Didn't we tell you $500 was going to be the price to beat for entry-level digital SLRs? Nikon got there first with deep discounts on the D40X, and now Olympus is jumping in with the new E-420, selling out of the gate for five Benjamins (body only, avaiable in May). Besides price, the 10-megapixel shooter is being touted as one of the smallest and lightest SLRs ever, weighing in at a neck-saving 13.4 ounces.
You also get the usual face detection, image stabilization, Live View LCD and shadow/highlight balancing. And what of the value we and others have been harping on, image sensor size? Olympus remains wedded to the 4/3" format, providing about a third less real estate than competitors. But it'll still be clarity nirvana for anyone stepping up from a point-and-shoot.
