The DSLR Information Thread

[P3T3R]

Just started this thread for the Photography enthusiasts. Discuss everything regarding DSLR camera's here.

What is a DSLR?
DSLR stands for "Digital Single Lens Reflex". In simple language, DSLR is a digital camera that uses mirrors to direct light from the lens to the viewfinder, which is a hole on the back of the camera that you look through to see what you are taking a picture of.

What do DSLR cameras consist of?
Take a look at the following image of an SLR cross section (image courtesy of Wikipedia):
1 Lens
2 Reflex mirror
3 Shutter
4 Image sensor
5 Matte focusing screen
6 Condenser lens
7 Pentaprism
8 Eyepiece/Viewfinder

How do DSLR cameras work?
When you look through the viewfinder on the back of the camera, whatever you see is exactly what you are going to get in the photograph. The scene that you are taking a picture of passes through the lens in a form of light into a reflex mirror (#2) that sits at a 45 degree angle inside the camera chamber, which then forwards the light vertically to an optical element called a "pentaprism" (#7). The pentaprism then converts the vertical light to horizontal by redirecting the light through two separate mirrors, right into the viewfinder (#8).

When you take a picture, the reflex mirror (#2) swings upwards, blocking the vertical pathway and letting the light directly through. Then, the shutter (#3) opens up and the light reaches the image sensor (#4). The shutter (#3) remains open for as long as needed for the image sensor (#4) to record the image, then the shutter (#3) closes and the reflex mirror (#2) drops back to the 45 degree angle to continue redirecting the light into the viewfinder.

Obviously, the process doesn't stop there. Next, a lot of complicated image processing happens on the camera. The camera processor takes the information from the image sensor, converts it into an appropriate format, then writes it into a memory card. The whole process takes very little time and some professional DSLRs like Nikon D3s can do this 11 times in one second!

The above is a very simple way to explain how DSLR cameras work.

To read a lot more about DSLRs, check out this great article at Wikipedia.

Courtesy: http://mansurovs.com/what-is-a-dslr

 

[P3T3R]

DSLR Photography Basics

If you are new to digital SLR photography, or if you need a quick refresher course in basic photography theory, you’ve come to the right place. The articles on this page are designed to introduce a full range of photographic concepts in bite-size chunks.

Use Depth of Field to Improve Your Digital Photos
Depth of field describes the area in a photograph that is in sharp focus. I actually prefer the term “field of focus,” because I think it describes the concept much better. Photographers settled on depth of field long ago, however, so depth of field is the phrase everyone uses.

Depth of field (DOF) is a relatively simple concept to understand. Although only a single point in an image can be in true focus, various lenses and certain lens setting can create the appearance of a much wider area of focus. You can change the DOF in an image by changing the lens aperture, as well as moving closer or farther way from the subject.

A more academic approach to DOF would include discussion of things like circle of confusion and hyperfocal distance. For all practical purposes, however, you don’t require knowledge of these advanced topics to utilize DOF effects into your photos.

Use the proper Depth of Field for your subject matter
There is no “good” or “bad” depth of field. Depending on your subject and your artistic vision, you may choose to use a wide DOF for some images and a very narrow DOF for others. If you are shooting a portrait, you may want a narrow DOF, so only the person’s face is in sharp focus. If you are shooting a front three-quarter shot of a car, you may require a wide DOF, so everything from the grille to the rear bumper appears tack sharp.

There are three ways you can control depth of field:

1. You can move farther away or closer to your subject
2. You can switch the lens focal length
3. You can change the aperture of the lens to a larger or smaller opening

Let’s look into these methods more closely.

Vary depth of field by altering the distance to your subject
Depth of field varies as you move closer or farther away from your subject. If you have ever shot closeups with a macro lens, you undoubtedly noticed that only your subject was in focus, while everything else was dramatically fuzzy. Because the lens was extremely close to the subject, the image exhibits very shallow DOF.

The same effect, although less noticeable, occurs when shooting any subject. The closer a lens of a particular focal length is to the subject, the less apparent depth of field you will see in the resulting photograph. Don’t expect to see a great difference in DOF unless you move the lens significantly. When you photograph something from afar, such as Big Ben or the Grand Canyon, chances are the entire subject will be in focus, because the subject was far away from the lens.

Change depth of field by changing the focal length
The second way to manage DOF is by changing lens focal length. Wideangle lenses tend to exaggerate the apparent depth of field, while telephoto lenses usually offer a shallow field of focus. The result is that almost everything will tend to appear in focus with a wideangle lens. A telephoto will allow you to isolate your subject from the background and foreground.

As I indicated earlier, which lens you choose will depend on what you are attempting to show in the photo. Suppose you are shooting a group of people seated around a table. Your goal will be to have everyone in focus, so a wideangle focal length will be the most appropriate choice. On the other hand, maybe you are shooting a craftsman working on a project in his crowded shop. By choosing a telephoto focal length you can cause only the man to be in focus, allowing the rest of the image to fade into a soft blur.

Notice I used the term wideangle and telephoto focal length instead of lens. Many zoom lenses include both wideangle and telephoto settings. This means depth of field produced by a zoom lens will vary with the selected focal length.

Control depth of field with aperture

The final way to control DOF is with lens aperture. Larger lens openings (smaller f-numbers) create shallower depth of field. Smaller lens openings create greater DOF. Think about what happens when you are trying to make out a sign that is too far away to read. Most people squint, causing their eye opening to be smaller and the sign to be more focused.

Your camera lens works exactly the same way. When you open the aperture to allow more light to pass through the lens, DOF becomes shallower. Stop the lens down to a smaller f/stop and DOF becomes more pronounced.

Now that you understand the concept behind depth of field, consider how you can use this knowledge to improve your photographs. I’ve already discussed how you can select an appropriate focal length for a particular subject. But the available DOF options are much more complex. Great photographers learn how to manipulate DOF to create arresting photos.

Isolating a subject from the background, whether it is a flea or a battleship, always produces interesting subjects. Most photographers choose to shoot architectural subjects with a widelangle, because the focal length allows them to capture the whole building while standing near it. To capitalize on shallow DOF, however, you could walk several blocks away and shoot with a telephoto, separating the building from other structures nearby.

Should the subject require many different elements to be in focus, you now know that you can achieve that result by either moving farther away, switching to a wideangle lens or selecting a smaller aperture. Naturally you can combine all these techniques to increase the DOF even further.

 

[P3T3R]

Your DSLR’s Automatic Diaphragm: Understanding how it works
Many new photographers assume that the term automatic aperture refers to the automatic aperture adjustment offered by the Sony Alpha (and other dSLRs.)

In fact, an automatic diaphragm has nothing to do with auto exposure. A lens with an automatic diaphragm will remain at its maximum aperture for focusing and composing, only stopping down to the set aperture at the moment of exposure.

If you have ever used a camera with a manual diaphragm, you will understand why an automatic diaphragm is such a huge advantage. A fully automatic diaphragm is a delight to use, particularly in dim light or when the lens is stopped down to maximize depth of field.

The term diaphragm is used to describe the lens aperture system — the system of blades that create the adjustable aperture. Some photographers use the terms aperture and diaphragm interchangeably. They are closely related, but the aperture is actual lens opening, while diaphragm is the collection of components that comprise the aperture assembly.

Turning the clock back to the early days of photography, you will find that early lenses did not have adjustable apertures — at least not the adjustable apertures you and I are used to. When the first adjustable diaphragms appeared, they allowed the photographer to change the lens opening to allow more or less light through the lens. The diaphragm contained a number of preset openings, which became known as f/stops or f/numbers. Smaller f/numbers actually indicate larger lens openings, while the smallest lens openings are represented with higher numerical f/stops. This system continues more or less today.

The thing that sets modern lenses apart from the older adjustable aperture lenses is that the older units use a completely manual diaphragm. As you change the lens opening from say f/4 to f/11, the amount of light passing through the lens is reduced accordingly. That regulates the exposure properly, but it causes problems for focusing and composing. Since a SLR shows you exactly what the lens sees, if you stop a manual diaphragm lens down, the image in the view finder becomes dimmer. In low light conditions it may be impossible to see anything through the viewfinder. Even in bright sunlight, a lens stopped down to f/22 or smaller is difficult to see through.

Lens designers solved this problem by creating an automatic diaphragm. This design has been more or less standard on SLR cameras for the last fifty years. With an auto diaphragm, the aperture remains wide open, no matter which lens opening is selected. You may select an f/stop of f/16, but the lens will remain opened to it’s maximum aperture at all times. This provides the brightest possible image in the viewfinder.

When you actually take an image, a mechanical or electrical devise rapidly stops the lens down to the chosen aperture, to create the proper exposure. You don’t see this happening, because at the same time the camera is stopping down the lens, it is also swinging the viewing mirror up to expose the sensor (or film in film SLR). When the mirror swings up, the viewfinder turns black for an instant. It is during that time that the auto diaphragm goes to work and stops the lens down. As soon as the exposure is made, the diaphragm springs wide open again, presenting you with a bright viewfinder when the mirror returns.

Of course if the selected f/stop corresponds to the lens maximum aperture, nothing happens; the lens cannot be stopped down, so it simply remains wide open.

Is this just some interesting photography trivia? Not at all. Even though all of your current lenses probably contain an automatic diaphragm, there are several reasons you should familiarize yourself with how a manual diaphragm works.

1: Many teleconverters and lens mount adapters do not offer an automatic diaphragm. Thus when you use these adapters, your modern new dSLR reverts to a manual diaphragm camera.

2: There are numerous manual diaphragm lenses still on the market. Some of these are new special purpose lenses, while others are older (but still usable) optics. You need to understand just what using a manual diaphragm entails before investing in one of these lenses.

3: Many new dSLR’s lack a proper depth of field preview option. When you stop a lens down, DOF grows wider, while opening the lens aperture causes DOF to appear shallower. Since an automatic diaphragm lens is always wide open, you cannot see DOF in the viewfinder. Even if you have a lens that will stop down to f/32 you won’t see the effect in the viewfinder unless your camera allows you to switch to a manual diaphragm preview mode.

4: If you understand about how an automatic diaphragm works, you will understand why a DOF preview is worth having. This could influence your future camera buying decisions.

The automatic diaphragm, although it had been around for decades, is just as important to modern SLR cameras as auto focus, auto exposure and image stabilization. Understanding how it works and why it is needed is crucial to getting the most out of your dLSR.

In this close up of the rear of a dSLR lens, you can see the hexagon shape of the aperture. If you look closely, you will see the edges of the overlapping metal blades that form the aperture opening.

This opening is set at f/8. Changing the f/stop to a larger number will cause the aperture blades to close down to reduce the passage of light. Changing to a f/stop with a smaller number will make the lens open up to admit more light. In either case, depth of field will be affected.

 

[P3T3R]

Camera ISO: the foundation of every great image

Understanding the role of ISO is crucial to getting the most out of your dSLR. If you are unsure of what ISO is or how to determine which ISO setting you should use, this article is for you. When you have finished reading this, you should have a solid understanding of ISO and it’s role in capturing great images.

The term ISO is derived from the International Organization for Standardization, a group that establishes standards for a wide variety of commercial enterprises, including the photographic industry.

ISO describes how sensitive a digital sensor is to light. Unlike film, which requires the entire roll to use the same sensitivity setting, the digital sensor in your dSLR can adjusted for each individual image. This allows you to tailor your sensor to fit both your subject and the lighting conditions.

On most dSLRs the lowest sensitivity starts at ISO 100. The ISO doubles each time the sensitivity is increased. Thus the ISO range would be 100, 200, 400, 800 and so on. Early dSLRs usually topped our at ISO 1600. The current crop of dSLRs may feature an ISO of 3200 or even 6400. If your camera features a high ISO of 3200, that means you can adjust your sensor through a range of five stops. Should your camera offer a ISO of 6400, you have a six stop range, assuming a low ISO of 100.
What are the advantages of shooting at a high ISO?

In dim light, you generally want to use a high ISO setting. There are several advantages to adjusting the sensor so it is more sensitive to light.

* It allows you to capture images in dim light
* You can use a faster shutter speed to freeze motion
* By increasing the shutter speed, you can hand-hold long telephoto lenses with less worry of camera vibration
* You can increase depth of field by stopping the lens down to a smaller aperture

Of course, most good things involve a trade off. The advantages of a high ISO setting comes at the expense of image quality. Unfortunately, the higher the ISO, the more visible noise you will see in the final photograph.
The problem of noise

Noise is a pattern of noticeable specs appearing throughout the image. Noise is often compared to film grain, but it is not the same thing, Fast films usually show more grain than slower emulsions, because to increase sensitivity, the individual grains of silver have to be larger. As these silver grains grow, they become more noticeable.

Digital sensors work differently. You can think of the individual pixels of the sensor as miniature solar collectors. To collect more light, the camera’s processor needs to amplify the electrical charge to each pixel. A higher charge creates more heat and digital interference, which translates into noise.

By turning down the power to the sensor, the heat and disturbance can be reduced to a degree that noise is more or less invisible. Thus by lowering the ISO you will typically will see less noise. At ISO 100, images will usually be noise free.

That is only part of the story, however. There are many other reasons to select a lower ISO, beyond noise reduction.
Why would you want to photograph at a lower ISO?

* While fast shutter speeds are great for stopping movement, sometimes you might want to display motion in your photos. Selecting a low ISO will allow you to slow down the shutter and display the appearance of action.
* When you want to use selective focus, you can use a fast lens opened to it’s maximum aperture.This will reduce depth of field to a minimum, allowing you to isolate your subject from the surroundings. To be able to shoot wide open in bright light, you will need to lower the ISO.
* When taking pictures at night, you might want everything but your illuminated subject to look dark. A high ISO can actually cause dimly lighted scenes to look like they were taken in daylight, ruining your efforts at night photography. Reducing the ISO will make your night scenes look like they were actually taken after dark.

Most dSLR cameras will attempt to automatically select the best ISO for a given situation. In most cases, however, manually selecting the ISO will yield superior images. The ISO setting represents a compromise between maximum image quality and maximum light sensitively. These attributes are polar opposites, and your camera cannot determine which attribute should receive priority in a given situation.

Which ISO should you use? For the best image quality, restrict the ISO to 100 or 200. If conditions dictate, you can sacrifice some image quality and turn the ISO up to 400 or possibly 800. You should reserve the highest ISO settings for those times when you are willing to accept a noisy image because it would be difficult or impossible to capture a photo at a lower sensitivity rating.
Full frame cameras usually offer better image quality at High ISO settings

One final thing you should be aware of. Full frame dSLRs will usually offer better image quality at higher sensitivity settings than one with a smaller APS-C sensor. That is because for a given megapixel rating, the individual pixels on a full frame sensor will be larger. larger pixels collect more light, so they will need less amplification to record at a particular ISO setting.

That doesn’t mean that a full frame camera is immune to noise problems, or that a camera with a APS-C sensor cannot produce very high quality images. All things being equal, however, you can crank the ISO up higher on a FF sensor with less fear of producing a noisy image.

Courtesy:http://alphatracks.com/dslr-photography-basics

 

[RSM]

This is good thread man. I have plan to buy one DSLR camera. This thread will be helpful.

 

[P3T3R]

I am a Newbie to DSLR's too. Buying my first shortly so doing some research. I posting all the information I gather so other's don't have to hunt around.

 

[type-r]

i have quite a bit of experience with DSLRs
my friend has a Nikon D90 which i find the most ideal DSLR in the market
it is easy to use and looks good too!
but a tad expensive at 40K Baht!

 

[P3T3R]

i have quite a bit of experience with DSLRs
my friend has a Nikon D90 which i find the most ideal DSLR in the market
it is easy to use and looks good too!
but a tad expensive at 40K Baht!

What kind of photography are you into?
Nikon and Canon are the most popular brands in India. The service backup is good too. Olympus has good products but not very good service back up. Don't know much about Pentax. They used to make good film cameras. Panasonic and Sony are just not up to the mark.

 

[Aditya]

A bit of research, when I was thinking of a DLSR lead me to the D90 too.
It has an amazing 18-105 lens.
Pity the plan to purchase had to be aborted.
And I agree with Peter ... Olympus, good camera, no service network though. I have an Olympus prosumer which is doing good duty.

@Peter ... very informative thread. Will be looking forward to your snaps after the purchase!!

 

[P3T3R]

The Shoot Out

Well the most popular DSLR's are the Nikon D3000 and the Canon EOS 1000D. Lets compare them.

Nikon recently announced the Nikon D3000 digital SLR, a successor to the popular Nikon D40 and D60 entry level digital SLR cameras. The 10.2 MP DX format Nikon D3000 ups the ante with a larger 3.0-inch LCD screen, a new user friendly 'Guide' setting accessible directly on the mode dial, and the inclusion of Nikon's Scene Recognition System found in the Nikon D5000 and D90 and other higher end Nikon SLR cameras.

The Nikon D3000 also incorporates the same 11 point AF system with 3D Focus Tracking found in the Nikon D5000 and D90, while retaining many of the features and overall design that made the Nikon D40 and the current Nikon D60 so popular, including an easy to use menu system and comfortable buttons and controls. The D3000 offers 10.2 megapixel resolution like the D60.

Based on general features and price points, the Canon Digital Rebel XS / EOS 1000D is the closest current competitor to the Nikon D3000 digital SLR.

Nikon D3000 Main Advantages

# High precision 420-segment 3D colour matrix metering on the Nikon D3000 and D60 delivers more consistent results compared to 35-segment Evaluative metering system on the Canon Rebel XS / EOS 1000D. The Nikon D3000 and the D60 also feature a "Spot" metering option that can be tied to the AF system's active focus point for more precise metering within a given area.

# The Nikon D3000 offers a larger 3.0-inch 230,000 dot LCD monitor versus the 2.5-inch 230K LCD screen on both the Nikon D60 and the Canon Rebel XS, although there is no Live View display mode. The Canon Rebel XS SLR does offer Live View composition on the LCD monitor.

# Like the higher end Nikon D5000 and D90, the D3000 features Nikon's Scene Recognition System (SRS). The SRS technology found in the Nikon D3000 uses information gathered from the camera's 420-pixel RGB sensor to recognize the scene prior to capture. This feature improves accuracy for exposure, white balance, and autofocus by analyzing colour and illumination over the entire scene milliseconds prior to shooting. It then adjusts the camera settings accordingly for optimal picture quality.. The Nikon D60 and the Canon Rebel XS do not incorporate SRS technology.

# The D3000's auto focus system has been improved compared to the Nikon D60. The D3000 offers 11-point 3D Tracking and superior Auto-area AF which is linked to the camera's Scene Recognition System. The Canon Rebel XS offers a 7-point AF system that while very capable does not offer the same technical advancements as the Nikon D3000.

# Airflow Control System: leads air within the mirror box towards small ducts near the base of the camera, directing dust away from the image sensor. Helps prevent dust from potentially affecting image quality. This is also found in the Nikon D60. If dust becomes an issue, all three cameras feature a built-in sensor cleaning function to remove larger particles that might otherwise affect image quality.

# ISO sensitivity boost setting up to 3200 ISO (Hi1) which is the same as on the Nikon D60, compared to 1600 ISO maximum sensitivity setting on the Canon Rebel XS.

# User friendly "Guide" setting accessible on the main mode dial helps novice shooters by offering photographic guidance. The Nikon D60 does feature a built-in "help" guide which has been expanded and refined in the Nikon D3000. The Canon Rebel XS does not offer this feature.

# With difficult lighting conditions, important details can be lost in the highlights and shadows. The Nikon D3000 can correct these exposures instantly and automatically when you shoot with the camera's "Active D-Lighting" feature enabled. This option is also found on the Nikon D60. The Canon Rebel XS SLR does offer Canon's "Auto Lighting Optimizer", which is billed as being a similar technology to Active D-lighting, although based on side by side comparison tests Nikon's technology does offer better and more consistent results in this regard.

# D-lighting can be applied using the "Retouch Menu" after the picture is taken. The adjusted image is saved as a copy leaving the original intact.

# In-Camera Image Editing with built-in Retouch Menu (expanded upon versus D60). Remove red eye, crop, resize, in-camera RAW to JPEG conversion and editing, creative filter effects, create Black and White copy of original image, Stop Motion Movie animation and more.

# Low light AF assist and Red Eye Reduction beam provided by lamp located on the front side of the Nikon D3000 and the D60. The Canon Rebel XS emits a series of strobes from the built-in flash for low light AF assist, so the flash must be in the up position . for the feature to work. The Nikon D3000 and the D60 also offer a broader AF detection range from -1EV to 19 EV compared to -0.5 EV to 18 EV with the Canon Rebel XS.

# The Nikon AF-S DX 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR kit lens incorporates an AF-S motor for quiet focusing. The Canon EF-S 18-55mm IS lens does not incorporate a Canon Ultrasonic (USM) motor like some of Canon's higher end lenses.

# The Nikon D3000 comes provided with a rechargeable Li-Ion Nikon EN-EL9a battery that offers up to 550 shots per charge using flash 50% of the time (based on CIPA test standards). The Nikon D60 offers up to approximately 500 shots per battery charge and the Canon Rebel XS offers up to 450 shots with its supplied Li-Ion LP-E5 battery (based on the same CIPA test conditions).


Canon Rebel XS (EOS 1000D) Main Advantages

# The Canon Rebel XS offers a Live View display mode. Works in P,S,A,M exposure control modes. Displays the scene as a smooth, 30fps video feed on the LCD. Optional grid line and histogram can be selected to help with composition and exposure. Two Live View Modes: (1) Quick AF: flips mirror to engage the AF sensor (2) Live AF: Uses contrast information for compact camera- type focusing

# All functions supported with Canon EF and EF-S lenses compared to Nikon D3000 and the D60 were all functions are supported with AF-S Nikkor lenses. The Nikon D3000 and the D60 are compatible with older non AF-S lenses although they will not auto focus. Can be used with manual focus.

# Dedicated ISO control button conveniently accessible on top of the Canon Rebel XS.

# The built-in flash on the Rebel XS sits higher in the up position (helps minimize red eye) and is a little more powerful than the built-in flash found on the D3000 and the D60.

# The Canon Rebel XS offers 7 point Auto Focus (AF) with one cross sensor providing an AF coverage advantage compared to the Nikon D60 particularly for vertically composed shots. The D3000 offers the most technologically advanced AF system with 11-point AF and 3D Tracking.

# Six preset 'Picture Style' settings for selecting the look of an image. Three Custom Picture Style Settings are available compared to one Custom setting on the D3000 and the D60.

# The Canon Rebel XS features a convenient Depth-of-field AE (A-DEP) mode on the main control dial and dedicated depth of field preview button

# Mirror lock up feature for close up work up to 30 seconds. The Nikon D3000 and the D60 do not offer a Mirror lock up function.

# The Rebel XS is compatible with the optional Canon BG-E5 vertical release battery grip: able to take 6 AA batteries or two of the LP-E5 batteries. Provides a shutter button and control dial along with AE/FE Lock, exposure compensation and AF point selection buttons. The Nikon D3000 and D60 do not offer an accessory battery grip option.

# Additional software bundled with the Canon Rebel XS: Canon ZoomBrowser EX 6.1, Canon PhotoStitch 3.1, Canon Digital Photo Professional 3.4 allows for RAW editing and conversion, Picture Style Editor 1.3 allows you to create and manage your custom Picture Styles. The Nikon D3000 and the D60 come supplied with NikonView NX and a trial version of Nikon Capture NX2 for advanced RAW and JPEG image editing.

# Compatible with dedicated optional Canon Direct Print printers, including SELPHY compact photo printers.

# The Canon Digital Rebel XS / EOS 1000D SLR camera kit is available in either a black or silver finish. The Nikon D3000 and the D60 are available in a black body finish.

Courtesy:http://www.digitalreview.ca

 

[P3T3R]

The Third Alternative

Olympus has established a tradition of offering very well specified cameras at the entry-level, and was one of the first to offer two cameras in this bracket - the little E-410 and its image-stabilized big brother, the E-510 (later upgraded to the 420 and 520 respectively). Now it has introduced the E-620, a model that will 'sell alongside' the E-420 and E-520 (in the sense that we suspect it will eventually replace the E-520) as the company's attempt at a '500D-killer'.

And, even by Olympus's standards of entry-level generosity, it's not short on toys - including an articulated screen to make full use of its live view system, which itself is one of the better implementations of this feature (from the company that got there first). It's also got 'Art' modes and the ability to shoot in four different aspect ratios - adapted from the features of the more expensive E-30. There's also in-body Image Stabilization and a level of configurability that is unparalleled in this class. In fact it's astonishing how much Olympus has crammed into its small dimensions - it's nearer to the size of the E-4X0 than the E-5X0 series (due in part to use of the small BLS-1 battery), and the E-420 was famously the smallest DSLR in the world.

Of course, since the E-620 was announced, Olympus has launched the E-P1 mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, which shares many features with the E-620 and is still smaller. However, the through-the-lens optical viewfinder and fast, phase-detection autofocus system mean that the E-620 shouldn't face too much of a threat from its more compact sibling (despite the degree of shared componentry, they're different cameras that fulfil rather different needs).

More importantly, perhaps, the E-620 seems to address some of the main shortcomings of the E-520 - the viewfinder is slightly larger and has been reworked so that the information panel appears below the view screen, rather than tucked-away off to the right. It also moves on from the old three-point AF system with the introduction of a seven-point version, which includes five cross-type sensors. In fact, the specification of the E-620 is so high that it makes as much sense for us to compare it to Olympus's semi-pro body, the E-30, as to the company's existing entry-level models.

Courtesy: http://www.dpreview.com

The newly announced Olympus E-620, slips into the company’s consumer DSLR line, filling in a gap that pits it directly against the popular Canon Rebel XSi. The E-620 out-specs the year-old Rebel XSi with its sensor-shift image stabilization, built-in wireless flash controller, greater sensitivity range, and a fully articulated (though slightly smaller) LCD, but has only seven autofocus points (vs. the Canon’s nine). Add to that some of the interesting special-effects “Art Filters” that Olympus introduced in the E-30 (e.g., Warhol-esque pop art, grainy high-contrast black and white film, and a pinhole camera effect among others), in a package that’s closer in size to the very compact E-420 than the E-520, and you’ve got a pretty interesting package that should give the XSi a run for its money.

Courtesy: http://blogs.zdnet.com/

Mods please resize the photos to the same size as in the previous post.

 

[RSM]

So which is best? All looks equally good.

I have this olympus model - C-765. I bought almost 7-8 years back. And i think its serving my purpose well, till now. But eventually i will replace this with some DSLR.

 

[vijay]

superb thread and very much informative peter.Thanks for putting it up here.I own nikon D 3000 and the same site you mentioned have helped me to know it in a better way.Only thing i miss in my nikon is real time image display, else its a superb product to own for a entry level DSLR.Hope to improve my skills and contribute in this forum.

 

[P3T3R]

So which is best? All looks equally good.

I have this olympus model - C-765. I bought almost 7-8 years back. And i think its serving my purpose well, till now. But eventually i will replace this with some DSLR.

IMO the Olympus is the best but I had to rule it out as service in India is an issue. I was ready to live with that but even the guy at the shop was not very keen on selling it to me. The Canon has Live View but then this is a feature which is not of much use to you. The Canon comes with the Non IS (Image Stabiliser) lens in India whereas the Nikon has the VR (Vibration Reduction). IS & VR are basically the same thing.

superb thread and very much informative peter.Thanks for putting it up here.I own nikon D 3000 and the same site you mentioned have helped me to know it in a better way.Only thing i miss in my nikon is real time image display, else its a superb product to own for a entry level DSLR.Hope to improve my skills and contribute in this forum.

Great. Please share your experience with the D 3000. BTW how much did you pay? In Goa the Canon 1000D Non IS is 24K and Nikon D3000 VR is 27K both with bill and warranty. In addition he's giving me a 4 GB card and an original carry case.

 

[vijay]

Great. Please share your experience with the D 3000. BTW how much did you pay? In Goa the Canon 1000D Non IS is 24K and Nikon D3000 VR is 27K both with bill and warranty. In addition he's giving me a 4 GB card and an original carry case.

well i got it from USA in christmas deal and i got it for 450$ along with 8 GB card and case.