Product ReviewsOlympus EVOLT E-5 12.3MP Digital SLR Camera - Black (Body Only)

Very Satisfied

I am an advanced amateur nature photographer who shoots a number of bird flight/action photos. Using my Olympus family of lenses I consistently get good quality photos, So even though this model is a bit dated it remains very functional and serves my needs well. Its a value buy for a reliable established brand. With limited practice, its easy to use. I plan to use it for many years ahead. Its quick auto focus is most appreciated. It tolerates some low lighting will but to obtain decent print enlargements its best to keep the IOS below 1600.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: KGu4BrceTri@Del...

By far the best camera I have ever used.

I purchased the Olympus e5 as an upgrade to my Olympus e510. As a pet photographer, I needed a camera that would do better in low light conditions when photographing indoors. My e510 would have an extremely difficult time focusing in even marginal low light and I was missing too many shots. The e5, however, has no problem whatsoever. The focus is sharp and locks in quickly. That alone was worth to price to me.

However, having used the e510 for several years I can honestly say the e5 far out-performs in every area. Picture quality is top notch. I also purchased the 50-200mm SWD lens for outdoor shots. This amazing lens and camera combination is hard to beat.Read full review...

THE reporter camera with excellent JPEG quality!

There are many reviews of the E5, so I can just refer to my personal impression:
-extremely rugged
-Combined with the 12-60mm, ultrafast AF
-Best JPEGS in the industry
-Very good Image Stabilization
-You can adapt many heritage lenses to the E5
-Video as a plus
I put lenses first and shoot the E5 because of the 12-60mm 2.8-4 Zuiko, which translates to 24-120mm in 35mm terms. There is no other manufacturer who has a lens starting at 24mm offering 2.8 with a reach to 120mm. A real Reporter Camera!
This camera is an extremely robust DSLR. There are better cameras out for low noise capabilitiesRead full review...

a happy Oly user w/ the best Oly yet

I have owned the Oly 510, still own the E-620, E-30 and now the E-5. Because of the previous cams, learning this one wasn't too difiicult. I won't write about the glass, because that is just exellent and the main reason that we all bought Oly, and STAY with Oly. (40-140, 50, 12-60, 50-150 and 7-14, also 1.4 ET, and FL-50R.)
The E-30 is a super camera, and ordinarily an E-30 owner would find little reason to upgrad
L. I debated about just buying a second copy, so happy was I with it, and that would remain my advice for any E-30 owner. The clear advantage of the E-5 (just for me, since I don't plan to use any of my cameras in the rain) boil down to:
A) use of an SD card--FINALLY!
B) increased heft and apparent durability
C) slightly (very) increased IQ at ISO 600 and below.
D) slightly improved user interface in most--not all--ways
Cons: the discontinuance of the mode wheel at the top of the cam, the increased sheer weight (though that isn't THAT hard to get used to), the change in placement and retirement of some buttons, the cost premium. Bottom line: I am happy I bought it.Read full review...

Great camera at a very fair price

I bought this camera to "upgrade" my Olympus E-3. Like the E-3 (and the E-1 and E-20 before it), this camera with grip is a substantial piece of equipment. I'm not a shooter who wants small & light in my hands & prefer using the OVF rather than the LCD panel. It's buttons & dials are relatively familiar in operation. It's image quality seems to be improved over that of the E-3, which I found was quite good, so I'm pleased with the output. I haven't really tested the higher ISO settings; I tend to use flash for low-light situations, but I have shot some early morning sunrise photos and liked the overall lack of noise in the image. This was a used camera and its technology is now two years old, but I am quite satisfied with this purchase. That said, I would recommend it to others, but with a caveat. Olympus may or may not have abandoned the 4/3 standard, which is what the E-5 uses, so unless a potential customer already has 4/3 lenses (like me), it might not be the best choice. Newer model cameras from competitors in the same price range might make more sense to purchase; those who want a smaller camera might well consider Olympus's OMD-5, which I understand produces top-notch images and is an advance in technological improvements over the E-5. On the other hand, 4/3 lenses are still widely available and the E-5 has an advertised lifespan of over 100,000 shutter activations, so it is still a camera that I find far better than simply "good 'nuf."Read full review...

Olympus E 5 - the real deal.

I moved up from an E 520 which I still have. The new E 5 is absolutley a delight. The first pictures i took of our new grand daughter I sent out via email to the rest of our family. My brother, who shoots Hasselblad, was blown away. He's looking at an E 5 to replace his older Canon DSLR. I heard Olympus may be discontinuing their SLR lines. This would be a very stupid thing to do. I don't think Canon, Pentax or Nikon will discontinue theirs. From the OM1, OM2 to the now E 5, Olympus has a long history of this type of camera venue. Smaller is nice - but it doesn't get it for the long haul. Still love that the stabilization is in the camera body and not the lens.Read full review...

I love this camera!

This is my second Olympus E-5 camera and my 7th Olympus dslr camera. I am continuously amazed at the photo quality of the images this camera produces. The color renditions is very true to color. My brother owns all Canon equipment and spends a great deal of time in Light room changing his images to reflect what we were shooting. I spend very little time in Picasa doing very simple adjusts.
This camera along with even the mid-range lens offers tack sharp photos that I sell at art shows. When I shoot with my professional lens, I am amazed at how brilliant the results are. The E-5 seems like a bullet proof camera. When I'm hiking to my destination the last thing I'm worried about is my camera. The build construction is solid. I call my E-5 "The Tank". I don't have to worry about shooting in the rain or other elements. Both the camera and lens are weather / dust proof. I just got back from the Washington coast during their rainy season. I put on some rain gear, a lens hood and went shooting in the down pour. Got some great images! I don't know if I could have done that with a lot of other cameras or lens. You will love Olympus products!
I am an Olympus fan now and forever.Read full review...

Have used it for a while now and it deliveres !!! Top-score !!!

A very powerful camera. Top of the edge when it comes to the fourthirds standard. You cannot find any better cams at the moment.

There is a wide range of good quality camera objectives available. An image stabilisator is built in the camera house. The autofocus is very fast. LCD screen can be tilted in all kind of directions and is clear even in sunshine. The extra lcd display (like other proffesional cams) comes handy in many situations.

Shooting movies is also available in 720p resolution.Read full review...

Worth every penny- cannot beat the image quality in this price range!

Amazing camera! Learning curve is steep the first few days, menu's are a little different then other major brands, but worth the time and effort! Fantastic picture qualities, jpegs really cannot be beat! Fast, accurate, true to life colors. Art filters are a nice bonus. Could not be happier with this camera. I have owned a Sony A850, Nikon D300, and Canon D60. This beats them all- no question. Olympus lenses are so sharp too!!Read full review...

WHY BUY ANYTHING ELSE!!

I have had my E-5 for 2 years and compliment it with my 7-14, 14-35 and 35-100 lenses. I shoot portrait, event, landscape, product and macro photography in studio and outside with pocket wizards with and without flash using light meters keeping my E5 on manual 80% of the time. As you can see I indulge in very complex photo shots and never once have my E5 let me down always works no matter the lighting conditions and pictures are very very acceptable for my clients.Read full review...