Olympus E-330

Apart from the initial disbelief and distrust (a reflex that behaves like a compact?), the truth is less than a couple of minutes are needed to become accustomed to this new feature.

Olympus E-330

Without forgetting those applications which are a great advantage for this system -macro and underwater photography, for example-, without a doubt the most conventional shots benefit from a new point of view. Fortunately all this is achieved without getting rid of the traditional reflex lens.

Olympus E-330

Olympus E-330

QUESABESDE.COM had the first hand opportunity to get to know the ins and outs of this innovating camera. The following are the immediate impressions that stood out during the hands-on preview.

Innovation returns

At first sight, the E-330 holds no immediate surprises. The E-300 in its day already took charge of doing away with the classic image of the reflex. Thanks to the new porro mirror system the size of the camera's body has been reduced considerably by getting rid of the characteristic pentaprism in the viewfinder system.

Olympus E-330

The E-330 inherits this technology achieving its characteristic design. Something that warrants attention, being that Olympus seemed to be decided on returning to the traditional image with the E-500 leading the way.

Olympus E-330

This leads one to think, therefore, that the company is prepared to keep two product lines open in the consumer sector of digital reflex cameras: one classic and the other innovative, of which the E-330 is a prime example.

The Olympus E-330 (to the left in both images) next to the E-500.

Comparing both cameras, and apart from their reduced dimensions, the E-330 has a more robust feel about it than the E-500. The controls are unevenly dispersed between the front and rear of the camera, where the majority are concentrated, with a size that is perhaps too small for some hands.

Olympus E-330

The main dial -located on the outside right- hosts the power button and a selection of picture modes, of which there is a large amount of pre-programmed scenes. It shares its space with one other dial, controllable with the thumb, which allows the control menus to be navigated as well as being able to adjust the speed or aperture at the moment of shooting.

Two Sensors

Above all of the other specifications -including the 7,5 million effective pixel CMOS sensor-, the image preview via the monitor is without doubt the most outstanding characteristic of the new E-330.

The system employed by the new Olympus reflex is inevitably reminiscent of the Camedia E-20 which, in its day and with integrated objective, also offered a curious combination between reflex vision and LCD monitor.

Olympus E-330

Olympus E-330

The E-330 has a mechanism that can duplicate light, which penetrates through the objective taking its traditional route to the reflex lens via two porro mirrors. In this way, the other beam of light is dissected by the camera’s sensor, a small 5 million pixel receiver (Live View CCD), which has the ultimate task of providing an image via the LCD monitor.

In this image provided by Olympus, the way in which the double sensor works on the E-330 can be seen.

The combination of these two modes of view is attained via a small switch that sits next to the LCD marked Live View A/B.

The letter A corresponds to Normal Mode, with which the user can see the image through the LCD as well as the viewfinder. Although both can function simultaneously, only when the LCD is turned off can the shot data be seen via the reflex viewfinder.

Olympus E-330

The visualisation of the image on the screen presents no problems, with an excellent refresh rate and adaptation to the brusquest changes of light.

Olympus E-330

If, on the other hand, mode B is selected, the reflex mirror raises, consequently, the view through the eye piece is lost. It seems, for certain, that in this case the picture on the LCD corresponds with the image captured by the main sensor, given that the circuit of light feeding the second sensor is broken.

Olympus E-330

In this case, only manual focus can be used. As a main advantage, there is a 10x magnification option that, in macro photographic shots, can be a great help. Also not to be forgotten –if and when use is recommended- the eyepiece trap should be closed when working in this mode.

Pull-down screen

In the presence of these special characteristics, the screen turns out to be one of the fundamental elements of the E-330, not only being the unique monitor on the camera –but also- the neurological control centre for all the options.

Olympus E-330

Olympus E-330

With a diagonal span of 2,5 inches, the screen is mounted on a pull-down mechanism which allows it to be inclined up to 45 degrees horizontally and 90 degrees vertically. This function (another inheritance reminiscent of the E-20) demonstrates its use not only in those situations that require a distance shot providing a natural point of view for the user, but also while taking macro shots.

Olympus E-330

Olympus E-330

Also in bright light situations, when the HyperCristal technology that brightens the monitor is insufficient, this mobility comes in handy if you want to do without the traditional viewfinder.

Familiar Options

Going beyond the innovative options, the E-330 is a digital SLR that shares the immense majority of characteristics and performance with its top of the range companions.

Olympus E-330

Not forgetting that, as a member of the Four Thirds system, the new Olympus SLR uses the already widely known SSWF, today’s unique mechanism that has demonstrated its efficiency in preventing dirt from entering the sensor during lens changes.

Olympus E-330

Olympus E-330

Apart from these, the main options and the configuration menus assume an adaptation that the E-500 already offers. Hence, the sensitivity range stays the same: from 100 to 400 ISO, achieving 1600 ISO when extended mode is activated, with total values of 1/3 EV.

Olympus E-330

Now there is only the wait for a finished model, to test whether E-330 carries with it improvements such as general image quality and how the camera responds to a high sensitivity environment. The previewed camera isn’t a finished production model, therefore the obtained test shots cannot be made public.

Olympus E-330

Much the same as other Olympus models, the E-330 advocated conserving the TIFF format, of which other makes have decided to do away with. They have stuck with the more widespread RAW and JPEG formats, the latter having three grades of compression, and simultaneous image recording.

Olympus E-330

There are also few surprises regarding the memory capacity: Compact Flash and xD-Picture Card share space in a slot positioned on one side of the camera.

Olympus E-330

The shot speed using burst mode, in itself, is 3 shots per second. Nevertheless, the camera tested achieved 4 shots per second with no problem at all, including quality in RAW format.

Olympus E-330

According to company sources that spoke to QUESABESDE.COM, the camera should be able to maintain this shot rate until the memory card is full. The camera that was available for testing, however, wasn’t able to support this performance.

A good feeling

Evidently, none of these features –not even the numerous listed on the specification table- can compete with the live view function that will possibly make the Olympus E-330 one of the years most impressive releases.

Olympus E-330

Its arrival to the market constitutes an event, in which there will be no lack of ardent supporters and detractors. What is clear at the moment is that the latest Olympus digital SLR will leave nobody feeling indifferent.

Olympus E-330

At the moment, the first impression produces nothing but a good feeling regarding its options and manageability. We only need to wait and see if the final results regarding a quality to price ratio are that the height of innovation is affordable. If this is the case, the E-330 would confirm that it is possible to offer a showy, added value camera without sacrificing any of the characteristics offered by the SLR range.