The color LCD can be used for live preview and the amount of information that is overlayed on the image is controlled by the INFO button. The frame above shows the camera preview with the overlay data enabled. This is pretty much the same info as what is displayed in the SLR viewfinder.

We have complained about other digicams giving little or no information when using the manual focus option. As you can see, the E-20 gives you a sliding scale display when desired. This is only on the color LCD, not in the SLR viewfinder. The manual focus is step-less and feels very much like focusing a 35mm camera lens. It would be nice if the LCD view was magnified during manual focus (hint, hint Mr. Olympus)

Record mode Menu options:

• Card Setup - Delete all images or format the flash card(s)
• ISO - Automatic, 80, 160 or 320 equivalent ISO
• Bracket - Set the EV increment (1/3, 2/3 or 1.0EV) for AE Bracketing
• Flash Control Compensation - Flash output compensation from -2 to +2EV in 1/3-step increments
  

  
  

  
  
  
• Sharpeness - Hard, Normal or Soft
• Contrast - High, Normal or Low
• Resolution & Compression - TIFF / SHQ / HQ / SQ and size 2560 x 1920, 1792 x 1344, 1280 x 960, 1024 x 768, 640 X 480
• Interval Time - Time-lapse mode from 1 minute to 24 hours. The camera will take pictures until the batteries are exhausted or the memory card is full.
  

  
  

  
  
  
• Shutter Sound - Off, High, Low (makes a simulated 35mm SLR shutter/mirror sound effect when picture is captured)
• Warning Sound - On, Off (AutoFocus OK and other camera beeps)
• Rec View - Off, Auto, 5 sec (Amount of time the image captured is displayed on the color LCD. Auto means the image is displayed as long as it takes for the camera to process and store it.)
• Image Mode
  • IS mode - Interlaced scan (default)
  • PS mode - Progressive scan
  • Noise Reduct - Noise Reduction

Fullscreen image playback can be without data overlay information or with limited information as above or see the next frame for all the playback information.

Detailed image information may be displayed by pressing and holding the INFO button and rotating the command dial. Image and exposure information includes image size and quality, shutter speed, aperture, EV compensation, white balance, ISO speed, folder name, filename and file number, time and date.

As is expected on a "pro" level camera, the E-20 includes a histogram feature to graphically depict the dynamic range captured in each image. If the histogram feature is enabled (via the record menu), it can be displayed by pressing the INFO button below the color LCD.

To check for critical focus, composition or color, the zoomed playback made lets you magnify the fullscreen image up to 4x and then freely scroll around inside the image.

To quickly search through your stored images there is both a 4-image and 9-image thumbnail index mode.

The Play mode menu is only one page as all the other functions (view, index, zoom, delete, protect) are controlled by dedicated buttons and dials on the back of the camera. Menu options start the slideshow playback, copy images between SM and CF cards, erase all or format flash cards and LCD brightness adjust.