Olympus Evolt E330 7.5MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 & 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lenses

by Olympus

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 13.7 x 7.1 x 6.5 inches ; 4 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000KKROA4
• Item model number: 262057
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #23,547 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: June 17, 2003

Product Description

From the manufacturer

The Evolt E-330 is the world's first digital SLR to offer "Live" viewing through the Color LCD, making it easier to compose and capture the perfect shot. This big 2.5" LCD also features HyperCrystal technology and is designed with advanced swivel capability so you can capture one dramatic result after another from up top, down low, and everywhere in-between. With innovations like these--combined with world-class optics and our patented Dust Reduction System--the E-330 lets you shoot like no other digital interchangeable lens SLR before.

Designed with a Professional Touch

Live View LCD

In addition to a traditional optical through-the-lens viewfinder, the Evolt E-330 boasts the world's first Live View LCD on an interchangeable lens SLR so you can frame and shoot pictures with ease and comfort.

29 Shooting Modes

Choose from 20 user-friendly pre-set shooting modes--including depth-defying underwater modes, a new Nature Macro mode and Panorama mode for stitching multiple images together--or assume more control with creative options including Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and Manual.

Multi-Angle HyperCrystal 2.5-Inch LCD.

A moveable Multi-Angle LCD lets you shoot over a crowd or dip down low for dramatic results that can easily be viewed on this big 2.5-inch screen--even in sunlight and up to a 160-degree angle.

Dual Media Support

Multiple slots support CompactFlash Type I and II, MicroDrives, or xD-Picture Cards so you can decide the storage media that's most convenient for you.

Technology

Spotless Pictures

Dust and other micro particles won't be an issue with the patented Olympus Dust Reduction System, featuring the SuperSonic Wave Filter that vibrates 35,000 times per second whenever the E-330 is powered up or can be initiated manually to remove any debris settled on the image sensor.

Digital-Specific Zuiko Lenses

The Evolt E-330 is compatible with the largest selection of lenses designed especially for digital photography--from fisheye to wide-angle and telephoto lenses--for dynamic images that are brighter, more colorful and super sharp.

Live MOS 7.5-Megapixel Imager

This advanced 7.5-megapixel imager turns every photo into a dynamic one with edge-to-edge detail, accurate color and less noise.

Fast and Smooth with TruePic TURBO

The exclusive TruePic TURBO Image Processor delivers the speed to capture shots at a moment's notice while also doubling as a resource that micro-smoothes individual pixels for finer, brighter results.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice camera with many options., March 28, 2007

By 

Louis Hall "I'm into Movies and Computers" (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olympus Evolt E330 7.5MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 & 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lenses (Electronics)

I really like the Olympus Evolt 330 but this is in my opinion a complex camera to use and is not for the person who wants a quick turn on and takes great pictures camera. This is my second Digital SLR (DSLR) and my first took maybe a day or two to get up and running and producing great shots. This camera takes work but let me clarify that I haven't fully went through the manual yet. The manual is good and it is definitely written by someone who has intimate knowledge of the camera but no too well in exploring the options of your choices you can make. Using the information from my other camera that I have learned helps me in obtaining a command of this one. In the day light it does a great job with very little configuration and takes continuous shots fast. It's rated at 3.0 fps but even with the anti-shake you get no noticeable lag in picture taking. I enjoy the 'Full-time live view' so you can take your picture without using the viewfinder but by using the 2.5" TFT LCD monitor and get the feel of what the shot will look like. The LCD Flips out and can be angled up and down to help get that shot by lifting the camera over the crowd in front of you or capture the kids or the cat at their level.

Another reason to get this camera is the pre-programmed scene options it contains. One interest I have is taking panorama shots and was one of the primary reasons to purchase this camera. Panorama is one of its modes and the camera even explains each mode to make it easier for you to choose which is appropriate for your situation. You will also like the fact that when you turn the camera off it will save its setting exactly as you have them.

All-in-all this is a great camera to get but only after you familiarize yourself with another that is a little easier to work with.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent digital SLR, May 6, 2007

By 

Sourabh Banerjee "bluelaser" (New York, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olympus Evolt E330 7.5MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 & 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lenses (Electronics)

I bought a kit including the 2 lenses above and a few more goodies-

Olympus Evolt E330 7.5MP Digital SLR Camera + Olympus 14-45mm Zuiko Lens + Olympus 40-150mm Zuiko Lens + Transcend 2GB 120X CompactFlash Card + Spare Replacement Battery for Olympus BLM-1 + Cameta Incognito 1000 Deluxe SLR Gadget Bag.

The 40-150mm lens is especially suited to take great portrait pics and as a higher zoom lens compared to the 14-45mm.

The live view is the best/ most distinguishing feature from the rest of the pack for a person starting off on dSLR photography. It makes composing for shots very easy (if you have used any LCD based camera) even at difficult angles (eg- you don't need to kneel down to shoot flowers). The live view feature also makes the camera usable by other non-enthusiast family members and friends. The LCD isn't useful in direct sunlight, but quite usable in shade. It does attract fingerprints and noseprints though.

The camera isn't too heavy with the 14-45mm lens for lugging around.

I agree with other reviewers that the image quality is amazing. The colors are very natural. There are many options for setting colors as vivid, natural, muted, sepia etc. You have plenty of opportunities to manually adjust exp and shutter parameters. You can shoot in both RAW and Jpeg simultaneously (if you so desire). You also have many scene options if you just want to focus on composition, or in a hurry to get the shot, or want to give the non-enthusiast/ spouse the camera (see above).

I paired the camera with a Sunpak Super 383 external flash (inexpensive but very effective) for indoor shooting and am very happy with the results. I paid under $800 for the whole deal which is hard to beat.

The camera menu system- although offers all adjustments that an advanced amateur would need, is not very intuitive and one has to go through the learning curve. I only wish there were more Zuiko lenses compared to the selection that Canon or Nikon offer.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Olympus Evolt 330 - this is the one!, May 26, 2007

By 

M. P. Hamer (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Olympus Evolt E330 7.5MP Digital SLR Camera with 14-45mm f3.5/5.6 & 40-150mm f/3.5-4.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lenses (Electronics)

I have owned and loved Olympus film-SLR cameras since 1982, my favorite being the OM2. I have used digital cameras since 1997, but nothing before now came close to the experience of the OM2. From the first minute I used the Evolt 330 I knew that "this is the one". It is a beautiful camera in every respect, and the images it produces are spectacular. The "live view" feature (where the screen reproduces exactly what you see in the viewfinder - a new feature for a true SLR) is very useful. The camera is fast. It feels great to hold. And I love the sound of the SLR mechanism.

I can understand why other reviewers found that it takes a while to learn all the controls and menus. If you are not a former film-SLR user, you first need a bit of background in SLRs -- which the manual does not really supply. But the problems with the manual go way beyond this. Frankly, the manual is awful. It seems to have been translated from Japanese to English by a translator who was neither very good at translating nor had used the camera -- or indeed any camera. For example, on the subject of the 'Live View A/B button' the manual has the following to say: "Press the A/B button to display the menu. Turn the control dial to select, then press the OK button. When using A mode, as accurate metering may not be obtained, close the eyepiece shutter. During operation in A mode, settings will not be displayed in the viewfinder. When using B mode, if there is a high-intensity light source within the screen [I think he means 'scene'], the image may be displayed darker but will be recorded normally."

What all this really means is (I think): "'A' mode is the normal full SLR mode for this camera. If you are looking at the screen, rather than through the eyepiece, we recommend closing the eyepiece shutter in order to prevent light feeding through the eyepiece into the image path and affecting accurate metering. If you plan to use only the eyepiece, turn off the screen to have the settings displayed to the side of the image in the eyepiece. 'B' mode causes the camera to operate like a non-SLR camera. The eyepiece does not work in this mode and the display is not as reliable an indicator of how the image will be recorded as in 'A' mode. If you really want to play with 'B' mode, press the A/B button to display the A/B selection the menu. Select 'B' using the navigation buttons, then press OK. If you like 'B' mode then maybe you should have bought a cheaper camera."

I suggest you use the manual only as a rough guide, and then just play with the camera to figure out how each feature actually works. Or maybe you can track down the original Japanese manual and ask a Japanese-speaking friend to translate it for you.

Anyway, in summary, setting aside the quality of the manual, this is a really beautiful camera that I recommend unreservedly.