Olympus E-30 in my hands

[tspore]

Olympus sent me the E-30 to play with today.
(A month earlier than I expected BTW)
I got it from the UPS man at 3:30, so since it starts getting dark at 4:00 I didn't have much time to take it out. I will try to spend some time with the E-30 tomorrow, and really at this early stage like alway no RAW developers support the E-30, but perhaps Studio, but I will try that later.

First impressions- (I have only taken like 10 pictures with it - So a lot more by Monday)
Overall build is better than I first assumed. The narrower pistol grip is not as comfortable as the E-3, but much better than the E-520. The viewfinder is good too, again not as good as the E-3, but MUCH BETTER than the E-520/E-420.

Live view Imager AF is lightning quick with the new 14-54mm II. (though I haven't tried any other lens yet)

the 11 point AF is extremely fast too just like the E-3.

The P/S/A/M dial on the upper left corner of the E-3 is much improved it on the E-3 is still the button I miss the most.


Here are a few body shots comparing lenses and the bodies -


More in post 2 of this thread.

[tspore]

It looks like the Acratech Body plates will fit the E-30. Also the HLD-4 will be nice. The on /off switch has changed but I think that its placement is an improvement over the E-3.

The 14-54mm II is about the same looking at the original model. So I will try to spend some time with that too this weekend. Version II does have the nice pinch cap as on all modern lenses (Big improvement in my opinion)
And the hood has be sized slightly bigger to be able to get to the cap easier.






The sample images -
First and foremost the thing I am most curious about is image quality, but I will play with that more in the next couple days.
Really the dynamic range

is very good from the camera, and the art filters are interesting.

DR- Shot towards the setting sun, still kept quite a few details



Pin hole



Popart (Not really for people shots)


Soft focus

Pale and light color

Light Tone

Grainy film (B&W)



Level and tilt is very cool - It is best in live view but let's you get square easy.


Able to square up, which I didn't quite do with out the level/tilt feature on.

Really I am getting more excited about this camera. Other than the obvious missing Weather sealing and 14bit Raw files (still on 12 bit) I think that this camera is looking to be a very good mid-tier camera.

I will try to regularly add images to the gallery -
http://43photo.smugmug.com/gallery/6...30976095_Zqoz5

[nyfalls]

Christmas came early for you.

[Swandy]

Tony,
I am getting more excited (and very jealous)!!!
Keep up the reporting,
Steve

[arsenal_hk]

cool

[clark666]

I would like to see the same kind of comparison images that you did for the E-520 Just a series of shots of some object at the various ISOs: 100 400 1600 3200 Then if you can, take the highest ISO, set the Exposure adjustment to minus Ev to try the highest, usable ISO. If that is too much trouble, I can wait for a review. I just wondered whether they are going to provide a usable high ISO.



I tried this with my E-520. I think that this is usable as a party picture? I set the ISO Speed to1600, Exposure Bias:-2 EV, and used Master 2 to get:
ISO 6,400 equivalent

[bitslizer]

How does the OVF feel if you use it with the ME-1? can you read the status bar? is there heavy corners vignetting?

[tspore]

Clark666 -
I can try one.


Bitslizer -
I didn't like the ME-1 on the E-330, So I got rid of it. So I won't be able to answer that one. But the viewinder is quite nice now. Way improved over the E-520/420.

Tomorrow day their is a parade, and tomorrow night I will take it down to the little christmas festival like I did the E-3 last year. So I should get a few around town photos.

[tspore]

A quick look at ISO -
Tonight I took a picture of the Bear that Bojan brought Cody last year.
Tungsten light IS off, Standard noise reduction (except the last 2 images)
Bottom left edge and middle
In my experience the images at 1600px will be very close to the print output display at 16x20.
This camera is very usable at ISO 3200. I will have no problem taking the camera to that point. It is beginning to look like my concerns over a 12mp 4/3 camera are beginning to go away.

ISO 100 Image at 1600px


ISO 200 Image at 1600px


ISO 400 Image at 1600 px


ISO 800 Image at 1600px


ISO1600 Image at 1600px


ISO3200(Standard)Image at 1600px


ISO3200(Low)Image at 1600px


ISO3200(High)Image at 1600px

[cifcap]

Thanks Tony I really like the noise control at ISO-400. I use ISO-400 and up frequently on the E-300 so low noise at higher ISOs is important to me. Thanks again!

[assafx]

So far this camera looks exactly as i expected.
would you say that the viewfinder is closer to the E-3 then the E-520 or is it something in the middle?

the high iso shots are looking very promising. do you feel as if this camera offer even better high iso performance then the E-3?

i should give you a few days should i?

now i need to start convincing my boss to replace our good old E-300...
and wish that a good some of money will land on my lap

Assaf

[ivanj]

Your "firestone" picture is very noisy when viewed at 100%. I know it's pretty much underexposed, but isn't there too much noise for ISO 200? It looks like ISO 800 or more.

[clark666]

Thank you. Just what I hoped to see. Olympus has a high-ISO camera now that meets my needs

[AbeakerZ]

Looking good Tony. Good thing I have other necassary purchases to make right now otherwise it looks like I would be an early adopter again. It looks like this is still a body I will be getting but will have to wait a few months.

One thing I have always hated about my 510 is it's inability to get a clean blue sky the way my 300 did. On the 510 even at ISO 100 or 200 it is blotchy and I need to run noise reduction on the blue channel on an otherwise clean photo. Please get some shots with some sky in it so I can see if this has been taken care of. I assume it has as I have not heard about this on the 520 but still it is an area of concern for me.

Thanks for all the work you do for us.

I forgot to add:

I like seeing the body comparison shots to get an idea of the size. Can you post some shots of the 30 with the 510/20 body? The E3 is a touch too big to feel comfortable in my hands while the 510 is on the smallish side for me. Thanks again.

[tspore]

I promise guys I will take it out today, for some real tests, as I get a chance.

Originally Posted by cifcap

Thanks Tony I really like the noise control at ISO-400. I use ISO-400 and up frequently on the E-300 so low noise at higher ISOs is important to me. Thanks again!

I from these early test's I would say that I would take it to ISO 1600 without a worry in the world.

Originally Posted by assafx

So far this camera looks exactly as i expected.
would you say that the viewfinder is closer to the E-3 then the E-520 or is it something in the middle?

the high iso shots are looking very promising. do you feel as if this camera offer even better high iso performance then the E-3?

I will do some test's. I don't really know about ISO preformace yet. I promise. The viewfinder is nice much closer to E-3 than E-520 IMO.

Originally Posted by ivanj

Your "firestone" picture is very noisy when viewed at 100%. I know it's pretty much underexposed, but isn't there too much noise for ISO 200? It looks like ISO 800 or more.

Its auto Gradation with extremely strong sun coming at me. So I am really impressed at the amount of detail it held, as well as the highlight.

Originally Posted by AbeakerZ

I like seeing the body comparison shots to get an idea of the size. Can you post some shots of the 30 with the 510/20 body? The E3 is a touch too big to feel comfortable in my hands while the 510 is on the smallish side for me. Thanks again.

I would but I don't have the E-5x0 body. Sorry, I just get loaners from Olympus, for review purposes. Personally I never really liked that body series. To Small viewfinder, very uncomfortable grip, single control wheel. Its not for me. So I either stick with the E-4x0 body, or the E-3. But this camera I will consider.
Its actually quite pleasant.

If you guys have any specific questions feel free to ask, and I will see what I can do.
I have the camera for a month, before it goes back.

[tspore]

One note that I didn't put on the ART filters yesterday, they are a bit slow -
When shooting either pure Jpeg's or Jpeg+RAW -
The pop art, pale and light, and Light tone don't really affect the cameras processing of photos, and quickly pulls them off the buffer and to the card.
BUT Soft focus, takes about 1.5 seconds to process, The B&W grainy film takes 2 seconds, and pin hole takes around 7 seconds to process. When the camera is processing these pictures it is "BUSY" and unusable.

So the 3 that I could see using of the 6 may not get used much because it locks up the camera.

[ivanj]

Thanks for answering me ts.
Do Art filters have any customization options or are just pure... "features"?

[tspore]

The Art modes don't have much control - basically Auto mode - You can over ride a lot of the settings (Such as setting ISO, metering, etc) Also it functions as P-shift so you can modify some settings. But I haven't found any way to change the Art modes yet (I don't even think I have a manual yet)

[Padgreen]

Hi Tony

I'm interested in the Dynamic range of the E30 compared to the E3. My reason for asking is this, the UK" Amateur Photographer magazine published a test of the Panasonic G1 today and said it had a DR of 11 EV which "is comparable with the Sony Alpha 900 and trumps the Canon EOS 50D, Nikon D300 and D90."

I'm assuming that the G1 sensor is the same or similar to that in the E30, so if the DR is the same it bodes well for the E30 and the E3 replacement. I'd be interested in your observations.

Thanks.

[nyfalls]

I'm also interested in the dynamic range.... coming from a 510

[double s]

Thanks for what you've done so far!!
Any chance of getting your "Teddy Bear" shots with the E-3 vs. E-30 for a direct comparison (800, 1600 and 3200 ISO)?

Through 1600 it looks really good but how does it compare>

[double s]

Actually, thought of another one.

Banding is an issue that reared its head a few times in 3200 ISO tests with the E-3. How does the E-30 compare in this resect?

(You may have to ask Olympus if you can keep the camera for another month, at least..)

Thanks.

[Swandy]

Hi Tony,
So far it is looking really good!!! (And my wife says your son is ADORABLE!!!)
Anyway, how is the AF speed compared to the E3 and the E420 when using different lenses?
Also, you mention that the IAF (in Live View) is very fast using the new version of the 14-54. How is it using the older lenses - the ones that worked with the IAF before like the 25mm)?
Thanks,
Steve

[Robtron]

Originally Posted by tspore

If you guys have any specific questions feel free to ask, and I will see what I can do.
I have the camera for a month, before it goes back.

Hi Tony

Thanks for your great work. My question is: what is the firmware level?

My apologies if this is written somewhere in this thread.

Regards.
Robert

[tspore]

Originally Posted by Swandy

Hi Tony,
So far it is looking really good!!! (And my wife says your son is ADORABLE!!!)
Anyway, how is the AF speed compared to the E3 and the E420 when using different lenses?
Also, you mention that the IAF (in Live View) is very fast using the new version of the 14-54. How is it using the older lenses - the ones that worked with the IAF before like the 25mm)?
Thanks,
Steve

Thanks Both my boys are very cute. (They must get it from their mom )
I will try to spend some time with the other lenses tomorrow, I promise.

Originally Posted by double s

Actually, thought of another one.
Banding is an issue that reared its head a few times in 3200 ISO tests with the E-3. How does the E-30 compare in this resect?

(You may have to ask Olympus if you can keep the camera for another month, at least..)

Thanks.

Really I need to take it out and do some low level work, like I did with the E-3, So I will try tomorrow night.

Originally Posted by Robtron

Hi Tony
Thanks for your great work. My question is: what is the firmware level?
My apologies if this is written somewhere in this thread.
Regards.
Robert

I didn't put that up, but I could only share photos according to my deal with Olympus with Firmware 1.0 cameras.

Here are some photos from today -
http://www.tspore.smugmug.com/galler...31541470_oXGR2

(Here is a panning shot from today.

Really I am impressed with this camera, even without testing against the E-3. The highlights seem to be kept and the shadow DR is great too.

So I will try some more test tomorrow, as well as Monday. Before I get to many official positions.