Photocritic SLR database

If the E3 could read its own reviews, it might find itself with an identity crisis. Is it just for the pros, or is it a decent choice as an advanced-level consumer camera? It’s a tricky one.

When you pick it up, the E3 certainly feels like a (semi-)pro camera - it’s solid as anything. Picture quality is also pretty damn good, and you do get to choose from some fine lenses. So what’s the problem? For one thing, it’s far too expensive - for this kind of money, you can buy a Canon or a Nikon, which means you get a far bigger choice of lenses. Most importantly, however, is that the E3 is an incredibly fiddly camera. It is as if Olympus put one of their digital compacts in a copier and clicked ‘enlarge’, without stopping to think that perhaps what works for a compact doesn’t work for the slightly more serious photography crowd. Get more »

The E510 is like its little sister, the E410, except that it has CCD-shift image stabilization. The slightly larger and heavier E510 is still amazingly light, and is the replacement for the highly regarded E-500. Compared to its predecessor it is considerably more sophisticated, with some important extra features, including the Live MOS sensor.

On the other hand, at least one reviewer accuses it of having “button clutter” - a grievance that has become quite common for Olympus cameras in general. Get more »

The Olympus E410 replaces the moderately successful Olympus E400. It is very much the runt of the litter, but not an incapable one: The E410 is a real contender in the featherweight entry-level category, and is one of the cheapest digital SLR cameras you can purchase today.

It’s affordable and compact, and is designed to be a smooth transition from the more prosumer digital compact cameras out there. The jury is still out on whether or not the exercise is a successful one, however… Get more »