E-620 Comparison

Other Info -

camera Comparison
Unique features of the E-620
Who the camera is targeted for
Body shots, LCD, Viewfinder
Interview w/ Mr. Watanabe
E-620 real world test pictures of the family.
E-620 photo gallery.
E-620 and E-30 pictures of paragliders.
E-30, E-620, comparision shots for ISO.
A good read at biofos.

Comparison between the E-620 and E-30

A front view of the E-30 and E-620

Left Side view

Right Side View

The E-620 is the 3rd camera that we have seen with this 12MP sensor. From all that I have played with and used on these 3 cameras I can say that this sensor is the best yet in the 4/3 system. With the E-3 sensor we had great shadow detail, which was better than others that came before. But one complaint that we heard was its ability to hold the highlights. With the E-30, E-620, and G1, the highlights are held much better. But really, outside of a comment or two on the G1 sensor the G1 is in its own class of cameras, and nothing on the market is like the G1.

In building a camera there are many factors to consider. In many respects the E-30 is a much larger camera, which is built to very high standards. It incorporates many similar features that the E-3 does, except for the weatherproof body. It can take a beating, as it is designed to be a working camera. The E-620 is in a totally different class, it is built for consumers. Though very well built for a consumer body, it does not compare with that of the E-3 or even the E-30. The viewfinder is also much smaller than the E-30. On paper, the differences in size is small, but with view finders I find it hard to show, but in shooting with the camera I can say that they are totally different animals.

I for one really like the AF system of the E-3, and am very happy to see it migrate down to that of the E-620. I find it as reliable as the old system when shooting in all circumstances, but faster and with more choices. The extra focusing points are quite invaluable to me, so that I don't have to keep it on one in the middle, but instead can pick from many more options. However, I still usually shoot only 1 spot AF, but very rarely shoot the middle point. On the E-620 though, when shooting the outer 2 points which are not cross type AF points, I have found them to not focus as reliably as I would like. So after a few attempts in which they would not focus, I have given up on using them, but really the very far edge as a focus point is not used that much by me.

Having a movable LCD is essential, In fact I had decided 6 months ago not to buy a camera without that ability. When using live view, the great majority of time is because it is not easy to see in the viewfinder. And if I can't see in the viewfinder, how could I see an LCD which is attached to the rear of the camera? So, having a movable LCD is very important to me, and again this is a high-end feature which I am glad to see has made it to a consumer camera, and is missing out of most DSLR's on the market.

The single control wheel - shot with the lens baby, and Pinhole mode

Probably of all the features of the E-620, the one that I have missed the most is the 2nd control wheel when shooting in either manual mode, or wanting a second wheel to manually control compensation on the camera. I think that Panasonic has a great idea of using 1 button in which when you push in or toggle the button it switches from Aperture to shutter adjustments in manual mode, or from Aperture/Shutter control to Exposure compensation. And I really would have liked to see a similar idea done with the E-620. Which in my opinion isn't a pro feature on an DSLR camera.

Many of the features of the E-620 that are given less power than the E-30 make sense to me. Take for example a slightly slower shooting rate, I don't usually need 5 FPS unless shooting sports and trying to get the moment. So to me, a slightly slower rate is fine. Slower sync speeds (1/180 vs 1/250) and slower max shutter speeds (1/4000 vs 1/8000) that are acceptable in a consumer level camera. I would assume especially with the 1/8000 max shutter speeds that it costs more to produce a camera with that ability.

Fewer aspect ratios and multi-exposure modes, too, are to be expected, as they have to strip out tangible items to justify a higher price on the E-30. In reality, these 2 functions do not appeal a whole lot to me, similar to art filters, mostly because they are new and I need time to get my head around them. But one new feature that is really missed in my opinion is the leveling gauge. Even though on the E-30 it is crippled when using the level guage in the viewfinder, in my opinion it is invaluable on a camera. Because it helps tremendously to get square to your subject, whether handheld or off a tripod.

BLM vs BLS - The BLS offers quite a bit smaller form factor in terms of depth over the older BLM battery.

Last area of consideration is the battery choice of the BLS-1 (which is also used on the E-4x0 series of cameras) vs the BLM-1. I think that they made the correct choice in batteries with the E-620, it has helped keep the body small, which is one of the reasons why I prefer the E-4x0 series of cameras over the E-5x0 series. But I still find the battery will last a whole day when shooting the camera.

One aspect that seems to be overlooked about the E-620 and its very small form is that although it is nearly the same size as the E-4x0 series of cameras, it also has built in Image Stabilization, which is the one major drawback of the E-4x0 series.

Table of Contents

Comparison between the E-620 and E-30