Using the camera on its default Program settings (top) yielded visibly underexposed results in CNET Labs' tests. On a hunch, I manually adjusted the settings to match those that had been determined for the Evolt E-330 in its Program mode (bottom). They worked much better. My conclusion is that the E-410's Program is set to automatically opt for a higher shutter speed as a form of implicit shake reduction.
In addition to exposure issues, the E-410 also displayed some quirky automatic white-balance results under our exceptionally warm Tungsten lights. Though we expect the AWB to produce overly yellow results, the Tungsten preset on most cameras usually compensates fairly well. The E-410, however, overcompensated, producing a very cool image (right). The manual white balance yielded excellent, neutral results (left).
In another baffling exposure issue, the E-410 seems to lack latitude in the semishadows. Despite appearances, the shadow in the photograph was only slightly darker than the gray of the sidewalk. I tried a variety of metering choices as well as other available camera settings, but I couldn't resolve that overly sharp delineation between light and shadow.
The E-410's continuous-shooting speed stands out as one of the fastest we've seen in a budget model--3.3fps, as illustrated here--and it can keep up the pace for a reasonable number of frames.
