Olympus EVOLT E-330

Viewfinder
The EVOLT E-330's viewfinder seems about average in brightness and magnification for a small DSLR, which is remarkable, considering that 20 percent of the light from the mirror box is picked off for the live view display on the LCD. The view is easy to see, even with glasses.

The data shown in the viewfinder are: AF frame, shutter speed, aperture value, AF confirmation, flash, white balance, AE lock, number of exposures it's possible to store, exposure compensation value, metering mode, battery check, exposure mode and record mode.

LCD Screen
The 2.5-inch, 215,250 pixel LCD is bright and saturated. It gains new significance on the EVOLT E-330, because it serves as a viewfinder, and it really is a good display. The pivot feature bends at two joints, which allows it to face either up or down. The first joint is at the bottom, so the top tips out. Left that way, the LCD tilts down for overhead shots. To tilt it up, pull the bottom away from the back while the top is still tilted out. That leaves the LCD pulled away from the back, with a supporting piece extending from the joint at the top of the LCD to the joint at the bottom of the camera, in a “Z” shaped fold.

Flash
The EVOLT E-330 provides opportunities for flashes on either side of the lens axis. It's great that the pop-up flash and a shoe-mounted flash can be used at the same time, but unfortunately, neither flash is directly above the lens, which means that each will cast shadows to the opposite side of the subject. Flashes are usually centered over the lens to avoid this. The EVOLT E-330 has a good choice of flash mode options: auto, on, off, on with red-eye reduction, slow sync and slow with rear-curtain sync.

The pop-up flash doesn't pop up by itself – the user has to press a button to activate it. The materials we received about the EVOLT E-330 don't list the flash's power, but note that flash exposure compensation runs 2 stops above or below the metered value, in 1/2 or 1/3 stops. Conditions at PMA did not permit us to test the flash; read our full review for more information.

Lens
The EVOLT E-330 can be purchased with the Zukio Digital 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 for $1099 or the 18-180mm f/3.5-5.6 for $1499. The 14-45 is comparable to a 28-90mm on a 35mm camera, or the 18-55mm lenses sold with entry level DSLRs. Our first look reviews can't say much about lens sharpness and color correction, because at a trade show like PMA, we don't have the opportunity to test equipment in a controlled environment.

Like its competitors on other DSLRs, the 14-45 seems like a budget lens. The maximum aperture at the telephoto end is f/5.6 on most of these lenses – Canon, Nikon and Pentax have entries like that. Unfortunately, they're all too slow; f/5.6 isn't bright enough for indoor shots, and they pretty much demand higher ISOs in any lighting except bright sunlight.

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