| Likes |
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– Live display is fun
– Magnified focus works well in adequate lighting
– Construction quality is very solid
– LCD is bright, with great color
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| Dislikes |
- Noise at even moderate ISOs
- Slow operation
- Only one control dial
- Upper-level menus have too many entries
- Battery life is shorter than other DSLRs |
Conclusion
Live preview on a DSLR is very impressive, and the EVOLT E-330 has the best live preview we've ever seen, period. It has less display lag, it's brighter and clearer, and it allows more accurate manual focus than any of the best premium compacts, like the Sony R1 or the Panasonic Lumix FZ30. It's very good at its unique trick.
That said, the preview still seems like a technology in search of a use. Olympus seems ambivalent about it, suggesting exotic uses like underwater photography but leaning more heavily on the notion that that users stepping up from compact cameras to DSLRs might feel more comfortable with an LCD display like the one they're used to. However, how much validity this claim holds still remains to be seen.
In terms of imaging performance, the E-330 loses its competitive edge against similarly-priced DSLRs. For $1100, the resolution is there, but the high ISO performance and low light capture still hovers in an area that's more competitive with compacts. The camera's true Achilles heal, however, still seems to be its outdated autofocus system. With just three sensor sites, the technology was substandard on the camera's predecessor, the E-300, when it was announced in September, 2004. For $1100, there are many DSLRs out there that out-perform the E-330, however, there’s currently only one that offers interchangeable lenses and live preview.
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