| |
Olympus E-3 reviews
You can find here the most interesting reviews / ratings from the well-known expert sites about the Olympus E-3 Camera. Here are the reviewers:
|
- 26 August 2009 - |
|
- 0 |
|
- 26 August 2009 - |
|
- 4.5 |
|
- 08 April 2008 - |
|
- 4.5 |
|
- 31 March 2008 - |
|
- 5 |
|
- 20 February 2008 - |
|
- 4.5 |
|
- 13 February 2008 - |
|
- 0 |
|
- 09 January 2008 - |
|
- 4.5 |
|
- 27 December 2007 - |
|
- 0 |
|
- 21 December 2007 - |
|
- 0 |
|
- 11 December 2007 - |
|
- 4.5 |
PhotoCrati 's conclusion / rating - 26 August 2009 |
I was not done shooting. I meant to bag me a squirrel, and, gosh-darn-it, I did just that on a subsequent outing. It was after 5 pm, late summer. I set the lens at 200mm, the camera in program mode, AF to one-shot, and ISO to 800 to give me motion-stopping shutter speeds (as much as possible without cranking ISO any higher, not so much for camera shake, but rather for the squirrels movements).
I made several exposures, and as the critter moved away, I tried to anticipate it. I moved closer; it climbed up a tree to enjoy its bounty, a peanut obviously tossed by a passerby. As it reached about eye level, where it felt safe enough, it started to shell the peanut and dig in. I watched and photographed, moving a step closer, inching my way more and more with each few exposures. Finally, peanut eaten, patience worn thin, the squirrel vamoosed up the tree, leaving me with my own bounty of countless exposures. Another rewarding experience with the E-3 and 50-200 lens...
Complete review here
Megapixel.net 's conclusion / rating - 26 August 2009 |
The Olympus E-3 takes outstanding photographs indoors as well as out. Its exposure system does an excellent job of analyzing the lighting in a scene and producing arresting photographs...
Megapixel.net's rating: |
|
- 4.5 |
Complete review here
TrustedReviews 's conclusion / rating - 08 April 2008 |
What the Olympus E3 brings to the table is excellent images, a great build quality, and a lovely user experience, but fails to match the innovation of the E-1, or even other models from the Olympus range. Instead it's taken the best bits, refined them and put them all into a very usable camera.
The Four Thirds system continues to grow, as does its legion of fans and the E3 is a great addition to the line and I'm sure will be on many Olympus users wish lists. For the majority of general-purpose photographers, the Olympus E-3 is a great all-round high-end enthusiast model rather than a Pro model, but it's an absolute joy to use...
TrustedReviews's rating: |
|
- 4.5 |
Complete review here
LetsGoDigital 's conclusion / rating - 31 March 2008 |
All in all the Olympus E-3 impressed greatly. It is a very well thought-out camera with emphasis on the user. That doesn't go for many other camera brands. I won't be surprised to see many E-1 users making the step to the Olympus E-3 after having waited all this time. Just as potential buyers from competitive brands will probably start looking at the Olympus and get convinced. I am also curious as to how the Olympus E-3 will be received by the professional photographer. The Olympus E-3 is a real photo-beast, meant for the real stuff, very impressive! ...
LetsGoDigital's rating: |
|
- 5 |
Complete review here
DPReview 's conclusion / rating - 20 February 2008 |
If you've taken the trouble to read every page of this review you'll already have a good idea where this conclusion is likely to go. To start with there's no doubt that the E-3 is, without a shadow of a doubt the best Four-Thirds camera ever made and a more than worthy (if a little tardy) successor to the original E-1. It offers users of Olympus 'mid range' SLRs an affordable way to upgrade to a faster, even more customizable camera with a pro-grade weatherproof body and a significantly bigger, brighter viewfinder. But does it offer enough to tempt users of other systems over to the Four-Thirds camp? The answer to that question is far less clear-cut.
Let's start with the good stuff; for the price the E-3 offers a compelling and highly competitive feature set, some of which (such as the tilting screen, in-body IS, SSWF dust removal, splash proof body) is unique at this level. On paper the E-3 ticks all the right boxes, and in the hand it feels well balanced responsive and rock-solid. Focus with SWD lenses is indeed very fast, though I'd love to know under what circumstances the 'world's fastest focus' claim comes stands good, as we found using multi-AF or shooting in low light at longer focal lengths was often downright sluggish. That said, the camera's overall performance is excellent (as long as you ignore the vestigial tail that is the xD Picture Card slot).
Compared to the best competitors in the 'semi pro' sector the E-3's achilles' heel is without doubt its Four-Thirds sensor, which struggles to match the high ISO performance and dynamic range of the best APS-C based models (such as Nikon's new D300). The lower resolution and slight softness (which we presume to be the result of a stronger anti alias filter) seen when viewed up close will only be a problem if you're in the habit of producing colossal enlargements or cropping excessively. At normal viewing sizes you're more likely to be appreciating that lovely Olympus color than worrying about pixel-level sharpness, but this still has to be considered a demerit for a camera competing at this level....
Complete review here
DCResource 's conclusion / rating - 13 February 2008 |
Though not without a few flaws, the E-3 produced very good quality photos. They were colorful, and full of detail. Some may consider the photos slightly soft (as is the case with most midrange SLRs), but fixing that is easy enough. As with the E-410 and E-510, the E-3's metering system seemed a bit wonky at times. It usually underexposed by 1/3 - 2/3 stop, but on rare occurrences, it would totally overexpose, blowing out the highlights. In good light, the E-3's noise levels are very low all the way through ISO 800. At ISO 1600 and 3200 it's quite apparent, though details are still intact, allowing for you to use noise reduction software effectively. Things aren't as good in low light: noise and noise reduction artifacting shows up at ISO 200, though it doesn't become "bad" until ISO 800. You can shoot in RAW or turn the noise filter off to improve things, though I think the D300 and 40D perform better in these situations. Purple fringing levels were low, and redeye was not a problem either.
All things considered, the Olympus E-3 is a solid midrange digital SLR, in more ways than one. It does almost everything well, with just a few weaknesses, most of which have easy workarounds. If you're an enthusiast looking for a powerful D-SLR that doesn't mind if it gets a little bit wet, then I can highly recommend taking a look at the E-3...
Complete review here
PhotographyBLOG 's conclusion / rating - 09 January 2008 |
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's rating: |
|
- 4.5 |
Complete review here
Steves Digicams 's conclusion / rating - 27 December 2007 |
The E-3 is a professional camera, however, that should not deter advanced amateurs from trying it out. Built on a magnesium-alloy chassis, it's comfortably lightweight at 28.2 ounces, yet has a professional look and feel. The camera boasts a splash-proof design, resistant to moisture and dust. While we did not test that feature, the camera's doors and covers do appear to be well-sealed. We're happy to report the controls are logically-organized and easy to use, while the large grip offers a nice secure feel, making it well balanced for extended use.
Intelligent and ergonomic design is evident in the E-3 from the well-planned control layout to the comfortable grip. A soft, comfortable rubber eyecup and diopter adjustment will facilitate use by those of you wearing glasses. The viewfinder is very bright, provides a 1.15x image magnification and has an info bar that displays camera info such as aperture value, shutter speed, record mode, AF confirmation mark, WB, AE lock and ISO value. Within the image area you'll find guides indicating the position of the spot metering and the AF areas. The E-3s precision-crafted pentaprism is made from high refractive index glass with a reflective silver coating...
Steves Digicams's rating: |
|
- 0 |
Complete review here
DCViews 's conclusion / rating - 21 December 2007 |
When you look at the many functions and options the Olympus E-3 has, you will agree that for a novice, the choices to be made can be rather daunting. What to do with all these white balance settings? Would I need all the bracketing options (white balance, flash, exposure and ISO)? What colour space to use in day to day photography and when do I resort to spot metering? If you are a snap shooter we think you would be better off with a nice compact or entry level DSLR and it is best to steer clear from the Olympus, since a camera that is too complicated for you can be a very effective way of destroying your photo fun. Make no mistake, the Olympus E-3 is a terrific camera and a worthy successor to the E-1 of some years ago, but you have to make sure you are up to it.
We realise that, since we were only able to sample the camera for just over a week, we have not been able to explore all it can do. However, from what we have seen, we feel the Olympus E-3 is certainly worthy of its acclaimed professional status. In the right hands the camera has huge potential for the pro as well as the advanced enthusiast and getting to know its many options should keep you occupied during most of the Christmas holidays. And when the New Year finally arrives its time to go out and shoot some crackers....
Complete review here
PhotoReview 's conclusion / rating - 11 December 2007 |
Olympus is targeting professional photographers and 'advanced enthusiasts' with its E-3 DSLR model, which replaces the four-year-old E-1, the world's first Four Thirds system DSLR. However, the promise of smaller, lighter cameras claimed for the Four Thirds system is not delivered in the E-3, which is one of the heaviest DSLR bodies in the under-$5000 category. (Only Nikon's D200 and D300 weigh more.) But size and weight aren't the only factors influencing camera choice and the E-3 has plenty to recommend it...
PhotoReview's rating: |
|
- 4.5 |
Complete review here
|
|
Comments (6)
Video reviews (4)
Camera info
Digg
del.icio.us
Reddit
Google
Home