by Tara McMeekin
Associate Editor

In September 2001, Olympus America released its newest digital camera offering for newspaper and other professional photographers, the Camedia E-20N. The camera is based on Olympus’ E-10, with added features and technologies. It is a 5-megapixel single-lens-reflex camera with dual-mode image capture capability. Selecting the camera’s Progressive Scan mode of a 2.5 megapixel resolution lets users take fast-action shots and photographs in very bright light with shutter speeds of 1/18,000 of a second. The E-20N has a price tag of $1,999.

Richard Shaw, sports editor of the twice-weekly Utah Sun Advocate, has been using Olympus’ E-10 since November 2000. There are two E-10s at the Sun Advocate, which are used to shoot photos for all sections of the paper. The ruggedly designed camera has held up well under the high demands of frequent use.

The Camedia E-20 is a 5-megapixel single-lens-reflex camera with dual-mode image capture capability. It is the successor to Olympus’ E-10 digital camera.
Photo courtesy of Olympus

“I really like the camera because it’s very solid. It’s been dropped and knocked around and it’s held together,” Shaw said. “I haven’t had one problem with it.”

Shaw said the E-10 is well suited to the needs of his particular newspaper and when it comes to the end of its useful life, he will consider getting another E-10 to replace it rather than the newer E-20N.

“The E-20N is a better camera in terms of being able to give us resolution, but it’s processing is slower.”

Shaw can take four to five bursts with the E-10. The higher-resolution E-20N takes six to eight bursts, but it’s speed that counts at a newspaper.

“We feel the speed is more important than the higher resolution and the bigger bursts,” Shaw said.

Shaw has taken 36,000 shots on his E-10 and he estimates that the camera will take him up to over 40,000 shots before he will need a replacement.

“Right now I can buy an E-10 for less than half the price of a new E-20N and it does everything I need it to do,” Shaw said. “As things change, as the photo programs change on the computer, we may find this isn’t adequate anymore. Let’s face it, the old [cameras] we have that are six or seven years old were state-of-the-art at the time we got them, but things change so quickly.”

The settings on the camera were a big selling point and Shaw said they are very close to those of a 35 mm camera in terms of shutter speed and aperture. The design was also a selling point.