Olympus E30
Review Date : Thu, 12 Mar 2009
Author : Paul Nuttall
How does the latest four thirds addition fit into the enthusiast DSLR market?
| Pros: | Free-angle LCD screen, build quality, light body, button layout |
|---|---|
| Cons: | Pointless Art Filters, tends to underexpose, JPEG ISO performance |
When we tested the Olympus E-3 in January 2008, we described it as ‘…a fine all-rounder and a jewel to use’ and duly awarded it a mark of 90% and a coveted WDC Gold Award. We praised its build, image quality and general interface, and it looks like those comments must have filtered their way back to the Olympus HQ if the E-30 is anything to go by…
The E-30 is the latest top-end DSLR from Olympus and bears an uncanny resemblance to its older brother, the E-3, in both aesthetics and specification, yet Olympus assures us that the new model is a neat fit in between the E-520 and E-3 models. As such the E-3 is set to remain the first stop for those photographers looking to bag themselves the flagship Olympus DSLR. But where exactly does the E-30 fit in to the line-up with regards to performance, and does it provide a challenge to the mantle of the E-3 as the king of Four Thirds cameras?
Verdict
The E-30 is a strong DSLR that performs well and delivers good quality images with relatively little fuss.<br><br> The fact of the matter, however, is that this is a circa-£1,000 DSLR where the main thrust of innovations or improvements are focused on ‘art filters’ one would normally assume better suited to a compact camera. Why didn’t Olympus just ignore the art filters and simply boost the resolution and LCD size of the E-3 in an upgrade instead? The natural conclusion is that Olympus wasn’t quite ready to make the E-3 redundant until they had finished a new E-’X’. Either way, if you can do without weatherproofing and don’t mind the 98% viewfinder, you’ll be getting an E-3 equivalent for a couple of hundred pounds cheaper, which can only be a good thing.
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