[keepright]

I've been using the E-3 for two and a half months now, which is about 1/12 the time that I've been using the E-1. I also have an E-510 that I picked up last summer, so I've had a confusing time trying to handle three cameras more or less simultaneously.

First, I have to say that I'm really impressed by the image quality of this camera. I fell in love with it very quickly, unlike the E-510 which I found a little disappointing. I use my E-3 the same way I use my E-1: I trust the camera and don't feel the need to second-guess how it will record the scene in front of me. My typical settings are aperture priority, auto-wb, auto-iso, metering is centre-weighted with the AEL set for highlight-spot. I typically leave the camera in sequential-3fps drive, fast enough for follow-up shots but not too fast for me to get my finger off of the button, and the AF is ST-D normal. I use raw capture for its flexibility and workflow improvements over jpeg, but the jpegs are excellent as well.

My disappointments with the E-3 are few. Perhaps the biggest one is the card door: I loved the metal door on the E-1. I wouldn't object to the plastic of the E-3 if it didn't flex, but its slight movement really bugs me. I'm still finding the interface unintuitive, especially when the rear LCD displays a double-row of options, as it does with the ISO settings. I want to use the up-down arrow buttons to jump from row to row. I understand why I can't, but it looks like I should be able to. I also wish that the mode and AF buttons were larger, taller, and different shapes.

design of the E-1 v. E-3:

Perfect is subjective, so I'm not aiming for that. Having had some time with the E-3, I now prefer its feel and control layout. I find the grip more comfortable for both hands, and adore the shutter button, which is the control I use the most. I'm okay with the front command dial being above or below the shutter button, but I prefer the shorter reach to the rear dial on the E-3. As I use it for the exposure compensation, that's important to me. I've gotten accustomed to the lack of a mode dial -- 95% of the time I'm in Av anyway -- but I actually miss the E-1's flippy-switch for the AF mode, which many people seemed to hate. My nemesis with the E-1 was the diopter control, which the E-3 safely hides under the eye cup.

The other obvious difference between the control layouts is that the people who don't like the E-3 have often had years to get used to the E-1. Quite frankly, the E-1 has some serious problems as well. The EV and ISO buttons on the 3 have taken a lot of abuse, but I can reach them without changing my grip. It's not comfortable, but it's possible. With the E-1, I have to shift my thumb up and loosen my grip on the rear of the camera. Worse, if I hit the EV button on the E-1, I can't simultaneously use the rear dial (no sticky buttons) so I need to use the front dial, and now I'm far away from the shutter button and have practically climbed on top of the camera. The natural solution to both cameras designs of this important control is to use the rear dial, but not everyone will do that. Until Olympus updates the E-1's firmware to enable sticky buttons, the advantage has to go to the E-3.

The E-1's WB button is also very hard to reach, as its blocked by the command and mode dials. And to reach the AEL button you need to actually let go of the rear thumb grip. The E-3 doesn't solve all of these problems -- the focus point selector, which is more important than ever, is still on the wrong side of the thumb grip -- but it is a better design. Why does the E-1 need a dedicated button to "lock" images?

I like the E-510 as a competent little camera, but it doesn't inspire me the way the E-1 and E-3 do. Any camera's controls become natural with enough use, and I'm looking forward to getting a lot of use out of the E-3. The E-1's a great camera, and six months ago I would have just asked for an updated electronics package in its body, but now I'm glad that Olympus wasn't satisfied with that.