Olympus E30 12.3MP Digital SLR with Image Stabilization (Body Only)

by Olympus

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 5.5 x 6 inches ; 3.8 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: B001K3JPRA
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: E30 Body
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,625 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: November 5, 2008

Product Description

Manufacturer's Description

Manufacturer's Description

Through the centuries, legendary artists have expressed their individuality by relying on active imaginations and keen eyes to produce artistic masterpieces that alter reality to reveal a profound truth or feeling. The Olympus E-30 digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera is a powerful tool that takes the art of photography to new creative heights by offering the artistic freedom to capture what you see in your mind’s eye, not just what you see through the camera lens.

Like a brush stroking color across a blank white canvas, the E-30 delivers instant artistic gratification. Its ease of use and power to transform the everyday into something artistic will appeal to painters, graphic designers, illustrators and Web designers, those with an eye for fashion and artists from all walks of life, not just photographers. New Art Filters and Multiple Exposure change how we create images, unleashing a digital imaging experience unlike any other that produces striking works of art inside the camera without the need for costly computer image editing software.

Beyond the new Art Filters and Multiple Exposure function, the E-30 delivers the same high-precision performance and imaging quality demanded by professional photographers who use the E-3, as well as the consumer-friendly features found on the E-520, and several new surprises all its own. As with all Olympus DSLRs, the new camera provides advanced Dust Reduction and in-body mechanical Image Stabilization so that every Four Thirds lens is stabilized. The new camera also offers TruePic III+ Image Processor and Full Time Autofocus Live View. These features are coupled with a new 12.3-megapixel high-speed Live MOS image sensor to capture breathtaking images

Olympus E-30 Digital SLR Highlights

Express Your Inner Artist with 6 Art Filters
Six new Art Filters allow users more ways to express their inner artist, creating a unique and new view of your subject. Couple these with the other creative functions, such as Multiple Exposure Live View, and take your creative expression to the next level. Select from Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Color, Light Tone, Grainy Film, or Pin Hole Camera. Select an Art Filter and take pictures with Live View to see your results right on the LCD. This technology conveniently helps photographers transform a basic image that faithfully represents the scene into an image that carries emotional impact.

• Pop Art: Enhances colors, making them more saturated and vivid, creating high-impact pictures that express the joyful, lighthearted feeling of the Pop Art style of the 1960s.
• Soft Focus: Creates an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere that renders subjects in a heavenly light without obscuring details.
• Pale & Light Color: Encloses the foreground of an image in flat gentle light and pastel colors reminiscent of a flashback scene in a movie.
• Light Tone: Renders shade and highlight areas softly to lend an elegant air to the subject.
• Grainy Film: Evokes the feeling of documentary footage shot in monochrome with grainy, high-contrast film.
• Pin Hole: Reduces the peripheral brightness of an image as though it were shot through a pin hole, connecting the viewer intimately with the subject at the center of the picture.

Art Filters are easily activated via the mode dial on the left side of the camera body, and the effects are viewable right on the new camera’s 100 percent accurate swivel 2.7-inch Live View HyperCrystal LCD when using the E-30 in Live View mode or when reviewing the captured image.

Evolving Live View: Autofocus Live View with Face Detection and Shadow Adjustment Technology
Autofocus Live View with Face Detection (up to 8 faces) and Shadow Adjustment Technology; to expand the creative shooting possibilities with your DSLR. This is the most advanced Live View to date with imager AF and advanced functions to free the user and give them power to express themselves in new ways. It’s even easier to capture the shot with the 2.7-inch swivel LCD, providing 270 degrees of movement. Also, fine-tune your AF default position of the lens with AF Adjust Control. You can use the AF sensor to fine-adjust the focusing position to a range of +/-20 steps (-: closer, +: toward). Fine-adjust the AF default value and register the setting. You can also register the setting according to the lens.

Swivel Live View LCD: Freedom to Move You Unlike others with fixed LCDs, the new camera’s 100 percent accurate 270 degree swivel 2.7-inch Live View HyperCrystal LCD can be rotated freely so photographers can compose at tough angles, including overhead and down low, without feeling like a contortionist. Because Live View enables an E-30 photographer to communicate face-to-face with subjects and still have everything in the frame with the camera body out of the way, an encouraging smile or wink of the eye can be used with a shy or nervous subject to get the desired results.

During composition, settings like white balance and exposure can be selected, and their impact is seen instantly on the LCD, thanks to Live View. Real-time monitoring offers amazing versatility and creative control. The LCD displays 230,000 pixels in vivid color and includes HyperCrystal technology, which offers many times the contrast of conventional LCD monitors for easier viewing in both preview and playback. It also provides a wide viewing angle of 176 degrees, which ensures images can be composed from even the most obscure angles. The 2.7-inch LCD makes viewing icons and text on the camera’s menu a squint-free process.

Olympus In-body Image Stabilization
In-body Image Stabilization allows any lens to produce images free from the blur of camera shake and in low-light situations - from the 8mm Fisheye to the 300mm focal length. No need to spend money on expensive image stabilized lenses; it works with all FourThirds Lenses.

Multi-Aspect Ratio Shooting
Since photography is a form of expression that is essentially based on clipping a scene, framing is an important component of style. The E-30 provides nine aspect ratios including the standard 4:3, as well as 16:9 for impressive, cinematic-style images, and 6:6, which is available with medium format cameras, plus 3:2, 5:4, 7:6, 6:5, 7:5 and 3:4. By selecting the aspect ratio before shooting and easily reviewing images on the LCD throughout the shoot, the Multi-Aspect function adds a new means of expression to your photography.

Digital Leveler: The Three-Axis Sensor Detects the Slightest Tilt of the Camera Body
The E-30’s Digital Leveler indicates the alignment of the camera related to the horizon, either on the rear LCD screen or in the viewfinder. The direction of the camera body identifies the tilt in both Roll and Pitch. The tilt of camera (roll and pitch) is displayed in the finder, on the control panel and on the LCD. The indication in the finder and on the control panel will change into the level gauge one second after pressing the shutter button (exposure indication is displayed before pressing shutter button). The starting point can be adjusted (zero degree point), and the tilt can be adjusted even when there is not a horizontal or vertical line on the screen.

On the Fast-Track, with 11 Point Twin Cross Sensor and SWD Lenses
The World's Fastest AF system is part of the E-30, matched only by the E-3. 11 Point Twin Cross AF and SWD Lenses combine to provide the World’s Fastest AF. Matched to a quick 5 frame per second burst rate, and top shutter speed of 1/8000 seconds you can capture all your photos.

12.3-megapixel Live MOS Imager
A newly developed high-specification Live MOS sensor with 12.3 million effective pixels is featured. Provides high resolution to faithfully reproduce subject details, with rich tones and natural, vibrant colors to satisfy the users’ aesthetic demands. Reading speed has been increased to support 5 fps shooting.

Proven Dust Reduction System
An industry first and proven technology. The SSWF vibrates at a rate of more than 30,000 times per second at power-on. Change lenses in dusty conditions or anywhere without worrying about ruined photos.

TruePic III+ Image Processing
Maximizes the performance of the lenses and the 12.3-megapixel Live MOS sensor. Three image-processing technologies deliver even more faithful imaging, with a richer range of tonal expression and more natural color reproduction, especially for large-format prints.

Program Camera Control (Landscape, Sport Action/Sport, Night Scene Portrait, Macro)
The Program Landscape mode sets the camera to maximize the depth of field, while Sports or Action gives you faster shutter speeds to stop action. Macro is designed for close-up photography where greater depth is a must, and Night Scene Portrait-mode adjusts the camera shooting a portrait, allowing the background to come through for a pleasing image.

5 Metering Modes (Matrix, Center Weight, Spot, Spot+Highlight, Spot+Shadow)
Five ways to measure subject brightness: The advanced 49-area Matrix ESP meter, , Center weighted averaging metering, and 3 types of spot metering. 2% Spot Meter, Spot Meter with Highlight bias for shooting a white subject with detail, and Spot Meter with Shadow to capture black color with detail.

Wireless Flash
With the RC Data Transfer no external commander is required thanks to the commander function incorporated into the built-in flash of the E-30. You can control remotely up to 3 groups (A/B/C) of flash arrays with different flash modes and other settings, giving you more lighting options. The E-30 makes using multiple remote flashes easy and lets you control them right from the camera.

Dual Card Slot
UDMA-Type I, Type II, MicroDrive and xD Media Card

Shutter MTF
The E-30 Shutter life is 100,000 exposures, making it one of the best in its class.

1/8000 sec 30 sec + 1/250 X-Sync
The 1/8000 sec high-speed shutter enables instant shooting, while X = 1/250 sec is ideal for daylight synchro photography. Thanks to this high-speed shutter, shooting at maximum aperture is possible under a wide-range of conditions, enabling the superior imaging power of Zuiko Digital lenses to be enjoyed to the fullest. What’s more, the high-speed, high-precision mechanical shutter has cleared a 150,000 continuous shot durability test.

PC Flash Sync
Designed so you can use Studio flashes via in-body ISO standard PC sync.

11 Scene Select Modes
11 easy-to-use scene select modes are preset shooting modes that optimize the camera’s settings to ensure great shots. c
Pixel Mapping
The pixel-mapping feature allows the camera to check and adjust the image pickup device and image processing functions.

Additional New Features of the E-30 Include:

• AF Focus Adjustment: use the AF sensor (when set to [Hybrid AF] or [AF Sensor]) to fine-adjust the focusing position to a range of ±20 steps
• Lens Data Set: fine-adjust the AF for each lens. You can register the adjustment values for up to 20 lenses.
• Focus Target Selection
• AE Fine Adjustment
• Smooth Live View (Frame Rate): change the frame rate of the Live View display
• Customizing of information display: change what appears when you select the "INFO" button
• Customized Battery Check Level: for use with the HLD-4 Battery Grip
• 34 languages

What's in the Box
E-30 Body, USB Cable, Video Cable, Li-Ion Battery Pack (BLM-1), Li-Ion Battery Charger (BCM-2), Shoulder Strap, OLYMPUS Master 2 Software CD-ROM, Manuals and Registration card

Product Description

The Olympus E-30 is the newest addition to the interchangeable-lens digital SLRs (single lens reflex) within the Olympus E-System lineup. This new 12.3-megapixel, FourThirds-compliant camera reinforces the company's commitment to the standard. Positioned as a mid-level model, this new digital SLR camera is intended for anyone who wants to express their creativity through photography, whether they are just starting out or are a professional with years of experience behind them. The E-30 is a camera that has the speed of the E-3 and the freedom to express oneself with a variety of new creative features, from Art Filters that will let you control the way the image looks from a grainy black and white film to exaggerated colors. From the ability to shoot traditional multiple exposures in Live View for a wedding photographer, to the untraditional multiple exposure of the artistic, the E-30 is the camera for the creative shooter who wants to think differently and shoot in new ways.

See all Product Description

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Initial thoughts after a week with the E-30, February 7, 2009

By 

Jill Rains (Columbus, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olympus E30 12.3MP Digital SLR with Image Stabilization (Body Only) (Electronics)

After owning an Olympus E-510 for 8 months I had been looking forward to an upgrade to the E-3. When Olympus announced the new E-30 in November the upgrade waters became a little muddied. I poured over the differences between the E-3 and the E-30 and then waited for some of the initial Olympus reviews to come out. I further waited to hear from the more well known internet Olympus users and bloggers to see what they had to say. After all, they were used to shooting Olympus and had done so with most of the models currently out. Once I knew that the E-30 performed similarly to the E-3 I knew now that I had to pick one over the other. But which one?

Basically, any camera purchase will be based on a personal style and liking and not everyone chooses the same system or the same camera within a system. Gotta love diversity!

What I knew about Olympus that I already liked were the Zuiko lenses, the in body image stabilization, the smaller, lighter (but not cheap feeling) bodies, the image quality, the live view, the intuitive design of the menu system, their dust reduction capabilities, and their built-from-the-ground-up digital system.

I chose the E-30 over the E-3 because of two main reasons:

One was the fact that the E-30 contained much of the innovation and performance of the E-3, but with newer technology. In the digital world, I felt that was a plus.

The second was the actual weight difference. While I think the weather sealed body of the E-3 is great for someone who actually will need it, I couldn't see myself shooting in the rain. Since I have a bit of arthritis in my hands and wrists already, the lighter body of the E-30 was a better fit for me.

My thoughts on the overall performance of the E-30 is that it performs just as I had hoped it would. It's fast and responsive.

The 11 point auto focus points were a nice jump from the 3 points with my E-510 and after figuring out how to change from one to the other, it became pretty easy to handle.

The larger 2.7 in screen was nice, not to mention the fact that it can tilt and swivel. I sort of missed the tilt and swivel option from when I owned a Canon S5 IS.

I noticed a difference in the dynamic range too. I wasn't blowing out highlights as easily as I did with the E-510. Less "blikies" are always a good thing!

The image quality doesn't disappoint and the 12.3mp allows for larger prints.

I haven't used the art filters yet, but I'm sure it'll be just one more thing that I can play around with. It definitely doesn't distract or degrade the high quality you get with this camera!

If you want to upgrade from the E-4XX or E-5XX models this camera will not disappoint. If you are looking at this as a new DSLR purchase it will be a great camera for you as well.

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous except for high-ISO, May 12, 2009

By 

Jeremy (Madison, AL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Olympus E30 12.3MP Digital SLR with Image Stabilization (Body Only) (Electronics)

I expect for many people this will under consideration as an upgrade for their E-4x0/5x0.

To put this review in perspective, I really like my E-510, I think it is an excellent compromise, especially on price, and I have shot very enjoyable pictures with it.

The reviews you should read are by Wrotniak and dpreview (google those).

In summary, the E30 is bigger and chunkier than the E-510. I have found that I prefer shooting with a larger camera, but prefer carrying the smaller camera. No surprise there. The bigger body is easier to hold, fits great in my average sized hands, has slightly more room for buttons, even with the excellent LCD display on top. The color LCD on the back is noticeably better than the E-510 - although I have not yet felt a need to use its fold out mode. The level gauge is a fine idea, but it is awkward to get to through the menu system unless you use the "Fn" button for that purpose (and then you can't use the Fn for anything else).

Many people will be trying to choose between the new E620 and this E30. The E620 is a smaller form factor even than the E-510, it is more sized like an E-410, and shares batteries with the smaller camera. Since I now have the E-510 to haul on long hikes (and it still shoots excellent pictures), I decided to go with the E30 as something really different, a bulkier photographer's tool with a big viewfinder, rather than the more compact and portable E620.

I print out lots of 8x10s and the occasional 16x20. My old 10mp E-510 has plenty of resolution for this, so the bigger sensor on the E30 is not really necessary. The E30 has slightly better noise performance, but it is much less improved than you might expect and I would not buy on this basis. The sensor also has slightly more dynamic range, but, again, the difference is not great. Overall, this camera shoots lovely pictures, raw or jpg, that are somewhat better than the E-510.

Of the controversial "Art Filters", I use Pop Art sometimes, as it turns mundane subjects into bright (but unrealistic) colorful splashy shots that cuts through mist. You can achieve almost the same effect by under-exposing by 1 stop, and turning up saturation and brightness by 100% in your post-processing. The otherwise-good Pin Hole effect is worthless for print, unfortunately, because by the time you crop to print, the pin holing will be offset. Pinholing is not hard to do in post-processing, after you have cropped your image. There are other effects too, none of them difficult to duplicate in PP, and therefore for people who don't PP. PRO-TIP: for this money, Photoshop is a better upgrade over your E-510 than the E30 is. Before you upgrade, at least TRY post-processing, with GIMP or Picasa.

As always with a DSLR, you are buying a system. If you currently have an E-510 with just the kit lenses, get another lens or two first. Look at the 14-54 or 12-60 zooms, the 50 prime, the 9-18 or 11-22, the Sigma 30 and 105 primes, the 70-300 or the 50-200. Oly glass is really good, and so are those Sigma's.

If you frequently shoot at high ISO (say, for indoor sports), you can do alot better than the E-510 or even this E30. On the forums, many high ISO shooters end up drifting to Canon or Nikon. I would recommend you take a look at noise software such as Noise Ninja. However, many people come back to Oly for its compactness or "Oly color" or for the glass. Before buying into Canikon, check out the price of Image Stabilization lenses - many of their lenses do not have it, and it can get expensive.

So we come to price. I've watched the price of this item since its release - at its original price point, it did not seem to have enough extra performance over my E-510 to justify the price, especially when compared to the Nikon and Canon bodies in that "enthusiast" market segment. It is now at a more realistic price point, and is fully competitive against the equivalent Canons and Nikons, whereas at the original price it struggled. If I moved system, it would be to a full-frame, not an APS-C sensor, at a price where Oly has no bodies at all. Note that if APS-C users upgrade, they would have to replace most of their lenses anyway (because of the smaller light circle of "digital" lenses).

Still, the E30 remains far from cheap, and one's expectations will be fairly high. I love this camera, I'm glad I bought it, I'm very glad I waited until the price moderated, and I docked a Star because of the noise performance.

30 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Welcome Addition to the E-System Lineup, January 28, 2009

By 

MEDISIN (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Olympus E30 12.3MP Digital SLR with Image Stabilization (Body Only) (Electronics)

As an early adopter of the E-500 and it's quality kit lenses, I've had my eye on the flagship, tank-like E-3 as my next Oly body. Then the announcement in November that Olympus was set to introduce a mid-range camera that built on many of the successes from both the E-5X0 and the E-3. Having mulled over the decision for two months, reading every review, watching every video and scrutenizing the owners manual I pulled the trigger on the E-30 with the 14-42mm "standard grade" kit lens. Tough decision to make with the E-3 body's selling for the same price as the E-30! What ultimately convinced me was the E-30 offered everything I loved about the E-3 in a slightly smaller package.

First impressions:
Feels great in hand! Good weight distribution, nice balance. Bright beautiful, viewfinder - huge improvement over the E-4X0 and E-5X0 models. LCD has excellent contrast and renders colors accurately. Back lit top panel display is easy to read. Faster focus in hybrid live view than I expected. Shutter is a bit metallic but not intrusive.

Pros:
Live view for checking focus in macro and composing cityscape's at night.
Articulating screen for getting shots on or near the ground.
SSWF "battle-tested" dust removal system.
Image stabilized body that works with all FourThirds lenses.
Built-in leveler that detects pitch and roll to help snap straighter shots.

Cons:
xD card slot is a waste of space and should be replaced with SDHC.
I could do without the "creative filters". Some may find them interesting.
The 14-42 kit lens included is nothing to write home about. Feels a bit toyish but responds well on the E-30 and is very lightweight.

My early impressions aside, everybody has different needs for a camera/system, the E-30 feels right at home with how I shoot. Let your style/needs dictate the tools you use.

Availability is still patchy as of late January 2009. Mine shipped from Adorama (helpful, fast) and there are several "package deals" from other Amazon vendors which offer the venerable Olympus Zuiko 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 Digital ED SWD Lens for Olympus Digital SLR Cameras and Olympus FL-50R Electronic Flash for Olympus Digital SLR Cameras along with the E-30 body.

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