This was my first SLR kit bought in January 2003, which came with a 35-80mm f4/5.6 FA lens. The camera is I belive quite good value for money and an ideal starter SLR, with plenty of features. It has nine modes, including automatic, as well as aperture mode (Av), shutter-mode (TV) and metered manual mode (M) for the enthusiasts. Exposure ranges from 1/2000 second to 30 seconds, although in bulb-mode the exposure can be set for up to 32 minutes.
On the down side, the buttons are often small and fiddly and the overall feel is cheap and plasticky. However, I can testify that it is more than capable of surviving the usual wear and tear.
The camera relies heavily on the LCD display for displaying information, which some might find awkward. The major gripe I have about this camera is the Av button next to the lens, which has to be depressed while rotating the dial in order to adjust the aperture in metered manual mode. The camera also feels heavy with a telephoto lens.
Picture wise, I have tried this camera with black-and-white, slide and regular film, and does take quite good pictures. All in all, this is quite a good starter camera for the money, and easy to use However, I would caution against buying this camera if you are planning to upgrade, as you may decide to plump for a different manufacturer at a later stage. Pardon me for stating the blatantly obvious, but it is always a good idea to stick to one manufacturer adn then you can develop a nice collection of lenses for your different cameras.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
(+) Fold out LCD screen, Image Stabilization, Zuiko lens quality, Picture quality, Flash options (-) Noise in low light, Too many buttons, Badly laid out, Too many gimmicks
Jul 17th, 2005
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