Olympus announce E-3

[Four Thirds User editorial team]

It’s here: The new flagship of the Four Thirds Standard-based Olympus E-System.

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[scotianostra]

Looks like 'Popular Photography' had a pre-production model to play with, and their initial thoughts, including 23 photographs, are on http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4701...igital-slr.htm

[Beardedwombat]

Hmm, bigger and heavier than I'd expected which is a shame. 5fps is now slower than canikon. But it certainly looks well built and laid out. Autofocus looks great as does the viewfinder. Itching to play with one!

[Ian]

Originally Posted by scotianostra

Looks like 'Popular Photography' had a pre-production model to play with, and their initial thoughts, including 23 photographs, are on http://www.popphoto.com/cameras/4701...igital-slr.htm

PopPhoto seems very keen on getting in on the act early - they were the ones that awarded the Panasonic Leica 14-150 'lens of the year' a few months back. That lens has not yet shipped even now!

I think I have also spotted an error in their E-3 preview: they are equating the 230,000 pixels on the E-3's colour LCD with 'dots' on slome rivals. You need 3 dots to make one pixel, so - OK some of the 3 inch displays out there have 300,000 pixels (900,000 dots) but they are roughly the same size as the 230,000 pixels (not 77,000 as they claimed) on the E-3 LCD.

Ian

[fluffy]

Agreed . For quick comparison
E-3
Dimensions 5.6 in. (W) x 4.58 in. (H) x 2.9 in. (D /(142.5 mm (W) x 116.5 mm (H) x 74.5 mm (D) (excluding protrusions)
Weight 1.79 lbs./810 g (body only)

Evolt-510
Dimensions 5.35 in.(W) x 3.6 in. (W) x 2.67in. (D) / 136 mm (W) x 91.5 mm (H) x 68 mm (D) (excluding protrusions)
Weight 16.6 oz. / 470 g (body only)

What adds so much weight? The articulating LCD screen?

[Ian]

Originally Posted by fluffy

Agreed . For quick comparison
E-3
Dimensions 5.6 in. (W) x 4.58 in. (H) x 2.9 in. (D /(142.5 mm (W) x 116.5 mm (H) x 74.5 mm (D) (excluding protrusions)
Weight 1.79 lbs./810 g (body only)

Evolt-510
Dimensions 5.35 in.(W) x 3.6 in. (W) x 2.67in. (D) / 136 mm (W) x 91.5 mm (H) x 68 mm (D) (excluding protrusions)
Weight 16.6 oz. / 470 g (body only)

What adds so much weight? The articulating LCD screen?

Solid construction

The screen certainly adds weight, as does the larger dimensions of the E-3, plus the beef-ed up prism and optics in the viewfinder.

Ian

[EV Wonder]

Originally Posted by fluffy

Agreed . For quick comparison
E-3
Dimensions 5.6 in. (W) x 4.58 in. (H) x 2.9 in. (D /(142.5 mm (W) x 116.5 mm (H) x 74.5 mm (D) (excluding protrusions)
Weight 1.79 lbs./810 g (body only)

Evolt-510
Dimensions 5.35 in.(W) x 3.6 in. (W) x 2.67in. (D) / 136 mm (W) x 91.5 mm (H) x 68 mm (D) (excluding protrusions)
Weight 16.6 oz. / 470 g (body only)

What adds so much weight? The articulating LCD screen?

I'm not sure that it is really fair to compare the weight of the E-3 to that of the Evolt-510. When the E-3 is compared to the E-1 (the camera that it replaces) it weighs in at an additional 65g (2.29 oz.), which really isn't much of a difference. This weight difference might be attributed to the articulating screen.

I might also add that the primary difference in weight between the two models you mention is due to the difference between a magnesium alloy body and that of an engineered plastic body.

[maurof]

Is there any tropicalization in new E3.