Seventeen E-30 Impressions... 4/17 ~ Steve Hallam

I never had an autofocus film SLR, so when the DSLR revolution happened I had a completely open choice of make - no old lenses to be used in "compatibility" mode! I chose Olympus as they had also started with a clean sheet, and Four Thirds had been designed for purpose from the ground up.

I bought an E-1 as soon as the price dropped a bit, and have gradually acquired a good selection of lenses. I have always been amazed at the images I can produce with "only" 5 megapixels. Within its limitations, it is a superb photographic tool, and a classic of its type.

Various other models have come and gone - all interesting and good in their own way, but nothing tempted me from the E-1. I was not totally seduced by the E-3, and couldn’t afford one anyway!

So what of the E-30? It felt good in the hand, and build quality seems fine. Nothing can really match an E-1 for build, but it felt nicer than most other makes of camera I have handled. Sure, it’s not totally weatherproof, but I’ve never really tested the E-1 in that respect. I’m sure the E-30 is more weatherproof than me.

I was able to make basic adjustments to the camera immediately - a good sign of logical control layout. I was pleased to find two control wheels, which worked exactly as expected in manual mode (adjusting shutter speed and aperture). Most of the buttons seemed well placed, but I’m sure some gripes would emerge after a while! Certainly the essential things seem to be adjustable without using menus - unlike many DSLRs...

The rear screen is a delight, so large and clear, and with that wonderful twist and tilt found on the E-3. That screen, and live view, would be my biggest reason for buying an E-30. Wonderful for close-ups! The E-1 screen is like a postage stamp in comparison, sadly. The top screen is alsways useful and another good feature.

The viewfinder seemed good, certainly as good as the E-1, but apparently not quite 100% field of view. I guess that makes the camera a bit easier and cheaper to make. The autofocus seemed to work nicely enough inside a very dim room: I suppose more than three autofocus points is an improvement!

I’m really pleased that it takes the same battery as the E-1, and most other Olympus cameras. I’m also pleased that it takes Compact Flash cards - less easy to lose than SD cards. Also it's nice to see that the excellent 14-54mm lens is revamped and still going strong!

I would probably play with the "art filter" things a few times, and then ignore them. If they persuade more people to buy the camera, all well and good. Features like this are all implemented electronically so the manufacturing cost is peanuts. The important features are build quality, handling, and image quality.

Image quality? Obviously unknown as yet, but I guess at least as good as the E-3, hopefully a bit better. I rarely use high ISO (or wish to), but it’s discussed endlessly by pixel peepers so let’s hope it is reasonable. The one huge selling point for Oly is the quality of the lenses - not one dud amongst them. Cameras these days are (almost) disposable, but good lenses are an investment that should last for many years.

So would I buy one? If the price was right, and subject to the image quality, yes. A few of us discussed pricing; the quoted price seems high compared with the street price of an E-3. I suppose that there is always scope for price reductions at release, or soon afterwards.

One thing is for sure - I wouldn’t join the people who sold the E-1 and regretted it! It will be an addition to the kit, not a replacement for the E-1.

Just one thing that might make me think differently: the Panasonic G-1 (also inspected at Nottingham). Now there is a camera that is truly mould-breaking, and I’m sure Oly have some very interesting models in the pipeline!