Olympus E-30

	Sample Photos Summary
• Noise levels apparent even at low ISO • Under good light, excellent detail capture
	White Balance	Page 7 of 19	Playback

Sample Photos

Below is a series of sample images taken with the E-30 in a number of different environments, with four 100% crops beneath each. You can click through to full-size images from the main photos, but they are large and may take some time to load.

Landscape Sample
				Focal length: 14mm Aperture: f/22 Shutter: 1/200 ISO: 400 On the beaches of the once prosperous Oamaru, New Zealand, which has gone through many hard years. This shot was taken using aperture priority mode under cloudy conditions.
				You can see the presence of image noise even at ISO 400, even though most details are still clear.

Macro Sample
				Focal length: 54mm Aperture: f/9 Shutter: 1/640 ISO: 200 On a bright, sunny day, this white rose was photographed in program mode, and the automatic white balance did a very good job accounting for the sunlight.
				At low ISO and under good light, the E-30 did very well at capturing detail and subtle changes in shading.

Detail Sample
				Focal length: 14mm Aperture: f/18 Shutter: 1/60 ISO: 200 The Christchurch Cathedral, Christchurch, New Zealand, on a sunny day. Shot in aperture priority mode with manual white balance. The intricate stone work of the neo-Gothic church serves as a good test of the camera's ability to capture detail, and the bright sky and clouds test the dynamic range.
				The stonework of the bottom right corner of the image suffered some minor chromatic aberration, and the highlights of the clouds over-exposed. Otherwise an excellent image.

Low Light Sample
				Focal length: 14mm Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter: 1/25 ISO: 1600 The Dunedin train station in Dunedin, New Zealand, after dark, shot in manual mode, at high ISO with no noise reduction.
				While not immediately apparent in the smaller version above, the 100% crops show the high noise levels in the image.

Wildlife Sample
				Focal length: 54mm Aperture: f/4 Shutter: 1/125 ISO: 320 This steer was kind enough to hold still for a portrait, though he didn't look too happy about the situation. Shot on an overcast day in program mode, with automatic white balance.
				The detail on the cow's ear fur is sadly less than desired, but the subtle gradation of his flank came out well.

Signage Sample
				Focal length: 14mm Aperture: f/2.8 Shutter: 1/500 ISO: 200 The Blue Kiwi is a now unfortunately closed junk shop that was once a home to many an old gewgaw. Shot using manual white balance and aperture priority on an overcast day.
				The details on the flaking paint and hinges is quite good, but traces of image noise are still visible.

Still Life Examples

Below are comparative examples of our still life taken with every camera at every ISO, even the extended range. Click for larger versions, but be prepared for a long wait if you have a slow Internet connection.

	Still Life Comparisons (noise reduction off)
	Olympus E-30	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Pentax K2000
ISO 100
ISO 200
ISO 400
ISO 800
ISO 1600
ISO 3200				Not Available
ISO 6400	Not Available			Not Available
ISO 12800	Not Available			Not Available

The E-30 shoots in 4:3 aspect ratio where the other cameras shoot in 3:2, which accounts for the slight difference in shape for the images above.

Noise Examples

Below are more 100% crops of a still-life image at each available ISO, with noise reduction turned off for all cameras.

	Noise Comparison Table (noise reduction off)
	Olympus E-30	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Pentax K2000
ISO 100
	Olympus E-30	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Pentax K2000
ISO 200
	Olympus E-30	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Pentax K2000
ISO 400
	Olympus E-30	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Pentax K2000
ISO 800
	Olympus E-30	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Pentax K2000
ISO 1600
	Olympus E-30	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Pentax K2000
ISO 3200				Not Available
	Olympus E-30	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Pentax K2000
ISO 6400	Not Available			Not Available
	Olympus E-30	Nikon D90	Canon 50D	Canon Rebel XS	Pentax K2000
ISO 12800	Not Available			Not Available

To illustrate the high noise levels produced by the E-30 we created the following table, which demonstrates the effectiveness of all three levels of noise reduction at various ISOs, and the resulting alteration to image sharpness.

	Noise Reduction Comparison Table (Gradation Normal)
	NR off	Noise Reduction 1	Noise Reduction 2	Noise Reduction 3
ISO 100
	NR off	Noise Reduction 1	Noise Reduction 2	Noise Reduction 3
ISO 100
	NR off	Noise Reduction 1	Noise Reduction 2	Noise Reduction 3
ISO 400
	NR off	Noise Reduction 1	Noise Reduction 2	Noise Reduction 3
ISO 400
	NR off	Noise Reduction 1	Noise Reduction 2	Noise Reduction 3
ISO 800
	NR off	Noise Reduction 1	Noise Reduction 2	Noise Reduction 3
ISO 800
	NR off	Noise Reduction 1	Noise Reduction 2	Noise Reduction 3
ISO 3200
	NR off	Noise Reduction 1	Noise Reduction 2	Noise Reduction 3
ISO 3200

White Balance	Page 7 of 18		Playback
Olympus E-30 Digital Camera Review Navigation
Intro	Product Tour	Color	Noise
Resolution	White Balance	Sample Photos	Playback
Hardware	Controls	Design & Handling	Speed & Timing
Nikon D90 Comparison	Canon 50D Comparison	Canon Rebel XS Comp	Pentax K2000 Comparison
Conclusion	Specs & Ratings