Reviews

Olympus E3

• Review
• Test Report
• Pricing
• User Reviews

• Pricing:Very Expensive: $2650 (6/10/2008)
• Performance:Superior: 96
• Features:Very Good: 83
• Design:Superior: 94

Pricing Very Expensive: $2650

Very Expensive: $2650

Price Without Lens - $1700

Performance Superior: 96

Superior: 96

Battery
Battery Life Score	Superior
Number of Batteries	1
Number of Shots	500
Battery Life	273.5

Image Quality Tests (Max. points = 100)
Image Quality Score	Superior
Image Quality, Color	60.4
Image Quality, Color--Auto	56.9
Image Quality, Color--Adjusted	64
Image Quality, Exposure	57.2
Image Quality, Exposure--Flash	62.1
Image Quality, Exposure--Normal	55.1
Image Quality, Sharpness	48.8
Image Quality, Distortion	65.1
Image Quality, Distortion--Noise	70.9
Image Quality, Distortion--Noise Reduction	72.3
Image Quality, Distortion--Sharp Interpolation	58.9
Image Quality, Overall	59.2

Features Very Good: 83

Very Good: 83

Imaging
Max. Megapixels	10.1
Maximum Resolution	3648 by 2736
Optical Zoom	5X
Zoom Range Min. (mm)	24
Zoom Range Max. (mm)	120
Highest Shutter Speed	8000
Lowest Shutter Speed	60
Wide-Angle Aperture Maximum	2.8
Telephoto Aperture Maximum	4
Manual Focus	Yes
Interchangeable Lens	Yes
Lens Model	Olympus Zuiko 12-60mm f/2.8-4.0 Digital ED SWD

Hardware
LCD Screen Size (inches)	2.5
Dimensions	5.6 by 4.58 by 2.9
Weight (ounces)	52.6
Viewfinder	Optical
Image Stabilization	Hardware
Media Slots	CompactFlash, xD-Picture Card
Starter Media or Internal RAM	No
Battery Type	Rechargeable lithium ion
Charging Dock	No
Remote Control	Optional
Flash Shoe	Yes

Controls
Scene Modes	0
Aperture Priority	Yes
Shutter Priority	Yes
Full Manual Exposure Control	Yes
White-Balance Calibration	Yes
White-Balance Bracketing	Yes
Exposure Bracketing	Yes
ISO Range	ISO 100 to ISO 3200
Flash Slow Sync	Yes

File & Printing Formats
Digital Print Order Format (DPOF)	Yes
PictBridge	Yes
File Formats	JPEG, RAW

Other
Included Hardware	Li-ion battery BLM-1, Li-ion battery charger BCM-2, USB cable, Video cable, Shoulder strap
Included Software	Olympus Master

Warranty & Support
Labor Warranty (years)	One
Parts Warranty (years)	One
Weekday Support Hours	13
Saturday Support Hours	0
Sunday Support Hours	0
Toll-Free Support	Yes

Reliability & Service
Summary of results for all of brand's products in this category	Reliability and support are average, but Olympus cameras aren't easy enough to use, readers report. Olympus got dinged for poor usability in our last R&S survey, too.

Reliability of brand's products in this category
Reports of product arriving with problems	Average
Reports of products with any significant problems	Average
Reports of problems that render a product unusable	Average
Buyers' rating of product's	Worse than Average
Overall satisfaction with reliability of brand's products in category	Average

Service & Support Quality
Overall quality of vendor's phone support	Average
Reports of problems unresolved after contacting service	Average
Overall quality of service	Average

Design Superior: 94

Superior: 94

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