Olympus E-3 Digital SLR Review: Field Test Report

A versatile camera, a powerful combo.

While it was fun to use, the Olympus E-620 did not leave a lasting impression. I needed to get back to my own DSLR system and do some serious shooting. Fast forward. Now the Olympus E-3 lands on my doorstep. Obviously not the newest camera in the Olympus Four Thirds DSLR camp, the pro-level E-3 certainly is the one that takes itself most soberly, as the flagship in the fleet.

You might say, I began with the progeny and traced its lineage back to the progenitor. Well, not all the way back, an interim step but a quantum leap above the original E-1, the DNA strand from which all Olympus digital SLRs evolved.

Olympus E-3 front. The Olympus E-3 looks, feels, and works like a pro-level camera. The only thing that detracts from that impression is the built-in flash. On the other hand, it's nice to have on occasion. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Olympus E 3 front The Olympus E 3 looks feels and works like a pro level camera The only thing that detracts from that impression is the built in flash On the other hand its nice to have on occasion Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



The E-3 ($1,250) begins with the high-speed Live MOS sensor and 10.1 million effective pixels. It also features Olympus’s Supersonic Wave Filter dust reduction system for the image sensor, along with image stabilization built into the camera body (effective range: 5 steps, according to the specs), making it usable with every compatible Four Thirds lens (and there are lots of them).

In contrast to some of the newest Olympus DSLRs, the E-3 doesn’t lure you with those gimmicky “art filters” (frankly, calling it “art” is artifice) or face detection (if it can’t work with Cousin It from The Addams Family then it won’t work with my Uncle Frank or Aunt Harriet).

What the E-3 is, really, is a responsive machine that understands what you’re trying to capture-and attempts to deliver. And, for the most part, it does. Moreover, the 50-200 SWD lens ($1,035) takes this camera where it needs to go, helping it excel, especially when it comes to action, wildlife, and candid street photography.

Tight and tighter. With effectively 100-400mm at your disposal, you can do some nice scenic shots as well. These two shots represent the lens at the 50mm (=100) and 200mm (=400) settings. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Tight and tighter With effectively 100 400mm at your disposal you can do some nice scenic shots as well These two shots represent the lens at the 50mm =100 and 200mm =400 settings Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



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Live View

At this point, you may be asking about live view. So let’s mention it now and get it off the table.

Live view is not the first phrase that jumps onto the page when I review a DSLR, but I mention it for those who would fault me if I didn’t. Yes, it’s here. But for me, it’s like a timer on my coffee maker–nice to have, but not something I find myself using. I just flip open the articulated (swing/tilt) LCD monitor and slide it back in place facing me, so it can be used for playback, or to facilitate inputting settings in the camera. In my view, live view thwarts good camera handling practices. You can’t simply rely on the camera’s image stabilization to guarantee blur-free pictures. It’s not a video camera.

Besides, I’m not comfortable with it. There, I’ve said it, now let’s move on. (In some respects, I’m still an analog guy at heart.)

A Hard Body

The one thing you immediately notice when you grab hold of the E-3 is that it has body and substance. Reminds me of myself, he remarks humbly (okay, no comments from the peanut gallery). It doesn’t feel like a toy. The rubberized grip is superbly contoured. The lens mount looks as solid as they come.

I know… When I review those lightweight cameras, I’m bursting at the seams with glee that I don’t have to schlep around something this heavy (and, really, the E-3 is not that heavy). But when I put camera to eye with all seriousness and deliberation, the camera I’d rather have is one that makes me exercise mind, spirit-and body. And given a choice between an E-620 and an E-3, I’ll take the E-3 any time. I should add that my tests didn’t include the optional booster battery pack, a $200 add-on. Keeping that attached to the camera might have shifted the balance, but then again, that’s why I left it out of the equation.

Buttons, Buttons, Who’s Got Da Buttons?

Unfortunately, the E-3 does. Lots of “˜em-over 20-and literally all over the place. Whoever designed this thing must have six fingers on each hand, with possibly two opposable thumbs. Worse yet, I had to take my hand away from the lens barrel to get at the Mode button and others that are situated alongside the finder on the left, as well as those at the base of the monitor-not a pleasant chore with a heavy lens attached. And to make matters worse, there are two rotary dials plus cursor buttons that add to the confusion.

Olympus E-3 rear view. Lots and lots of buttons, plus another dial on the grip. Still, once you get the hang of this camera, all these controls should fall into place. And I have to admit, the articulated screen is a nice touch. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Olympus E 3 rear view Lots and lots of buttons plus another dial on the grip Still once you get the hang of this camera all these controls should fall into place And I have to admit the articulated screen is a nice touch Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



Now the menus. By accessing the main Menu on the color LCD monitor, you open yourself and the camera up to virtually endless possibilities-so many, in fact, that it gave me a headache. I’d say tweak these settings over time, as you find need for them. Don’t just dive into it, or you may find yourself coming up for air rather frequently.

There is one menu that you will frequent. When hitting the OK button, a screen pops up with all the most-used functions. You can usually avoid the more involved main Menu by taking this route. Or, you can use one of the dedicated buttons. Only difference is that some parameters require the main Menu. For instance, when adjusting AF target areas (say, from single to full screen array), you’ll need to switch targeting modes here: the “OK” route only lets you shift the array in one direction or another (for example, if you want to target subjects on the left, instead of in the center of the screen).

Of course, if I were working only with this camera on a daily basis, I’d have all that figured out before setting out on some life-altering journey. All I’m saying is that this plethora of buttons, dials, and menu options does not make the journey any easier. And you’ll need to take more than just one step to get on the right path.

Digital Noise

Even at ISO 100, images exhibit some graininess. But having said that, the observable noise is luminance-not color-noise at this light-sensitivity level. As you move up the ladder in ISO, luminance noise becomes more obvious, but color noise is not as detrimental as we might expect-even at ISO 1600. Color noise was, however, easily observed in images captured at ISO 3200 (but still not as bad as in some other DSLRs with larger sensors). As they say, you win some, you lose some. Add some noise reduction software and you should be living in a fairly quiet neighborhood.

My Field Experience with the E-3

All my initial complaints aside, I spent very little time with the user manual my first time out with the camera. OK, with all those buttons, you’d think they’d have what you need right up front. NOT. So I did have to crack open the manual a few times. And even then, when it came time to switch to manual focusing, what did I do? I looked for a button (game show buzzer sounds shrilly here). I forgot that it’s set electronically-and that’s truly annoying. The one button I really would appreciate having at my disposal is what this camera/lens lacks.

Anyway, I’d removed the tripod mount from the lens to make it easier to handhold. Despite the lens’s weight, the combo was not uncomfortable in the least, either around my neck or in my hands. I had initially set my sights on photographing birds and squirrels. The reason? When you translate in Four-Thirds-speak, 50-200 becomes a whopping 100-400-with a pretty fast maximum aperture, given the modest size of the lens-and I really wanted to take advantage of that 400mm with wildlife, which in New York City means mostly birds and squirrels, and the occasional raccoon (yup, we got “˜em). If anyone dares mention those denizens of the subway tracks as examples of NYC wildlife, it’ll be pistols at dawn.

So, I’m walking, and what do my eyes behold? The newly built skateboard and related-wheelie-hijinks park buzzing with activity. So I planted myself in one spot. Asked a guy if this spot was safe; he said yes. With my Spidey sense tingling, I moved back onto the grass. Seconds later another skateboarder lands on the exact spot where I was standing!

I noted that I needed a better vantage point, so I moved to the top of a skateboard ramp–the runway, if you will–and kept an eye on the skateboarders as they whizzed by. I’d set the camera to continuous AF, using a single, central AF point, with the drive in high-speed continuous mode. Given that the background was a bit distracting, I kept to ISO 100, shooting in Program mode for this series. I’d switch to Shutter Priority for the soccer game. Well, I captured some amazing mid-air acrobatics! Not bad for my first few minutes with the camera.

High-flying. I used continuous AF to track the skateboarder's movements through the jump and successful maneuver. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
High flying I used continuous AF to track the skateboarders movements through the jump and successful maneuver Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



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I did mention soccer. As I approached the soccer field, I kept shooting with continuous AF, but set focusing to multiple AF points to see how well the E-3 could track action that zigged and zagged. That wasn’t the best choice, although I did grab one nice shot of a kicker sending the ball flying. So I switched to dynamic single target AF (which uses only a few AF points out of the array). I liked this mode for action. Tight, but not too tight; loose, but not too loose, if you get my drift.

I captured a heart-pounding sequence as two players vied for the ball as it was in the air. I swung the camera round to follow the action. Here I also shifted to ISO 400 and switched from Program to Shutter Priority at 1/500 second in an attempt to freeze the action. I had set image stabilization to IS1 (to compensate for all movement) but, at this shutter speed, it didn’t matter, even though I panned with the action. Normally when panning, the IS2 setting should be used.

Getting your kicks. I realized too late that the camera was still in Program mode for this soccer shot, but that didn't seem to be seriously detrimental. If anything, the slight blur added to the momentum. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Getting your kicks I realized too late that the camera was still in Program mode for this soccer shot but that didnt seem to be seriously detrimental If anything the slight blur added to the momentum Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved


Capturing the moment. Here I shifted to Shutter Priority and 1/500 sec in an attempt to freeze action (at ISO 400--I didn't want to go higher). These shots capture tense moments of play focused around a ball seemingly suspended in midair, with just a touch of blur for realism. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Capturing the moment Here I shifted to Shutter Priority and 1500 sec in an attempt to freeze action at ISO 400 I didnt want to go higher These shots capture tense moments of play focused around a ball seemingly suspended in midair with just a touch of blur for realism Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



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Finally, I switched to single-point AF in one-shot mode when it came time to shoot pictures in the garden. Cabbage white butterflies have eluded me all summer. I wasn’t expecting a tight close-up, but I figured that with 400mm and reasonably close focusing on this lens, I could get something I could work with. And I did. I had to crop out half the frame around the butterfly, but I like the result. And I did the same with a bee on a flower. For the bee resting on a leaf (this one sat there for some time), I added an Olympus shoe-mounted flash. I also found some leaves with water droplets interesting, and shot that full frame with flash.

Cabbage white butterfly. I cropped tightly to focus on the butterfly. At ISO 400, luminance noise is readily apparent as graininess. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Cabbage white butterfly I cropped tightly to focus on the butterfly At ISO 400 luminance noise is readily apparent as graininess Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved


Bee on leaf. Even ISO 100 shows some luminance noise. But note those nice, round out-of-focus highlights in this f/3.5 exposure, due to the circular aperture. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Bee on leaf Even ISO 100 shows some luminance noise But note those nice round out of focus highlights in this f35 exposure due to the circular aperture Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved


Leaf with raindrops. I found the design of the leaf interesting, especially with the droplets. The shoe-mount flash helped focus attention on the main leaf, its serrated edges, and venous pattern. The droplets were icing on the cake--almost literally. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Leaf with raindrops I found the design of the leaf interesting especially with the droplets The shoe mount flash helped focus attention on the main leaf its serrated edges and venous pattern The droplets were icing on the cake almost literally Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved


Here, doggie. This pup was a challenge. I wanted a tight shot, so I set the lens at the longest zoom setting, but it refused to stand still. Finally, I switched to continuous AF. That's when the little doggie decided to take a breather and I grabbed the shot. By the way, can you identify this breed? No prizes, just my heartfelt thanks. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Here doggie This pup was a challenge I wanted a tight shot so I set the lens at the longest zoom setting but it refused to stand still Finally I switched to continuous AF Thats when the little doggie decided to take a breather and I grabbed the shot By the way can you identify this breed No prizes just my heartfelt thanks Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved


A Sweet Lens

Using the camera’s built-in flash was not even a consideration, given the size of the Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50-200 f/2.8~3.5 SWD lens, made worse by the long lens shade.

And speaking of lens shades, this one has an interesting twist-the moral equivalent of a moon roof: slide a small panel (door?) back to allow easy access to a rotating circular polarizer. Nice touch, Olympus!

Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50-200 f/2.8~3.5 SWD lens. I loved everything about this lens-well, almost. I'd really prefer a switch on the barrel to change from AF to manual. But optically it can't be faulted. I used image stabilization (set to IS1) for all my shots. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50 200 f28~35 SWD lens I loved everything about this lens well almost Id really prefer a switch on the barrel to change from AF to manual But optically it cant be faulted I used image stabilization set to IS1 for all my shots Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



One noteworthy point: in the shot of the bee on a leaf, the water droplets are out of focus. But what we should emphasize is how nicely circular those out-of-focus highlights are, due to the 9-bladed circular aperture.

Mechanically, the lens leaves a little to be desired. The zooming ring tends to fight you on its long and arduous journey from 50 to 200mm. At around 100mm, it’s as if someone put a “slow down merging traffic” sign in your path, and the lens almost grinds to a halt. Not the most conducive for fast responses to unfolding action-which is why I normally worked within a short range of focal lengths.

Optically, the lens cannot be faulted. I was just as happy with the results shooting wide open as shooting stopped-down. All that exotic glass appears to have paid off.

Fire engine. I photographed the fire engine from around a half block away, with the lens at 200mm, then moved in closer, setting the lens at 50mm, for this study of all the gauges and knobs (I just loved the arrangement of rectangular and circular shapes, with those color accents). Note the crisp detail in each case, and the rich colors. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Fire engine I photographed the fire engine from around a half block away with the lens at 200mm then moved in closer setting the lens at 50mm for this study of all the gauges and knobs I just loved the arrangement of rectangular and circular shapes with those color accents Note the crisp detail in each case and the rich colors Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



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Focal length matters. I shot both pictures with the lens at 200mm. The 50-200 is surprisingly effective at isolating medium and large-size blooms, but what impressed me even more was making it appear that I was lost in a tropical jungle, when all I did was to isolate a portion of a mimosa tree. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Focal length matters I shot both pictures with the lens at 200mm The 50 200 is surprisingly effective at isolating medium and large size blooms but what impressed me even more was making it appear that I was lost in a tropical jungle when all I did was to isolate a portion of a mimosa tree Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



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In Conclusion

I was not done shooting. I meant to bag me a squirrel, and, gosh-darn-it, I did just that on a subsequent outing. It was after 5 pm, late summer. I set the lens at 200mm, the camera in program mode, AF to one-shot, and ISO to 800 to give me motion-stopping shutter speeds (as much as possible without cranking ISO any higher, not so much for camera shake, but rather for the squirrel’s movements).

I made several exposures, and as the critter moved away, I tried to anticipate it. I moved closer; it climbed up a tree to enjoy its bounty, a peanut obviously tossed by a passerby. As it reached about eye level, where it felt safe enough, it started to shell the peanut and dig in. I watched and photographed, moving a step closer, inching my way more and more with each few exposures. Finally, peanut eaten, patience worn thin, the squirrel vamoosed up the tree, leaving me with my own bounty of countless exposures. Another rewarding experience with the E-3 and 50-200 lens.

Hey, I'm eatin' here; can't a squirrel get a little privacy? In the shade, I boosted ISO to 800 to give me a reasonably fast shutter speed of 1/200 with the lens zoomed all the way out, while shooting wide open to blur out the backdrop. Copyright  ©2009 Jack Neubart. All rights reserved.
Hey Im eatin here cant a squirrel get a little privacy In the shade I boosted ISO to 800 to give me a reasonably fast shutter speed of 1200 with the lens zoomed all the way out while shooting wide open to blur out the backdrop Copyright ©2009 Jack Neubart All rights reserved



Verdict: Buy it. If you don’t mind the smaller Four Thirds sensor or being limited by 10.1 MP resolution (little room to crop), this is definitely a camera to own and use.

For more information: Visit Olympus USA , or Amazon Olympus Evolt E-3 10.1MP Digital SLR Camera

Tech specs: Olympus USA
B&H Price–Olympus E-3: $1,250
B&H Price–Olympus Zuiko Digital ED 50-200 f/2.8~3.5 SWD Lens: $1,035









This Post Has 5 Comments

  1. Nice review.

    They say the zoom is so stiff because of the weather proofing. People have said they wash their e3 under a facet after getting them dirty, if they have a weatherproofed lens attached.

    The weatherproofing on these SLR cameras is possibly the best in the industry.

  2. Hi,

    A very good outing. I have an E3 and find it a stunningly good camera. Camera developments move at an alarming pace and I’m sure the E4 will be even better in certain repects but I anticipate using the E3 professionally for many years to come.

    I actually find the flip out screen not a gimick as I first thought and even find myself using live view more and more.

    People do get rather anal about noise, have they never shot tri x !! how short peoples memories. I’ve had lots of work published and noise really isn’t a problem, though I can see if your doing studio product or portrait work then it might be but then your more likely to be using a larger format anyway. As a general commercial and landscape photographer its never been a problem.

    s

  3. If you understand the meaning of 4/3 system and don’t mind plastic/non-weatherproof body, go get an E-30, inherit E-3 over 90% and beat in some way but almost 300g lighter. Oh, of course, way cheaper. 🙂

  4. SkyZ

    I have both the e30 and the e3 and i can say that the extra money is well spent. once you pick up both cameras you will see what the difference is.. the metal construction on the e3 will impress you enough

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