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"Excellence you can afford" on by sectura
Pros: sharp pictures, long battery life, lens system made for digital pictures
Cons: The metering system could be better
Summary: I read the reviews on the camera and have a few thoughts to share. It doesn't sound as if the reviewer is a real photographer when he says the other systems can use 35mm lenses. There is no real benefit for using 35mm equipment lenses because they are not made for the digital slr ccd. This means that you aren't getting most of the picture you see with 35mm lenses for most of the camera makers. Canon is the exception to this rule. Their ccd is larger and made similar to 35mm size so they are the exception to the rule. The lenses made for digital cameras have less distortion at the edges and also less shading at the extreme corners as appears with 35mm lenses as well.
That being said I went on a vacation with this camera my first week I owned it. It responded very well even in the spotty lighting situations I experienced. The whole week was cloudy and I got some truly impressive photos. My battery never showed anything but full and I forgot to charge it one night. I know I took over 500 photos and the battery never flinched without recharging.
There were many options with this camera for adjusting your pictures. I was truly happy with it. It seems no matter what I did to adjust the photo I rarely got a better photo than the cameras automatic settings. This is something that gave me much confidence in using it during a busy vacation without having to spend time on finding settings.
The lcd display on back is a little brighter than the photos but of course you need a bright display to see in dark situations so that was negligible. I learned how to navigate the different buttons and settings (which there were many of) quickly. Instead of navigating with two wheels through menus to get to the correct one you wanted, there was a button on the back for instant access to the most necessary functions. GREAT!!! for people who don't want to waste time scrolling to find what they want.
With so many options and flexibility the camera was a real winner. I did take the price into account. This camera was by far the most affordable. Getting a body and lens for almost a third of the price of a body made me take a long look at this. The sharpness is excellent. Color was pretty much dead on for my photos. Since it's a new 4/3 system, body and lenses there is going to be a small wait for those extra accessories. (I'd like a deeper eyecup)However the lenses are already on their way. The new 4/3 system is going to give us a wide range of lenses and makers to choose from. From what I read Fuji is going to sign on to this new system as well. This should all mean more variety and better prices for us to choose from.
So unless you have lots invested in lenses for an slr system there is no sense in buying 35mm lenses for another system. Eventually you're going to want lenses made for your digital system since the quality acceptability level is even tighter for digital lenses.
Don't get me wrong. Canon is really the King. Their large ccd is great which makes their lenses work perfectly with their digital bodies. I also think that the metering system was a little on the simple side for the e300. Unless you're going to be making a living on night photos or already have a ton of money on lenses from another system this is a great camera to make the digital switch with. All digital lenses and system which you'll probably switch to no matter what brand eventually. (Unless you're an extra-large format print photographer)
This camera with all of it's options and flexibility makes it easy for you to take a break and just use it as a point and shoot when you wish. The porro viewer making the height that .5 inch less made it easy for me to put into a much smaller bag than any other slr camera would have allowed.
P.S. I did have the option of going with another brand. I have an entire 35mm Minolta 7000i af system. Love it and am a real fan.. but I believe I made the right choice.
KUDO's to Olympus on a great new system. -
"Perfect Camera" on by barbarawnj
Pros: Excellent optically, shoots and recalls quickly, great built in flash, lightweight so easy to use, no problems at all
Cons: Haven't found anything to complain about.
Summary: The Evolt easily blows away its competition. This camera is so optically excellent that its simply not worth spending more for the Nikon. I went into my camera store prepared to spend the extra dollars and they insisted I get the Evolt because it was so optically advanced that it was a waste of money to go for the Nikon and they're all professional photographers. It's really an advanced amateur's or beginner's dream.
I can't understand the fuss your reviewer made about low light and the viewer - no problems at all (I shoot from every angle, in all lighting conditions both indoor and out). It's not ugly - it looks like a classic SLR. It is a great achievement to reduce the weight and for those moments when you have to turn yourself into a pretzel to get the right angle, the lighter weight is a blessing as it makes holding the camera steady effortless. I use this camera for both work and play and wouldn't consider anything else. Its outstanding. -
"Very Satisfied" on by Edward D. Snow
Pros: Easy handling, excellent lenses, fast operating, well built
Cons: Buffer to small
Summary: Have now had my e-300 5 months. Used it in all sorts of tough conditions, heavy snow, ocean flooding and spray, field investigations of old buildings, etc. Shots are always good. I've bought the 50-200 f 2.8 lens and the macro 50, f2.0 lenses also. I am amazed what detail I can get in RAW mode. REcently took shots of a building, changed it to monochrome, and printed the pictures as existing conditions on 24x36 drawings with notes on what to save and what to remove. Sharp as a tack!
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"Great DSLR. Excellent build and lenses." on by Ronald Menousek
Pros: Automatic sensor cleaning. Build quality. Lenses are excellent. Takes fantastic pictures.
Cons: Have to learn how to make the most of the metering system. Would like to have DOF preview as with the Pentax *ist DS.
Summary: I did a lot of research before getting this camera. Short list included the Canon Rebel XT, Nikon D70, and the Pentax *ist DS. The Canon produces great pictures, has the best low-light performance and high ISO performance; but the build quality was not good and the placement of the shutter release was uncomfortable to hold for any period of time. The Nikon has great build quality and kit lens - with great range; however, the Nikon was bigger and heavier than I wanted. The Pentax was very comfortable to hold, but was maybe a little too small and I worried about balance with larger lenses. The E-300 Evolt was very comfortable to hold. In use, I find that I am able to easily handle any changes I want to make to the settings. I spend more time concentrating on framing, composition, etc., than anything else. The biggest minus is the camera's metering. Once you learn how to work with it, it meters consistently. The quality of the pictures totally exceed my expectations. Through ISO 400 is easily usable without noise reduction. ISO 800 will need a little noise reduction in post processing (a lot if you shot in a very dark environment). Have not tried 1600, but expect it to be fairly noisy. Camera balance with heavier lenses is very good and allow easy handling. Lenses are very sharp. I have only been shooting in RAW, so cannot comment yet about JPEG. Right now the two lens package is a real bargain, but if you want the 14-54mm lens just buy the body and then either go for the 40-150mm or the 50-200mm; the later is much heavier and much more expensive but is highly praised by users.
I wanted to give this camera a 9.5, because of the cons I mentioned, but since that was not available I gave it a 10, as that is what it rates for me and my use. -
"Look at some reviews not FAIR" on by rjsmith
Pros: Best buy for quality
Cons: SOme work arounds needed
Summary: One side by side review compares the evolt to the Canon 20d and they match up to 400 iso. Even then they DONT use cannons 20d kitlens they use abetter lens which will set you back an additional couple of hundred $. They wouldnt dare compare the evolt against the EOS 18-55 kit lens which is junk in comparron to the 14-55 mm Evolt kit lens. No one in their right mind would use the Canon kit lens so add hundreds to the price if you really want an eos 20d.
This camera thru 400 ISO (isnt that about the fastest fil we used to buy) is going to give you great 12x18 prints and the evolt is on sale for a third of the price of a Eos 20d with a good lens. The Evolt is well built like the 20d and better then the digital rebel. The self cleaning ccd will probably become a standard (change lenses get dust).
If you occasionally have to reshoot because of a metering oops it doesnt cost you but a little time in rare cases you may loose a shot but thats true with the idiosycricies of most cameras.
Salesmans demos 8/2005 are hitting the market at unbelievable prices with warranties which means you can wait for the newest version which will correct these problems ? or work around and save hundreds of $. Cnets 7.3 rating doesnt match with users ratings in real life situations Which is spectacular Olympus has allways had great lenses and A Nikon d70 will shoot at lower light but you still can only get an 10x15 out of it and if you send it to a real printer (wet process) mayby less.
If money is no issue then the eos 20d is a better choice -If 90% of your shots are with flash then the Nikon D70 is probably better Oherwise save the money and go with the EVOLT.
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