Digital SLR Reviews Blog

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Giottos Rocket Air Blower Professional AA1900 Large Lenspen Lens Pen Cleaning System Accessory Kit for Canon Nikon Olympus Pentax and Sony Digital SLR Cameras

Kit includes: 1) Giottos Rocket-Air Blower Professional AA1900; 2) Lenspen Lens Pen Cleaning System; 3) Deluxe 5-Piece Lens Cleaning Kit; 4) Microfiber Cleaning Cloth. ♦ The Giottos Rocket-Air Blower is very powerful and easy to use cleaning system. The super air stream blows off dust particles, even those attracted by static electricity. Giottos’ patented and unique rocket base design allows the Rocket-Air to stand by itself and prevents accidental blocking of the inlet valve as well as making it easy to store. The inlet valve prevents back flow from the air tube. This air blower is an excellent way to remove dust off sensitive equipment parts without physical contact. It works great when used on digital camera sensors, lenses, telescopes, computer keyboards, microscopes, communications equipment, musical instruments or just about any precision equipment. ♦ Keeping your lenses and LCD spotless is crucial to high-quality photography. After all, just the slightest imperfection — such as dust, fingerprints or water stains — can mean the difference between a stunning portrait and an unsalvageable mistake. Unfortunately, microfiber cloths can often leave dust behind, and compressed air won’t clean fingerprints or other stains. The answer is the LensPen! ♦ Deluxe 5-Piece Cleaning Kit includes: Lens Cleaning Tissue; Lens Cloth; Lens Cleaning Liquid; Blower Brush; Cotton Swabs.

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars good product
The rocket blower is what I bought the kit for and it performs as expected. The lens pen and microfiber cloth were more of a bonus. Why get just the rocket blower when you can get it and a few other items for cheaper?

4 Stars Simple yet effective
Suits my needs for cleaning my DSLR though i have not tried this yet on my sensor. Rocket air blower that came in this package is huge and blows every dust away. Perfect deal for under $20.

5 Stars Great Value
This is a great deal for a camera maintenance/cleaning kit although I wanted it mostly for the blower and lenspen. The microfiber came in handy for the screen and the accessory kit was really cheap. The lenspen is a must, it is so much better than cleaning with a microfiber cloth.

5 Stars Great kit!
The rocket blower and lens pen alone are $20+, so this is a great deal. The rocket blower is fantastic and helps tremendously with dust. The lens pen helps get lenses fantastically clean. Absolutely recommend this kit.

5 Stars Great kit
I really only bought this for the lens pen and blower, but the microfiber cloth is also great to have in your bag.

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Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with 14 42mm f 3 5 5 6 and 40 150mm f 4 0 5 6 ED Zuiko Lenses

Your life is full of priceless, fleeting moments that you want to keep just the way you see and feel them. Preserve each moment with the E-520. With the E-520’s Live View, you can shoot your subject while viewing it on the LCD monitor, so it’s just like shooting with a compact camera. In addition to phase-difference detection AF, the E-520 incorporates a high speed Imager AF that offers easy 11-point multi-area autofocusing with Live View simply by half-pressing the shutter button. Face Detection AF automatically detects up to 8 faces at a time and adjusts focus appropriately. Accurate composition is assured by the monitor’s 100% field of view. The E-520 is equipped with a 2.7″ HyperCrystal II LCD monitor with high-definition 230,000-dot resolution, improved contrast ratio, and enhanced color reproduction capability. While shooting with Live View, framing-assist patterns or a histogram can be displayed on the LCD monitor to improve your picture composition and check exposure condition. The E-520 incorporates a Live MOS sensor with 10-Megapixels, Olympus’ original TruePic III image processing engine delivers improved imaging, gradation expression and color reproduction capabilities as well as minimized noise at high ISO setting. Olympus’ highly acclaimed dust reduction system employs a Supersonic Wave Filter in front of the image sensor, which vibrates at such high speed and with such great power that it removes even the most stubborn dust; dust that cannot be removed by just shaking the image sensor or by discharging the static electricity. Weight – 475 grams (body only)

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Great Camera
my first slr and i love it,great picture quality and easy to use!but i still have to learn more about this camera.

5 Stars Great Camera, Great Lenses and Features Galore
The E-520 is my very first DSLR and I have had it now since April ‘09 (the Easter Bunny brought it and I can’t say enough good things about this camera or this combo.

The camera body is lightweight enough to carry all day without getting tired but sturdy enough to not feel “cheap”. The two kit lenses cover most of the distances the average user will want or need, and again neither one is a back-breaker. I use the 40-150mm when I am going to spend a day at the zoo to bring the animals closer to me (since they won’t let me get closer to them .

One really nifty feature that the camera offers is the ability to use Live View Boost to focus and frame pictures with an infrared filter in place on the front of the lens and to actually see what the camera will record. Pretty cool.

The controls are easy to use and I think the only challenge I have encountered where they are concerned is not in using them but in remembering what to use when and to remember what menu it is under. Fortunately, most of the things you will need most often (wb, AF, Flash, ISO, etc.) also have dedicated buttons easy to find right there on the camera body. You can also set your own custom profile combos to allow you to quickly switch from one set up to another without having to remember what you did the last time that you liked.

The 20 scene modes make life very easy especially when you are just starting out or if you don’t want to think and just want to shoot. And the ability (with the optional waterproof housing and light) to shoot underwater would be a really cool thing to do.

Color is great, clarity is great, the ability to remotely control the FL-36R or FL-50R flash units without having to have them attached to the camera by wires of any kind is great too.

A word about the proprietary XD card (the camera supports three different recording formats, CF, XD and Microdrive (But who uses those really?)) you can have the card in the camera in addition to the CF card and I would recommend having one just for the panoramic assist option which is only available if you use the XD card. The panoramic assist supports horizontal and vertical pans and the stitching software is built into the Olympus Master software that comes standard with the camera.

The only down side to having this camera is that you may find it difficult to find all the different lenses available at your local camera store (but there is always Amazon) as Nikon and Cannon have much better marketing. Oh, and one more word about lenses, you can get adapters which will allow you to use not only Olympus OM mount lenses from your SLR but also Pentax, Minolta, Nikon, Cannon, Miyama, and all the rest. Olympus only makes the OM mount adapter but you can find all the others aftermarket. You will need to be able to manually focus and set the f-stop on the lens itself as those features won’t be supported through the adapters but it sure opens up options.

5 Stars Thank the gods for digital cameras!
I shopped and I compared before buying. While the E-520 is not my first SLR–I have owned and shot with Nikons and Canons for many years–it is my first Digital SLR. I am very comfortable with it. It is sturdy, good looking, flexible and efficient.

The main complaint I see regarding the E-520 is its ability to focus. That is a valid complaint. However…

First, every lens that Oly makes is different in its auto-focus characteristics. Yes, you will have to become familiar with each lens separately, but this is true of all SLR cameras and lenses.

Second, some lenses are better than others at AF. Most of the complaints I see come from birders, and they are probably using the 40-150 kit lens, or the 70-300 lens. These lenses do take some getting used to.

I was shocked when I received the 70-300. It’s a monster! But I have been able to focus on a wire 100 feet away, then move the camera and focus 200 yards beyond that within a split second; same with the 40-150 kit lens after a little practice.

In low light, I recommend that one ALWAYS focus manually.

As far as the quality of the image produced by the E-520 (once you master the focusing aspect), it is spectacular. I have spent hours comparing images from the E-520 to those from Nikons and Canons. There is virtually no difference. (Check out the review and compare images at: [...]

If you’re willing and able to spend $8000 for the top Nikon body (and another $10,000 or so for lenses), you will get that little bit of extra resolution and snappy auto-focus. But you didn’t spend $18,000 for the Olympus E-520.

Is it fair to buy a $25,000 Pontiac Solstice and expect it to perform like a $160,000 Ferrari?

The E-520 is an amazing camera. Period. Full stop. It’s even more amazing when you consider that you can buy it with two kit lenses and add the 50mm “Pro” lens and still have spent under $1000.

Happy shooting!

4 Stars Shooting into a crowd
For the beginning to mid range photographer this is a great deal. The body is around $500, the lenses can be $100 each.

The camera is real good in manual. However I have a lot of trouble with the scene or auto modes. The flash comes up and it is confusing why it won’t take the shot sometimes. Long story short, the auto metering system is too stupid for its own good.

In manual there can be a little noise at expected setting but noise filter, reduction, shock, and Image stabilization leave you with no excuse for that to become a problem. The shutter can do 1/4000 to 60″/Bulb; overall a good range. Aperture is all in the body (the lenses don’t have manual aperture.) Focusing is excellent and many options are offered in that regard. There are good on board effects, sharpness, contrast, saturation, greyscale with tint balance, and many more.

The dust feature is priceless. The lenses come with respective hoods. CARD SOLD SEPARATELY (that one got had me biking up to Walmart 8 in the morning. Warning- the software for downloading is kinda sucky. I would just copy from removable disk.

Overall I say it’s a great camera for the hobbies, student, or superstar on the way up! I am of the opinion that this is one fully loaded, serious piece of equipment at the top it its class.

5 Stars E520 is a great feature-packed entry level DSLR
I bought my E-520 in November of 2008 and we purchased this second camera for my father.

As said before in many other reviews, the E-520 is a DSLR with full control over it’s features. In-body image stabilization works great and allows all 4/3rds lenses to be stabilized.

The E-520 pairs beautifully with the 50mm f/2.0 Zuiko Digital Macro.

The 14-42mm is a versatile wide angle and the 40-150mm is a great entry level telephoto.

Check out the reviews on [...]

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Olympus Evolt E520 10MP Digital SLR Camera with Image Stabilization w 14 42mm f 3 5 5 6 Zuiko Lens

Ready to upgrade to a digital camera? Get the Olympus E-520. Your life is full of priceless, fleeting moments that you want to keep just the way you see and feel them. Preserve each moment with the E-520. With the E-520’s Live View, you can shoot your subject while viewing it on the LCD monitor, so it’s just like shooting with a compact camera. In addition to phase-difference detection AF, the E-520 incorporates a high speed Imager AF that offers easy 11-point multi-area autofocusing with Live View simply by half-pressing the shutter button. Face Detection AF automatically detects up to 8 faces at a time and adjusts focus appropriately. Accurate composition is assured by the monitor’s 100% field of view. The E-520 is equipped with a 2.7″ HyperCrystal II LCD monitor with high-definition 230,000-dot resolution, improved contrast ratio, and enhanced color reproduction capability. While shooting with Live View, framing-assist patterns or a histogram can be displayed on the LCD monitor to improve your picture composition and check exposure condition. The E-520 incorporates a Live MOS sensor with 10-Megapixels, Olympus’ original TruePic III image processing engine delivers improved imaging, gradation expression and color reproduction capabilities as well as minimized noise at high ISO setting. Olympus’ highly acclaimed dust reduction system employs a Supersonic Wave Filter in front of the image sensor, which vibrates at such high speed and with such great power that it removes even the most stubborn dust; dust that cannot be removed by just shaking the image sensor or by discharging the static electricity. CompactFlash Type I/II, Microdrive, xD-Picture Card (Dual-Slot) Memory Card Slot 3.5 frames per seconds sequential shooting speed, up to 8 frames in RAW mode Built-in Electronic-Flash – If you decide to try your hand at advanced lighting techniques, the E-520 is ready to meet the challenge. The E-520 is compatible

User Ratings and Reviews

5 Stars Olympus service rocks!
I absolutely love the E-520. I have bought five lenses for it so far; my favorite for sharpness is the 50mm f/2 prime lens, but for extra wide, I like the 9-18mm. I have the 70-300mm as well, and it can shoot a bird at 200 feet and put it right in your face.

I am also very impressed with the kit lenses. I do a lot of manual focusing and shooting, and these lenses are sharp… truly unbelievable for the price, and they stand up well against some very expensive glass by other manufacturers. Over the years, I have spent a LOT more money for lenses that turned out to be inferior to these.

Olympus makes some of the top lenses in the world.

The menu on the E-520 was easy for me to understand from the start, but I’ve been shooting with SLRs for over 40 years. Even though the E-520 is called an “entry level” SLR, it might prove daunting for a beginning photographer. Nonetheless, if you are mildly familiar with f-stops, apertures, shutter speed and film speed (or equivalent), I think you’ll find this an easy camera to operate.

I have spent hours at [...] comparing studio photos and resolution charts as shot by various cameras. Olympus measures very well against the big money cameras in the studio shots. In the resolution charts, though, Olympus falls behind. So, if you need the absolute best digital image money can buy and you can afford [...], buy the new Nikon; or, shell out [...] for a Canon Mark II or III. All these cameras will give you better resolution than any Olympus camera.

BUT… Although the price of those cameras is many times higher than your E-520, the quality of their pictures is not much higher. And, by the way, in my opinion the E-520 shoots better pictures than the E-30 or the E-3.

I don’t do magazine layouts or commercial photography; however, on occasion, I do like to blow a picture up to 16×20 or larger, and the E-520 gives very satisfying results.

Moreover, Olympus has given me GREAT service. I have had to return two lenses for various reasons. In one case, Olympus shipped me a brand new lens; in the other case, they repaired the lens and had it back to me within the week; no questions, no hassle.

5 Stars New to DSLR’s…
This is my first DSLR. I saw it on promo at a local electronics store with the extra lens – It was the best deal I saw on a DSLR. So, I went and read the reviews on this camera and decided to take the plunge.

I take loads of pictures of my dogs (show dogs) and thought this camera would give me more definition and clarity…and it does not disappoint.

I simply LOVE this camera. The pictures are awesome and for a newby to the DSLR world, it is fairly easy to learn (although there is loads more for me to learn and I intend on doing my homework). This camera makes you want to learn cause the pictures are so awesome and if it’s doing such a great job on automatic, I just can’t imagine all the things it’ll do once I learn a bit more.

My friend went and bought a 14 mp Sony and although it is nice, the pictures are no better and the price tag was much heftier…and without the extra lens. Nope…I made the RIGHT DECISION.

I’m starting to invest in some accessories. I really want the 300mm lens, but just can’t afford it right now (any hints on a good alternative?). I bought a 500/1000 lens for long shots…now I need a monopod cause that lens makes my camera shake (too long to keep your hand steady). I’m also looking at the LOWEPRO 350 which will take both the camera and accessories as well as my 17″ laptop – think that will be my next purchase!

BUY THIS CAMERA – it’s simply AWESOME!!!

5 Stars A pleasant buy
Just went by the reviews on Amazon and the more expensive model of the same lineage. I am quite pleased with the speed and quality of pictures. Hunts a bit in low light, but the colors in the picture are quite good. Overall, a good buy for the money and an easy picture taker.

4 Stars The best beginner DSLR in the market!
I started my DSLR experience with the E-510, while this was a quirky little camera that needed cajoling to perform well, the E-520 is nothing like that. After a year with the E-510, I ended up replacing it with the E-520 and what an improvement this camera is! A lot of quirks that the E-510 had (blown highlights, excessive contrast, bad LCD, underexposed mid-tones in JPEG) had been remedied in the E-520 and to add to that a bunch of newer features had been added as well. The most notable ones (for me) are:

1. Imager AF in live-view with face detection.

2. IS mode 3 for vertical panning.

3. Bigger and brighter and a more accurate LCD.

4. And by far the best addition, remote flash triggering for up to 3 groups!

It’s amazing that Olympus could offer so much in a so-called “beginner” level camera and to think Nikon doesn’t even offer live-view view! This is one of the biggest reasons for me to stick to Olympus as they don’t skimp on features even in lower-level bodies.

I have no hesitation in recommending this camera for the first time DSLR buyer as well as a pro looking for a back up body for the E-3. Although compact, it’s very nicely built and has a superior and much better build quality than the E-500 as well as similar Canon offerings.

I had the two kit lenses but sold the 14-42mm lens and kept the 40-150mm lens. I’m simply amazed with this lens as it offers an effective 300mm focal length in the smallest package currently in the market. I took the E-520 along with this lens to a recent U2 concert and the guards didn’t even stop me as they couldn’t tell what this lens was capable of by looking at its size! I ended up getting some stunning images with this camera and lens combo.

Last, but not the least, I would like to talk about IQ; Olympus has sorted out the tone curve in the E-520 and its MUCH better than the E-510 and allows amazing pictures straight out of the camera. I have no qualms using this camera all the way up to ISO 800, although at ISO 1600 the noise is higher than average and in some cases one will also notice banding in the shadows. I normally switch to B&W for ISO 1600 and that makes all the difference. However, in a pinch you can get some excellent ISO 1600 colour images as well if you’re willing to shoot RAW and carefully process. This is about the only “minus” in this camera that I can think of.

Overall, this is an excellent camera and gives an excellent bang for the buck and I highly recommend it!

5 Stars Awesome Camera
I have been an Olympus Camera user since I bought my OM-1 over 30 years ago. My first digital camera was the C-3030 camera which provided great use for over 8 years while living aboard my sailboat in the Caribbean. It was a natural choice to move up to the e-520 as I have a large collection of OM lens and wanted to use them on the new DSLR. The camera has a feel very similar to the C3030 in both menu and general feel. After receiving the camera I was really impressed with the quality of the images, both vibrant and great resolution. Although the original OM lens won’t give me auto-focus, this has proved to be a minor problem as I am used to the full manual functions of the OM-1. The quality of the pictures using the OM lens has been extraordinary. If you are looking for a camera that gives you a lot of bang for the buck I would highly recommend you consider it.

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