Olympus E-330
Fresh Thinking

In some ways I really have to hand it to Olympus. Perhaps more then any other camera manufacturer out there, the engineers behind one of photography’s oldest brands is at least thinking out of the box and attempting to introduce new innovations in photographic technology. They may not always be successful at what they are trying to do, but sometimes it really is the thought that not only counts, but leads to more permanent changes among other manufacturers who quickly follow suit.

The newly released Olympus E-330 is a perfect example of what I am attempting to address. The E-330 is unique amongst its D-SLR brethren in that it can deliver a live image preview on its rear LCD screen similar to what you find in all-in-one point and shoot models. Typically this is difficult to achieve because of the mirror and shutter mechanism present in the camera body. The mirror is in the light path in view mode to provide an image to the viewfinder meaning that no image can be projected onto the main sensor.

Alternatively, the E-330 achieves live view in one of two ways; in A Mode the mirror stays in place and you can continue to use the viewfinder, the live view image is produced using a small secondary CCD sensor in the viewfinder chamber. In B Mode the mirror flips up, the shutter opens and the live view is provided by the E-330's unique 'Live MOS' sensor.

Before taking the E-330 out for a test spin I really had to ask myself if a live LCD preview on a D-SLR was really a feature I needed, or even wanted. Upgrading to a D-SLR from a point and shoot digital camera several years ago I never found myself missing the live preview ability. In fact in most ways I actually welcomed its absence, must preferring to ‘see’ the image I was about to create with my naked optical eye through the viewfinder.

But more importantly the question I must ask is whether or not the system actually works and to that I must respond by simply saying more or less. The live LCD preview is a bit grainy for my personal tastes and though I did find it useful for macro shooting I more often then not just switched back to the more traditional optical viewfinder to get a clearer image. Unfortunately the E-330 suffers a little in this area as well with a darker then average viewfinder making any sort of low light photography in either viewing mode a chore. Back to the plus side however, the LCD does swing out of the camera body making the E-330 usable for overhead shooting – a first for a D-SLR.

As I mentioned before, I really do admire Olympus for taking the lead and attempting to bring new innovation to an often stale market. Unfortunately in this case it’s an innovation that very few professional photographers really need. If a live preview option on a D-SLR is something you’ve been craving then by all means give the E-330 a try and you may just be pleasantly surprised. My advice however - if you are looking to purchase an Olympus D-SLR, go with the more traditional (and less expensive) Olympus E-500 which is truly and excellent camera in its class.