The Olympus EVOLT E330, along with the Panasonic DMC-L1, provides a jolt to the Four Thirds DSLR format, announced in 2002 as a format optimized for digital photography. The Four Thirds cameras introduced before the E-330 and L1 didn't really differentiate themselves from more typical DSLRs through image quality or usability, but the E-330 and the L1 add live preview – a fundamentally new feature for DSLRs.
With 7.94 megapixels on a first-to-market “NMOS” imaging chip, automatic dust protection and a range of metering, exposure and control options, the EVOLT E-330 has a long list of unique or unusual features beyond its live preview function. At $1099 with a 14-45mm lens, the E-330 is poised to attract new DSLR users who are looking for a more capable camera than the other sub-$1000 offerings.
With identical imaging chips and very similar viewing systems, the E-330 and the L1 still manage to be different enough to be considered truly separate models: the L1 features a fast Leica zoom with optical image stabilization, while the EVOLT E-330 features a tilting LCD to capitalize on the live electronic preview. The E-330's other advantage: it's shipping, while the L1 is still in preproduction.
