![]() Note on model names: Looks like Olympus is following a convention here: one-digit numbers for top-shelf cameras (professional, advanced amateur), three digits for "budget" ones (I will not say "entry level", because this rather describes a photographer, and the E-xxx models do not suffer from the common "entry-level" limitations), and two digits for an intermediate range (still, more suitable for an experienced user than for a beginner). And yes, the E-30 has a mode dial! This sounded like a camera for my needs, so I decided to try it out. Hoping that the rumors and expectations about a "two-digit" E-System model will materialize, I held my breath.įinally, in November of 2008 Olympus announced an upcoming release of the E-30: a smaller and lighter sibling of the E-3, inheriting most of its technology, and adding some minor improvements: after all, the engineers had an extra year to tweak the existing solutions. Of less (not critical but not to be dismissed) importance were some aspects of the user interface, notably the absence of the mode dial, necessitating a use of the press-and-turn metaphor to switch between exposure modes. The main reason was that the camera's bulk and weight were to much for my liking a personal thing, of course, but enjoying photography is a personal thing. (Here is a full review.) I liked most things about it, especially the results it consistently delivered, but ultimately I decided against buying one. In early 2008 I spent six weeks with an E-3, using it quite extensively with a 12-60 mm ZD lens. Still, any camera is designed within some size/weight and cost limitations, and raising these will allow to improve the specs, performance, and image quality these are just facts of life. Many advanced amateurs are perfectly happy with the E-520, a relatively minor update to the E-510 which I've been using (and enjoying a lot) since the summer of 2007. The savings in all three these aspects were expected to be made by forgoing the weather-proof, magnesium alloy body and reducing the size and/or magnification of the prism viewfinder. This will give you a general idea what this camera is about, before jumping head first in the detail.Īfter a new flagship of the Olympus SLR line, the E-3, was introduced in late 2007, expectation were raised that some of its technology will "trickle down" to a smaller, lighter, and less expensive version, aimed at an advanced amateur. For a brief comparison of both models (including also references to the E-510/E-520), you may refer to another article: Olympus E-30: A First Look. The E-30 is basically a less rugged and more economical, but equally capable, version of the E-3. In my book, the most visible entry-level feature of the E-520 is the price the camera delivers most pleasing results and offers a very wide range of options and adjustments. This camera aims at an advanced amateur/enthusiast who may be put off by the larger weight, size, and price tag of the E-3, but still would like more capabilities and higher performance than those offered by the Olympus "entry-level" model, the E-520 (or its slightly older sibling, the E-510). Now it is time for an equally detailed (and, possibly, opinionated) review and reference of another DSLR from the same stable: the E-30, released in January, 2009. It has been a year since my review of the E-3, introduced by Olympus as the professional-class flagship of their digital SLR line.
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