Review: Olympus E-1 Digital SLR Camera
Jan. 8 -- Prosumer SLRs (Single Lens Reflex cameras) are so hot that retailers have difficulty keeping them on the shelves.
High-performance, high-megapixel digital cameras with through-the-lens viewfinders and interchangeable lenses like the Canon EOS Digital Rebel ($900 street), Canon EOS 10D ($1,500), Nikon D100 ($1,500), Pentax *ist D ($1,599 list), and Sigma SD9 ($1,050 street) are some of the most recent retail blockbusters. All these cameras have modified film-based SLR bodies, though.
The Olympus E-1 ($1,800 street) is the first SLR designed and built from the ground up as an all-digital device — an important edge that propels this model to the top of its class, even making it competitive with professional SLRs costing upwards of $4,000.
This is also the first camera to incorporate Kodak's vaunted 5-megapixel Four Thirds (4/3) CCD. Because the chip has a 4:3 aspect ratio rather than the more prevalent 3:2, captured images require less cropping to produce common enlargements such as 8-by-10 and 11-by-14.
As with most pro SLRs (but not prosumer or point-and-shoot cameras), the CCD technology is Full Frame Transfer (FFT) rather than Interline. FFT's significantly deeper pixel wells increase the dynamic range, reduce blooming, produce better color (captured at 14 bits in the E-1), and improve sharpness. Olympus added two image-quality refinements: noise filter technology that works at any speed, not just for long exposures, and what the company calls a Supersonic Wave Filter, a unique ultrasonic cleaner that shakes dust from the image sensor.
Nice Body
The magnesium alloy body is beautifully finished, with rubber seals at all mechanical interfaces to protect against splashing (although not against full immersion).
Ergonomically, Olympus got almost everything right. With a molded battery grip wrapped in antislip material that also covers part of the back, you get a comfortable, sure grasp and nice balance for easy one-handed shooting.
Both the illuminated control panel on top of the camera and the eye-level through-the-lens viewfinder display all the important settings. Well-marked, strategically placed analog controls give access to most features, and you can customize the functions of the main dial and sub-dial, which let you adjust settings like shutter speed and aperture.
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