Olympus EVOLT E-300By: Shawn Barnett and Dave Etchells8.0 megapixels, ZUIKO DIGITAL lens mount, digital SLR design, and loads of features! <<User Report :(Previous) | (Next): Viewfinder>> Page 4:DesignReview First Posted: 11/08/2004, Updated: 03/12/2005 |
Design
The largest of Olympus' consumer-oriented digicams, the EVOLT E-300 is a true digital SLR, designed to please the serious photographer, but without completely alienating the novice. Featuring an interchangeable lens mount, a host of exposure controls (including full manual exposure control), and a wide range of 14 preset exposure modes, the E-300 is a capable option for those amateurs looking for a meatier camera, but who aren't willing to shell out the big bucks on a pro level digital SLR. A plastic and aluminum body surrounds the E-300's aluminum die-cast chassis, which weights in at a hefty 1.39 pounds
(634 grams) for just the camera body, with CF card and battery. (This is slightly heavier than Canon's Digital Rebel, but lighter than the EOS-20D, or Nikon's D70.) With the 14-45mm lens, the EVOLT's total mass comes to 2.05 pounds (933 grams). Measuring 5.8 x 3.4 x 2.5 inches (147 x 85 x 64 millimeters), the E-300 is far from tiny, but its larger size accommodates a reasonable handgrip that's comfortable to hold if a little shallow.
The EVOLT's control layout is more like those of its competitors than anything in Olympus's recent past, with a vertical array of buttons left of the LCD, a mode dial and power switch on top, and a command dial and AE/AF and Focus point selector buttons next to the thumb rest. The large Mode dial on top of the camera accesses the main exposure modes, plus a few of the more commonly used Scene modes, and a wide selection of external controls is useful for changing camera settings without the LCD menu. However, the E-300 does lack the small status display panel used on most d-SLRs to report camera settings. The optical viewfinder does feature a helpful information readout though, and the optional status display, activated by pressing the INFO button, on the camera's rear-panel color LCD is among the best we've seen. A truly unique Supersonic Wave Filter prevents dust from accumulating on the CCD while changing lenses, something we'd love to see other camera manufacturers adopt. The E-300 features a 8.0-megapixel (effective) CCD, which delivers a maximum image size of 3,264 x 2,448 pixels. This is enough resolution to print quality images as large as 16 x 20 inches, or to 11 x 17 with cropping.
The front of the Olympus E-300 features the lens mount, self-timer LED / IR remote sensor window, and the lens release button. The medium-sized handgrip is covered with a textured, leathery material that helps improve hold, though it could have been sculpted with a bit more depth. The grip also has a fairly sharp ridge on the front of it, which does improve your fingers' purchase on it.
Visible on the right side of the camera is the Compact Flash compartment, as well as one of the eyelets for attaching the neck strap. Notably absent is any support for the company's own standard memory format: xD Picture Cards. (Really not too surprising in a high-end camera of this sort, as xD cards are really more of a consumer-oriented media format.) The media compartment opens from the rear panel, with a hinged, hard-plastic door that snaps shut securely.
On the opposite side of the camera is the second neck strap eyelet, as well as two connector compartments. The lower compartment houses the DC In terminal, while the larger compartment above it houses the USB and Video Out ports. Both compartments are protected by flexible, rubbery flaps tethered to the camera. Also visible on this side is the diopter adjustment on the left side of the optical viewfinder eyepiece.
The Olympus E-300's top panel has just a few controls on it, including the Shutter button, Power switch, and the Mode and Control dials. Also on the top panel are the sliding, pop-up flash unit and external flash hot shoe. A small SSWF (Super Sonic Wave Filter) LED lights blue whenever the camera is powered on, indicating that the filter is operating.
The majority of the Olympus E-300's controls are on the rear panel, and are clearly and logically laid out. A series of buttons lines the left side of the 1.8-inch LCD monitor, and includes the Flash, White Balance, Quality (resolution and compression), Erase, and Info buttons. The four-way arrow pad serves multiple functions depending on the camera's operating mode, and is adjacent to the right of the display. Starting with the "up" arrow and moving clockwise, the Arrow Pad buttons double as Exposure Compensation, AF, ISO, and Metering buttons. A small OK button is down to the right of the Arrow Pad, and also controls the write protection function in Playback mode. Adjacent to the top right corner of the LCD display are the Menu and Playback buttons, with the AE Lock and AF Area Selector buttons in the top right-hand corner. A mechanical Flash Release button is next to the pop-up flash compartment for releasing the flash into its operating position. The optical viewfinder eyepiece is surrounded by a rubbery cup that won't scratch eyeglasses when closed, and features a dioptric adjustment dial on its left side to correct the view. (The soft eyecup is necessary, as I often found myself having to press my eyeglasses against it to see the full viewfinder frame.) Also on the rear panel is a small LED next to the CompactFlash compartment door that lights whenever the camera is accessing the card (meaning you shouldn't remove it).
The bottom of the camera holds the battery compartment cover and a metal screw-mount tripod socket. The tripod socket is just far enough from the battery compartment to make battery changes easy when mounted on a tripod, something I always notice given the extensive amount of studio shooting I do. The battery compartment door features a sliding lock to keep it (and the battery) in place, though no internal secondary latch prevents the battery from falling free when the door is open. Dropped batteries don't work well, and many die altogether, so beware.
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