Olympus EVOLT E-330 Digital Camera Review

Olympus EVOLT E-330

Digital Camera Review

Jun 09, 2006 - By Patrick Singleton
3.3 The Olympus EVOLT E-330 introduces a live-preview LCD to the DSLR market, adding a feature that is universal on entry-level cameras to a much more capable and complex machine. The 7.5 effective megapixel EVOLT E-330 has Olympus's gaggle of unusual features – dust removal, 4/3 format, brick-house durability (and appearance), and hugely long menus. Still, the marquee feature is the live display. At $1100, the EVOLT E-330 costs hundreds more than other entry-level DSLRs. The only justification for a price differential like that will have to be the live preview. We're intrigued by it, and we imagine many people want it – but how many need it?
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Olympus EVOLT E-330


Connectivity
Software (6.0)
The EVOLT E-330 ships with Olympus Master software, an editing, organizing and printing package that includes a RAW file converter. Master was stable on our computers and is easy to navigate. Its RAW file converter doesn't offer anything particularly exotic, adjusting color balance, exposure, contrast, sharpness, and saturation.
 
Jacks, Ports, Plugs (7.75)
The EVOLT E-330 has a USB port for data transfer and printing, an AV port for showing slideshows on television sets, a hot shoe for connecting flash equipment, and an IR port for cordless remote controls.

Direct Print Options (7.5)
The Olympus E-330 supports DPOF and PictBridge printing. It allows the user to choose which images to print, to set the number of copies to print, and to decide whether to overprint the date and time. For PictBridge printers, the EVOLT E-330 can set  borderless printing, select the print size, create index prints, and  print multiple copies of an image on a single sheet of paper.
 
Battery (5.75)
The EVOLT E-330 uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. In general, lithium-ion cells last longer, weigh less, and are more convenient than other battery types. We recharged the EVOLT E-330's battery a couple of times during our testing. It seemed to discharge faster than some competing cameras' batteries, but it also charged very quickly.

Memory (3.5)
Olympus helped develop  the xD media card, so it's not a shock that the Evolt E330 accepts this form of memory. It also accepts compact flash cards, which are physically larger and cheaper. Compact flash is the most popular memory format for DSLRs.

Other Features (6.0)
Shading compensation - Lightens the corners of images taken with vignetting lenses, evening out the tones.
 
Sensor Cleaning Mode - Even though the EVOLT E-330 has a SSWF, or super-sonic wave filter that is supposed to vibrate dust away from its imaging sensor, Olympus includes a sensor cleaning mode for the stubborn bits that just won't shake off.

Underwater Specific mode dial options - The EVOLT E-330 can be set to allow direct access to underwater scene modes via the mode dial. It also flashes a memo to warn users that it needs a waterproof housing.
 
Image Parameters Page 9 of 13 Overall Impressions
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