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By Lori Grunin, CNET.com
Jul 09, 2007

Olympus had two goals for the 10-megapixel E-410: That it be one of the most compact dSLRs available, and that it appeal to dSLR newbies stepping up from a snapshot camera. Results against those goals are decidedly mixed, however.

Design
We have few complaints about the E-410's design. With its slim profile, almost gripless body, and modest 375g heft, the E-410 feels solid and not at all like a budget model. Both kit lenses are equally lightweight and compact.

     
   
For more details on the E-410's design and image quality, click on the image.

We initially thought the flat grip would be awkward, but as long as you hold the camera with two hands--as you should--it remains quite comfortable. For certain tasks, however, a bigger grip makes a difference; when trying to adjust white balance manually with a white card, for instance, holding the camera and operating the controls with just my right hand proved quite cumbersome.

One of the main selling points for the E-410 as a first-timer's camera is the Live View mode. In theory, this preserves the LCD framing, digital-photography experience to which digital snapshooters are accustomed.

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Whether you like it for the 100 percent scene coverage while framing, the what-you-see-is-kinda-what-you-get exposure and white balance preview, or the less distancing feeling it gives you as a photographer, there's a lot to be said for the capability.

But keep in mind that the Live View experience doesn't quite match that of a snapshot camera. For one, holding a heavy camera steady with extended arms feels quite different than holding a lighter model in the same position.

On a snapshot camera, the LCD preview occurs silently and swiftly, and the camera works the same way for both viewfinder and LCD: Hold the shutter button down halfway to lock focus and exposure. With Live View, you use the AEL/AFL button for a focus preview but the shutter button for focus lock through the optical viewfinder.

And it's neither silent nor swift--the camera flips down the mirror, which is quite noisy. Furthermore, Live View imposes considerable lag on shooting. The camera has to flip down the mirror, focus, and snap, which makes it impractical for shooting kids and animals, two very popular subjects for the E-410's target audience.

So while Live View can be immensely useful, it doesn't quite fulfill Olympus' goal of a seamless snapshot-to-SLR transition.

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