e500 vs KM D5D


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major_tom

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Dec 3, 2005
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The thread above mayb misleading. This is not another of those x vs y thingy...

I do not have the opportunity to hold the e500 in my hands but the d5d (despite its good reviews & execellent image quality), i found it to be too plastiky. The shutter sound was also a tad too loud, sounding like a toy cam.

This is just my view and my apologies if I have offended any KM owners in CS.

Has anyone had the luxury of playing with both cams? Just wanna know if both share similar physical attributes. In terms of image quality, there's no doubt both KM and Oly (apart from Fuji) gives rich vibrant colors out-of-box and requires minimum pp compared to the rest out there.

am avoiding the shops right now as will-power is at all-time low. The slightest touch of the e500 may set me back $2k poorer (incl additional lens/flash etc...)...
 

major_tom said:
am avoiding the shops right now as will-power is at all-time low. The slightest touch of the e500 may set me back $2k poorer (incl additional lens/flash etc...)...

That's very wise. The E500 is one camera that you must not ever hold in your hand if your will-power is low.... cause you will definitely not want to let it go once you have a feel of it and played with it ! It's that good ! ;)
 

major_tom said:
The thread above mayb misleading. This is not another of those x vs y thingy...

I do not have the opportunity to hold the e500 in my hands but the d5d (despite its good reviews & execellent image quality), i found it to be too plastiky. The shutter sound was also a tad too loud, sounding like a toy cam.

This is just my view and my apologies if I have offended any KM owners in CS.

Has anyone had the luxury of playing with both cams? Just wanna know if both share similar physical attributes. In terms of image quality, there's no doubt both KM and Oly (apart from Fuji) gives rich vibrant colors out-of-box and requires minimum pp compared to the rest out there.

am avoiding the shops right now as will-power is at all-time low. The slightest touch of the e500 may set me back $2k poorer (incl additional lens/flash etc...)...

I've touched both. But not really in good position to judge KM 5D, but I REALLY LOVE the higher res 2.5" LCD on the E-500!

Vibrant and large LCD with very fine pixel - yes, very fine. Snap and preview (that's what most people normally do) and you'll appreciate it. Large viewing angle and bright enough to view outside in broad daylight! Try this on both cameras.
 

tomcat said:
That's very wise. The E500 is one camera that you must not ever hold in your hand if your will-power is low.... cause you will definitely not want to let it go once you have a feel of it and played with it ! It's that good ! ;)


maaannnn, my hands are bleeding from the skin tears...am scratching myself silly from all the itching and i cant do a thing abt it ...xcept to chiong and get one.....

unfortunately me wife will use the ultimate weapon that men dread.....'the silent treatment' and 'you are not getting any tonite...!'

sheesh, women is the stronger sex after all.......;p
 

ykkok said:
I've touched both. But not really in good position to judge KM 5D, but I REALLY LOVE the higher res 2.5" LCD on the E-500!

Vibrant and large LCD with very fine pixel - yes, very fine. Snap and preview (that's what most people normally do) and you'll appreciate it. Large viewing angle and bright enough to view outside in broad daylight! Try this on both cameras.

what abt the shutter sound....the KM 5D is damn loud....and hollow sounding.
 

major_tom said:
unfortunately me wife will use the ultimate weapon that men dread.....'the silent treatment' and 'you are not getting any tonite...!'

sheesh, women is the stronger sex after all.......;p

umm... that would mean that she's not getting any too, you know ;)
And... 2 can play the same game you know.... you can sulk and sigh until her heart softens too... if she is wise, she won't let material things get in the way of marital happiness too. Money spent can always be earned back.
 

I have assessed the KM 5D too, before getting the E-500 after selling my E-300. To me, it is the Olympus' closest competitor. The following are my 2 cents on both the cameras, in terms of usability and feel:

1. Built Quality and Ergonomics
The E-500 is noticeably better here. You know it when you have it in your hands while the 5D is comparatively more plasticky and I definitely don't fancy its 'squeezy-feeling and el-cheapo' buttons unlike the nicer and more assured feel of the E-500's buttons. Overall balance and weight of both cameras are similar though. Olympus is known for their built quality so you can't go wrong here. Also looking at the lens mount, you can tell which camera is built to last. With regards to the kit lens, the 5D's (18-70mm) is dissapointing to me as it has a terrible plastic mount which will be gone in no time if you change lens regularly and has teh word 'cheap' written all over the place. On the other hand, the E-500's kit lens (14-45mm) feels and looks like it is much more expensive.

2. Viewfinder
The 5D's viewfinder is noticeably larger and nicer than that of the E-500 and is the winner here. In terms of accuracy, the 5D is 95% while the E-500 gives you a unheard of in the budget world of 99%, so less cropping with the E-500 during PP. Note that the E-500's viewfinder is still bright and clear but of course small, no good for glass wearers. One should look into buying the ME-1 glasspiece for the E-500 when it appears.

3. Shutter Sound
You really must try shooting with both cameras to find out. To me, the 5D's shutter sound really put me off with the loud 'ka-la-klunk!!' sound that makes it sounds hollow and cheap. LOL! As for the E-500, the sound is much more likeable with a softer 'zhi-ching!', I find it softer than the E-300 as well. Probably don't mean anything here, really up to individual's preference here but it is clear that the 5D is louder.

4. Unique Features
With the 5D, you get the AS system which works as advertised and with every lens! Really help when you are using a slower lens or telephoto. Not as effective as lens based stabilisation especially for telephoto but better than nothing, you still gain 1-2 stops. But I do noticed that images taken using AS is somewhat less sharp on the pixel level, there is some blurness to it but certainly you get an usable image that you cannot get without AS or a tripod so it is better than nothing.
With the E-500, you get the Anti-Dust system which really works. I have changed lenses in dusty environment and still no dust at all. Go read the other forums in which people complain of manitaineance chores and you will know how valuable this is. But if you have time and skill to clean your CCD, or seldom change lens, maybe it is not that critical?

5. LCD screen and menus
To me, maybe because I am an Olympus user all along, the E-500's menu and button placement is more logical and well laid out. Also find the E-500's zooming of images in preview mode much easier and faster than the 5D. Both cameras have 2.5" LCDs, but the E-500's really thrash the 5D here in terms of resolution (twice the no. of pixels), sharpness (the 5D's looks grainy) and brightness/contrast. No contest here really, the 5D's LCD is only big, that is all as its resolution is only the same as other competitors' 1.8" LCDs so it doesn't give you more info and looks more grainy.

That is all folks, I will not comment on image quality as that depends on individual preference. :)
 

Tao, thanks for your detailed comparison. I have been using my fren's D5D and I agree with you on its ergonomics, build quality, shutter sound and the LCD resolution. The latter with 2.5 inch screen was just that. Big screen but grainy resolution.

I was afraid that the e500 may end up similar to the D5D since they cost abt the same.
Thankfully, yr comments confirmed that my fears were unwarranted. Phew!

I was quite put off with the D5D as it really look cheap.
 

I personally would not choose a DSLR with a crop factor of 2X ....... just think of the limited number of lenses that you xcan use.:think:
 

Zenten said:
I personally would not choose a DSLR with a crop factor of 2X ....... just think of the limited number of lenses that you xcan use.:think:

Hi, get you facts right first. Looks like you really don't understand the way Digital Zuiko lenses and 4/3 standard works.

The lenses are designed from ground up to be 'full frame' with regards to the smaller CCD size so there is actually no crop factor as the lenses are optimised to throw light onto the CCD without need for cropping.

This is why the best super-wide angle lens for any camera now is the Digital Zuiko 7-14mm, which gives you 35mm equivalent of 14-28mm with edge-to-edge sharpness, something that cannot be said for other wide angle lenses that operates on basis of crop factor.
 

major_tom said:
Tao, thanks for your detailed comparison. I have been using my fren's D5D and I agree with you on its ergonomics, build quality, shutter sound and the LCD resolution. The latter with 2.5 inch screen was just that. Big screen but grainy resolution.

I was afraid that the e500 may end up similar to the D5D since they cost abt the same.
Thankfully, yr comments confirmed that my fears were unwarranted. Phew!

I was quite put off with the D5D as it really look cheap.

Well, hope no misunderstanding from other fierce loyalists of KM brand but I was trying to be as objective as I can. This is coming from someone who likes KM products too... I have a KM A200 too but went with the E-500 + 11-22mm + 14-45mm + 40-150mm combo as it is the only camera in the market that can give me the image quality, built quality (very impt as I am spending my hard earned $$$), relatively fast aperture speed and FOV range without breaking my bank. However, I must say that if money is no objection, I would like to get a D5D too, for low light shooting purposes, especially when I can pair it up with a nice F1.8 50mm lens, set to high ISO (quite usable), use AS and can go without a tripod.

Ultimately, the best thing to do is to try out both cameras... if possible, bring your CF card and try out both the D5D and E-500 together, side-by-side to decide which is best for you. Also, don't get too caught up with the body (no doubt it is hardearned $$$ here and one wants the most solid camera for the $$$). Think about the quality and prices of lenses you want too as you are buying into the system.

Also, consider other issues such as maintaineance, front-back-focusing issues, focusing accuracy, flash consistency, etc. Get these feedbacks from both forums and decide. Happy shopping. :)
 

bro, ul never find urself feeling all sore over losing 2k for the E-500 cuz its worth more than its pricing! its that good!!! just the sound of the shutter wanna make u orgas already! haha... if 'not gettin any tonight' , hey at least the E-500 is always open for u! anytime man!
 

Just my opinion:
A crop factor of 2X will limit actual wide lens range.
AS on KM body itself is a PLUS point - it cost lots of money for other camera to have this feature, and it's working well :)
Image quality - I believe this depends on the lens..

build quality / feel / shutter sound / menu.. they are almost the same btw C, N, KM or Oly..
User preference.. hard to argue here :)

Color tone.. with ps now, almost everything can be done.

In conclusion, buy your favourite camera brand ;)
 

Eyesthruthelens said:
A crop factor of 2X will limit actual wide lens range.

This has really been proven to be a moot point on Olympus 4/3 system. Ironically, Olympus has the best performing wide rangle lenses that are sharp from edge to edge at even max aperture. Read my thread above. :)
 

major_tom said:
unfortunately me wife will use the ultimate weapon that men dread.....'the silent treatment' and 'you are not getting any tonite...!'

Here's a little suggestion and formulae to keep your wife happy:

Price of new digicam + Price of new accessories = Price of new diamond ring :bsmilie:
 

it so Simple just buy the one u like
 

eow said:
it so Simple just buy the one u like

yeap.. today Oly.. few years later.. switch to C or N or KM and continue to switch as long as you like..
The best camera.. come on be realistic, where got such camera in this world today.. :bsmilie:
 

michhy said:
Here's a little suggestion and formulae to keep your wife happy:

Price of new digicam + Price of new accessories = Price of new diamond ring :bsmilie:

:faint: ....then whole of 2006 will have to eat grass and eat air...:bsmilie:
 

Eyesthruthelens said:
yeap.. today Oly.. few years later.. switch to C or N or KM and continue to switch as long as you like..
The best camera.. come on be realistic, where got such camera in this world today.. :bsmilie:

agree...no such thing as best cam.....will try out the oly but wait till i get my bonus....i dont want to use CC to buy stuff and my savings are untouchable.:)

The trouble is N & C requires too much pp which for me time is a luxury. I'm a fan of fuji (ex-s2pro user) and am trying out other brands....the KM 5D & 7D are good in terms of image quality and also looks good out-of-box. It's just that the 5D feels well, you know.....

Anyway, one man's meat is another man's poison....
 

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