Olympus E-3

The best Four Thirds camera faces tough rivals



THE OLYMPUS E-3 is a very good camera, but though competition makes it difficult to recommend it unequivocally.

The E-3 represents the top of the line in the Four Thirds System, which was created by Olympus and Kodak for digital single-lens-reflex (dSLR) cameras. Four Thirds sensors are approximately 60 percent to 70 percent the size of the Advanced Photo System type-C (APS-C) sensors used in many dSLRs. The advantage of the Four Thirds System is that it allows highger off-center resolution, i.e., better sharpness at the edges of an image; it also allows for smaller lenses and camera bodies. APS-C sensors, on the other hand, are generally less susceptible to image noise because of their size.

The E-3 is a feature-rich camera. It packs in 10.1-megapixel sensor, a 5-frame-per-second continuous shutter speed, sensor-based image stabilization, an 11-point autofocus system, a built-in flash (rare on professional cameras), and a bright viewfinder with 100 percent coverage-what you see is what you get. and the E-3, with its weather sealed body, is built like a tank. It's constructed of magnesium alloy and feels as solid as a rock in the hand. If tactile sensation is important, rest assured that the E-3 feels as well-built as cameras that cost twice as much.

Unfortunately, the E-3's ergonomics leave quite a lot to be desired. It has a dizzying range of buttons and switches. and the menu system is dated looking and confusing to navigate.

The E-3 is capable of excellent images. Color rendition is particularly good, sitting somewhere between naturally saturated and vivid colors. The E-3 is virtually noise-free up to ISO 800, at which point noise starts to creep in. This is likely the result of the smaller sensor struggling under the pressure of low-light situations. The E-3's images appear slightly soft, but this isn't noticeable except when images are greatly enlarged.



All these make the E-3 a complicated camera to recommend. On the plus side, it's a very well-built dSLR that would be worthwhile upgrade for owners of existing Four Thirds equipment. But the E-3 is priced comparably with the Nikon D300 and the Canon EOS 40D, and given the high standard set by those cameras, it's trickier to recommend. -John B. Stafford

Computer Shopper November 2008