The good: Creative Art Filter functions; articulated LCD; dual media card slots; impressive battery life.

The bad: High ISO image quality not as good as expected; sluggish autofocus in Live View mode.

The bottom line: Although it belongs to the midrange category, the E-30 is a fun to use dSLR with its Art Filter and multiple exposure function. However, we wish its performance was faster

Read full review of the Olympus E-30 »

By Leonard Goh
Mar 3, 2009

Olympus' first E-system dSLR, the E-1, was met with much fanfare in the digital imaging community when it was announced in 2003. Most photographers then were astounded by the vivid colors and high image quality. Olympus also priced the E-1 just within the reach of enthusiasts and professionals which made it quite attractive. However, the few shooters that followed were mainly entry-level or high-end dSLRs, which left the midrange category empty until last year.

The Olympus E-30 dSLR was announced last November. We were told by the company that this shooter is a midrange option for the E-series but inherits premium features such as an articulated LCD from its older sibling, the E-3. Also, Olympus has developed a new Art Filter function which we found to be really useful for taking creative shots. We would have loved this shooter more if not for its occasional slow performance.

Design

Besides the features, the E-30 also borrows some aesthetic inspiration from the E-3. The camera body is robust and the textured metal finishing lends a touch of professional style to it. At 655g for the body alone, it is lighter than its contemporaries such as the Canon EOS 50D which tips the scale at 730g. Considering that most of the Four Thirds lenses are relatively light, it shouldn't be a problem for shutterbugs to go out on a day's shoot with the E-30 and compatible optics.

One of the highlights for the Olympus dSLR is its 2.7-inch tilt/swivel LCD. This implementation is found on the E-3 and also on the company's new entry-level dSLR, the E-620. We really like this feature as it gives more flexibility when shooting overhead, waist-level and even self-portrait shots.

Although the handgrip isn't as deep as we would have liked, it offers a firm hold on the camera. Most of the weight distribution leans toward the grip, which makes the shooter well-balanced even when we attached a bigger lens on the body.

The rear of the E-30 is dominated by an array of controls which can look intimidating for someone wielding a dSLR for the first time. But after using the camera for a while, we found the button placement to be quite thoughtful as the arrangement was such that we were able to access them easily even with our eye at the optical viewfinder.

Tags: DSLR, Camera, LCD, Camera Body, optics

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