2000 Unbiased Reviews Since 1999
or Browse:
Type
Brand
Price
Need
Browse By Type Find the digital camera that fits your needs
Browse By Brand Find a digital camera from your favorite brand
Browse by Price Choose a max price using the slider below
Max Price
Any

$150.00

Any Price
Buying Guides Find the perfect digital camera for... See more
Jump to a part
Advertisement

Olympus EVOLT E-330

Digital Camera Review

Previous: Page 3

Components

Next: Page 5

Modes
June 09, 2006 By Patrick Singleton
0 Comments
(add your own)
Olympus EVOLT E-330
Page 4

Shooting Menu



Card Setup


Format cards, etc.


Custom Reset Setting


Reset the Evolt E330 to the user's preset preferences, or to the factory defaults


Picture Mode


Set Vivid, Natural or Muted color, or Black and White, Sepia


Gradation


Set Tonality


Quality/Size


File size, compression, plusRAW or TIFF


Exposure Compensation


Set Evolt E330 to increase or decrease exposure relative to the meter reading


Noise Reducing


Set noise reduction for low-light shots


WB


White Balance


ISO


Sensitivity


Metering


Set Meter pattern


Flash Mode


Set synchronization, red-eye reduction


Flash Exposure Compensation


Set Evolt E330 to increase or decrease flash exposure relative to the meter reading


Burst Mode


Set to shoot bursts; activate self-timer or remote control


AF Mode


Select autofocus behavior


AF Pattern


Set active autofocus sensor


WB Bracket


Bracket white balance


AE Bracket


Bracket exposure


FL Bracket


Bracket flash exposure


MF Bracket


Bracket focus



Model Design / Appearance (7.75)
The EVOLT E-330 is a refinement on the E-300. It's still wide, thick and clunky, but the straight lines that make the E-300 so brick-like have been softened with some gentle curves.  It's still more of a heifer than a gazelle, but not in a bad way.
 
Even when folded, the E-330's fat LCD assembly juts way out. At first blush, it looks as though it isn't folded all the way. That's an example of Olympus styling – the designers aren't shy about making important features big. The mode and control dials are thick-edged and sturdy-looking, following a similar aesthetic impulse.
 
The EVOLT E-330's flat top is distinctive. When it first appeared on the E-300, some shoppers were put off; the assumption was that Olympus went back to the viewfinder hump on the EVOLT E-500 as a concession to the norms of camera styling. Apparently not –it seems as though the flat top appeared on the E-300 as Olympus was gearing up for the optics involved in the live preview.
 
Size / Portability (7.0) 
The EVOLT E-330 is wide and thick. Exploded views of the camera suggest that the dust removal system takes up a lot of internal space – more than the live view sensor, for instance. Without a viewfinder hump, the E-330 isn't as tall as other entry-level DSLRs, such as the Pentax *ist DL, the Canon Rebel XT and the Nikon D50, but it's about a half-inch wider.
 
Good seals against dust and moisture make the E-330 relatively well prepared for carrying in less-than-pristine bags or unprotected in dusty environments.

Handling Ability (7.25)
Increased curves in the gripping areas and the loss of the hard front rectangle make the EVOLT E-330 much more comfortable to use than the E-300. The live preview works well, and is a major benefit to handling. Olympus labels and places controls prominently and logically, for the most part, though we find their menus needlessly complex. The LCD pivot is a big advantage only for horizontal shots – it doesn't turn to the sides, as it would have to for shooting verticals from overhead, or from low angles.


Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (6.5)
Olympus buttons and dials are typically large and tough, and the ones on the EVOLT E-330 don't disappoint. The mode and control dial are both large and easy to use with the user's right hand in shooting position. It would be better, however, if the EVOLT E-330 had two control dials: on high-end DSLRs, the front dial handles aperture and the back handles shutter speed, but the E-330 requires the user to press a button to switch its single dial between functions.  The EVOLT E-330's shutter release is a large chrome button with a very good feel.

Menu (5.5)
The EVOLT E-330's menus seem to be laid out for camera engineers or marketers – unusual and intriguing features are too prominent and basics are inconveniently buried. For example, there is no reason "Custom Reset Setting" should appear before quality/size, burst mode, etc. This case is particularly important, because the Burst mode button has to be disabled to enable the EVOLT E-330 to take white balance measurements. That said, the E-330 display uses a clear, readable font and uncrowded screens.
 
Even with its enormous number of top-level entries – which are listed below – the E-330's menus often lead to extensive submenus. Picture mode's monochrome submenus include settings for contrast, sharpening, black-and-white filter emulation, and image tone.
 
 






Setup Menu 1
 
ISO Step
Set interval between ISO settings
ISO Boost
Activate ISO settings over 400
ISO Limit
Set the maximum ISO available
EV Step
Set exposure increment to 1/3, ½ or 1 stop
All WB +/-
Bias all white balance settings warmer or cooler
HQ
Set amount of compression for HQ JPEGs
SQ
Set amount of compression for SQ JPEGs
Manual Flash
Set flash output manually
EV compensation and Flash compensation
Link or unlink flash and ambient exposure compensation
X-sync
Set flash sync shutter speed
Live view boost
Increase LCD brightness for live view
Dial
Shift dial function in P mode between program shift and exposure compensation, and in Manual mode between defaulting to shutter or aperture control
AEL /AFL
Lock focus, exposure or both in various ways. Many options to set for each exposure and focusing mode.
AEL/AFL Memo
Set to allow AEL/AFL lock to stay on after the button is pressed, or only while button is pressed
AEL Metering
Set meter pattern used for locked exposure settings
Quick Erase
Allows image deletion without a confirmation
RAW+JPEG erase
Set erase action when Evolt E330 shoots RAW and JPEG simultaneously
Burst button function
Set burst button for its normal function, or to activate custom white balance
My Mode Setup
Create two sets of custom preferences
Focus Ring
Set whether near focus is clockwise and far is counter-clockwise, or the reverse.
AF Illuminator
Set autofocus assist light
Reset Lens
Choose rotation direction for lens focus ring
Release Priority S
Controls whether the Evolt E330 will take a picture before focusing in single focus mode
Release Priority C
Controls whether the Evolt E330 will take a picture before focusing in continuous focus mode
Frame Assist
Show outlines for framing images

 





Setup Menu 2
Date/Time
Set date and time
CF/xD
Set behavior when both CF and xD memory cards are inserted
File Name
Choose filename for images
Edit Filename
Edit filename for images
LCD brightness
Set display brightness
Language
Set display language
Video Out
Set to NTSC or PAL
Sound
On/off
Rec View
Display images as they are shot
Sleep
Set to have unattended Evolt E330 go into power-saving mode
4 h Timer
Set to prevent unattended Evolt E330 from shutting off entirely
Button timer
Set interval after which button press will be cleared, if it isn't confirmed
Screen
Set screen background color
CTL Panel Color
Set menu color
Priority Set
Set default for Format and All Erase buttons
USB mode
Set for data transfer or printing
Color Space
Set file color space
Pixel Mapping
Set to identify hot pixels
Cleaning mode
Set to allow manual cleaning of SSWF glass
Dial mode
Set for underwater or terrestrial scene mode access on mode dial.
Firmware
Show firmware version
 
A separate menu comes up in Playback mode.
 






Playback
Playback button
Set default behavior for button
Auto rotate
Turn vertical shots to proper orientation
Edit
Edit JPEGs or Tiffs to change to black and white, sepia, redeye fix, saturation or crop
Print
Use PictBridge
Copy All
Copy images from CF to xD card, or vice versa
 
Ease of Use (5.5)
The Olympus E-330 offers a depth of control that rivals more advanced DSLRs – focus bracketing is a new one on us – but we find that interface to reach many controls is clunky and slow.
 
For instance, the only way to set a custom white balance – the kind that the user sets by shooting a white object – is by switching the burst mode button to control "one touch" white balance. That  the burst mode, self-timer, and remote control to menu control only. All should be available without digging through the very complex and deep menu system. (Olympus uses "custom" white balance to refer to directly setting degrees Kelvin. To us, and the rest of the digital photography world, that's "Kelvin" and shooting a white target is "custom.")
 
The menu system is not hierarchical enough – there are too many choices in the top level of the menu, and they aren't arranged in order of importance or how frequently they'll be accessed. "Custom Reset Setting" has no business being the second entry on the top menu – it should be used rarely.
 

Shop for the Olympus EVOLT E-330

Loading Recently Viewed Products
Advertisement

Latest News
& Reviews

Top Rated Digital SLRs

  • Canon EOS 60D
    Canon EOS 60D
    $1,049.95
     1

    Canon EOS 60D

    The Canon EOS 60D is a top-notch camera in terms of performance, handling and flexibility. However, the performance of the kit lens leaves something to be desired. Read full 7-part review

    $1,049.95
    Read full 7-part review
    Types
    Prosumer
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,15
    10 to 15 Megapixels
    15,
    > 15 Megapixels
    19.00
  • Nikon D5100
    Nikon D5100
    $589.95
     2

    Nikon D5100

    The D5100 is the latest entry-level DSLR from Nikon, with full 1080/30p video, an articulated LCD, and the same image sensor as the D7000. It lacks an internal focus motor, but we found it produced some of the most accurate colors we've seen yet. Read full 7-part review

    $589.95
    Read full 7-part review
    Types
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,15
    10 to 15 Megapixels
    15,
    > 15 Megapixels
    16.2
  • Canon EOS 7D
    Canon EOS 7D
    $1,239.95
     3

    Canon EOS 7D

    The 18-megapixel Canon 7D delivers high resolution stills and full HD video in a well-built camera designed for serious photographers without the desire (or budget) for a full-frame model. Read full 7-part review

    $1,239.95
    Read full 7-part review
    Types
    Prosumer
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,15
    10 to 15 Megapixels
    15,
    > 15 Megapixels
    19.00
  • Nikon D7000
    Nikon D7000
    $1,199.00
     4

    Nikon D7000

    The Nikon D7000 is a powerhouse camera at an excellent price. It offers a huge range of features that will make shooting quicker and easier for the experienced shooter, with lots of customizable options and quick control access. Read full 7-part review

    $1,199.00
    Read full 7-part review
    Types
    Prosumer
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,15
    10 to 15 Megapixels
    15,
    > 15 Megapixels
    16.9
  • Sony Alpha SLT-A55V
    Sony Alpha SLT-A55V
    $569.99
     5

    Sony Alpha SLT-A55V

    The SLT-A55 is a well performing SLR, with a wide ISO range, good color and relatively low noise. . Read full 7-part review

    $569.99
    Read full 7-part review
    Types
    Consumer
    Any Megapixels
    0,8
    < 8 Megapixels
    8,10
    8 to 10 Megapixels
    10,15
    10 to 15 Megapixels
    15,
    > 15 Megapixels
    17

Features

Jump to a part

Shop for the Olympus EVOLT E-330

Advertisement
Olympus EVOLT E-330
Digital Camera Review
0 Comments
(add your own)

Previous: Page 3

Components

Previous: Page 5

Modes