If you've been wondering why camera manufacturers can't figure out how to make a digital SLR with LCD previewing, wonder no longer: Olympus has done it. While Fujifilm's Finepix S3 took a stab at this feature by offering a brief preview, the 7.5-megapixel Olympus Evolt E-330 goes all the way. The flip-out LCD functions just like the screen on a digital point-and-shoot camera, providing a clear, continuous image in addition to the TTL view you can see through the optical viewfinder.
Upside: Obviously, the big upside is the live LCD preview, and the fact that Olympus has implemented it the right way, by equipping the camera with an LCD that flips out and swivels for maximum viewing flexibility. Like Olympus's other digital SLR cameras, this one offers a generous set of features, including Olympus's automatic sensor-cleaning function for preventing dust spots. Precision tools such as spot metering, fine white-balance and tonality adjustments, and flexible manual and automatic focus controls give this camera a lot of appeal for serious amateur photographers. The E-330 follows the Four Thirds standard, so it's compatible with Olympus's Zuiko Digital lenses, with which we've gotten good results on other cameras.
Downside: As with any first-of-its-kind product, the Olympus E-330 is, to some extent, an unknown quantity. We won't know until we try the camera whether the LCD viewing implementation works well or if its new Live MOS sensor (just a CMOS chip, presumably) is up to snuff. That said, we have no reason for misgivings at this point. The number of available Four Thirds-compatible lenses and other accessories for Olympus digital SLRs isn't as great as the variety of fully compatible optics you can put on a competing Canon or Nikon--although that probably doesn't matter much to consumer SLR buyers. This model uses the same Porro viewfinder that gave the E-300 its distinctive flat-top design. Unfortunately, most people found that design rather unattractive. In its favor, the E-330 isn't as wide and boxy-looking as the E-300, which makes it both more compact and less unsightly than its predecessor.
Outlook: The Olympus Evolt E-330 will be available in March 2006 for $1,000 (body only). It will also be sold in a kit with the Olympus Zuiko Digital 14mm-to-45mm (28mm-to-90mm 35mm-camera equivalent) f/3.5-to-f/5.6 lens for $1,100. An underwater housing for the E-330, the PT-E02, will also be available for $1,220, the benefits of having an LCD view instead of just an optical viewfinder for underwater shooting being obvious. Unless there's some terrible flaw in this camera, we expect it to be very popular. It's good to see Olympus continuing to give the bigger SLR manufacturers a run for their money by bringing innovative features that are truly useful to market.
Upside: Obviously, the big upside is the live LCD preview, and the fact that Olympus has implemented it the right way, by equipping the camera with an LCD that flips out and swivels for maximum viewing flexibility. Like Olympus's other digital SLR cameras, this one offers a generous set of features, including Olympus's automatic sensor-cleaning function for preventing dust spots. Precision tools such as spot metering, fine white-balance and tonality adjustments, and flexible manual and automatic focus controls give this camera a lot of appeal for serious amateur photographers. The E-330 follows the Four Thirds standard, so it's compatible with Olympus's Zuiko Digital lenses, with which we've gotten good results on other cameras.
Downside: As with any first-of-its-kind product, the Olympus E-330 is, to some extent, an unknown quantity. We won't know until we try the camera whether the LCD viewing implementation works well or if its new Live MOS sensor (just a CMOS chip, presumably) is up to snuff. That said, we have no reason for misgivings at this point. The number of available Four Thirds-compatible lenses and other accessories for Olympus digital SLRs isn't as great as the variety of fully compatible optics you can put on a competing Canon or Nikon--although that probably doesn't matter much to consumer SLR buyers. This model uses the same Porro viewfinder that gave the E-300 its distinctive flat-top design. Unfortunately, most people found that design rather unattractive. In its favor, the E-330 isn't as wide and boxy-looking as the E-300, which makes it both more compact and less unsightly than its predecessor.
Outlook: The Olympus Evolt E-330 will be available in March 2006 for $1,000 (body only). It will also be sold in a kit with the Olympus Zuiko Digital 14mm-to-45mm (28mm-to-90mm 35mm-camera equivalent) f/3.5-to-f/5.6 lens for $1,100. An underwater housing for the E-330, the PT-E02, will also be available for $1,220, the benefits of having an LCD view instead of just an optical viewfinder for underwater shooting being obvious. Unless there's some terrible flaw in this camera, we expect it to be very popular. It's good to see Olympus continuing to give the bigger SLR manufacturers a run for their money by bringing innovative features that are truly useful to market.