Last updated on 2026-04-20
A review and sample photos of the Olympus E-20, a 5-megapixel digital SLR camera with a fixed lens.
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Table of contents
Gallery
- The gallery photos were directly developed in OM Workspace using data recorded in Raw format.
Review
1．Overview
The OLYMPUS E-20 is a single-lens reflex digital camera with an integrated lens that was released by Olympus in 2002.
The main features are as follows, with details shown in the table:
- 5-megapixel, 2/3-inch CCD sensor
- The lens features a 4x zoom (35mm-140mm equivalent in 35mm format).
- The viewfinder uses a TTL SLR system (SLR).
- The rear LCD screen is 1.8 inches, 180,000 dots, and supports live view.
- Images are saved at a resolution of 2560 x 1920 pixels.
- Images are stored on SmartMedia and CompactFlash cards.
- Filter diameter is 62mm.
- Battery: Four AA batteries or two CR-V3 lithium batteries.
2．Usability
The OLYMPUS E-20’s design follows Olympus’s signature L-shaped form and is considered the prototype for the E-1, a Four Thirds camera released in 2003.
It retains the advantages of the E-10’s lens, including an internal zoom with no change in overall length and a bright f/2-f/2.4 aperture.
However, images are slightly distorted at the wide-angle 35mm end. As can be seen in the comparison image below, barrel distortion is evident in the upper beam.
Shooting closer objects, such as bricks with a lattice-like shape, makes the barrel distortion more noticeable. Furthermore, the camera does not perform distortion correction, even in JPEG recording.
Affinity Photo 2 is a paid software that I personally use and has a correction profile for the E-10. If you turn on the distortion correction function, it will automatically correct E-20 images using EXIF information.
OM Digital Solutions’ OM Workspace, the successor to Olympus’s original OLYMPUS Master/OLYMPUS Master 2 software, also has a function to correct distortion in E-20 images.
(Below: left is uncorrected; right is corrected.)
Despite its small sensor, the camera’s viewfinder provides good visibility and makes it easy to find the focus point. Since the lens is fixed, the matte screen cannot be replaced with a grid or similar feature.
You can change the focal length using the zoom ring on the front of the lens barrel. You can also manually focus using the focus ring on the front of the lens. You can switch between autofocus and manual focus using a switch. Manual focus cannot be interrupted by the focus ring during autofocus.
The camera has two slots for recording media: SmartMedia and CompactFlash cards. Unlike recent cameras, it is not possible to write JPEG and RAW to separate media or use both media consecutively automatically. Media switching is manual.
Images are available in five recording sizes: RAW, TIFF, SHQ, HQ, and SQ. RAW, TIFF, SHQ, and HQ can save images at the full five-megapixel resolution of 2560 x 1920 pixels.
The RAW format is Olympus’s original ORF format. However, the Mac OS X 14 Sonoma preview does not support this format and cannot load images. However, I’ve confirmed that images in the ORF format can be developed using OM Workspace and Affinity Photo 2. Other software may also be capable of developing them.
SmartMedia cards of up to 128 MB can store approximately 13 ORF or Raw format images, while CompactFlash cards of up to 2 GB can store approximately 200 ORF or Raw format images.
The RAW format allows you to shoot at a rate of three frames per second, enabling you to shoot at a reasonable pace. Furthermore, you can perform some camera operations while data is being recorded, allowing you to continue shooting without much frustration. However, when using Live View, the rear LCD screen goes black while data is being written, making it impossible to check the image.
When shooting in RAW format, the time required to complete recording per image was approximately the same for both SM and CF cards. The CF card used was a SanDisk Ultra II 2GB with a nominal transfer speed of 15 MB/s. This is decent, but the write speed was the same as the SM’s 2 MB/s transfer rate, suggesting limitations in the camera’s processing.
Pay attention to the LCD display on top of the camera. A flashing TIFF indicates RAW recording.
Perhaps because it’s an old camera, the TIFF setting changed to HQ when I turned it on. Since then, I’ve checked the LCD display before taking a photo.
The front of the lens is threaded, allowing for the attachment of 62 mm filters. Various conversion lenses are also 62 mm screw-in, making them versatile.
The camera uses four AA batteries, including nickel-metal hydride, nickel-cadmium, lithium, and alkaline batteries, or two CR-V3 batteries. For cost-effectiveness, I mainly use four nickel-metal hydride batteries.
3．Summary
In summary, the OLYMPUS E-20 served as the foundation for Olympus’s entry into the world of digital SLR cameras. Its snappy shutter and mirror movement are a pleasure to use. With five megapixels, it has enough resolution for most uses.
It’s disappointing that the buffer fills up after three consecutive Raw format shots, though this is par for the course.
Specifications, considerations, etc.
The fixed-lens Olympus E-xx series ended with two models: the E-10, released in October 2000, and the E-20, released in November 2001. These models were followed by the Four Thirds system, beginning with the E-1, released in October 2003.
The series was presumably discontinued because sales didn’t justify development costs. I would have liked to see mid-range Four Thirds camera models like the E-30 and E-50 continue on this path.
The model numbers for overseas markets, E-20P and E-20N, stand for PAL and NTSC video output connection standards and indicate whether the model is primarily for Europe (PAL regions) or America (NTSC regions). See Wikipedia for more information on the E-20. Models sold in Japan do not have a brand name.
| Items | E-20 | E-10 | E-1 |
| Zoom-x | 4倍 | 4倍 | – |
| Focal length | 35−140 （9~36） | 35−140 （9~36） | – |
| Lens Construction | 14 elements in 11 groups | 14 elements in 11 groups | – |
| Max Aperture | F2~F2.4 | F2~F2.4 | – |
| Numbers of pixels | 5 megapixels | 4 megapixels | 5 megapixels |
| Sensor size | 2/3 | 2/3 | 4/3 |
| View Finder | TTL SLR system | TTL SLR system | TTL SLR system |
| Back LCD | 1.8-inch 118,000 pixels Tilt up and down | 1.8-inch 118,000 pixels Tilt up and down | 1.8 inches 134,000 pixels Fixed |
| Battery | AA x4 | AA x4 | BLM-1、BLM-5 |
| Recorded Media | Smart media Compact Flash | Smart media Compact Flash | Compact Flash |
| Wight(g) | 1050 | 1050 | 660（non-lens） |
| Size(mm) | 128.5×103.5×161 | 128.5×103.5×161 | 141×104×81（non-lens） |
| Release date | 2001.11 | 2000.10 | 2003.10 |
| Body color | Black | Black | Black |
| Price(Yen/No-tax) | 220,000yen | 198,000yen | 270,000yen |
Option
- Tele Extension Lens Pro (3x) TCON-300S ¥69,000
- Tele Extension Lens Pro (1.45x) TCON-14B ¥21,000
- Wide Extension Lens Pro (0.8x) WCON-08B ¥21,000
- Macro Extension Lens Pro MCON-35 ¥13,000
- Lithium Polymer Battery Set “B-32LPS” (¥58,000, scheduled for release in mid-November)
- Dedicated External Flash “FL-40”
- Remote Cable “RM-CB1” (¥6,500)
- Multi-Function Remote Control “RM-1” (¥3,000)
Reference links
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Update history
- 2025.8.19
- 2024.07.14
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