From the Manufacturer
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Designed to be used by photographers of any skill level, the
E500's compact, durable body is packed with Olympus innovations
like the exclusive Dust Reduction System for spot-free photos, 8
million pixels of detail for bright and colorful images, a
TruePic Turbo Image Processor for fast response time, and an
easy-to-view 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD.
Exclusive Dust Free Technology for Spot-Free Photos
Dust is all around us, and when swapping out a lens on a digital
single-lens reflex camera there's a chance that a camera's
electro-statically charged image sensor will attract micro dust
that can ruin photos. Olympus's Dust Reduction System produces
spot-free photos with the exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter, a
patented ultrasonic technology that shakes at 35,000 vibrations a
second to remove dust from in front of the camera sensor every
time you turn the camera on.
Detailed, Bright, and Colorful Photos with 8-Megapixel Image
Sensor
The E500 is loaded with an impressive 8 million pixels of
detail, for bright colorful photos. The image sensor in the Evolt
E500 is a high-performance Full Frame Transfer Kodak KAF-8300CE
CCD that delivers improved dynamic range, low noise to capture
fine image details in the highlight and shadow areas, as well as
excellent color fidelity for brilliant colors.
TruePic Turbo for Clarity and Speed
Olympus's TruePic Turbo Image Processor provides fast camera
response, operation, and processing speed for more responsive
camera operation. For faster burst rates, the TruePic Turbo
processor addresses the dedicated 64 MB image buffer for up to
four TIFF or RAW images at 2.5 frames per second, and unlimited
burst mode with HQ JPEG images and extreme-speed Compact Flash
cards.
Large, Easy-to-View 2.5-Inch HyperCyrstal LCD Monitor
Big and bright with 215,250 pixels, the E500 has a 2.5-inch
HyperCrystal LCD that offers many times the contrast of
conventional LCD monitors, so captured images can be beautifully
displayed in vivid color on the screen with exceptional clarity.
Because photos are for sharing, the E500 LCD features a wide,
160-degree viewing angle on the vertical and horizontal axis,
ensuring excellent visibility and beautiful image quality even
when everyone huddles around the camera to see what you've
created.
The World's Largest Selection of Digital Specific Lenses
The versatility of the Olympus E-System comes from delivering
the largest selection of "Designed-for-Digital" lenses--more than
any other manufacturer to date. Olympus's Zuiko Digital Specific
Lenses come in a wide range of focal lengths for achieving the
best image result, and impress with their spectacular clarity and
edge-to-edge sharpness.
Most other digital SLR cameras still use many traditional 35mm
film lenses on digital bodies. But since those lenses are based
on designs for film and not for pixels, they deliver insufficient
light at the edges of a digital camera's image sensor. This can
result in reduced sharpness and color definition, particularly
when shooting with large apertures and wide-angle lenses. The
E500 does not have this problem, because it accommodates the full
line of interchangeable Zuiko Digital Lenses, which are designed
for digital capture with smart technology that allows the lenses
to communicate with the camera to ensure the best possible image
quality.
Olympus dedicated digital optics coupled with the Evolt E500
render sharpness and contrast more consistently at any given
f-stop. The lenses are matched to the Four Thirds System standard
image sensor for the optimal balance between image quality,
camera, and lens size, and expandability. With a wide array of
digital specific lenses to choose from, it's easy to select the
ideal lens to bring along when you don't want to lug a lot of
heavy, bulky gear.
The E500 outfit includes a compact, Zuiko digital 14-45mm
f3.5-f5.6 lens (equivalent to 28mm-90mm in 35mm photography) that
perfectly matches the imager so light strikes the sensor directly
to ensure rich, accurate colors and edge-to-edge sharpness. Its
3.2x zoom covers the range most frequently used in ordinary
photography and weighs just 10 ounces (285 grams) offering users
an extremely dynamic, portable everyday-use zoom. Close-ups as
near as 15 inches (38 centimeters) are possible throughout the
zoom range.
Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Handle Light and Ergonomic Design
Creating an affordable digital SLR that most anyone can pick up
and start to use is about making it easier to operate. That means
menus that make sense and buttons on the body that are easy to
understand and operate; adding automatic settings for every
imaginable situation; making the LCD big and bright enough so you
can review a without squinting; and making it less of a
chore to get images out of the camera and into your computer or
printer. Moreover, at just 5.09 x 3.72 x 2.59 inches (W x H x D)
and only 15.3 ounces, the Evolt E500 is light and compact enough
to comfortably shoot with all day.
You don't need a degree in photography to shoot like a pro with
the E500. Just take it home, charge the Li-ion battery with the
included charger, and begin taking photos. Select from one of the
camera's 25 Exposure Modes (Easy, Basic, and Creative) that make
it easy to get the results you want, whenever and wherever you
want them.
To access the Easy Modes, simply turn the mode dial on the top
of the camera to "Scene" and choose from a range of 15
pre-programmed Scene Select modes to achieve the optimal results
for Night Scenes, Children, and more.
Every Scene Select mode on the Evolt E500 provides a sample
image and a description of what is happening to achieve the
desired result. For example, choosing the Landscape setting
reveals a sample of a landscape photo, and a text description of
what the mode is displayed on the large, easy-to-read 2.5-inch
LCD.
The Flexibility of the Most Feature Rich Camera in its Class
Once one feature is mastered, there are a seemingly endless
number of other features just waiting to be explored. Because the
E500 is designed for the ultimate user-friendly experience, you
can choose to let the camera make all the decisions, or take
control for a new level of customization and performance.
* 5 Metering Modes: A new 49-Point Digital ESP Light Meter
enables digital electro selective pattern metering for accurate
exposures under the largest number of conditions. The Digital ESP
can also be linked to the AF (autofocus) selection or independent
of the AF selection for even more versatility. Olympus's widely
accled proprietary Digital ESP metering calculates the best
light values under complex lighting conditions. Center-weighted
metering is biased to the center of the viewfinder (cross) area.
Spot Meter (2%) enables the most accurate metering for tough
lighting conditions like backlit or spot lit. Highlight Spot
Meter (2%) adjusts for predominantly white subject for correct
exposure with detail. Shadow Spot Meter (2%) adjusts for a black
subject, providing the correct exposure with detail.
* 3 Color Modes: Vivid/Natural/Muted: Vivid mode produces photos
with more highly saturated colors and higher contrast to optimize
images when vivid s are required. The Natural mode produces
realistic color similar to those seen by the human eye and is the
perfect choice for the discerning photographer looking for the
most realistic photos. The Muted mode is ideal for those users
who plan to heavily manipulate or edit their images with the
included Olympus Master Software or with Adobe Photoshop.
* A Choice of Two Color Space Settings: Users can choose from two
color space settings according to their needs: sRGB, which is the
standard for computer monitor viewing and inkjet printer output,
and Adobe RGB, which is widely used for commercial applications.
* 9 Black and White Modes: Red, Yellow, Orange, and Green filters
can be selected to replicate the same traditional film filters,
enhancing the drama of the image in the Black and White shooting
mode. In addition to Sepia tone, the Evolt E500 also offers users
three tone effects: Blue, Green, and Purple for special results.
* Dual Card Slots: Users also benefit from two memory card
slots--one for CompactFlash or Microdrive and one for xD-Picture
Cards. Simply depress a button on the back of the camera to
choose which card type to capture and copy images back and forth
from one card to the other in playback.
* Support for High-Speed and High-Capacity Memory Media: The
Evolt E500 supports 32-bit file formatting allowing the use of 2
gigabyte and larger CF, Microdrive, and xD media cards. The Evolt
E500 also supports high-speed CF cards for faster operation in
the burst mode.
* Simultaneous RAW and JPEG Image : A choice of three
image formats is offered: RAW, TIFF, and JPEG. If desired, image
data can be simultaneously recorded in RAW and JPEG with the
RAW+JPEG format.
* Contrast, Sharpness, and Tone Curve Controls: Contrast can be
set to any of five levels, and sharpness can be set to any of
seven levels. So whether you want pro-quality tonal fidelity or
sharp vibrant colors, you can customize each image to suit their
preference.
* White Balance: White balance settings from 3,000K to 7,000K can
be set in 12 steps using button and dial controls, with +/-
7-step fine-tuning available for all settings. A one-touch white
balance function allows users to store and retrieve up to four
frequently used white balance settings at the touch of a button.
What's in the box:
Evolt E500 digital camera body, Zuiko digital 14-45mm f3.5-f5.6
lens, USB cable, video cable, Li-Ion battery pack (BLM-1), Li-Ion
battery charger (BCM-2), shoulder strap, Olympus Master Software
CD-ROM, manuals, warranty card.
- 8 megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo quality 16 x 22 inch prints.
- 2.5 inch HyperCrystal LCD display; 5 metering modes and built in filters, including nine filters for black and white photography.
- Exclusive dust free technology for spot free photos.
- Lightweight ergonomic design; kit includes Zuiko 14 45mm f3.5 5.6 digital SLR lens.
- Powered by one lithium ion battery; stores images on CF, Micro Drive, or xD Picture Cards.