Updated 12/23/08: The 10.1-megapixel E3, the top dog in Olympus's line of digital single-lens-reflex (DSLR) cameras, is an attractive package for both pros and serious amateurs. You have to be serious about your photography--and have plenty of arm strength--though, because the bulky E3 body alone costs $1700 and weighs just under 2 pounds. Adding the lenses increases both the cost and the heft: The 12mm-to-60mm (24mm-to-120mm, 35mm equivalent) zoom I received with the E3 makes the package $2700, and together the body and lens tip the scales at an arm-fatiguing 3.25 pounds.
Olympus Olympus E3

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- Spec Navigator
- Digital Format
- Display
- Exposure
- General
- Image Processor
- Included Hardware
- Included Software
- Lens
- Shutter
- Storage
- LCD Screen
- Exposure Controls
- Dimensions
- Power
- Flash
- Lens Features
- Connectivity
- Other Features
- Warranty
- Tags
Image Processor
| Number of image sensor pixels | 10.1 megapixels |
| Image sensor | CCD |
| Maximum horizontal image resolution | 3648 |
| Maximum vertical image resolution | 2736 |
| Image sensor quantity | 1 |
| Image format |
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| White balance | 0 |
Included Hardware
| Included Hardware |
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Lens
| Accessory Lens | No |
| Lens Model | Olympus Zuiko 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 Digital ED SWD |
| Telephoto Aperture Maximum | 4 mm |
| Wide-Angle Aperture Maximum | 2.8 mm |
Exposure Controls
| Maximum shutter speed | 8000 |
| Minimum shutter speed | 60 |
| Bulb setting | 0 |
| ISO equivalencies |
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| Exposure settings | 0 |
| Exposure compensation range | 0 |
| Number of scene modes | 0 |
- Lab Tested
- How We Test SLR Cameras »
Pros
Rotating, swiveling LCD with live view
Very quick autofocusing
Cons
Very heavy
Bottom Line
This big, heavy, rugged camera has extensive advanced controls, fast burst-shooting speed, and can autofocus very quickly.
Olympus E3 Digital SLR Camera
Olympus E3 Review, by Tracey Capen, PC World March 20, 2008
Like most DSLRs, though, the E3 provides speed and flexibility, and this camera offers them in spades. Tested against my now aging Canon 30D and the new Nikon D300, the E3 delivered lightning-quick auto-focusing, noticeably faster than either of the other cameras did. The E3 will capture up to five frames per second--not quite up to the Nikon's six-frames-per-second burst-shooting speed, but still quite fast.
The E3's flexibility starts with its bright, 2.5-inch color LCD, which swings away from the camera body and swivels. I loved this feature in my old Olympus C-5060, and the company had a good reason to add it to the E3: Pressing the live-view button, you can compose your shot on the LCD screen. (A simple thing that every digital point-and-shoot does already.) The design makes shooting still lifes with a tripod, paparazzi pics over crowds, or macros of low-lying wildflowers much easier on the back. The LCD has one other extremely useful trick: Like most DSLRs, it displays a concise summary of current camera settings. Unlike with most of the competition, though, you can also use the four-way navigation buttons to highlight a specific setting and change it on screen, or you can use them to create a custom group setting--especially useful when you want to make several changes at the same time.
The E3 has highly customizable controls. Dual selector dials--one on the back, one on the front--are now commonplace on DSLRs. But you can reassign the E3's dials in a number of useful ways; you can, for example, set one to adjust the f-stop and the other to change the shutter speed. The same is true for the camera's many other controls; for example, the AE/AL button can lock the exposure value, or the focus, or both. All of that means less adapting to the camera and more adapting the camera to your way of shooting.
The theme extends to many of the creative controls in the E3's menu system. Some examples include the E3's implementation of automatic bracketing, which includes options for exposure, white balance, flash, and (new to me) ISO or image sensitivity bracketing. The E3 offers extensive control over color balance, as well: You can fine-tune all of the presets and color temperature settings along the red-green axis.
That level of control is a good thing, because the E3's color balance was off in some shooting situations. When I first started shooting with the E3 I was, to put it mildly, disappointed in the photos. For shots taken under difficult conditions--landscapes with lots of snow, water, and sky--all of my images were a stop-and-a-half underexposed and looked as if I had forgotten to remove a dark-blue filter. Correcting these shots (taken in RAW format) on my computer soaked up a lot of time. Extensive use of bracketing helped only a little. Fortunately, subsequent sessions with more mundane subjects, such as cars, homes, small still lifes, and dogs, produced far better results--accurate colors, outstanding details, and only the slight underexposures that are common in DSLRs.
Among the more interesting controls found in the E3 is an antishock mode, which trips the shutter from 1 to 30 seconds after you press the shutter release and the mirror snaps up--useful for macro work where you remembered to bring your tripod but forgot the (optional) wireless remote. Image stabilization is controlled within the camera, so the function works with all Olympus Zuiko lenses.
The Master 2 image editing application included with the E3 is a capable product, with a good selection of editing tools. If you want batch-processing capabilities, you'll have to upgrade to the $100 Studio 2, available from Olympus as an online download. (A 30-day trial version of Studio 2 is included on the Master 2 CD.) If you are an Adobe Photoshop CS3 jockey, the latest version of Camera Raw reportedly supports the Olympus RAW format. If you're on Photoshop CS2, you're probably facing an expensive upgrade, because the older version of Camera Raw that's compatible with CS2 won't recognize the E3's files.
Overall, I enjoyed using the E3. It feels comfortable in the hand, its magnesium body looks and feels durable--ready for extensive time in the field--and operating the controls is quick and efficient. And unlike my experience with many cameras, I could read the color LCD, even with my dark, polarized sunglasses on. As someone who shoots extensively in the mountains, my only concern is the color balance issue.
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- Rating Breakdown
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90
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78
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94
- See Complete Lab Results »
Performance Comparison with Similar SLR Cameras
90
90
Performance
| Battery Life (minutes) | 273.5 |
| Image Quality Score | Very Good |
| Image Quality, Color | 60.4 |
| Image Quality, Color--Adjusted | 64 |
| Image Quality, Color--Auto | 56.9 |
| Image Quality, Distortion | 65.1 |
| Image Quality, Distortion--Noise | 70.9 |
| Image Quality, Distortion--Noise Reduction | 72.3 |
| Image Quality, Distortion--Sharp Interpolation | 58.9 |
| Image Quality, Exposure | 57.2 |
| Image Quality, Exposure--Flash | 62.1 |
| Image Quality, Exposure--Normal | 55.1 |
| Image Quality, Overall | 59.2 |
| Image Quality, Sharpness | 48.8 |
| Number of Batteries | 1 |
| Number of Shots | 500 |
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
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Reviewed by: slicksta65
Strengths: Autofocus / Build quality
Weaknesses: Still a bit Pricey
Overall: I'm not a pro, but I sure feel like one with the E-3 in hand. This was an upgrade from the E-300 and after 1 month I am very pleased. Auto focus is quick and accurate even in low light and without the new SWD lenses. So far I've used the 14-54 and the 50-200 on it and I'm very impressed with the pics. I'll update once I get a chance to use the 50 and the 7-14. After learning what needed to be tweaked on the E-300, I was able to get some amazing shots. And I'm sure once I'm comfortable with the E-3 I'll be able to take it to the next level. So far I've taken some softball pics and was pleased with the action shots I was able to capture. If your into the 4/3 system, I don't think you will be disappointed. Prior to this I looked into Canon and Nikon. Canon in my opinion in this price range is of much cheaper build quality. And though Nikon was a close runner up for me, I've always been impressed with the color achieved and the quality of the Olympus glass.
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Reviewed by: am1man
Strengths: Quick focus with new lens
Weaknesses: Menus, functions, buttons
Overall: A longtime Oly fan I had to buy a Nikon D200 a while back because Olympus did not have anything comparable in same price range. Now that the E-3 is out I got one. I am disappointed. Biggest headache is the single focus point procedure. In the Nikon if you want to be able to manually choose the one single focus point from the many available you just set it up in the menu and then, using your thumb on the back directional button, move the selected focus point to wherever you want it for each shot. On the Oly E-3 you can't set this up in the menu, per se. You choose that type of focus selection BUT for each and every shot you first have to press this small focus selection button on the back corner of the camera with one finger and then with your thumb use the 4 arrow buttons on the back (not a single form-fitting thumb button like the Nikon) to move the highlighted focus point. You can also scroll through them all with the 2 wheels until you land on the one you want. You can not set it up to do this for every shot without having to "activate" it first with this little button. A lot of finger moving and time wasted and missed shots. The Nikon is sooooo much easier. I consider this a major problem with the E-3. The Menus are not as easy or as detailed as in the D200. No battery info, just icon when Full and when Low so you have no idea about how much batt power you have used or have left until it is critical. Manual power selection for the internal flash are about half as many as in the D200. D200 has Full, 1/2,1/4,1/8,1/16,1/32,1/64, and 1/128. The E-3 only has Full,1/4,1/16, and 1/64. Now why is that? Seems to me it is just a simple software function in the firmware so why so few choices? I'm not so worried about the smaller ones but, gee, where is 1/2 and 1/8? Those would be the ones I would use a lot. Oly has a good camera and then screws it up with these little things that drive you crazy but would seem so easy to correct in the firmware. A toggle button on the back instead of the 4 arrow buttons is needed too. Bottom Line- So far I am sorry I got the E-3 (and with the new expensive 12-60mm lens).
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Reviewed by: byount
Strengths: Fast AF with improved low-light performance, improved high ISO performance (compared to other Olympus models), great lens catalog and in-body IS works with Zuiko Digital and legacy lenses.
Weaknesses: Not quite as ergonomically satisfying as the E-1 and certainly heavier, no focus assist lamp (uses built-in flash), probably a little over-priced.
Overall: I am a photography enthusiast, not a professional, so please take my remarks accordingly. This camera more than meets my personal needs, and was a logical upgrade from the E-1. My primary frustration with the E-1 was its challenges in low-light focusing (even with fast lenses). To this end, the E-3 is a dramatic improvement.The body is comfortable in the hand, though slightly less so than the E-1. It is well balanced, and I prefer to use it with the HLD-4 grip. The grip itself is a little ornery at times with clone batteries (locking up the camera), and is not quite as comfortable as the HLD-2. While I've never been a pixel peeper and found 5 MP more than enough for my printing needs, I'm sure I will enjoy the greater resolution and ability to do hard crops if desired. The ISO 1600 is dramatically better than the E-1 with a film-like grain. Of course, one aspect of the E-3 that sets it apart from the Canon and Nikon semi-pro offerings is the articulated LCD. Some will complain about the size (2.5" vs their 3" displays). Coming from the E-1's small 1.8" display, I have no complaints. I would rather have the articulation than the larger size, as it allows me to shoot from the ground, the waist, and overhead if necessary. My initial attraction to Olympus was the more compact lens size afforded by the system, as I like to do landscape shots on hikes. Having the in-body IS now allows me more latitude with many of my non-tripod shots. The reason I chose the E-3 over the E-510 is primarily for its enhanced durability and splash-proof design. I also use the FP-1 power flash grip with the FL-50, and the E-510 does not have the necessary connector for shutter triggering. All in all, it is not perfect for everybody, but my needs are more than met, and that is the question you must ask yourself when comparing each of these exceptional cameras.
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Reviewed by: RLQ
Strengths: This camera has many features and is very fast.
Weaknesses: None yet
Overall: This camera has the fastest auto focus I have ever seen. It has many options for the focus. It also has dust reduction that works and is built like a tank. I used the camera in all weather conditions including subzero and it worked flawless.
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