Getting DSLR and looking at OLYMPUS EVOLT E-330 - Comments please

[Reefwalker]

I have been using the Oly E-330 underwater for about 3 months now and find it to be fantastic! No problems with focus on the LCD. I have recently posted a review at Wetpixel for the Oly E-330 and 10Bar/Fantasea Housing. Here is the link http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/olympus-evolt-e-330-dslr-and-10bar-housing-review/
If anyone has particular questions they would like me to answer, please send me a PM.

 

[f3nikon]

I have been using the Oly E-330 underwater for about 3 months now and find it to be fantastic! No problems with focus on the LCD. I have recently posted a review at Wetpixel for the Oly E-330 and 10Bar/Fantasea Housing. Here is the link http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/olympus-evolt-e-330-dslr-and-10bar-housing-review/
If anyone has particular questions they would like me to answer, please send me a PM.

Excellent report, I guess you answered that question about the E330 and its potential for underwater photography. Olympus can really make those colors pop, just like the C-8080, I had my money on this camera for underwater use from the very beginning, now it maybe time to give up some money for this unit.

Great MANUALLY exposed NON TTL images.

 

[RonFrank]

Phil has some pretty good reviews, but he can be inconsistant and alot of what he bases his conclusions on is the result of his opinion without any factual basis. The camera exports images pretty much identical(slightly less noisy actually) to the E500 that Phil recommends over the E330. Why? Price, which has gone down, and what he thinks is poor implementation of the LiveView - which has no bearing in an underwater housing anyway

The E500 came out Sept. 2005, the E330 was announced six months later. Phil bases his conclusions on the CURRENT market, the current competition and technology, and pricing.

From DPReview:
Cons:
* Very small viewfinder and darker (difficult to see fine detail, difficult to check focus)
* Recommended sensitivity ISO 100 - 400, images at ISO 800 usable, ISO 1600 not really
* Poor noise reduction algorithm, blurs the image too heavily at ISO 1600, always on
* Noise tends have the appearance of color mottle not 'film like' grain (needs chroma NR)
* Live view 'A mode' is noisy in medium/low light, smaller frame coverage, inaccurate DOF
* No metering in live view 'B mode'
* No representation of selected white balance in either live view mode
* Not instant startup (1.6 sec) even longer in its out-of-the-box configuration
* Edge jagged diagonals (demosaicing issues?)
* No record review delete / cancel
* Lack of status LCD can mean shorter battery life (LCD monitor takes more power)
* Auto focus provides just three focus points, although AF performance good
* No focus distance indicator on kit lens
* Flash must be raised for AF assist
* Color space selection buried in the setup menu (although can accessed from control panel)
* Potential to lose images if CF door is opened during write
* Picture Mode not understood or selectable from Olympus Master or Studio
* Only USB 1.1 (still no USB 2.0 Hi-Speed?)

I'm not sure where the lack of *facts* are in any of these statements, and what in this would you consider an Opinion?

As the competition offers models at $300 less than this model with better features I can't see how one can fault his logic. Be careful making statments about his review process as he backs his facts with a LOT of side by side comparisons and images shot under a very controlled environment. Certainly I know of no one individual who has the experience and expertise in reviewing digital products as does Phil and his team.

I'm certainly not suggesting the E330 is a poor choice, and the live LCD appeals to some. Heck, it maybe the future trend, hard to say.

I'd suggest that people remember that tools are tools, and this is not personal.

 

[RonFrank]

I have been using the Oly E-330 underwater for about 3 months now and find it to be fantastic! No problems with focus on the LCD. I have recently posted a review at Wetpixel for the Oly E-330 and 10Bar/Fantasea Housing. Here is the link http://wetpixel.com/i.php/full/olympus-evolt-e-330-dslr-and-10bar-housing-review/
If anyone has particular questions they would like me to answer, please send me a PM.

Hi Jeff,

Nice review,and great images. I'm glad you are enjoying the camera!

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

The E500 came out Sept. 2005, the E330 was announced six months later. Phil bases his conclusions on the CURRENT market, the current competition and technology, and pricing.

His conclusions include mentioning the E500 several times, he apparently includes the 6mo old E500 in the current market, competition, technology, and he addresses pricing(which is now outdated as the camera costs a few hundred less now).

I'm not sure where the lack of *facts* are in any of these statements, and what in this would you consider an Opinion?

Opinions can be found in his conclusion, I'm not addressing the Pro's and Con's - there is more to his review than just that small section. I'll post more on this shortly.

As the competition offers models at $300 less than this model with better features I can't see how one can fault his logic. Be careful making statments about his review process as he backs his facts with a LOT of side by side comparisons and images shot under a very controlled environment. Certainly I know of no one individual who has the experience and expertise in reviewing digital products as does Phil and his team.

I don't see how the competition offers more features, elaborate. Phil's reviews offer lots of fact as well as alot of his opinion. If you don't see that, you clearly aren't reading the full review, atleast not thoroughly. The E330 price point is above cameras released 6months and older, true - why should that suprise anyone? Do any of the competition offer the selling point of this camera?

I'd suggest that people remember that tools are tools, and this is not personal.

Agreed, and some tools are better for certain jobs. This certainly isn't personal, I just don't agree with you, and I'm allowed to address that fact as you are allowed to post your opinion as well.

The introduction of the E-330 confused us, it was difficult to see where this new camera fitted into the current digital SLR market. It's more expensive than the more traditional (but in my opinion better) E-500 yet offers very little more other than live view. Olympus has tried to address one complaint we (and others) had about the E-300, and that's the design and styling. To me at least it's only a partial achievement, the E-330 does look and handle better than the E-300 but honestly it's still not as nice a camera to use as the E-500.

Photo output of the E500 and E330 are similar. LiveView was the point of the camera, that IS the difference. How the camera handles to Phil has no factual basis. There are several people who have no gripes with the E300, much less the E330. If you DON'T want LiveView, there is no reason to buy this camera over the E300 or E500.

So we come to the E-330's unique selling point, its live view feature. Olympus are proud that they have been the first manufacturer to implement a continuous live LCD view on a removable lens digital SLR. It's fair to say for some buyers this will be reason enough to go for the E-330, but for me I found it to be (a) a solution looking for a problem and (b) poorly implemented.

Firstly I don't honestly see that many digital SLR owners asking for this feature, it's a neat option, it's good for upgraders coming from consumer cameras who may be used to seeing the live view on the LCD screen and it may well have one or two useful scenarios (macro shooting, live portraits shown on a TV screen) however for me I simply found myself moving back to the viewfinder more times than not. Secondly I wasn't particularly impressed with the implementation, it's confusing to have two modes, neither of which was perfect. A mode suffers from a noisy /grainy view in medium/low light, doesn't provide full frame coverage and doesn't represent white balance or depth of field correctly. B mode utilizing the main sensor means the mirror is up, no auto focus and no metering (during live view), and again no representation of white balance.

Phil says the Live View isn't emplemented well, thats his opinion. Its setup similar to other Olympus cameras. I do wish it had followed more to the design of the C5060, C7070, ect which flip up and out and rotate. A solution looking for a problem? Phil has no imagination if he can't see where the flip out LiveView will help photographers get well composed shots in less than friendly angles. Photojournalism over the head? Macro from very low angles? A large viewable LCD to peep composures while UW?!

B Mode now has the AF capability with the latest firmware upgrade. If Phil wants to complain about the shortcomings of LiveView, fine, it wasn't offered before this point unless you want to count the Sony R1 which had a fixed lense. Pany and Leica both have a LiveView camera at this point, neither have a tiltable screen, nore available UW housings - which is what this thread is about afterall.

Lastly let's discuss the price, this camera has a real price problem. At $1099 for the kit it's some $320 more than the Canon EOS 350D kit and worse still $300 more than the E-500 kit (a camera which in my opinion is a much better choice). Even if you really need live view then consider the Sony DSC-R1, yes it has a non-removable lens but what a lens, five times optical zoom starting at 24 mm and a fast F2.8 - F4.8 maximum aperture, even if you spend an extra $500 on the excellent Olympus 14 - 54 mm and you're still coming up short.

He's comparing its release price to the prices of the 6mo old E500 and the even older 350D. You can pick up the camera for about $800 now, add $100 for the single lense kit. Still more expensive than the E500, which makes since as its basically an E500 w/LiveView(why give the feature away?).

 

[Reefwalker]

Here are a few pics I've taken with the 50mm macro lens recently at Tulamben Bali. These should give you an idea of the sharpness and depth of field of the lens/camera combination.

 

[RonFrank]

He's comparing its release price to the prices of the 6mo old E500 and the even older 350D. You can pick up the camera for about $800 now, add $100 for the single lense kit. Still more expensive than the E500, which makes since as its basically an E500 w/LiveView(why give the feature away?).

Bugman,

This review, and my expressing my opinon of the review has obviously bothered you.

Tools are tools. Oly has come out with a camera that is behind in some features, but has one you like, live preview. You can not expect reviewers to ignore things they find issue with in favor of a new feature that they don't feel is very important? But that does not make it less of a camera, and in all fairness the review was not negative, it was just not as good as it could be.

If it works for you, it works! No worries!

Obviously ReefWalker enjoys this camera, and he is one with years of professional experience. I think most DSLR's out there right now are capable of great results, so the best camera is what you have in the bag when you are shooting.

Let's put this in perspective. If you want to be a photographer, get ready for insults. I've won competitions with an image, and had it torn apart by another group in a portfilio review a week later.

I've had parents tell me they hate the work that their Daughter requested. I've had clients tell me they want their money back, and then insist on publishing the results. :no

If you think an equipment review is tough to swallow, than grow some skin, cause one's work is a LOT harder to step away from once it's in the eye of the public...

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

What features is this camera behind in? You never went into this.

As far as I can tell, the E330 is just as feature rich(or more) as any other dSLR in the same market.

I don't find your opinions insulting, I simply don't agree with them. Nor do I really care or see why you're photographic experience on having your work insulted or published has any bearing on this camera's worth. It seems to me you may need to grow some skin if you have a problem with me disagreeing with your opinions?

 

[calypsonick]

I am really enjoying my new E330 so far but I suggest to those getting one to buy a card reader especially if you are planning on taking pictures in RAW. The camera uses USB 1.0 and takes durned near an eternity to dowload a batch of RAW pictures to the computer. Otherwise, I am loving the camera especially the big screen with liveview capability.

 

[jlyle]

Here are a few pics I've taken with the 50mm macro lens recently at Tulamben Bali. These should give you an idea of the sharpness and depth of field of the lens/camera combination.

The proof is in the pudding. Great photos.

I went to Paul's Photo here in So Cal and finally put my hands on the E-330. After shooting a 5050 for several years, it came as a shock that the 330 was as big as it is! The housing is going to be enormous. But, I like the camera...a lot!