Saturday Shout: Will the Olympus E-330 be a Hit or a Miss?

This week Olympus announced the world’s first digital SLR camera with live preview on the LCD screen. This innovation enables framing of shots without the need to look through the viewfinder, and will prove an attractive proposition to anyone who is used to compact digicams. The E-330 is based on the previous E-300 design, however, which didn’t prove too popular with consumers, and the new model will set you back £900, which is more than a Canon EOS 20D. So does the new E-300 get your blood racing, or do you think it will go down in history as the first, but not the best? Would you pay £900 for it? And do you think all the other manufactuers will quickly follow suit and release their own live-view SLR cameras? Shout out now…

Published: Saturday, January 28, 2006

Reader Comments

1. All depends on the quality and noise of the new Panasonic sensor. If it is a step forward from the previous Kodak the thing will work, If it doesn't the price is out of imagination: those with a live preview better add a compact to their arsenal.

   Fabio Amodeo at 09:56am on Saturday, January 28, 2006

2. A camera offering both an SLR-type through-the-lens viewfinder and a live preview on a hinged back-panel monitor sounds intriguing. However, initial previews suggest that neither has been implemented particularly well: the optical viewfinder is dim and offers low magnification, whereas live preview Mode A displays either a dark or a flickering image, does not show the effect of exposure compensation and white balance setting, and comes without a live histogram overlay - things that defy the logic of including it in the first place. Mode B apparently lets you down by disengaging the autofocus and by imposing a shutter delay "penalty" of a full second.
   
   Let us be fair though: these reports are based on preproduction cameras, and things might change when serial production starts.
   
   And let us also be fair by adding that the live preview function is only an additional feature to what is promising to be a DSLR able to hold its own against the competition even without it. The shape of the camera might be unusual, but not as much as that of the original E-300. These models actually look more like digital rangefinders than DSLRs but that's not that objectionable, I think. Just as with the E-300, you can use an external flash, sitting in the hot-shoe, in conjunction with the built-in pop-up flash for combined bounce and fill - something useful the competition doesn't offer. The camera is also equipped with a 2.5" TFT monitor that is reported to be well viewable even outdoors and from rather obscure angles. The camera offers advanced features such as three different kinds of spot metering, flash exposure bracketing, direct manual focus in both S-AF and C-AF mode, RGB histogram in Review mode etc. Just as all other Olympus DSLRs but none of the competition, the E-330 is equipped with a supersonic wave filter, which is a proven tool for keeping the sensor free of dust - so you can forget about sensor schwabs and stuff like that. The viewfinder image might be small, but if the ME-1 eyecup magnifier, originally developed for the E-500, fits, then it might not be such a big problem after all. The sample images posted by the manufacturer display highly pleasing colours, very smooth tonal gradations, clean skies and good detail, with conservative in-camera sharpening. The church shot also demonstrates good auto white balance under incandescent(?) lighting and practically no noise in a long exposure.
   
   All in all, it would be too early to write this camera off. Time will tell what the production samples will be able to deliver, and to what extend Olympus are going to be able to exploit the potential of this model. The initial MSRP does seem high to me though.

   Zoltan Arva-Toth at 10:10am on Saturday, January 28, 2006

3. Since the E330 does everything the E300 can with some improvements from the E500, it should sell quite well. Plus, there's the live-view, it's not all that people expect but it answers some expectations.
   
   One of the most frequently asked question at neocamera is 'I can't figure out how to use the LCD as a viewfinder?' The E330 avoids that question. For that alone it will sell.
   
   Now, there is some confusion as to what the E330 brings. What it gives is the ability to use the LCD as a viewfinder which can be seen without putting your eye to it. What it doesn't bring is a traditional live-view since it only shows 92% frame coverage, doesn't show colors accurately and doesn't show exposure accurately either. Many people probably won't notice this for a while.

   Itai at 01:56pm on Saturday, January 28, 2006

4. While I really wish struggling Olympus a huge success, I don't think this is it.
   
   The live-preview thing just isn't good enough in my mind.

   Camera-news.com at 02:53pm on Saturday, January 28, 2006

5. I think the 4/3 thing is a dud, with the switich to HDTV,and more panoramic visual media. A lot more visual stuff is going to be 16X9, you'll start t see poeple compsoing that way. as for portraiture. the ratio is more like 4X5, so unless it's developed in a stream at the same time. It's quite easy to make 16 X 9 into 4 X 5 instead of 4/3 into 16X9.
   
   As for live viewing, what's the big deal anyway. Never had it before,and made perfectly good images, what's the big hooha. About the best thing OLY has to offer is the dust thing. wish it was on every camera

   Dave at 05:55pm on Saturday, January 28, 2006

6. In business I believe it's called a 'Fast Second' strategy, and that surely must be what some other manufacturers are planning. The technology is out there, Canon/Nikon produce cameras of better all round quality, they'll probably do it better fairly soon if they think there is a market for it. I'd wait if I really wanted it, though it doesn't appeal a huge amount as a feature.
   
   The dust thing, as Dave mentions, is the only thing that'd make me buy Olympus.

   John at 07:56pm on Saturday, January 28, 2006

7. At the price it appears to be offered at, I don't think the E-330 will make a very big splash in the market.
   
   The best market, it seems to me, for this camera is the point and shoot digital user who wants more but isn't sure exactly what they want (or lacks experience to know what they want). Similar to the Sony R1 market. Consumer electronic stores can boast "an SLR with the same live preview you're used to!"
   
   The problem, of course, is the cost. Sitting next to the D50 and the 350D, I don't think many will see the live preview as such a great an advantage as to justify the increased cost.

   phule at 10:53pm on Saturday, January 28, 2006

8. Regarding the E330:
   
   1) Glad they got rid of Kodak for the sensor. Possibly they also got rid of the noise.
   2) At Photo Expo 2005 I handled an E300, the first two issues that came to mind were the small viewfinder and the very loud mirror/shutter action. The Autofocus always went to its starting point to begin looking for focus. If these issues still come with the E330 Olympus is in trouble regarding market share.
   3) A vital part of framing a shot (in a digital camera, to me any way) is to note the affects of the exposure settings about to be used. If the E330 does not provide this info, the ability to use its LCD will not help too much in properly framing a shot.
   
   This sounds quite negative, but it is not.
   I am just pointing out the important issues to my type of photography (mostly people pics).
   
   It seems that taking a live view image off a ccd / cmos sensor is not a perfected science. Sony's R-1 and Olympus' E330 have limitations due to the need to avoid heat from the process of taking a live view off a sensor.
   
   To me it seems the only manfacturer that is able to respond to Olympus' E330 is Sony.
   Let's see what unfolds and wish both of them success. If they succeed, we succeed.
   
   Regards, Nicholas

   Nicholas at 02:18am on Sunday, January 29, 2006

9. Dave, couple of thoughts.. I agree with you on the 16X9, I love my LX-1, the future of photography for sure....Live viewing is , well , just wonderful, my Sony F-828 has the EVF and composing either in the viewfinder, or LED screen is just smart. Everything is there, a histogram to show your balance, your PL adjustments and , most of all, the way your EV adjustments are affecting the final image. A higher resolution is the only wish I have!
   The transition from a film camera to a digital by Canon left the primitive mirror in place , I hope they get rid of it, just another unnecessary item to worry about.

   nick in japan at 03:44am on Sunday, January 29, 2006

10. .... and, the return to the closer lens elements to the sensor, which we all know was/is the forte of the rangefinder cameras.. Superior sharpness! Cosina has been a leader in the lens development in this area, I expect great things from them in the future.
    Olympus seems to rely on the primitive SLR type lenses, when, maybe the progress should have been in an EVF camera with rangefinder type lenses.
    To me, it's a logical progression, I wonder which company will transition first, Canon, or, Nikon?

    nick in japan at 10:56am on Monday, January 30, 2006

11. If you type the exact phrase "olympus e-330" in Google, it brings up about 484.000 results already! Not bad, nearly half a million Web pages just four days after its announcement. Looks like this camera got a whole lot of people interested...
    
    By the way Nick, what's that BS about "SLR type lenses" being "primitive"? Never heard that one before.

    Zoltan Arva-Toth at 12:22pm on Monday, January 30, 2006

12. A poor choice of words I guess... Mirrors slapping around will be primitive soon, as will the lenses that need to be designed to be a long way from the sensor. Some makers have started moving the lens into the body, thus making it easier to have sharper images.
    SLR lenses can be excellent, if they resolve 80+ lpm.
    The transition will be slow, I'm sure Olympus will sell a few of their new model!
    Glad to hear about half a million web pages are devoted to interest in... what?
    I'm interested, in exactly what Olympus is thinking!!

    nick in japan at 01:48pm on Monday, January 30, 2006

13. The thing that caught my eye about the live preview is the underwater potential. Its virtually impossible to have your body where its should be when you're floating, but a preview screen makes it easy to adjust for the shot. They have a 60 meter case announced and an underwater scene mode so I guess olympus see that as a gap in the market.
    
    I was under the impression the 4/3 lenses were lightweight and good quality, which I see as a plus.
    
    I'm considering getting one but I need to see some thourough reviews first.

    Andy at 12:29am on Thursday, February 02, 2006

14. Olympus builds QUALITY stuff! I don't want to imply otherwise, it's feature design that leaves ,some of us, yearing for something else. It's all subjective, if I had invested in this 4/3 camera/lens system, I would be trying to use it effectively too. Kinda hard to change horses in the middle of the stream, I'm up to my ears with Canon EOS stuff, and lottsa old Pentax stuff, small and medium format, so that new Pentax DL body is looking really good too.
    Anything with a real time LED is the perfect thing for underwater work, as long as there is an underwater housing that is applicable.

    nick in japan at 02:15am on Thursday, February 02, 2006

15. There seems to be a lot of discussion on the, at best marginally useful, live preview and that appears to be all this really offers that's new.
    The Olympus achilles heels of a limited and expensive lens range, limited and very expensive accessories, average handling, poor higher ISO performance (given Panasonics weakness in this area as well, don't expect miracles here. The change is more about business politics than necessity) and a tiny sensor (2x crop)at a time when the 1.6x vs 1.0x is in full swing in Canon-land have not been addressed with the E330 and are unlikely to tempt outside buyers as a result.
    Its almost impossible to make a case for this at £150 more than the, arguably superior, Canon 20d (itself about to be upgraded) and only £200 less than the Nikon D200 (money easily made back on accessories).
    Olympus have wandered about since the advent of autofocus when the magnificent OM system bit the dust and I've seen nothing to suggest they're going to hold a solid third spot once Sony-KM get up and running. Certainly Canon and Nikon have nothing to fear. Only Pentax regularly disappoint more.

    Mike at 07:34pm on Tuesday, February 07, 2006

16. Having been used to an Olympus C7070 with an excellent macro facility, and a flip up viewing screen, I was using my new E500 with 35mm macro lens ( the centre element of which does move for focussing!) a day or so ago to photograph small flowers at ground level.
    Short of lying flat out on the wet ground, it was all but impossible to see the viewfinder image, and for that reason alone, I guess the 330 would be useful, however, for the quoted price, one can choose from a whole range of DSLR's and a right angle magnified viewfinder, that would certainly be my prefered option. I'd have thought that the reception that the E500 has received compared with its ugly elder sister the E300 would have been the writing on the wall for another less that elegant sibling!

    Peter Jones at 03:00pm on Tuesday, February 21, 2006

17. Danijel Turina has already reviewed a full production E-330:
    
    Part 1
    Part 2
    
    A few interesting quotes from his report:
    "Where all digicams of the world would fail, it will show the strengths of an SLR and keep ticking. Where all dSLRs of the world show weaknesses, it shows strengths of a digicam and outshines them all."
    
    "It is in fact so revolutionary, it allows you some aspects of creative freedom that would otherwise be impossible. In fact, I think not even Olympus marketing guys fully understand what they have in their hands, since all their hype is actually an awful understatement. It’s not 'the solution', it’s The Big Bang of creative photography."
    
    "Olympus marketing got it wrong. The reason why this thing is so good is not because you can shoot from above your head and see the result on the screen, or because you can put it on the ground and shoot spring flowers without breaking your neck or sticking your head in mud. It is so good because you can put on a 7-14 ultrawide or a 8 mm fisheye, walk through the crowd, blend in, be invisible, actually see what you’re shooting and get shots that would otherwise be insanely difficult – all that while remaining virtually invisible and inconspicuous. Henri Cartier-Bresson would give his right arm for this thing, believe me; it’s that good."

    Zoltan at 12:11pm on Monday, February 27, 2006

18. I get a kick out of reading the comments here. What you are all talking about is just a camera not the crown jewels. I have been a shooter for 40 years back when top shutter speed was 1/500 now we have a camera (E300 E330 E500 E1) that will shoot at 1/4000 I blew up and image yesterday to 16 x 20 from my E300 sharp good color could not ask for more. Its the shooter folks not the camera learn to use what you have and you will do well. Not knocking anyone just my opinion

    Ray Hathaway at 06:59pm on Wednesday, April 19, 2006