E-3 review DRCP

[Paul Shields]

Not sure if this has been posted before but I just came across it and it looked like it was published today by Jeff Keller. I've always liked his approach to reviews, and he's pretty positive about this new camera:

DCRP Review: Olympus E-3

[Mr. Pickles]

Pretty long and detailed review. Apparently he no like the battery charger...

[Paul Shields]

Yeah, and he's right . Luckily for those of us with the E-1 battery charger it's not a problem as that charges a lot quicker. Unfortunately I just think this is one of the things Olympus dumbed down on compared to the E-1, but I guess if they had kept to the ultra high standard of the E-1 then the price (or at least profit margins) wouldn't have been so attractive.

[keepright]

Thanks for the link, that's one of the best reviews I've seen of it. I haven't experienced the exposure irregularities that the reviewer did, and we also differ on our opinion of ergonomics and noise, but otherwise I agree with his praise and complaints.

It's nice to see that the lens selection has gone from a weakness to a positive. I even learned a new trick from him: I didn't know that CAF+MF used the MF before the camera AF started. I just assumed that it worked the same as SAF+MF, which really makes no sense, but that's as far as my thought process went.

I've yet to unpack a battery charger other than the one from my E-1. It is disappointing that the E-3 doesn't come with the faster charger. (I still have the neck straps in their original packages, too.)

And I'm especially happy to see that the reviewer didn't make price comparisons to the Canon 40D. That drives me up the wall in a way that very little else does.

[Paul Shields]

Yes, good points about price comparisons. It's a shame that a lot of reviews get hung up about how it compares to X or Y based on price. I've fallen for that in the past and it's really not a variable that should be so important.

Same with ergonomics - it's really a personal thing and even for a reviewer who (one would imagine) handles lots of different camera systems all the time you sometimes feel that personal perferences and prejudices come forward when discussing such subjective things as how it handles. No doubt the E-3 is a complex camera but it's mostly a simple matter of adjusting to the layout. Sometimes that may take quite a bit of time, which is what reviewers generally have very little of.

[Mr. Pickles]

Maybe their (Olympus) opinion on the battery charger is the one for the E-3 will do a slower charge and thus not cycle the heat in the battery so much? Maybe in their "test" (estimates), the batteries used on this charger will last longer (as in lifetime) than if used on the E-1 charger?

[keepright]

I just think that anyone who complains that the E-3 is more expensive than the 40D should use them and compare photos after they've both been in a running shower for an hour or two. Photographic comparisons are fine and fair, but it's important to remember what the cameras are designed for.

Using the E-3 today I was able to change modes without thinking about which button, dial, and direction. I did take a quick look to see where the AF button was when I changed it, but even that was pretty natural. There are still some flubs that I trip over, but it's getting better. But I do know that when I switch back to another camera, like my E-1 or my E-510 (when I finally retrieve it from the service depot) it will feel awkward again.

Paul, you're right about reviewers. They're in the worst possible position to learn a camera, but have the most experience in knowing which designs work best for them. It makes for an odd mix, but as always, the best test of a camera is for the potential buyer to actually handle one for themselves. It's the quickest way to answer a lot of questions that can be endlessly debated and researched on-line.