-ion battery charger)
Control panel
Information WB setting, WB compensation notification, B/W mode notification, Record mode, ISO sensitivity, Program Sift
BKT notification, Flash mode, Drive mode, Recordable still image number, Shutter Speed, Aperture Value
Exposure compensation value, Metering mode, AF mode, Activated AF points, Focusing mode, IS, Multi Exposure
Back light timer 8 sec.
Super control panel
Information (Shooting) Battery information, Exposure mode, Shutter speed, Aperture value, Exposure compensation value, ISO sensitivity
Exposure compensation indicator, Exposure indicator, Flash intensity compensation indicator, Date, BKT setting
NR setting, WB, WB compensation value, Picture mode, Flash mode, Record mode, Image size, Card information
Drive mode, Flash intensity compensation value, Metering mode, Recordable still image number, Focusing mode
FP warning, AF frame, AF illuminator deactivated notification, , Color space, Sharpness, Contrast, Saturation
Gradation, IS activating mode, Face detection, RC mode setting, My Mode, Flash Charge, Multi Exposure, Aspect Ratio
Information (Wireless flash commander) Exposure mode, Shutter speed, Aperture value, Exposure compensation value bar, Exposure compensation value
Flash compensation value bar, Flash compensation value, ALE notification, Flash compensation notification
NR notification, BKT notification, AF illuminator deactivated notification, Color space
Wireless channel setting, Built-in flash intensity, Group setting
Back light timer Back light lighting time is selectable. (Keep, 8, 30sec, 1min)
Playback
Playback modes Single-frame, Index (4/9/16/25/49/100 frames), Calendar, Close-up ( 2 - 14X)
Slideshow, Picture rotation (auto mode available), Light box
Information display Histogram (independent luminance / RGB available)
Highlight / Shadow point warning, AF frame, Shooting information
Menu
Languages "Japan: Japanese, English (Additional one language is possible to download.)
Others: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Russian, Czech, Dutch, Danish, Polish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Croat, Slovenian, Hungarian, Greek, Slovakian, Turkish, Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Rumanian, Indonesian, Malay, Thai"
Reset & custom setting
Custom reset 2 setting recordable
My mode 2 setting recordable
Image Editing
Erasing function Single frame, All frames, Selected frames
Protect function Single frame, Selected frames, Release protect (Single/All selected)
Copy between media Single frame, All frames, Selected frames
RAW picture editing RAW development
JPEG editing Shadow adjustment, Red-eye fix, Cropping, Monotone, Sepia, Saturation (color depth), Resize (producing another file), Aspect Change
Marge function 2-4 pictures, merge gain step 0.1-2.0 0.1 step
Print
Print function Print reservation (DPOF), Direct print (PictBridge compatible)
Input/Output
PC interface USB 2.0 High Speed for storage and camera control (MTP mode is available)
USB/Video connector Dedicated multi-connector (Video: NTSC/PAL selectable, Optional Remote cable RM-UC1 is available)
Flash attachment Hot shoe
DC-in No
Power Requirements
Battery BLS-1 Li-ion battery (included)
Sleep mode Available (1, 3, 5, 10 min., off selectable)
No. of recordable pictures Approx. 500 shots (optical viewfinder)
(with 50% flash light) (with BLS-1 under CIPA testing standard)
Power battery holder HLD-5 compatible
Dimensions/Weight
Dimensions 5.11" (W) x 3.7" (H) x 2.36" (D) (excluding protrusions)
Weight 1.04 lbs. (body only)
Operating Environment
Temperature 0 - 40? (operation) / -20 - 60? (storage)
Humidity 30 - 90% (operation) / 10 - 90% (storage)
Splash proof
  No
Box contents
  Body, Li-ion battery BLS-1, Li-ion battery charger BCS-1, USB/Video Multi cable, Eye piece cover EPC-1, Shoulder strap, OLYMPUS Master CD-ROM, Instruction manual, Warranty card.

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