Specifications
Model
Olympus E-500
Type
Interchangeable digital SLR camera.
Compatible lens
ZUIKO Digital, FourThirds System lens.
Lens mount
FourThirds mount.
Body
Engineering plastics.
Media
CompactFlash card (Type I and II), Microdrive, xD-picture card.
(Dual slot)
Effective pixel number
8 million pixels.
Image size
17.3mm x 13.0mm.
Image sensor
Type
4/3 type Full Frame Transfer CCD solid-state image sensor.
Total pixel number
8.89 million pixels.
Aspect ratio
4:3.
Filter array
Primary colour filter (RGB).
Filter
LPF
Fixed type.
IR cut filter
Hybrid type.
Dust protect filter
Supersonic Wave Filter.
Viewfinder
Type
Eye-level TTL Dach mirror type optical view finder.
Field of view
Approx. 95%.
Magnification
Approx. 0.9x with a 50mm lens set to infinity at –1 dioptres.
Eye point
Approx. 16mm at –1 dioptres.
Diopter adjustment
Built-in type –3.0 to +1.0 dioptres.
Focusing screen
Fixed type.
Mirror
Quick return mirror.
Viewfinder information
AF frame (super impose), AE lock, AF confirmation mark,
Metering mode, Exposure mode, Shutter speed, Aperture value,
White balance, Exposure compensation value indicator, Flash,
Battery check, Record mode, Number of storable still pictures.
Depth of field preview
Yes (customised One-touch WB button).
Eye cup
Interchangeable type EP-5/6, EP-5 supplied.
Eye piece shutter
Eye piece cap EP-4 supplied.
Autofocus
Type
TTL phase difference detection system.
Focus modes
Single AF, Continuous AF, Manual focus, Single AF + MF, and
Continuous AF + MF.
Detection range
EV 0 to 19 (ISO 100).
Focus areas
3 points.
Focus area selection
Automatic and manual selection.
AF assist lamp
Built-in flash, optional Olympus dedicated flashes.
AF lock
Locked by first position of shutter release button, AE/AF lock
button (customised).
Focus tracking
Available in continuous AF mode.
Focus aid
Available.
Manual focus
Available by rotating focus ring, available for setting manual focus
operation in AF mode (customised).
Exposure control
Light metering system
TTL open aperture light metering with 49-zones multi-pattern
sensing system.
Light metering modes
Digital ESP, Centre-weighted average and Spot (about 2% of
entire frame).
Detection range
Digital ESP, centre-weighted average:
EV 1 to 20 (50mm f2, ISO 100).
Spot: EV 3 to 17 (50mm f2, ISO 100).
Exposure modes
Auto, Programme with programme shift, Shutter Priority, Aperture
Priority, Manual.
Scene programmes
Portrait, Landscape, Macro, Sports, Night Scene & Portrait.
Scene select
Portrait, Landscape, Landscape & Portrait, Night Scene, Night
Scene & Portrait, Firework, Sunset, Macro, Sports, High Key,
Low key, Document, Beach & Snow, Candle, Children.
Exposure compensation
Up to +/– 5 EV in each 1, 1/2, or 1/3 EV steps.
AE lock
Locked by first position of shutter release or AE/AF lock button
(customised).
Exposure bracketing
3 frames in +/– 1, 2/3, 1/2, or 1/3 EV steps (selectable).
Sensitivity
Auto
ISO 100 to 400.
Manual
ISO 100 to 400. Expandable to 1600 (in each 1/3 EV steps possible).
Shutter
Type
Electronically controlled focal plane shutter.
Shutter speed
Auto, P, Ps, A mode: 1/4000 – 60 sec. (depend on conditions)
S mode: 1/4000 – 60 sec.
M mode: 1/4000 – 60 sec. and bulb (up to 8 min.)
Scene mode: 1/4000 – 2 sec.
X-sync speed
X = 1/180 sec.
Super FP up to 1/4000 sec.
Shutter release
Soft-touch electromagnetic release.
Self-timer
12 or 2 sec (possible to cancel).
Remote control
Yes (including bulb function), with RM-1 (option).
Drive system
Drive modes
Single and sequential shooting.
Sequential shooting speed Approx. 2.5 fps.
Max. frame number on
RAW / TIFF 4 frames.
sequential shooting
JPEG (HQ, SQ) up to card capacity with high speed media
(SunDisk Extreme III).
White balance system
Auto WB system
Advanced detection system with CCD imager.
Preset WB
8 type (3000K – 7500K).
Lamp 1 (3000K), Fluorescent 1 (4000K), Fluorescent 2 (4500K),
Fluorescent 3 (6600K), Daylight (5300K), Cloudy (6000K), Shade
(7500K).
Custom WB
1 custom setting (in Kelvin).
WB compensation
R – B / G – M, up to +/– 7 steps in each 2 mired for both auto and
preset settings.
On touch white balance
1 one touch setting.
WB bracketing
3 frames with +/– 4/8/12 mired steps.
Processing
Image processing
TruePic TURBO.
Colour space
sRGB / Adobe RGB.
Picture mode
Vivid, Natural, Muted, Black & White, Sepia.
Colour saturation
5 levels in each Vivid, Natural, Muted mode.
Sharpness
5 levels in each Picture mode.
Contrast
5 levels in each Picture mode.
Filter
Yellow, Orange, Red, Green in Black & White mode.
Toning
Sepia, Blue, Red, Green in Black & White mode.
Gradation
3 levels (high key, normal, low key).
Built-in flash
Type
Auto pop-up type, TTL auto or manual.
Synchronisation modes
Auto, Red-eye reduction, Slow syncro with red-eye reduction,
Slow syncro, 2nd curtain slow syncro, Fill-in, Off.
Guide number
Approx. 13.
Intensity control
Up to +/– 2EV in each 1, 1/2, or 1/3 EV steps.
External flash control
Type
TTL auto FP / TTL auto for Olympus dedicated flash, auto or manual.
(TTL auto with FL-20, FL-36, FL-50)
Synchronisation modes
Auto, Manual, Red-eye reduction, Slow syncro with red-eye reduction,
Slow syncro, 2nd curtain slow syncro, Fill-in for exclusive flash.
Intensity control
Up to +/– 2EV in each 1, 1/2, or 1/3 EV steps.
Control panel
Control panel information
Metering mode, Exposure mode, Aperture value, Shutter speed,
Exposure level indicator, Exposure compensation value, Exposure
compensation indicator, AE bracket, ISO, Colour space, Picture
mode, Gradation, Colour saturation compensation value,
Sharpness compensation value, Contrast compensation value,
White balance, White balance compensation value, Noise
reduction mode, AE lock, Flash mode, Flash compensation value,
Focus mode, AF frame, Drive mode, Record mode, Number of
storable still pictures, Selected memory card, Battery check.
Playback monitor
Type
HyperCrystal LCD panel.
Size
2.5 inch / 6.4cm.
