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The Olympus Evolt E-330 |
| January 27, 2006 |
| Olympus E-330 Preview • Olympus DSLR Underwater Accessories • Olympus E-330 Specifications
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| Overview
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Olympus has raised a few eyebrows in the DSLR world over the last few days. The Evolt E-330 is a compact DSLR which features a true live preview of your images on its 2.5" LCD monitor. The Compact DSLR It probably sounds a little odd, but with the release of the E-330 it's becoming apparent Olympus is using its compact philosophy from its successful compact digital camera line, and transferring some of this philosophy into its E-System line. The rectangular look of the E-330, having no flash crown which so common amongst other DSLRs, is integrated into the body. The E-330 is certainly more "bulky" as some have commented, but the height is much smaller than other DSLRs. It's 87mm (3.4") height is pretty non-conspicuous. Personally, I like a camera that is more bulky than tall, because my hands like holding something real and solid. 7.5 Effective Megapixel Live MOS Sensor The E-330 has an entirely new sensor, and what is interesting...it's not Kodaks. Kodak has made the last 3 sensors for Olympus which were in the E-1, E-300, and the E-500 (same sensor as the E-300 but was modified somewhat and tweaked). The size of the pixels are estimated at 5.32-microns square. The total number of pixels on the imager is 7.94 Megapixels. Olympus says the Live MOS imager has a photo-sensitive surface area that is 3 times larger than your typical CMOS imager, and uses 50% less power than a conventional CCD. 2.5" HyperCrystal LCD Monitor
Live Preview The E-330 has two Live Preview modes. The way live preview works, is due to a special imager placed at the roof of the E-330, and properly placed mini-mirrors reflect the incoming image from the lens and onto the small imager. The small imager then relays the image it sees directly to the 2.5" HyperCrystal LCD, resulting in a live preview of the image. Some veteran E-10 and E-20 users will probably recognize this feature as it is somewhat similar to how their cameras operated the live preview. There are two live preview modes. The illustrations below represent what is happening when you are in those modes: A:Mode The first live preview mode of the E-330 is the Full Time Live Preview. In this mode, you're using the second sensor located on the ceiling of the inside of the camera (see illustration below). AF is still possible in this mode.
The second preview mode is a little different. This mode is called Macro Live Preview. In this case, you're using the main sensor from the E-330, and not the smaller sensor. Because of this, AF is not possible, only manual focusing, but this is particularly good for macro photography and model shoots.
Olympus has been aggressive in their availability of several underwater products. In fact, when the E-330 was announced, the underwater housing was announced with it as well. Underwater photography is a great way to expand your image collection and experience. Olympus is known for rich colors directly out of their cameras, and pairing this with underwater wildlife, is a guaranteed winning combination.
Olympus E-330 Main Features
http://www.olympus-esystem.com Recommended Olympus E-330 Related Websites http://www.4-3system.com E-330 Preview by Jón Ragnarsson Official Olympus E-330 Image Samples Olympus E-330 Image Samples Olympus E-System Japan Website
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One of the nice features of the LCD monitor on the E-330, is that it can tilt, resulting in 160-degree viewing angles from any direction. The HyperCrystal LCD has a special second layer which reflects light, allowing a much more brighter LCD monitor. You can move the LCD upward by as much as 45-degrees, or downward by a maximum of 90-degrees.