Rating: 
Summary: Not too crazy about this camera...
Review: I've owned this camera for over a year and I had issues with it right out of the box. I was looking for a good digicam to replace my Fujifilm FinePix A101, which was and still is a great litte camera, but lacked an optical zoom and was a mere 1.3 megapixels. After a trip to England with the A101, I decided to get a higher end point and shoot camera with optical zoom and higher resolution. Having done a bit of research, I settled on the Olympus D-520, which had just come down in price. I had owned an Olympus 35mm camera which lasted me for several years and was FANTASTIC, so I thought I'd be getting the same level of quality in the digicam. Boy was I disapointed! The first thing that bothered me was the sound of the gears almost straining when the clamshell is pulled back and the lens protracts. I was a bit worried that something was wrong with it, but it turns out that that's how all the D-520's sound when they're turned on or off. My 35mm Olympus had a similar clamshell front, but the sound of it opening and closing was extremely quiet. It also had a metal body, whereas the D-520 has a plastic case. I think Olympus was looking to skimp in the design and engineering deptartments with the D-520! The next problem I encountered was how fickle it was when taking photos. I'm not exaggerating when I say that I miss about 75% of photo oportunities when I use this camera. The lag between photos feels like eons, especially since speedy recouperation is essential for point and shoot cameras. The D-520 is EXTREMELY picky about when and where it wants to take pictures... If light levels are not perfect, or if you're too close or too far away from the object you're trying to capture, IT WILL NOT TAKE THE PICTURE. Period. Once again, you're talking a lot of missed photo ops and impatient people posing for a camera that refuses to take a picture. This camera does well on auto-timer mode, though. Sometimes it's the only way I can get it to take a picture, unfortunately. It offers a 12 second timer, which is a few seconds longer than most other cameras, and you typically end up with plenty of time to set it up and get situated. Nighttime or photos shot with minimal light don't look great. They're not terrible, but they could be a whole lot better. In low-lighting situations, the flash can really tweak the quality of the picture, so you have to be on your guard. The nighttime flash option does well in low light situations, though it tends to illuminate everything in what looks like daylight. Resolution is passable. 2.3 megapixels is probably good enough for someone new to the digicam experience, but over time, it seemed as though the quality of the resolution was degrading. Or maybe that was just my patience with the camera... Some people complain that this camera is not intuitive to use. I'd say that that's probably the least of the problems with the D-520. My 10 year old nephew was able to master the basic functions of this camera after a minute or two, so it's not that hard to figure out. It's just not as obvious as some other cameras on the market. In closing, I really don't care for this camera. I feel as though Olympus could have done a whole heck of a lot better, but it's made me very warry of ever purchasing another Olympus digicam. Now that it's over a year old, the D-520 is quite affordable, but I'd recommend going with a Fujifilm camera in the same price range, as I've always been very happy with my Fujifilm cameras.
Rating: 
Summary: Extreme convenience, optical limitations
Review: this is a good camera if you are going to be shooting in daylight and if you're good at figuring out electronics. It is not intuitive to use, and i have to explain to friends how to turn on the display screen or review a picture everytime. Once you know it's not terrible but there are other problems. The display doesn't come on when you turn the camera on - you have to turn it on yourself. Of course, you don't need it on - you can never turn it on and shoot everything as if it was a normal camera - then just look at the pictures on your computer. However most of us like to play with these a little more and show our friends pictures right after we take them. This just makes it a little more difficult to do that. This should not be a deal breaker though. I've had substantial trouble with indoor photography however. If you think the flash issue that everyone talks about won't be an issue for you, think again. You'll take this to one wedding and miss every shot you want. On top of that, most of the pictures will come out dark and out of focus. Basically indoor pictures are just out. But outdoor, it works fine. The part I was happiest with was the software that came with it. The program to download and edit your photos was oppositely extremely intuitive and easy to use. I wish the camera had been designed the same way. All in all, the problem with indoor photograhy is a deal breaker. It's otherwise so small and easy to point and click (not using the LCD) that it's too bad it comes with these other problems.
Rating: 
Summary: Olympus D-520 Zoom
Review: This is a wonderful camera. My husband got it for me so I could take photos of my products to place on web. I had looked at some cameras a few years back and quite frankly could not figure the things out. I figured it would be the same with this. The first few attempts to use it were very meager to say the least as I am not up on digital cameras. However, within a few tries and reading the book, I find this camera to be the best invention I have ever tried! It is easy to use and it gives clear, sharp images that will blow you mind away! I am still learning how to use it, but I certainly recommend this camera to anyone. If you are looking for a camera to shoot nature shots of distant mountains,etc., you may want to consider a different model, as this camera is a bit limited on distant shots. For general use, this is the one I think you would be happy with!
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