Olympus E-330 Performance

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Olympus EVOLT E-330 Performance

Timing and Performance

Good speed for a consumer-oriented digital SLR.

Startup/Shutdown
Power on to first shot	2.7 seconds	Time it takes for camera to turn on and run SSWF
Shutdown	0.2 seconds	How long it takes to shut down
Buffer clearing time	17 seconds (8 seconds buffer clearing in LF JPEG)	Worst case buffer clearing time. -- This is the delay after a set of shots before you can remove the card. Some cameras won't shut down until the buffer is cleared.
Mode switching
Play to Record, first shot	0.2 seconds	Time until first shot is captured
Record to play	2.6 seconds	Time to display a large/fine file immediately after capture
Display recorded image	0.2 second	Time to display a large/fine file already on the memory card.
Shutter response (Lag Time):
Full Autofocus	0.37 second	Time from fully pressing shutter button to image capture, zoom lens at wide angle position.
Prefocused	0.103 second	Time to capture, after half-pressing and holding shutter button.
Continuous AF	0.43 second	This mode usually shows no speed increase with our static subject; we have no way to measure performance with moving subjects
Manual focus	0.35 second	For most cameras, shutter lag is less in manual focus than autofocus, but usually not as fast as when the camera is "prefocused"
Cycle time (shot to shot)
Single Shot mode Large Fine JPEG	0.79 second; 4 frames total; 8 seconds to clear	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first
Single Shot mode 640x480 JPEG	0.76 seconds	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots
Single Shot mode Large TIFF	0.78 second; 4 frames total; 17 seconds to clear	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first
Single Shot mode RAW	0.94 second; 4 frames total; 9 seconds to clear	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first
Early shutter penalty?	YES	Some cameras refuse to snap another shot if you release and press the shutter too quickly in Single Shot mode, making "No" the preferred answer
Continuous mode Large Fine JPEG	0.32 second (3.1 frames per second); 4 frames total; 5 seconds to clear	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first
Continuous mode 640x480 JPEG	0.32 second (3.1 frames per second); 1 seconds to clear	Time per shot, averaged over 20 shots
Continuous mode Large TIFF	0.32 second (3.1 frames per second); 4 frames total; 16 seconds to clear	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first
Continuous mode RAW	0.32 second (3.1 frames per second); 4 frames total; 9 seconds to clear	Time per shot, averaged over buffer length or 20 shots, whichever came first
Flash recycling	4 seconds	Flash at maximum output
Download speed
Windows Computer, USB 2.0	722 KBytes/sec	Typical Values: Less than 600=USB 1.1; 600-770=USB 2.0 Low; 771-4000=USB 2.0 High

The EVOLT E-330's performance is pretty good here, though start-up time is a little slower because the camera runs the Super Sonic Wave Filter (SSWF) with each start-up. Shutter lag at wide angle zoom setting is quite good (with 14-45mm kit lens), but "prefocus" times (half-pressing and holding down the shutter button before the final exposure) are a little on the slower side compared to other SLRs at 0.103 second. Shot-to-shot cycle times are good, at about 0.79 seconds for large/fine JPEGs, and the camera captures four frames at this rate with an eight-second buffer clearing time. In Continuous-mode, speed is also quite good, at a bit over three frames/second, for up to four shots in succession. (Speeds were similar for TIFF and RAW continuous capture.) Flash recycling time is actually quite speedy at four seconds after a full-power shot. Connected to a computer, download speeds are fast enough to avoid needing a separate card reader, though not the fastest on the market. Bottom line, the E-330 is quite responsive, ready for fast action shots at sporting events and children's birthday parties. The E-330 may be fast enough for some wildlife shots as well, as long as you prefocus and shoot in Continuous mode (preferably at the lower resolutions for a longer sequence). Overall, good performance here.

Battery and Storage Capacity

Battery
Good battery life without live preview, mediocre with either live preview mode.

Operating Mode	Number of Shots
Live preview off	400
Live preview A mode	250
Live preview B mode	200

The Olympus EVOLT E-330 uses a custom rechargeable LiIon battery for power, and a battery and charger are included with the camera. Even though runtime is quite good without live preview, we strongly recommend picking up a spare battery and keeping it freshly charged and on-hand for extended outings, or if live preview is used often.

The table above shows the number of shots the camera is capable of (on a fully-charged rechargeable battery), based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions.

(Interested readers can find an English translation of the CIPA DC-002 standards document here. (180K PDF document))

Storage
The EVOLT E-330 accepts CompactFlash, Microdrive, and xD-Picture cards, though no card is included with the camera.

Image Capacity with 256MB Memory Card		Fine	Normal	Basic	Economy	TIFF	RAW
3,136 x 2,352	Images	43	61	136	204	11	19
	File Size	5.9 MB	4.2 MB	1.9 MB	1.3 MB	23 MB	13 MB
	Comp.	4:1	5:1	12:1	18:1	1:1	0.8:1
2,560 x 1,920	Images	61	103	204	302	-	-
	File Size	4.1 MB	2.5 MB	1.3 MB	846 KB	-	-
	Comp.	4:1	6:1	12:1	17:1	-	-
1,600 x 1,200	Images	176	257	507	715	-	-
	File Size	1.4 MB	993 KB	504 KB	358 KB	-	-
	Comp.	4:1	6:1	11:1	16:1	-	-
1,280 x 960	Images	271	403	749	1124	-	-
	File Size	944 KB	635 KB	342 KB	228 KB	-	-
	Comp.	4:1	6:1	11:1	16:1	-	-
1,024 x 768	Images	414	605	1124	1573	-	-
	File Size	618 KB	423 KB	228 KB	163 KB	-	-
	Comp.	4:1	6:1	10:1	15:1	-	-
640 x 480	Images	983	1430	2248	3129	-	-
	File Size	260 KB	179 KB	114 KB	82 KB	-	-
	Comp.	4:1	5:1	8:1	11:1	-	-