Photo Review Reviews section

Olympus E-330

8 Rating

The first DSLR to provide a continuous live view of subjects in full colour plus an adjustable LCD monitor.FIRST LOOK: Olympus is renowned for product innovation so it should be no surprise to hear that it’s the first company to produce a digital SLR camera that provides a full-time, live view of the subject you’re shooting on its LCD screen, making a DSLR just as straightforward to use for shot composition as a compact digicam. To date, the only DSLRs that provided any kind of live view were the Fujifilm FinePix S3 Pro and a special version of the Canon EOS 20D that was designed for astronomical photography. However, in both cases the “live” view was in monochrome and the display only lasted a second or two. In the E-330, the full-colour display is continuous.

Olympus E-30

8.8 Rating

A feature-rich Four Thirds System DSLR for photo enthusiasts.Designed for photo enthusiasts and amateur photographers who want a more sophisticated camera, the new Olympus E-30 is the first in a series of ‘double-digit’ models that will slot in between the ‘three-digit’ entry-level models and the professional ‘single-digit’ camera. The new camera’s 12.3-megapixel Live MOS sensor replaces the 10-megapixel imager currently used across the company’s DSLR range. The E-30 also features a new image processor.

Olympus E-3

8.5 Rating

A solidly-built, professional-quality DSLR for Four Thirds system enthusiasts.Olympus is targeting professional photographers and ‘advanced enthusiasts’ with its E-3 DSLR model, which replaces the four-year-old E-1, the world’s first Four Thirds system DSLR. However, the promise of smaller, lighter cameras claimed for the Four Thirds system is not delivered in the E-3, which is one of the heaviest DSLR bodies in the under-$5000 category. (Only Nikon’s D200 and D300 weigh more.) But size and weight aren’t the only factors influencing camera choice and the E-3 has plenty to recommend it.

Olympus SP-800 UZ

7.5 Rating

A compact, lightweight digicam with a 30x zoom lens plus 720p HD video recording.When it was unveiled in February, Olympus’s SP-800UZ was one of only two digicams with a 30x zoom lens. Claiming the advantage of being the world’s smallest in this category, the SP-800UZ boasts a 14-megapixel sensor and was released with a ‘sister’ model, the SP-600UZ which sports a 15x zoom lens and 12-megapixel resolution. Reviews of both models will appear on the Photo Review website.

Olympus SP600 UZ

8 Rating

A budget-priced long-zoom digicam for everyday snapshooters who want to record 720p HD video clips.The 12-megapixel SP-600 UZ is the lower-priced model of two super-zoom digicams announced by Olympus in February. Built and priced to attract bargain hunters, it provides a limited range of adjustments but supports 720p video recording. The 15x optical zoom range is adequate for most family users and dual sensor-shift and ISO-boosting stabilisation reduce the incidence of unwanted camera shake – without totally preventing it.

Olympus SP-510 Ultra Zoom

8 Rating

A lightweight, long-zoom digicam with plenty of adjustable controls.An update to the SP-500, the new Olympus SP-510UZ has higher resolution and double the internal memory. It also boasts new “Shakeproof” technologies, which increase sensitivity to ISO 4000 plus an in-camera gyro sensor that detects camera shake and applies software compensation to counteract blurring. This ‘digital image stabilisation’ cannot be compared with optical image stabilisation, which doesn’t reduce image quality.

Olympus Camedia C-770 Ultra Zoom

The test camera produced images with similar colour balance, contrast and saturation levels to those from the C-760 UZ. Not unexpectedly, significantly less noise was found in low light shots, especially at the highest ISO settings. Digital zoom shots were also clearer, but marginally over-sharpened. Artefacts were visible along the edges of contrasting tones, but compression artefacts were not detected. The flash also appeared to have more punch.

Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12mm f/2.0 MSC Lens

7.5 Rating

A fast, solidly-built, wide-angle prime lens for Micro Four Thirds System cameras.The M.Zuiko Digital ED 12m f/2.0 lens is a ‘fast’ prime lens that covers a field of view equivalent to a 24mm lens on a 35mm camera. Ideal for landscape photography, its wide maximum aperture also makes it suitable for candid and street photography in poorly-lit situations. Unfortunately, its high price tag could deter many potential purchasers.

Olympus Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 Telephoto Zoom Lens

8.5 Rating

An affordable compact, lightweight zoom lens for portrait and sports photography.The Zuiko Digital 40-150mm f/4.0-5.6 lens was launched at the end of 2006 and is usually offered in twin-lens kits with Olympus DSLR cameras. Claimed as the smallest and lightest in its class, it fulfils the promises of the Four Thirds System in both respects. With a barrel only 72mm long and weighing only 220 grams it covers a focal length range equivalent to 80-300mm in 35mm format.

Olympus Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ED Lens

8.5 Rating

The compact, standard zoom kit lens for Olympus DSLR cameras.Usually supplied with the company’s DSLR cameras, the Olympus Digital 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6 ED is a compact standard wide angle zoom lens covering focal lengths equivalent to 28-84mm in 35mm format. This covers all kinds of general photography, including family snapshots, scenery and portraiture.