Olympus E-3 Expert Reviews

The Olympus E-3 is certainly the most capable 4/3 DSLR to date. It has plenty of pro-features: a viewfinder with 100% coverage, built-in image stabilization, a weather-proof body and 5 FPS continuous drive. It is certainly as good as several

Built-in stabilization works for all lenses, 100% Coverage Viewfinder, Mostly accurate image colors, Effective dust-reduction system, Fast and responsive, Excellent build quality

Tendency to under-expose, Below average high-ISO performance, Poor automatic white-balance indoors, Heavy noise reduction at slow shutter-speeds, Slow focusing in low light, Poor ergonomics

It comes as no surprise to learn the Olympus E-3 is by far the most powerful Four Thirds DSLR to date, and one that's more than a worthy successor to the original E-1. After all, Olympus had four and a half years between the launch of the E-1 and its long...

Tough build quality, dust and splash-proof., Effective built-in anti-shake and anti-dust., Live View with fully-articulated screen., Quick handling and broad customisation.,

Higher noise above 800 ISO than rivals., AF system fast but often searched., Some controls illogically placed., Very tough rival in the Nikon D300.

If you're an existing Four Thirds owner looking for a top-end body, the E-3 is a fantastic choice, especially if you're coming from the original E-1 - it's a significant upgrade in every respect. It'll also appeal to owners of other E-series cameras looki...

It's big and brawny, and Olympus's new DSLR can handle the elements. It's high-ISO performance isn't as good as Nikon's D300 or Canon's EOS 40D, but the E-3's overall image quality is very good.

Very good image quality; full environmental seals; tilt/shift LCD screen with live view; fast auto-focus.

Not as good as the competition at high ISO; control layout is a little cumbersome; lacks customizability; menus are too complex.

Weighing almost two pounds, the E-3 isn't light, but it's comfortable to hold

This big, heavy, rugged SLR camera has extensive advanced controls and fast burst-shooting speed, and can autofocus very quickly.

Rotating, swiveling LCD with live view, Very quick autofocusing

Very heavy

Overall, I enjoyed using the E3. It feels comfortable in the hand, its magnesium body looks and feels durable--ready for extensive time in the field--and operating the controls is quick and efficient. And unlike my experience with many cameras, I could re...

Olympus has been the avant-garde of a few notable DSLR trends like dust removal, live view and the articulating LCD. Initially poo pooed, the first two are now seen on nearly all the usual suspects these days. And in those three areas the big "O" still le...

: The comfiest eyepiece. One-touch menu access to nearly 20 functions. The quickest focusing. Articulating LCD makes Live View a real asset, instead of an afterthought.

: The back of the camera is a jumble. The 2.5-inch LCD is smallish compared with competitors. Employs Olympus's XD memory card format, instead of SD, as the second memory card slot. Presently only two super-fast focusing lenses in the quiver.

It has a shutter speed range

Four years is a very long time in the digital camera market, and four years in the digital SLR market is virtually a lifetime. In the four-odd years between the launch of the Olympus E-1 - the camera that heralded the first all-new SLR system for over a d...

Excellent build quality, weatherproofing, 150,000 shot shutter life, Big, bright viewfinder with 100% view, Articulated screen, Effective sensor-shift image stabilization, Very fast focus with new SWD lenses (less impressive with other lenses, however), I...

Resolution not as good as best in class (stronger AA filter?), though you won't see it in JPEGs, Poor auto white balance in artificial light, Very little resolution and not a lot of dynamic range headroom in raw files, Some ergonomic issues (control layou...

Nikon and Canon have dominated the professional DSLR market since the beginning of the digital imaging revolution, effectively condemning Olympus, Pentax, Panasonic, Leica, and Sony DSLRs to second-tier status. In an attempt to assert Olympus again in the...

The new "flagship" of the Olympus E-System, the E-3 replaces the 5-megapixel E-1 introduced in 2003.