Four 5-Megapixel Cameras In Review

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Olympus E-20P

Somewhat surprisingly for a camera of this price, the E-20's monitor is a disappointment, starting with the time it takes to refresh its pixels. It is also very small. Worse still, it misses quite a bit of the image captured; it only covers 85% of the shot. It overflows on all four sides and, above all, captures much more skyward image. This makes it rather hard to focus on moving subjects. Furthermore, it is inclined to overexpose. By comparison, in recording mode, it is easy to find the focus, aperture and speed that you selected, without having to check the settings indicated in the LCD on top of the camera. Another plus is that the playback mode is good. The images are adequately displayed here, quite simply because the camera is no longer mobile.

This monitor is just about as small as its rivals, but, along with the Nikon, it has some of the best definition qualities. It would be even better if the colors weren't made too bright, which can lead you astray when using it. However, it is very readable, owing to its fast-reacting crystals. Like the Coolpix 5000, a moving subject does not result in streaks (Minolta) or worse, some blurring with irregular luminosity (Olympus). Still, to be perfectly usable, it needs to display truer colors and correct its diagonal. Its focus is faultless.