Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I began looking at DSLRs when it became time to step up from an old Nikon Coolpix. I have owned Olympus 35mm SLRs in the past and was comfortable with the brand and I read some good reviews of them. The Olympus cameras seemed to offer good value for the dollar, especially the 2-lens kits. The thing that sold me on the E-330 was the live view with tilting LCD screen. I often want to take low angle shots and my knees don't care much for bending and stooping anymore, so the ability to flip out the view screen and use it to frame the shot rather than the viewfinder was of major interest to me. It works every bit as well as I'd hoped it would.

As for picture quality, I use the camera mainly to illustrate articles for a regional motorcycle magazine and the E-330 provides everything I need. The camera handles well and I don't feel I lack for anything, with the possible exception of ISOs beyond 1600 (I don't like using flash). That being said, I have used the camera for interior shots at ISO 1600 with good results. The photos look very similar to pictures taken with ISO 1600 film, and I can certainly live with that.

Olympus has since come out with their pro model E-3, which also has live view and a tilt screen, and I'm sure it's a much more advanced camera. But the E-330 does what I need at less than half the price of the E-3. I'm satisfied with the E-330 and consider it a very wise purchase.

purchased a couple years ago. Love the active screen with SLR. I purchased the kit with 2 lenses. I'm a point and shoot kinda photographer so this was my first SLR. Light levels appear to be darker than friends Nikkon with standard lense. Also need to upgrade lens to be able to blur out backgrounds. I'm more into portability so use my pocket camera most of the time.

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 I got this camera Olympus E330 about a month ago and i love it. The tilting screen on the back is very hady for hard to get shots. I bought from Cameta Camera. It was shipped fast and packed great. I would highly recomemend this camera for your main camera or a back up.

The E 330 is an outstanding camera. If it only had the possibility of cable remote control, it should have been almost perfect

Olympus E-330 is an excellent camera. Camera itself has no problem/issues for normal users. It provides that Olympus quality and feature that no user should be shamed of. At its price point there simple is no competitor.

Having praised it and acknowledging that it is a well made camera, there are issues for people with more budget than $600.oo. I purchased the camera 3 weeks ago. I have been enjoying the camera but I got lens envy real fast.

Kit lens cover the range very well. And for most of us, it should suffice. But lack of choice of lens makes Olympus owner get lens envy real fast. It is a disease where you know you don't have the money for but keeps on envying that $1000 lens that Canon and Nikon, even Pentax users have choice of. It's a very serious disease. I have been having stomachache from it. Envy.. It kills...

First lens you envy is the 50mm f/1.8 lens which can be had for about $100 with Canon and Nikon. They become 75/80mm equivalent of 35mm but their fast f/1.8 and superb optics at such low cost makes you drool.

Second lens you drool over is the 50mm equivalent. They will be like 28mm-35mm lenses which is about 50mm equivalent on digital camera. They can be had for about $350.

Everything else is very expensive so if you can get over above two Envies. E-330 will be sufficient. But I am having aches all over my envy is killing me now. I order e-bay OM mount adapter to use manual focus OM 50mm f/1.8 lens. But it just isn't same as being able to use AF and full metering.

I thought $600 was all I had but I realize I can come up with $100 for nice 50mm f/1.8 and $350 for 28/35mm lens as prime standard lens. I really miss it. Really really miss it that my stomach is churning.

In fact, Olympus camera has option of using Zuiko 50mm f/2.0 lens for $430.oo and Sigma 24mm f/1.8 but Zuiko is too expensive and Sigma's image isn't on par for prime lens.

I suggest you dig up your pocket real hard. Look under the couch if you have to and get Nikon or Canon. But then you may have iron stomach. My hatred toward Canon Rebel and Love toward OM camera got me here. It will take a decade for Olympus and rest of Four-Third group to make a decent line-up of lenses, if they survive.