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March 26, 2009
[REVIEW—OLYMPUS E-30 DSLR]
Price: $2500 with 14–54mm Zuiko lens
Good camera, great lens
The low-down: This 12 megapixel camera with a four-thirds sensor is a de-tuned version of the flagship E-3 DSLR. Build quality and ergonomics are excellent and performance is similar to the E-3. The kit lens supplied for review is the 14–54mm (28–108mm film equivalent) f2.8–3.5 zoom, and that is fast for a kit optic. There is both body top and main LCD display of camera settings and the LCD swivels. Live view is well implemented with slow but accurate contrast-detect auto-focus. There is image stabilisation by sensor shift, and automatic dust removal. There is a set of in-built “filters”, probably of limited use. Do you really need your DSLR to emulate a pinhole camera? But the soft filter is nice. The excellent Olympus wireless flash system controls remote flash unit(s) from the camera. Burst mode is up to 5fps.
Like: This is an excellent camera that produces fine images, but special mention must be made of the lens. Mechanically and optically it is outstanding. Zoom and manual focus are smooth and auto focus is fast and accurate. Contrast and resolution right across the frame are excellent. The smaller sensor also helps with overall sharpness because of the greater depth of field at any focal length compared with the larger APS-size sensors.
Dislike: This is nit picking, but we would have liked a little more damping (resistance) in the manual focus mechanism.
Verdict: Olympus have plugged a hole in their DSLR line-up with this camera that fits in the same price slot as the Canon 50D. Fewer pixels would be nice, and we note that Akira Watanabe, manager of Olympus Imaging's SLR planning department, said last week: "Twelve megapixels is, I think, enough for covering most applications most customers need. We have no intention to compete in the megapixel wars for E-System." So, the E30 is a top quality camera for the fastidious photographer that might not break the bank.
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Posted by terry at March 26, 2009 09:08 AM
