Question on older Oly DSLR

[James Emory]

I'm looking for an Oly DSLR to compliment my Oly E-PL2. I see there are a few new E-420's on Ebay for under 300.00. Is this a decent camera and what would a E-520 bring to the table over the E-420. Thanks guys.

[zig-123]

Hi James,

The E-420 is a stripped down version of the E-520. My memory fails me as exactly what the differences are. But, if it were me, I'd get the E-520.

Also, KEH.com has both used E-420's and E-520's available. The E-520 is available @ $205.00.

I've bought a lot of camera equip. from KEH.com and find them to be very reputable.

Zig

[Steven R]

Both are older, but decent cameras. The E-520 has In-Body Image Stabilization that is lacking on the E-420. The IBIS works for all lens. The E-520 also uses the bigger BLM1 battery; the E-420 uses the smaller BLS1 battery. The E-520 is a little more advanced, but the E-420 is more compact if you are looking for a smaller body. The E-520 can usually be had for less than $300 on amazon; the E-420 can usually be found for $250 on Amazon.

[tkurkowski]

Originally Posted by Steven R

Both are older, but decent cameras. The E-520 has In-Body Image Stabilization that is lacking on the E-420. The IBIS works for all lens.

I think the IBIS is really worth having, at least for telephoto lenses like the 40-150.

[James Emory]

OK, I'm convinced the 520 is the way to go. I understand it also has phase and contrast focusing capabilities, I like that as well. I believe my E-PL2 is just contrast focusing.

[jelow1966]

My old E-500 takes beautiful pictures but be aware that the ISO on these older models is pretty much useless after 400. I can do 800 on the E-1 but that's about it.

John

[James Emory]

Yes I have read that today about the 520/420 Evolts. High ISO picture quality is below par but you wouldn't see it unless you pushed the limits in RAW development or printed out large format pictures. I am now thinking a used E3 may be a better option but those are going for near 500 bucks. So at that price I'm thinking why not add 100 bucks to that and go with the E-PL5 which has the same sensor as the OM D M5 and does take very good pics. I certainly have plenty of time to think about it. Thanks for your input.

Originally Posted by jelow1966

My old E-500 takes beautiful pictures but be aware that the ISO on these older models is pretty much useless after 400. I can do 800 on the E-1 but that's about it.

John

[BarefootPilgrim]

Hi James,

I don't often post here, but I do lurk regularly and when I saw your OP it kicked my "respond to this" impulse, so here goes...

You didn't say why you want a DSLR to complement your E-PL2. Is it because the older Oly DSLRs are cheap right now or because you want to try a DSLR?

Biggest differences between E-420 and E-520 are IBIS (E-420 has none) and size. The E-520 is larger and has a bigger grip. The E-3 is much bigger than either and IMO E-3 noise performance is not all that much better than the E-520.

If you simply want a second body, then why not go for another E-PL2? They're pretty inexpensive these days, especially if you shop on the forums like mu-43.com and FredMiranda.com. I've not seen any here, but have seen very good condition E-PL2s in both those other places going for as low as $160.

BTW, your E-PL2 will give you better detailed images than any Olympus DSLR except the E-5. It wasn't until the E-5 that Oly decided to use very weak AA filters in front of the sensor. Your E-PL2 uses the same sensor architecture as the E-5, so it'll out-perform all the older Oly DSLRs in that regard. I know my E-PL2 out-details my E-620 (which uses the same sensor as the E-30).

I'll second what Zig mentioned: buying used from KEH has been a very good experience for me, too. But, if you're going to spend $300 on an E-520, why not look at the E-620? I've got one (purchased new in 2010) that's likely to go on the block soon for considerably less. Shoot me a PM or an email if you'd like to discuss it.

If you're really only interested in a second body, though, then it might be wiser to just stick with m-4/3.

In any event, I suspect it'll be a fun adventure for you.

[zig-123]

Originally Posted by James Emory

Yes I have read that today about the 520/420 Evolts. High ISO picture quality is below par but you wouldn't see it unless you pushed the limits in RAW development or printed out large format pictures. I am now thinking a used E3 may be a better option but those are going for near 500 bucks. So at that price I'm thinking why not add 100 bucks to that and go with the E-PL5 which has the same sensor as the OM D M5 and does take very good pics. I certainly have plenty of time to think about it. Thanks for your input.

It's nice to get nostalgic once in a while and use one of the older cameras. BUT, then you look at the photos, compare them against what you're getting now and you'll quickly come back down to the reality of looking at photos not as good as the ones your getting now.

The E-PL5 has got ALMOST all of the features of the E-M5. It would be the wiser choice.

[James Emory]

The main reason I want a DSLR is that I have a 4/3 35mm Oly macro lens and adaptor that I use for making product pages for a aquarium LED manufacturer I work for from my home. The E-PL2's focusing system does not work very well with that lens, the focusing system hunts quite often and usually does not focus accurately, especially with single box focusing which I use a lot. So I was thinking that if I got a decent used Oly DSLR that problem would go away and I would just use that body for macro shots. As I read your reply I see that the IQ quality is worse than the E-PL2 so now I am hesitant. Does anyone know if the E-PL5 would have this same focusing problem with the 4/3 macro lens?

QUOTE=BarefootPilgrim;1330498]Hi James,

[I don't often post here, but I do lurk regularly and when I saw your OP it kicked my "respond to this" impulse, so here goes...

You didn't say why you want a DSLR to complement your E-PL2. Is it because the older Oly DSLRs are cheap right now or because you want to try a DSLR?

Biggest differences between E-420 and E-520 are IBIS (E-420 has none) and size. The E-520 is larger and has a bigger grip. The E-3 is much bigger than either and IMO E-3 noise performance is not all that much better than the E-520.

If you simply want a second body, then why not go for another E-PL2? They're pretty inexpensive these days, especially if you shop on the forums like mu-43.com and FredMiranda.com. I've not seen any here, but have seen very good condition E-PL2s in both those other places going for as low as $160.

BTW, your E-PL2 will give you better detailed images than any Olympus DSLR except the E-5. It wasn't until the E-5 that Oly decided to use very weak AA filters in front of the sensor. Your E-PL2 uses the same sensor architecture as the E-5, so it'll out-perform all the older Oly DSLRs in that regard. I know my E-PL2 out-details my E-620 (which uses the same sensor as the E-30).

I'll second what Zig mentioned: buying used from KEH has been a very good experience for me, too. But, if you're going to spend $300 on an E-520, why not look at the E-620? I've got one (purchased new in 2010) that's likely to go on the block soon for considerably less. Shoot me a PM or an email if you'd like to discuss it.

If you're really only interested in a second body, though, then it might be wiser to just stick with m-4/3.

In any event, I suspect it'll be a fun adventure for you. [/QUOTE]