Olympus E30 12.3MP Digital SLR (Body Only) Review

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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Digital Camera Labels: Olympus E30 12.3MP Digital SLR with Image Stabilization (Body Only),Olympus,E30 Body