When choosing a digital camera, many people have a question: to save on quality or not. In the price category of about $ 450, the choice ends with ultrazoom, which, in fact, are the same "soap boxes", only with better lenses and improved processors. The heart of the camera is the matrix, which is identical to that of compact cameras. Among amateur photographers and novice professional photographers, SLR cameras have always enjoyed indisputable respect. Their strengths are quality sensors, excellent interchangeable lenses and ergonomics. Many will refuse such a purchase only due to the high price.
The Japanese company Olympus was able to create a balanced solution for those who are not ready to shell out any amount for a camera. The Olympus E-450 is the ideal choice for those looking for good quality at a reasonable price, as well as those who are switching to DSLRs.
FIRST MEETING. ERGONOMICS
The first thing that attracts attention in this model is its compact size and low weight. In terms of these characteristics, the E-450 is not very different from advanced digital compacts. The goal of reducing the weight and size of SLR cameras is one of Olympus' strategies. The company did an excellent job with this task with the creation of the E-450. For those who walk a lot in search of subjects for photography, this is an important characteristic. The experience of using this model has shown that if the device is in a bag, it does not interfere at all; also the E-450 does not weigh on the neck or shoulder, even when worn for a long time.
This unit does not have a large right-hand protrusion on the body. Oddly enough, this is also a virtue of the camera. When shooting with an SLR camera, you will most likely need to support the camera with your left hand. But with this design of the case, it is very convenient to press the shutter button. Next to it is the metering compensation button, which is easy to find without looking.
On the back of the camera, the controls are well placed. Accidental clicks when taking a photo does not occur. There is no inconvenience when viewing pictures on the screen or selecting a shooting mode.
The buttons on the left are for viewing pictures, deleting a picture, the main menu, and displaying information about a picture or shooting mode. The four-way joystick on the right has a traditional purpose - to navigate through the menu. Above it is the button for using the LiveMOS mode. This is discussed below. Below the joystick is a universal connector for connecting to a computer or TV. There is a compartment for memory cards on the right side of the case. The device supports two formats of memory cards: CF and xD-Picture. There is only one difference when using them: Panorama Photo Mode is only available with an xD-Picture Card. The compartment lid closes tightly. The absence of backlashes, creaks is another strong point of the E-450.
The upper side of the body houses the flash control buttons, shooting delays and a scroll wheel (for zooming in / out and scrolling through the list of available settings) and a hot shoe for an external flash. Near the viewfinder there is a diopter adjustment wheel and next to it - a button for protecting images. On the underside is the standard tripod mount and battery cover. This cover has a latch and cannot be accidentally opened.
USING. SHOOTING MODES
The camera has an automatic shooting mode, manual, programmable, aperture priority, shutter speed priority and 21 preset modes. 18 traditional ones such as shooting fireworks, portraits or sports mode; 3 artistic: pop art, soft focus and pinhole.These three modes make pictures more original, but it must be borne in mind that the speed at which pictures are written to the card slows down. The E-450's auto mode is well implemented, so using the auto mode in combination with exposure compensation will ensure you get a good picture in most situations. Shooting speed - up to 3.5 frames per second will be sufficient even for photojournalists.
The kit with the body of the device is supplied with a "whale" lens Zuiko Digital 14-42 mm (28-84 mm when converted to 35-mm format). For most photographing capabilities, this lens will suffice in any situation.
There are three AF points available in the viewfinder, which is not much for modern SLR cameras. But, firstly, there is autofocus tracking in this device, i.e. when you press the shutter button halfway, autofocus determines the focus point, then you move the unit while autofocus continues to keep the original subject in focus. Secondly, you always have the opportunity to crop pictures later on a computer. What's unusual about this camera is that it has a LiveMOS mode. In this mode, the mirror of the camera rises and sighting occurs through the camera screen. Moreover, in this mode, the photographer has 11 focus areas. It is gratifying that Olympus has paid attention to this. Using a DSLR camera has become even more convenient. But autofocusing is slower, so the use of the screen is justified only when traditional shooting with the viewfinder is impossible.
The standard battery lasts for about a thousand jpeg shots at 10Mpx. If the camera is idle for some time (the time can be set in the main menu), it goes into sleep mode. It is easy to get him out of this mode - just press any button on the camera. In my practice, there was a case when I left the device turned on for the whole night, which did not affect the battery charge in any way. Unfortunately, charge indication occurs only in two stages: full charge (green indicator) and the battery needs to be charged (red indicator). With a red indicator, by the way, it is possible to take several dozen more pictures. And the charger weighs less than 100g, so you can easily carry it with you.
When viewing pictures on the camera screen, they are automatically rotated when the camera position is changed from horizontal to vertical.
QUALITY OF IMAGES
Despite the fact that Olympus E-450 belongs to the budget segment of SLR-cameras, the quality of the matrix causes only positive emotions. Under difficult lighting conditions, digital noise is absent or minimal. I will give my own pictures as an example:
CONCLUSIONS
The Olympus E-450 has everything a beginner and advanced amateur photographer might need. This camera has many positive sides: light weight and compactness, good ergonomics, excellent matrix and, of course, price. In terms of the latter, the Olympus E-450 has no competitors in the SLR class. Even Olympus PEN series cameras that do not have a mirror but have the same type of sensor are more expensive.
In addition to the "body" and the lens, the package includes a USB cable, a cable for connecting to a TV (for viewing pictures), a strap, a CD with proprietary software, instructions, a cap for the viewfinder and a hood. I would like to separately thank Olympus for the bundled hood. In addition to helping with shooting, this accessory also protects the lens from accidental touch.
Therefore, if you have a desire to become the owner of a digital SLR camera, then the Olympus E-450 is the perfect choice.
