Olympus E 3 - Expert Reviews

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

Pros: Excellent photo quality ; fast performance ; solid, dust- and splash-proof body ; flip-and-twist LCD ; large, 100 percent coverage viewfinder ; built-in wireless flash controller

Cons: Relatively low resolution for the price ; smallish LCD, some clunky design aspects

Verdict: Despite some interface quirks and a slightly awkward design, the Olympus E-3 fares quite well against its midrange dSLR competition.

Pros: Excellent photo quality ; fast performance ; solid, dust- and splash-proof body ; flip-and-twist LCD ; large, 100 percent coverage viewfinder ; built-in wireless flash controller

Cons: Relatively low resolution for the price ; smallish LCD, some clunky design aspects

Verdict: Despite some interface quirks and a slightly awkward design, the Olympus E-3 fares quite well against its midrange dSLR competition.

Review summary: The E-3 ($1699) is the flagship camera in Olympus' digital SLR lineup. It is the long-awaited follow-up to the E-1, which was introduced way back in 2003 (back when our reviews were in purple). Olympus didn't just slap a new badge on the E-1 and call ...

Pros: Excellent photo quality in most situations (see issues below) ; Optical image stabilization for every lens you attach ; Superb build quality ; body is sealed against dust and moisture ; Supersonic Wave Filter "shakes" dust off sensor ; Live view on a ...

Cons: Camera tends to underexpose ; Low light / high ISO performance not as good as some of the competition ; banding visible at highest sensitivities ; Too many buttons on camera body + poorly located front command dial makes E-3 more difficult to use than ...

Verdict: The E-3's battery life numbers are just about average in this class. Keep in mind that the numbers above are calculated with live view off -- turning it on will probably knock anywhere from 30 - 50 percent off those scores

Review summary: 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.

Verdict: is not the super-compact and lightweight pro-level DSLR promised five years ago when Olympus, Panasonic, and Leica were pushing the virtues of their new four-thirds format. In fact, the E-3 is actually larger and heavier than most of its competition ...