E-500 Battery Holder

[gwheaton]

Does anyone know if Olympus might offer a Battery Holder like the HLD-3 for the E-300 and the HLD-2 for the E1?

Seems like if they offer it on the E-300 and E-1 that they would for the E-500

I have an E-500 on order and can't wait for it. I won't die with out an optional battery holder but it would be a nice option to have.

[Norm in Fujino]

They're not making one for the E-500, since it's supposed to be the "minimalist"-sized member of the family. A battery holder would negate the weight savings you get with the e-500. Also, you can take hundreds of shots with a single battery, so the only real (?) advantage of the holder would be to marginally help speed focusing with certain lenses when the battery gets low. Buy an extra battery and you should be in fine shape.

[gwheaton]

Ok, Thanks, I thought the E-500 was suppose to be a step up from the E-300 so I was hoping they would have the battery holder. I was looking at it more for the Extra shutter release button when you rotate the camera.

Norm in Fujino wrote:

They're not making one for the E-500, since it's supposed to be the "minimalist"-sized member of the family. A battery holder would negate the weight savings you get with the e-500. Also, you can take hundreds of shots with a single battery, so the only real (?) advantage of the holder would be to marginally help speed focusing with certain lenses when the battery gets low. Buy an extra battery and you should be in fine shape.

[Norm in Fujino]

gwheaton wrote:

Ok, Thanks, I thought the E-500 was suppose to be a step up from the E-300

I think it fixes a few minor issues on the original e-300, but it uses the same sensor and buildwise it's not as good (IMO) as the e-300. The main advantages are the increased LCD size and the possibly better rendition at high-ISOs, although everything I've seen/read says it's marginal improvement. I really think Olympus brought out the e-500 mostly since the radical shape of the e-300 was off-putting to a lot of potential first-time dSLR customers, and they needed something that would compete better with the EOS digital KISS N (aka 350/XT).

[gwheaton]

I personally like the looks of the E-500 better. I was all ready to get the E-300 until I saw the E-500. And I do like the 2.5" screen that the E-500 has. All Personal Taste. I can live with out the Battery Holder. Was just wishing that they would come out with one. Maybe they will. I will at least email them and request they think about it.

Norm in Fujino wrote:

gwheaton wrote:

I think it fixes a few minor issues on the original e-300, but it uses the same sensor and buildwise it's not as good (IMO) as the e-300. The main advantages are the increased LCD size and the possibly better rendition at high-ISOs, although everything I've seen/read says it's marginal improvement. I really think Olympus brought out the e-500 mostly since the radical shape of the e-300 was off-putting to a lot of potential first-time dSLR customers, and they needed something that would compete better with the EOS digital KISS N (aka 350/XT).

[Mikefellh]

gwheaton wrote:

Ok, Thanks, I thought the E-500 was suppose to be a step up from the E-300 so I was hoping they would have the battery holder. I was looking at it more for the Extra shutter release button when you rotate the camera.

Nope, the E-500 WASN'T an upgrade, it was more of a sidestep...it does some things better than the E-300, and even the E-1, but it is also lack in some key areas, like the inability to use a cable release, battery holder, cheaper body, etc.

It may be a higher number but that doesn't mean anything...the Olympus C-720 was not an upgrade to the C-700, in fact the 8x C-720 was considered a stripped down 10x C-700...the only thing better the C-720 had was another mp.

There actually is a battery holder for the E-500, but nothing like what you're thinking of, the PS-LBH1W...it actually goes right into the battery compartment and powers the E-500 with three CR-123A batteries.

Olympus can't come out with an HLD-3 like battery holder because there are no contacts in the battery compartment to control the shutter, and as well the battery door is not (easily) removable...the E-300 has a spring loaded catch which releases the battery door. If that's what you really want you should get the E-300 or E-1, or maybe the next pro E.