Olympus E-3 Review

Review Date: January 9th 2008
Author: Gavin Stoker

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Conclusion

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4
Features	5
Ease-of-Use	3.5
Image Quality	4.5
Value for Money	4

Speaking both literally and figuratively there's a lot to get to grips with on the Olympus E-3. I was surprised at its bulk given the inherent – and much boasted about – properties of the Four Thirds system allowing for smaller and lighter construction. Given both the heft of the camera body and also its supplied optic you'd be forgiven for mistaking it for a Canon or Nikon from a distance, which I guess could be kind of the point. It makes sense given that Olympus has pinned its hopes on the E-3 as its most serious digital contender to date. Still, the amount of time you'll spend penitently wading through the manual will reward you with some seriously good images. Colours are lovely and true-to-nature, and although Olympus may not have quite cracked the old white balance conundrum when faced with tricky conditions, at least you can work around it. The 12-60mm Supersonic Wave Drive lens is also a cracker. Not sure about the suggested retail price though – feels slightly high to me when a Canon EOS 40D can be picked up for £899 body only, though internet prices will undoubtedly narrow that price differential. Other than that though, the E-3 presents a viable option for those not already wedded to a particular system. Or as David Bailey quipped to fellow photographic legend Barry Lategan at Olympus' E-3 press preview: "seen the new camera, Barry? It's good, innit?".

PhotographyBLOG is a member of the DIWA organisation. Our test results for the Olympus E-3 have been submitted to DIWA for comparison with test results for different samples of the same camera model supplied by other DIWA member sites.

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