Olympus E-3 DSLR (14-54mm kit): Review

Features & Operation:
The Olympus E-3 retains the universal 4/3rds system. There's a whole host of lenses to chose from to add some serious icing to your existing Olympus E3 cake. This compatibility is not just limited to Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses however - take your pick from recent additions from Panasonic (via the LUMIX DMC-L10 DSLR), amid a range of Sigma glass.

The particular Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-54mm (28-108mm equiv) f/2.8-f/3.5 lens that comes with this kit is a real joy. Focusing isn't at record-breaking speeds, but from lens to image the quality is held superbly. Hats off to Olympus, as many manufacturer's kit lenses really don't bring the full potential of the camera body out. In fairness, this is a 'High Grade' or 'Pro' lens ; there's and a 'Super High Grade' or 'Top Pro' 14-35 f/2 and a 'Standard' grade 14-42 f/3.5-5.6 covering roughly the same zoom range

The Olympus E-3 body looks more 'businesslike' than the smaller entry level models such as the Olympus E-510 and the new E-420. The E-3 feels chunkier and heavier in the hand, the body is weather-sealed and wears some pro-level attire; with a top-display menu and viewfinder eye cup to boot.

Olympus has gone for more than just a standard feature set. Most notably is the free-rotating 2.5" LCD screen that can twist and turn through 270degrees. Fire up the Live View mode and this bodes well for self-portraits or unusual shooting positions - plus the clever screen is programmed to auto rotate images, ensuring they always meet your eyes the right way up.

The company's excellent SuperSonic Wave Filter (SSWF) protects from dust, and in-camera image stabilisation can be flicked on or off at the click of a button - in fact there's many a 'one touch' button for ISO settings, WB (white balance), AF (auto focus), flash and Live View. This may sound good on paper, but in practice it's probably the Olympus E-3's biggest downfall - it's difficult to operate. The menu layout doesn't feel intuitive, the buttons are staggered a little haphazardly and manual white balance adjustment would be fiddly for even an octopus or a neuro-surgeon� possibly both.

This leads on to the poor battery life - a full charge on this test didn't survive long through the day where others would have persevered. Admittedly a little odd considering the success of other Olympus DSLR battery lives.


Mike Lowe


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