First, a note about naming conventions: this camera is also known as the E-20 and the E-20P. The N in E-20N signifies that this is an NTSC (North American) model. European versions are called E-20P because their video-out feature is designed to work with PAL televisions. The models are otherwise identical.

Design and Optics
The E-20N looks and feels like a high-quality professional film SLR. It's hefty, weighing in at 37 ounces, due both to the glass in the lens and the camera's cast-aluminum body. Unlike other digital cameras in its class, the lens on the E-20N is not removable, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. Digital SLRs from other manufacturers typically include just the camera body, and adding a quality lens is a substantial additional expense. Olympus asserts that having removable lenses exposes the sensor to dust, but digital SLRs from Nikon, Canon, and Fuji all use removable lenses, and dust isn't a widely reported problem with those models. Olympus also states that using a lens specifically designed for a digital camera produces sharper images than using a lens designed for a 35mm SLR. This makes sense, since the imaging sensor in a digital camera is smaller than a 35mm negative.

The lens on the E-20N contains aspheric elements, ED elements, and a Gauss-type lens group--features designed to maximize image quality, and typically found only on high-end lenses. In 35mm terms, the lens zooms from 35-140mm, with a maximum aperture of f2.0 to f2.4, depending on how much zoom is used. If you're looking for even more flexibility, add-on lenses ranging from 28mm to 420mm are available.

To compose your photos, either use the swivel-mounted 1.8-inch LCD on the back of the camera or look through the traditional-style ground-glass viewfinder. Most digital SLRs use a mirror to send light to either the viewfinder or the CCD sensor, but the Olympus uses a beam-splitter--basically a prism--to illuminate the viewfinder and the sensor simultaneously. The LCD monitor also sits on a hinge, letting you tilt it up 90 degrees, or down 20 degrees, so you can take pictures from unusual camera angles while still accurately framing the scene.

The 5-megapixel CCD sensor on the E-20N is one of the highest-resolution sensors currently available and captures images with filmlike detail. Like most CCDs, this unit retains a design limitation handed down from the device's origins in television cameras: it is an interlaced chip, which means the camera reads information from the CCD twice--once for all pixels in the sensor's even rows, and again for all the odd rows. The camera then merges these two sets of data into a single image. This technology limits the top shutter speed in 5-megapixel mode to 1/640th of a second--reasonably quick, but not fast enough for high-speed photography. To get around this limitation, Olympus has added a progressive-scan feature to the camera. In simple terms, this mode only reads information from half of the pixels on the sensor (and limits your photos to 2.5 megapixels), but increases your shutter speed to a screaming 1/18,000th of a second, increasing the camera's flexibility tremendously.

More Features
Shooting options on the E-20N include all of the typical modes you'd expect to see on a high-end consumer digital camera: program, aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual shooting modes. Other user-controlled settings include exposure compensation, metering mode, ISO setting, flash, white balance, and focus. Users can leave white balance on auto, select from a number of kelvin temperatures, or manually create a preset. The built-in flash features red-eye reduction, auto, fill-in, and off modes. External flashes can connect to the E-20N through the hot-shoe on top of the camera. Exposure compensation can be set from -3 to +3 EV in one-third EV increments. The ISO can be set to 80, 160, or 320. Also, an autobracketing feature takes three pictures, one over exposed and one under exposed, and allows you to set the exposure compensation up to one EV step in either direction, in one-third EV step increments. A histogram function lets you view exposure information after you capture an image, giving you instant feedback about how to improve your picture-taking skills. A large internal buffer allows the E-20N to take up to take up to four shots in sequence at three frames per second, even when set to record images as uncompressed TIFFs.

Power
The E-20N uses four AA or two CR-V3 lithium batteries--a set of the lithium batteries is included. These batteries have a long life, but they aren't rechargeable, so they're not a good long-term solution unless you're an extremely occasional photographer. We strongly recommend using a set of rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries.

Storage and Transfer
Unlike most other digital cameras, the E-20N uses both SmartMedia and CompactFlash (Type I and II, including the IBM Microdrive) for storage, and can use both simultaneously. The camera has slots for both types of cards, and a menu setting lets you toggle between the slots for storage. The included 32 MB SmartMedia card holds 11 pictures at full resolution with normal compression or two pictures in uncompressed TIFF mode. The card can be erased and reused over and over, but if you plan to take more than 11 photos on an outing, then you'll want a higher-capacity card--a 256 MB CompactFlash card, for example, holds around 80 photos at default settings.

Contents and Recommended Accessories
The kit includes the camera, lens hood, lens cap, video, and USB cables, strap, lithium disposable batteries, wireless remote control, 32 MB SmartMedia card, basic manual, and software on CD, including Adobe PhotoShop Elements. Everything you need to get started is included in the box, but to make the most of your camera, we strongly recommend a higher-capacity memory card, rechargeable batteries, and a carrying case. Compatible accessories for this camera are listed near the top of this page.

Conclusion
For serious 35mm SLR users considering a digital camera, the E-20N is a natural choice. The camera feels extremely solid, and controls are logically arranged. Thanks to the high-resolution sensor and fine lens, picture quality is excellent. Admittedly, there are still some areas where the E-20N can't keep up with a film camera, but unless you're a sports or news photographer who needs to blast through a roll of film in five seconds, or someone who requires an unusual lens, this Olympus should offer the features and performance you need. --Shane Burnett

Pros:

• 5-megapixel sensor captures filmlike detail
• Features, appearance, and performance are all similar to a 35mm SLR
• Dual memory card slots let you choose your format--or load both slots for more capacity

Cons:

• Though the lens is of extremely high quality, competitors' models feature detachable lenses
• Rechargeable batteries and more memory are necessities for long-term use

I suspect that many of the cameras which purport to offer higher theoretical resolution are in fact limited by lens resolution. The small size of compact digital sensors in comparison with film makes severe demands on lens quality, but the dedicated digital E-10 and E-20 lenses are definitely up to the task.

Pixel quality, rather than quantity, is definitely an area where this and the E-10 shine- the rendition and gradation of colours is better than most. Particularly good with greens, golds and blacks.

The other outstanding thing about this camera is the way it handles. The user interface (by the standard of DLSR cameras) is elegant, and satisfying. This is particularly the case if you regularly tweak the settings: the interface is aimed at making such tweaks while composing the shot, rather than having to step through menus prior to the shot, although this means you need to get to know where each button is by feel, and stay familiar with what it does. You also need to get into the habit of doing a quick "cockpit check" prior to shooting, in case of an inappropriate setting left from the previous session.

I'm a big fan of spinning a rotary switch rather than repeatedly pressing a pushbutton, and the designers of this camera clearly share that preference. In a nice amalgamation of the best of both worlds, you typically hold a button down with one finger to identify which parameter to tweak, while spinning whichever of two rotary knobs comes most conveniently under another digit in order to change that parameter or select from a number of options. The buttons are nicely spread around the available areas, so that you can find them by feel. Many are differentiated in some tactile way which confirms their identity. In some cases (eg manual vs autofocus) Olympus have opted for a dedicated rotary lever even though there are only two choices. This means your finger tells you what the mode is, eliminating the need for yet another confusing light in the viewfinder.
The balance and feel of the camera is very pleasing, and the buttons and dials fall nicely under the fingers. This is a "Real" metal-body camera, no expense spared in the case design and production, and it feels like it.

Personally I think the E-10 is an even better camera than the E-20, unless resolution is your paramount concern - the E20 has some speed issues, and extra options which may distract rather than adding value, depending on your priorities. The E10, considering how much control you get, has a minimum of fiddly "smart" bells and whistles- a great camera if capturing short movie clips with sound holds no fascination for you.

I have one major gripe: while there is a facility for hooking the camera up to an external (TV) monitor, to preview the image in real time (as it falls on the sensor)- and the camera comes with an infra-red cordless remote shutter release - yet, for some *entirely* unfathomable reason, you cannot use both these facilities at once, which reduces the remote to not much more than a gimmick. You have to shell out for an expensive extension cable release, and this is of limited length.

Minor gripes are mainly connected with the autofocus- you do have to pander to it in ways which are not necessary in the case of a wet-film SLR, and it is definitely slower. However if I had to choose between a better autofocus and the superb (for a DSLR) manual focus and zoom (both via lens rings), it would be no contest.

It used to bother me that the LCD down-angle is insufficient for high overhead shots, until I realised that I could angle the panel to "maximum up" and turn the camera upside down to take the photo. The image will still look "right way up" to you, although not to the camera.

All things considered, if you like to have lots of control of the parameters, and you use your camera regularly, this is a very good choice.


Most fun I've had with a camera, but get a real memory card.   January 29, 2004
drsquared (Antwerp, Belgium)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful

This is the only digital SLR I have owned, and it is the only camera I have had that is actually fun to use. My film SLR left me gnashing my teeth outside the developer when I found out all too late I blew every shot on the roll.

That said, I have two gripes. First,the 32MB card is a joke --holds 7 pictures at maximum resolution and highest quality compression. If you don't upgrade the card, the only way it is manageble is to drop the resolution to 1 megapixel and 8x compression -- if that is all you'll use, what's the point of getting a 5 megapixel camera. 1GB compact flash cards seem to be the best value today at less than $200 and they will hold 260 shots at the highest quality level. 256MB Cards may be doable at 75 shots, but smaller cards will certainly drive you to sacrifice on resolution and quality to get more shots on the card.

Second, rapid shooters will be disappointed since the buffer will hold 4 pictures, and this limit does not change with resolution oddly. After the buffer is full, it takes up to 10 seconds for it to write each shot to the card. You can shoot as soon as 1 slot is open, but to do a 4 shot burst again, you have to wait 30-40 seconds for the whole buffer to clear. This will bother some users but not others. The write time seems the same regardless of whether you use Smart Media or Compact Flash.


Quality Product   April 22, 2003
Ryan Fox (Washington)
12 out of 12 found this review helpful

Well, after 3 years of serious consideration, I finally went digital. I spent hours an hours considering which camera to buy, and since I've had great experience with Olympus in the past, I looked at the E10 and E20. Once I got relatively acquainted wuth these two, I looked at other models.
I went with the E20 and I could want little else. It is easy to use, and easy to learn all the functions and I find it very user friendly. On top of that the images are amazing. The program mode is almost fool proof, and you get great results all the time if you are just taking quick shots for WYSIWYG images.
For tose fearful of the woeful reports of battery consumption, just go out and get three sets of Nickle Metal Hydride batteries and a rapid charger and you'll be set. If you plan on going on a trigger-happy outing and do that often, you might want to consider Olys Lithium Polymer battery setup. It is an investment, but it will ultimately pay for itself.