Olympus E-400 Review

Overall Rating

Everyone who has used it has remarked on it's speed from switch on to getting focused shots. The automatic focus system is so fast and accurate and there is even a setting which uses auto focus but allows a manual focus "tweak". Fantastic. Oh yes and the main selling feature (smallest, lightest etc,) is true! Although it's not quite as small as my OM10 it is certainly easier to carry round your neck all day. Controls are very good although there are a lot of buttons for such a small camera. There's a thumb wheel for shutter speed or aperture stepping when in the appropriate shooting mode and the wheel doubles as a navigating scroll for reviewing shots. If you keep turning the wheel in review mode the displayed shots are shown as thumbnails then it turns into a calendar display which orders your shots in date order. Brilliant! There is a programmable function button which falls under your right thumb (that right thumb does a lot on this camera!) the button is programmed for depth of field preview but you can have things like white balance sampling on it. I was concerned that the view finder would be small but it's OK and quite bright (a lot brighter then my mates Canon) There is a great settings display to the right of the focus screen which doesn't grab your attention away from your subject but is easy to see to check things like aperture, shutter, shooting mode etc. There is a focus lock LED which also acts as a manual focus aid .I got used to this fairly quickly although I do miss a split screen focus zone, it is a digital SLR after all!

Feels "plasticy" (because it is). Even the lens mounts on the kit lenses are plastic. However it is only because it is so light you really notice it after handling a 35mm SLR. I don't like the pop up flash as the auto focusing aid in low light. There is plenty of room on the front of the camera (it's almost button free) for a decent amber LED as a focus assist. The flash "strobes" to assist focus and tends to scare people and make them screw up their eyes. Also if you use the "Flower petal" lens hood that comes with the 14-42 lens it casts a shadow when using the pop up flash. Took me a while to work that one out!

Unless you are a top pro photographer you should be very happy with the Olympus E-400. OK so if you are an Olympus fan (like me) you've probably got a stack of OM fit lenses to try- sorry to disappoint you, they won't fit. There is an adapter but it only offers manual everything. The New four thirds standard lens system is entirely electronic (which is why, I'm sure, its so fast) you can't make any worthwhile use of the old lenses. Also the newish system means that there aren't that many lenses around yet.
If you're agonising over buying this model or spending an extra £100 on the E-410-don't! - GET THIS ONE- forget the gimmicky "live view" of the e 410 and put the cash you've saved towards a telephoto zoom for your new E400. But you need to hurry 'cos they ain't making them any more!