Strengths: TWO lenses. Many file options. Dual memory cards. UI is consistent, logical, and versatile. Two reset modes for quickly switching configurations. Software runs on Mac or Windows.

Weaknesses: Some unexpected restrictions on the the reset modes. Battery status only appears when the battery is low.

Summary: My previous digital cameras have all been of the point-and-shoot variety - capable, but limited in their creative options. The E-500 shatters all of those creative barriers! While its automatic and pre-programmed scene modes allow an inexperienced user to get great shots effortlessly, nearly every aspect of the focus and exposure can be easily overridden, allowing complete creative control. As an old time 35mm photographer, I really appreciate that flexibility, and I'm looking forward to a long and prosperous relationship with this fine camera.

Strengths: Great Pictures, Easy Menus, Great Features, Anyone can pick it up and use it, Great 2.5" LCD screen, Great Value.

Weaknesses: No picture preview, you have to use the viewfinder which is a little small, but it is not that big a deal. I have always used the viewfinder most of the time on all my other cameras.

Summary: This Camera takes the best pictures hands down. The Picture comes out just as you saw it with your own eyes. You don't have to fix them at all. I just take the pictures to the lab and have them printed. The color reproduction is the best I have ever seen. The speed of the downloads to the Compact Flash card is unbelievable. I only use Sandisk Extreme III. The Price of the camera is great to. I use this camera Professionally also. Once you use an Olympus Digital SLR, you are hooked for life.

Strengths: Looks good

Weaknesses: Stopped working after three months

Summary: I bought this camera (in the UK) for my daughter for a digital photography course. Bought in Octovber 2006, it worked fine for three months then stopped working. I sent it back for repair, eventually receiving it back. On testing it was still not working. After my initial complaint, Customer Support sent me a new battery and charger, as they said the fault may be in the batteries. Still not working. Sent the camera back to Customer Support, received it back, with job sheet saying it had been repaired and tested. Not working. Have requested a refund for the camera, but on Olympus' showing so far I expect I'll have to take them to court.

Strengths: Many features such as CF/xD slots, dust removal system, multiple lenses.

Weaknesses: Almost too many controls

Summary: This is the first digital SLR that I have purchased. I have, however, owned several (both SLR and rangefinder) 35mm cameras. I was pleasantly surprised at the creativity that this camera brought back to me. I've been using a Nikon 4 Mp point and shoot digital and there is no comparison in the quality of my results. I would highly reccommend this camera to anyone who is looking to take the next step in photography.

Strengths: The lenses are great the 4/3 system is the best one yet It is fast on Focus. all photo's I have taken so far in the last 3 weeks have been extremly clear. That is about 1500 photos. But who counts.

Weaknesses: Two things I wish for are the underwater housing and the LCD live view that the e-330 has. Problem is the 500 is better in all other ways. Do not let anyone tell you that the e-1 is better tis a lie.

Summary: I first did this as a living back in 1994 with a Kodak DCS462 that used a Nikon F5 body and a Micro hard drive. The 450megabyte mini hard drive cost me over $800 for just one of them I get compact flash drives now in the 1 gig range for less than $59 Sunpak has a really nice flat panel flash for this camera it covers 11 meters or 38ft. it is about 1inch thick and 6x8in miniscle red eye plus get the usb card reader that run 20 bucks to handle the xd cards keeps you from having to use the camera battery or waste time for the camera. I may shoot as many as 30 photos of one Item and later slide play them to see which I like the most and then I will sometimes paste four or more together with photoshop or paint shop pro x to get what I want look for the next two years of contests I plan to enter at least 5000 entries I might even win one if I get lucky not bad for an old guy huh. DRAY

Strengths: Price, of course2 Lens KitsPerformance Quick continuous shots (3~4 per second, about 8 continuous shot)while data saving is kind of slowLong Battery Life

Weaknesses: None so far,If being picky, it might be a problem to upgrade it to higher level camera.

Summary: I think it should be the best, excellent DSLR in this price range... < USD 1000Of course you need to choose the effect of shots by your own, different DSLRs have different effects. However, after comparing several same class DSLRs, I love the Olympus E-500 most.Anyone who is interested in buying one DSLR should go to some websites to compare the photos in detail. Hey, don't be lazy to do that.... it's a ~USD 700 deal....:)Should make some conclusion...1. Best Price/Quality I've ever seen for DSLR.2. Best Performance for me, but everyone has his preference.3. Dual Lens Kit..... You won't be able to beat this advantage.... especially, the 40-150 mm is made in Japan... obviously has better performance than the other one... that's my feeling.4. the weight and size is perfectly matched with my hands.

Strengths: works great, very fast focus and photos are very good.a very good camera for the buck.

Weaknesses: view finder is small and difficult for me ( I have glasses )lens cap a little difficult to get off and lens hood is loose fitiing.

Summary: I would recommend for anyone amateur to pro.I am surprised the other manufacturers haven't copied the dust reduction system , it's great. I tried the burst framemode and it performed like a motor drive on a 35mm camera.I really like this camera.

Strengths: GREAT QUALITY OF THE PHOTOS, AND THE MENU SYSTEM IS EASY TO USE. HAD A CANON REBEL, WENT BACK TO THE STORE AND EXCHANGED IT. LARGE LCD SCREEN, AND THE DUST OFF FEATURE IS GREAT.

Weaknesses: THE VIEWFINDER COULD BE A LITTLE BIT LARGER. FOR SOMEONE LIKE THAT WEARS GLASSES, AND NEEDS MAGNIFICATION. THERE ARE NO OPTIONS, TO HAVE BOTH.

Summary: FOR THE VALUE, I THINK THIS IS THE BEST DSLR IN THE 8MP RANGE OUT ON THE MARKET. OLYMPUS MIGHT NOT BE AS BIG AS CANON OR NIKON. BUT THE QUALITY IS THERE. I WISH THERE WERE MORE AFTERMARKET CHOICES. EVEN THOUGH SIGMA AND TAMRON ARE STARTING TO COME OUT WITH SOME NICE LENSES. I OPTED FOR THE SINGLE LENS KIT. THEN PURCHASED THE 14-54 THE 50-200 MM LENSES AND THE 50MM MACRO. THOSE LENSES ARE GREAT. I WILL PROBABLY SELL THE 14-45 LENS. SINCE I DON'T EVEN USE IT. BUT OVERALL, VERY VERY HAPPY WITH IT. MY FIRST DIGITAL.

Strengths: tough, light, fast, and versitiledoesnt break the bank to start out with

Weaknesses: additional zuiko lenses are expensive with few compatable 3rd party alternatives.

Summary: I am so happy i chose this camera setup over other entry d-slr camera packages. I have more camera on a college student budget than i would have otherwise. this camera setup has already proven versitile at family functions, backpacking, underground concerts. At a tech institute this camera impressed many engeneers with its solid preformance and quality. I would definetly recomend this camera to anyone looking to either upgrade from film or buy a more serious starting setup.

Strengths: SLR! > Inexpensive even Value minded, came with a wide and telephoto lens, an OM adapter for Olypus OM lenses is very affordable, making this an easy move from film.

Weaknesses: None worth mentioning to the "Average" Amateur Photographer!

Summary: I have had my E-500 for several months now, great value, even though I payed about $100 more than everyone else, I purchased it the day they were released..I purchased a lense adapter for Olympus OM lenses (35mm film)and some filters, and even a 1300mm "Telescope" that have provided me many hours of photo-fun!.If you are the "Average" Amateur Photographer, taking random pictures of family, friends, your house, vacations, etc., then I strongly recommend buying this camera... especially if you have any 35mmOM lenses laying around..Every camera has is strenghts and opportunities, they are different for each user. The strengths with the E-500 well overcome any opportunities where I am concerned..If you use Adobe Photoshop, the adobe color scheme is a selectable mode in this camera, and yes, it does .RAW photo's as well..On a scale of 10 the E-500 earns a full 10, not because I own one, because Olympus has put together a full feature dSLR "KIT" at an affordable price, that performs well enough to "earn" a 10..73

Strengths: Lens are good, good features, easy to use menus, Auto-Focus with Manual Focus Assist

Weaknesses: Limited Auto-Focus areas, One dial to affect both Shutter Speed and F-Stop, no smaller LCD for settings (eat battery)

Summary: After research and thought, I settled on the E-Volt E-500 because it was the best features for a great price! I worried about the price, because you usually get what you pay for (and compared to the other D-SLRs in its class this is cheap), but that worry was unfounded! The Lenses are good quality, they provide great optics. The zoom slides easily but not too loosely. The focus is tight. The features are great on the camera. There is a continuous shot mode that is surprisingly good. The AF-M focus mode is great. Sometimes the AF doesn't focus exactly where you want, and you can change the focus to get the image you want. One of the features I wish the E-500 had was a separate control for Shutter Speed and F-Stop. Adjusting both with the same dial can be frustrating, but it works! The use of the main LCD as both review/preview screen and as info screen is both a Strength and Weakness. It's easy to see the options, but it can eat up the battery.

Strengths: The reasonable price and the superior quatlity

Weaknesses: Less lens group support than Canon 350D

Summary: I like the kit since it is the camera with two lens at a very reasonable price. Advantages 1) Small and light weight. 2) 8 million FFT-CCD and TruePic TURBO Image processing unit which make the picture wonderful. 3) 2.5 inch lcd screen, which is very clear. 4) support CF and XD card, which is more convenient for shooting. 5) 2.5 ms continuous shooting so as I can capture the excellent moment. Disadvantage: 1)Slow data saving speed. 2)Need improvement on exposure control. 3)Longer processing time on longer exposure time. In sum, it is very good SLR camear at a very reasonable price. Enjoy it

Strengths: Supersonic Wave Filter; Large LCD screen; ergonomics; versatility; Robust kit lenses; unsurpassed values/dollar

Weaknesses: Remote control feature; can't save RAW and JPEG to different memory cards simultaneously; user manual could include more technical details

Summary: I was shopping around for my first upgrade to dSLR. My candidates are Nikon, Minolta, Olympus, and Canon. Nikon and Canon are great cameras, but I did not own any legacy lenses, and so I could venture to other brands. Canon just didn't fit right in my hand, and the camera design was just not appealing at all. The kit lens is plastic and looked dirt cheap as well. After some comparisons it quickly came down to Minolta 5D (the in-camera anti-shake feature) and Olympus E-500 (the supersonic wave filter). I went for Olympus for the ergonomic and rugged design, incredible value (2 lenses), higher resolution, lenses specifically designed for digital photography, and fantastic features for amateur photographer. After a few days of trying, I can only say I am loving it more and more, and I don't need to worry about dust on the sensor. What a wonderful feeling, because no matter how good you are at taking photos using various features, if you got dust on the sensor, you'll see it on every photo. And I don't intend to touch the fragile sensor. There are too many nice things to say about Evolt E-500, so I'll just mention some drawbacks that aren't really significant but worth taking into account when you purchase. 1. The remote control feature. There is NO wire remote socket. But you could buy an IR remote control. However, the corresponding sensor is located in the front of the camera, not in the back or on the side, which limits the range of triggering shutter. 2. There are a lot of nice features in the camera, such as the 15 shooting modes. But the manual doesn't provide detailed information about those setting. It would have been nice to know. But if you are always comfortable with setting up your own shutter speed, aperture, WB, EV compensation, etc, than you don't need to know. In summary, Olympus E-500 is the best deal of 2005/2006 so far. You really can't beat that price when it contains so many wonderful features. It makes a perfect first dSLR for sure.

Strengths: VALUE w/ 2 lens kit (& the 40-150mm lens a nice surprise), Good Ergonomics, fast memory card writting with fast CF, feature rich, scene modes for beginners. Great 2.5" LCD and shooting mode menu

Weaknesses: Small viewfinder (being corrected with the ME-1) , usable iso up to 400 maybe 800 ... above that needs a additional noise program like Noise Ninja.

Summary: Best DSLR Value out there with the 2 lens kit, I bought at Costco because of there liberal Return policy (which is Great) too bad they don't sell OLY len's. fyi: the Cannon XT felt and looked like a toy compared to the E-500. Also, Like the fact that the OLY/Zuiko Lens is fully digital and feedback to the camera body. With the ability to update firmware in the lens. The virtually Free 40-150mm is a very usable lens, at 150mm f4.5 it takes a very good portrait with nice blur on the background ... I like the 40-150mm best of the two kit len's ... even thought the 14-45mm is the basic one you will need.The viewfinder is smaller but brighter IMHO than the XT,350D,D50,istDS ... and the size will be corrected with the ME-1.p.s. being able to use the OLY/Zuiko 50mm f2.0 lens (at aprox. $400.00 more) should be the reason why you get the e-500 if you shoot Portraits or macros.Also the 2.5" LCD that is high res and bright ... with a Very good detailed shooting mode menu that let's you change the settings right on screen.For your business or personal you will love the images the e-500 produces.For more detailed info ...* My favoite site on the e-500:http://wrotniak.net/photo/oly-e/e500-rev.html

Strengths: Pleny of file formats; 1/2.7 to 1/12 compression ratio, 640x480 to 3264x2448 image resolution and the ability to save in RAW format and a compressed format at the same time. Compact Flash II support.

Weaknesses: Not at all for the novice user.

Summary: Geat camera with plenty of features. The preprogrammed shooting modes make it easy for the average photographer to take great pictures. The internal self cleaning mode has kept my camera clean and my pictures dust free. The two lense system has provided plenty of optics for all of my typical picture taking situations. Great system and I was able to find it for just under $800!