Dpreview Previews Olympus E-330 Digital SLR

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/06012606olympuse330evolt.asp' target='_blank'>http://www.dpreview.com/news/0601/06012606olympuse330evolt.asp</a><br /><br /></div><i>"On January 26th 2006 over a year since the introduction of the E-300 Olympus revealed the 7.5 million pixel 'live view' successor, the E-330. The E-330's biggest differentiator to any other digital SLR is its capability to deliver a live view on the LCD monitor (in the same manner as a prosumer / consumer all-in-one digital camera). For those new to digital SLR's this is difficult to achieve because of the mirror / shutter mechanism, the mirror is in the light path in view mode to provide an image to the viewfinder, this means that no image can be projected onto the main sensor. Additionally most large D-SLR sensor don't have video out capability. Other changes over the E-300 include a flip-out LCD screen and a range of feature improvements inherited from the E-500."</i><br /><br /><img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/olympuse330.jpg" /><br /><br />There have been quite a few E-series SLRs from Olympus lately. My favorite feature is that by incorporating the Supersonic Wave Filter, the problem of dust entering the camera body and landing on the image sensor while changing lenses is completely eradicated. Have any of you tried any of the Olympus series?

[marlof]

Have I tried the E-system? Did you forget about the "meat sweat"? ;) I like the lenses that make my system (I have the midrange 14-54 (28-108 FOV), 50 Macro (100 FOV) and 50-200 (100-400 FOV)), since it allows me to have a wide range in high quality lenses without having someone to carry it for me. I use the E-1 body, which is ergonimically just right, but lacks a bit in the current state of the art department. Here's me hoping that PMA will not only bring more info on the E-330, but also on the follow up in the professional line of Olympus. And perhaps a four thirds release by Panasonic as is rumored.

On the E-330: the current implementation of the live preview offers little more than a framing aid. There's no real exposure info in the LCD screen, and no live histogram. But a framing aid in addition to the optical viewfinder is kinda nice (for waist level photography, over head photography, under water photography (there is/will be a special enclosure), weird angles etc.).

[bcries]

It has also been suggested (in dpreview forums) that the e-330 digital live view screen could be zoomed during shot composition for fine manual focusing. Remember, this is no choppy live view - this is another full 8 MP CMOS looking through the lens. Should help with tough tele and macro shots.

I've got the e-500 two lens kit, and besides for its many great features, I'm a firm supporter of Olympus, Kodak, Panasonic, Fujifilm and Sigma all attempting the open-standard Four Thirds lens mount system. They've designed all these lenses for digital, and for anybody jumping into SLR photography who doesn't have a big lens collection already, I think Four Thirds is the way to go. I can't wait for five or six camera companies to be competing to sell me their lenses! :)

[Lee Yuan Sheng]

It's a good effort, but I'm not in favour of splitting the incoming light to the viewfinder; viewfinders using mirrors are dim enough, and doing this is just going to result in dim LCDs and viewfinders.

The second option is more interesting. I just hope (though not holding out for) a good LCD that'll make the feature useful.