Olympus E-3
When people think of semi-professional and professional D-SLRs they invariably concentrate only on Nikon and Canon, undoubtedly the world leaders in this sector of the market.
However, others are also attempting to offer choices to serious photographers, and one of those companies is Olympus. Although the Japanese company says it is aiming to target the professional market, Digital Cameras Review instead considers that Olympus is more looking towards semi-professional users.
Olympus has finally announced their long-awaited flagship DSLR camera, the E-3. Billed as a pure pro camera, the Olympus E-3 is really more comparable to the cameras by Olympus’s competitors that we’ve been categorizing as semi-pro, such as the Pentax K10D, Canon 40D, and Nikon D200. Whatever you call it though, there’s no question that the new E-3 represents a sizable leap forward in technology and sophistication for the Olympus SLR line.
Indeed, Olympus have been responsible for pioneering various technologies from the consumer and prosumer digital camera market such as in-camera image stabilization and live view in ways that Nikon and Canon have yet to do. The Nikon D300 and Nikon D3 might have live view, but is it of much use if the screen can’t be tilted for low-angle or over-the-head shots? Crave says the same.
As the pioneer of live view on dSLRs, Olympus has continued to show the worth of the system for those photographers who may not have been convinced by the compact-like ability to compose images on an LCD screen. The E-3′s 64mm (2.5-inch) LCD is the smallest manufacturers can get away with these days, but it has the ace in the hole of being able to flip out and twist around camcorder-style, like the Panasonic DMC-L10. The screen also previews depth-of-field, exposure and image stabilisation settings so you know what you see is what you’re going to get. If you’re still not convinced, just flip the screen over and hide it away.
However, the respected Digital Photography Review says that the camera cannot compete in the resolution and digital noise game with rival offerings from Nikon and Canon. This seems to be the main failing of the camera.
If Olympus could only find a sensor to match the quality of the camera itself and the lenses available, the E-3 would have been lifted into a class of its own. As it is, this is a camera that will keep the faithful happy, and one that offers some unique features at a good price, but one that is unlikely to see eBay suddenly flooded with high end Nikon and Canon gear as professionals and serious photo enthusiasts dump their systems and jump trains to the Four-Thirds express. Features like in-body IS and a tilting screen are all well and good, but a camera at this level needs to offer the ultimate image quality and total shooting versatility, and here the E-3 can struggle to match its direct competitors.
For brand-faithful shooters, the Olympus E-3
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