Olympus E-600 Review

Main Features

12MP - Four Thirds CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 3200

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

2.7″ Fully Articulated Screen

Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder

4 fps continuous shooting

No Video Mode

515g. 130 x 94 x 60 mm

$249.99

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Olympus E-600 Overview

First introduced in August 2009 , Olympus E-600 is a 12.0MP Entry-Level DSLR camera with a Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor.

Olympus E-600 has an Overall Score of 62/100 and ranked #115 out of 200 in DSLR cameras (Top 10 DSLR), and ranked #303 out of 1157 in all Cameras (Top 10 Overall).

Olympus E-600 Type Scores

Imaging

Features

Value for Money

Portability

Overall Score

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Olympus E-600 Compared to other DSLR Cameras

Now let's get in to more details of our Olympus E-600 review by analysing its specs and features and listing out its pros and cons compared to average competitor cameras in its class.

PROs

Image Stabilization

Articulating Screen

Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Face Detection Focusing

515g Light Body

Flash Sync Port

Selfie Friendly LCD Screen

Buy Olympus E-600 from or B&H PHOTO

CONs

No Wireless Connection

No Full HD Video

No Touch Screen

Low Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP

Max Sensitivity only ISO 3.200

Only 7 Focus Points

Small LCD Screen ( 2.7″)

Low Screen Resolution ( 230kdots )

No Environmental Sealing

Poor Low Light Performance

No AF Micro Adjustment

Olympus E-600 Lens Mount and Lenses

Olympus E-600 has a Four Thirds lens mount and currently there are 45 native lenses available for this mount. Unfortunately Four Thirds mount is not supported by any manufacturer anymore so no new lenses will be introduced.

E-600 also has a Sensor based Image Stabilization system which means that all of these lenses will be stabilized when used on E-600. Sensor based image stabilization is one of the most useful features that you can have in an ILC. There are also 13 lenses with weather sealing for E-600 but bear in mind that E-600 body doesn't have weather sealings.

Here are some of the most popular Olympus E-600 Lenses on Camera Decision:

Popular Olympus E-600 Lenses

	Focal Length on E-600	Max Aperture	Weight	Focusing	Price
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 70-300mm f4.0-5.6	140-600mm	F4.0 - F5.6	620gr	AF	$512.00
Olympus Zuiko Digital 25mm f2.8 Pancake	50mm	F2.8	95gr	AF	$118.95
Panasonic Leica D Summilux Asph 25mm F1.4	50mm	F1.4	510gr	AF	$807.09
Panasonic Leica D Vario-Elmar 14-150mm F3.5-5.6 Asph Mega OIS	28-300mm	F3.5 - F5.6	520gr	AF	$1,030.18
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 18-180mm f3.5-6.3	36-360mm	F3.5 - F6.3	435gr	AF	$75.00

Check our Olympus E-600 Lenses page or use our Smart Lens Finder tool for more detailed lens search.

Olympus E-600 Sensor and Photography Features

Olympus E-600 has a 12.0MP Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features TruePic III+ processor. You can shoot at maximum resolution of 4032 x 3024 pixels with aspect ratios of and 4:3. E-600 has a native ISO range of 100 - 3200 and it can save files in RAW format which gives you a wider room for post processing.

Olympus E-600 is not the highest resolution Four Thirds camera. Panasonic GX8 with its 20.0MP sensor is leading in this class. Check the comparison of Olympus E-600 vs Panasonic GX8 or take a look at Highest resolution DSLR cameras list.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. Olympus E-600 sensor has been tested by DxO Mark and got an overall score of 55 for its image quality. You can find the details of their analysis of Olympus E-600 here.

Let's look at how the size of the Olympus E-600's Four Thirds sensor compares with other standard sensor sizes.

Olympus E-600 Physical Specs

Olympus E-600 weighs 515 g (1.14 lb / 18.17 oz) and has external dimensions of 130 x 94 x 60 mm (5.12 x 3.7 x 2.36″). Considering that the average weight of DSLR type cameras is 771g, Olympus E-600 is a remarkably light camera for its class. Even better, with a thickness of only 60mm, it is also quite small, 16mm thinner than the average of its class.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

Olympus E-600

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Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

Olympus E-600

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Here is the front and top view image of Olympus E-600 with the dimensions:

In order to give you a better idea about the real life size of Olympus E-600, we have added an image of how it looks next to a credit card and an AA type battery.

Now lets compare the weight and thickness of Olympus E-600 with its main competitors:

Olympus E-600 Size Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Sensor	Weight	vs E-600	Thickness	vs E-600
Nikon D750	24.0MP - Full frame	840g	325g heavier	78mm	18mm thicker
Canon 700D	18.0MP - APS-C	580g	65g heavier	79mm	19mm thicker
Nikon D5300	24.0MP - APS-C	480g	35g lighter	76mm	16mm thicker
Canon 100D	18.0MP - APS-C	407g	108g lighter	69mm	9mm thicker
Nikon D5200	24.0MP - APS-C	555g	40g heavier	78mm	18mm thicker
Nikon D600	24.0MP - Full frame	850g	335g heavier	82mm	22mm thicker
Pentax K-500	16.0MP - APS-C	646g	131g heavier	71mm	11mm thicker
Canon 70D	20.0MP - APS-C	755g	240g heavier	79mm	19mm thicker

Olympus E-600 doesn't have any environmental sealings on its body so you got to be extra careful to protect it against water and dust. If you shoot under these conditions very often, consider checking Top DSLR Cameras with Weather Sealing page.

Olympus E-600 Other Features

LCD and Viewfinder

Olympus E-600 has a Fully Articulated 2.7″ LCD screen with a resolution of 230k dots. At only 2.7″, the screen is on the smaller side and 230kdot resolution is lower than most of the recent models in this class.

For those of you who loves shooting self portraits or group photos, Olympus E-600 will make your life easier with its Selfie friendly screen.

E-600 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinder. The viewfinder has a coverage of 95% and a magnification ratio of 0.48x. 95% coverage means that what you see in your viewfinder while shooting will slightly be different from the actual image.

Max Shutter speed
Olympus E-600 can shoot continuously at max speed of 4 fps and has max shutter speed of 1/4000 sec.

Flash
E-600 has a built-in flash, and it also has a flash shoe to mount your external flashes too.

Focusing
Olympus E-600 features both Contrast Detection and Phase Detection autofocus (AF) systems which ensures speed and accuracy of focusing in most situations. The AF system has 7 points to choose from.

Olympus E-600 also features Face detection AF where it intelligently detects the faces in the frame and locks the focus automatically.

Video Features
Unfortunately Olympus E-600 doesn't have Video recording ability.

Connectivity and Storage

Olympus E-600 has a USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) port to connect your camera to other devices.

Battery Olympus E-600 is powered by battery which provides a shooting life of 500 according to CIPA standards. Considering that the average battery life of DSLR type cameras is 881 shots, Olympus E-600 has a short battery life for its class so we strongly recommend E-600 owners to buy some extra batteries.

Battery Life Comparison in Entry-Level DSLR Cameras

Olympus E-600

Min

Average

Max

Pentax K-x with its 1900shots is the model with longest battery life among Entry-Level DSLR cameras. Check the comparison of Olympus E-600 vs Pentax K-x or take a look at Longest Battery Life DSLR cameras list.

Olympus E-600 Features Compared to Main Competitors

Model	Max Video	Battery Life	Wi-fi	Bluetooth	NFC
Nikon D750 >>Compare to E-600	1920 x 1080	1230shots	Yes	No	No
Canon 700D >>Compare to E-600	1920 x 1080	440shots	No	No	No
Nikon D5300 >>Compare to E-600	1920 x 1080	600shots	Yes	No	No
Canon 100D >>Compare to E-600	1920 x 1080	380shots	No	No	No
Nikon D5200 >>Compare to E-600	1920 x 1080	500shots	No	No	No
Nikon D600 >>Compare to E-600	1920 x 1080	900shots	No	No	No
Pentax K-500 >>Compare to E-600	1920 x 1080	710shots	No	No	No
Canon 70D >>Compare to E-600	1920 x 1080	920shots	Yes	No	No

Lowest Price
Current Lowest price for Olympus E-600 is $0.00

What type of Photography is Olympus E-600 Good for?

In this section, we review and score Olympus E-600 in 5 different photography areas. This first spider web graph shows how the E-600 compares with the average DSLR camera.
Hover your mouse over the points to see the score details for each photography type.

Olympus E-600 for Portrait Photography

Olympus E-600 has a score of 77 for Portrait Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Portrait Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Portrait Photography list.

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Optical Built-in Viewfinder

Good Ergonomics&Handling
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-600 for Portrait Photography

Olympus E-600 for Street Photography

Olympus E-600 has a score of 89 for Street Photography which makes it an EXCELLENT candidate for this type of photography.

Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen

Image Stabilization
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Large Body

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-600 for Street Photography

Olympus E-600 for Sports Photography

Olympus E-600 has a score of 79 for Sports Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Sports Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Sports Photography list.

Fast Max shutter speed: 1/4000s
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Image Stabilization

Average Continuous Shooting: 4.0fps
Environmental Sealings
7 Focus Points

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-600 for Sports Photography

Olympus E-600 for Daily Photography

Olympus E-600 has a score of 63 for Daily Photography which makes it a GOOD candidate for this type of photography. If you are looking for a camera that is better suited to Daily Photography, we recommend you to check our Top 10 DSLR Cameras for Daily Photography list.

Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor
Large Body

515g
Body Thickness 60mm

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-600 for Daily Photography

Olympus E-600 for Landscape Photography

Olympus E-600 has a score of 50 for Landscape Photography which makes it an AVERAGE candidate for this type of photography. If Landscape is important for you, we recommend you to check our Top DSLR Cameras for Landscape Photography list.

Live-view
Large Four Thirds (17.3 x 13 mm) sensor

Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
No Environmental Sealings

Read the details of how we scored Olympus E-600 for Landscape Photography

Olympus E-600 Alternatives

In this section, we analyse how Olympus E-600 compares with other DSLR cameras within a similar price range. In the Bubble chart below, you can see Overall Score vs Price comparison of E-600 and the top 10 contenders in the same range. Hover your mouse on the bubbles to see the details of the cameras.

Read a more detailed analysis of Olympus E-600 alternatives.

Popular Comparisons of Olympus E-600

Here is the eight most popular comparisons of Olympus E-600 amongst Camera Decision readers.

Nikon D750

Compare

Canon 700D

Compare

Nikon D5300

Compare

Canon 100D

Compare

Nikon D5200

Compare

Nikon D600

Compare

Pentax K-500

Compare

Canon 70D

Compare

Olympus E-600 Alternatives in Mirrorless Cameras

It would also be interesting to compare Olympus E-600 with Mirrorless Cameras. Below we have listed 4 highest ranked Mirrorless cameras in Olympus E-600's price range.

Nikon Z 6

Compare

Sony A7R II

Compare

Sony A7 III

Compare

Samsung NX1

Compare

Olympus E-M1 II

Compare

Sony A7 II

Compare

Sony A7R

Compare

Panasonic G9

Compare

Frequently Asked Questions about Olympus E-600

Does the Olympus E-600 have Image Stabilization?
Does the Olympus E-600 have RAW support?
Does the Olympus E-600 have Weather Sealing?
Does the Olympus E-600 have built-in GPS?
What is the Max ISO of Olympus E-600?
What is the Sensor Size of Olympus E-600?
is the Olympus E-600 a Full Frame (FF) camera?
Does the Olympus E-600 have Touch Screen?
Does the Olympus E-600 have built-in Wireless?
What is the Max Continuous Shooting Speed (fps) of Olympus E-600?

Olympus E-600 Detailed Specifications

General
Brand	Olympus
Model	Olympus E-600
Announced	2009-08-30
Body Type	Compact SLR
Price	$0.00
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	Four Thirds
Number of Lenses	45
Focal Length Multiplier	2×
Macro Focus Range	n/a
Screen
Screen Type	Fully Articulated
Screen Technology	HyperCrystal LCD
Screen Size	2.7″
Screen Resolution	230k dots
Live View
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	Optical (pentamirror)
Viewfinder Resolution	no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage	95%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.48
Photography Features
Min Shutter Speed	60s
Max Shutter Speed	1/4000s
Continuous Shooting	4.0 fps
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Exposure Compensation	Yes
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization
Built-in Flash
Flash Range	12.00 m
Max Flash Sync	1/180s
Flash Modes	Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync, Front curtain, Rear curtain, Fill-in, Manual
External Flash
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Exposure Modes
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score	55
DxO Color Depth	21.5
DxO Dynamic Range	10.3
DxO Low Light ISO	541
	Report a correction

Sensor
Sensor Type	CMOS
Sensor Size	Four Thirds
Sensor Dimensions	17.3 x 13 mm
Sensor Area	224.90mm²
Sensor Resolution	12 megapixels
Max Image Resolution	4032 x 3024
Max Native ISO	3,200
Min Native ISO	100
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	7
Number of Cross Focus Points	Unknown
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	None
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	None
HDMI
USB	USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Water Proof
Dust Proof
Shock Proof
Crush Proof
Freeze Proof
Weight	515g
Physical Dimensions	130 x 94 x 60mm
Battery Life	500 shots
Battery Type	Battery Pack
Battery Model	BLS-1
Other Features
Self Timer	Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Timelapse Recording
GPS	None
Storage Type	Compact Flash (Type I or II), xD Picture Card
Storage Slots	1

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