Olympus E-300 - DPChallenge Forums

12/23/2004 10:11:03 AM · #1

Can we have Olympus E-300 put into dpc camera list?

12/23/2004 10:17:49 AM · #2

Did you buy one?

12/23/2004 12:27:52 PM · #3

am trying it out...... will have some photos later... very solid and heavy build, very excellent design and feels great in your hand. The 14 - 45mm f3.5 kit is a bit different, macro at ten inches is limiting, but general wide end is nice. Unless you use Olympus software, you must download new adobe beta raw conversion plugin. $999.00 comes without a card.

12/23/2004 12:41:00 PM · #4

Hope you post those photos, especially at high iso. Am very interested in this camera and am reading very good things about it. From what I've read, while it does have considerable noise at high iso, it cleans up very easily with NR software without loss of detail.

Olympus 14-54mm f/2.8-3.5 Zuiko Digital Zoom

12/23/2004 12:52:51 PM · #5

ok, will take some tests at iso settings.... will post tonite.

TomH1000

Olympus E-3

12/23/2004 01:41:25 PM · #6

Originally posted by Olyuzi:

Take a jump over here //forums.dpreview.com//forums/forum.asp?forum=1022 and see what they are saying about it. You will find many samples there also I'm sure. There is some noise at higher ISO's but clean up very nice with Neat Image, Noiseware or what ever you use. Also has more Dynamic Range then 10/20D, Rebel and D70 which is more important in my opinion.

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

12/24/2004 12:58:40 AM · #7

This is all I had time for today...... shot in raw, converted in photoshop, and resized...... I promise some proper tests as soon as I can.

petrakka

12/24/2004 01:22:37 AM · #8

i love my d70, but out of all the p/s digis ive used (and ive used aLOT cuz i work at a camera store..well i just quit cuz im goin back to school but thats besides the point) olympus turns out the best images i think, especially with color accuracy. our store doesnt even carry olympus but i like the image better than from cameras like the powershot a85, coolpix 4100 etc.

faidoi

Pentax K10D

12/24/2004 01:47:18 AM · #9

Originally posted by undieyatch:

Can we have Olympus E-300 put into dpc camera list?

PM one of the SC. Konador has added a camera for me in the past. I believe any of them can add though.

Canon RF 24-70mm f/2.8 L IS

12/27/2004 01:53:55 PM · #10

"macro scene mode"

this cat foto.... very low light, Olympus-300 macro scene mode, hand held, converted to b&w/sepia.

hyperfocal

Nikon D7000

Nikon MF 105mm f/2.5 AIS

12/27/2004 02:56:38 PM · #11

Question for Olympus SLR users...

I've been a Nikon user for almost twenty years, but i've been thinking of adding a small Olympus SLr system for the aspect ratio and the commitment to macro. I was about to lay down my hard earned cash when i noted that all of the E system is focus by wire. This has really spooked me since I rarely even use AF. Any experience E users can share about this. Here in the largest small town in America I can't find a dealer that carries the system to check it out.

kirbic

Canon EOS R5

12/27/2004 03:19:52 PM · #12

Added to the list :)

Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX Macro AF for Olympus

12/27/2004 09:13:14 PM · #13

Originally posted by hyperfocal:

............................................

Four focus modes on the E-300. I think a nightmare of a focus system. Manual mode feels scratchy, and the 14-45mm is quite difficult to focus by eye, especially distance shots - with the lens wide, also the viewfinder is a touch dark, compared to the E-10 or a rebel. AF, has been occasionally innacurate and is over complicated, you'd think that Canon had designed it. Certainly the optical viewfinder is fabulous, but a bit of a let down for critical manual focusing when it is difficult to see the focus "snap." Some of these complaints might be attributed to the specific lens.

Message edited by author 2004-12-27 21:26:56.

FrostyPaws

Olympus E-500 EVOLT

12/27/2004 09:57:15 PM · #14

Originally posted by kirbic:

Added to the list :)

Thank you kirbic....I'm the first E-300 owner listed. I have much to learn....and I'm having fun with this camera....!

lnediger

Olympus E-300 EVOLT

12/27/2004 11:02:08 PM · #15

Edit: nevermind, got it working

Message edited by author 2004-12-27 23:08:17.

12/28/2004 01:20:10 AM · #16

So what are your thoughts so far regarding this new Olympus offering, Undieyatch? Even though you posted no exif data with the cat photo, I'm assuming you used a high ISO with the low light conditions. I'll guess around 400? Though the image is a bit blurry (subject movement?), it doesn't appear to have much in the way of noise. Tonal quality looks good too. What are your thoughts regarding image quality and color? Have you decided to keep it?

Originally posted by undieyatch:

"macro scene mode"

this cat foto.... very low light, Olympus-300 macro scene mode, hand held, converted to b&w/sepia.

12/28/2004 11:25:00 AM · #17

Olyuzi: Some more observations. Here is some exif on the cat foto -
Sub Information
ExposureTime : 1/15Sec
FNumber : F5.6
ExposureProgram : Program Creative
ISOSpeedRatings : 200
DateTimeOriginal : 2004:12:26 22:28:29
ShutterSpeedValue : 1/15Sec
ApertureValue : F5.6
ExposureBiasValue : EV0.0
MaxApertureValue : F3.5
MeteringMode : Division
Flash : Not fired(Compulsory)
FocalLength : 45.00(mm)
....................................

this camera is great - images have superior unmatched tonality and colour, some of the best (not unlike the E-1)in a digital camera that I have seen. The kodak sensor is very very good. It has a plethora of white balance modes including a auto wb that are right on target. The creative modes, which have their own default settings, are fun to fiddle with and actually work very good. On the downside focus is fussy, with lots of turns on the focus ring, and seems slow to react in manual. AF is fast enough, but is lousy in low light, and has a tendency to hunt in good light. Manual focus + af mode (I should say modes - there is several options) I find marginally effective in terms of saving any time.

12/28/2004 11:45:27 AM · #18

Thanks for posting the Exif settings, Undieyatch. Glad to hear that you're enjoying your new camera. As has been reported by many an Olympus 4/3rds user in other forums what you have reported is very common. Color and tonality are wonderful and focusing is difficult in low light and slow in manual. I believe that the kit lens uses the focus-by-wire method which requires many turns of the lens focus ring and takes a while to find just the right setting. The E-10/20 uses the same method of focus and while it takes longer, I find it very accurate. You may have better focus performance with the better Oly lenses like, 14-54 or 50-200.

So I"m going to assume that you like the camera enough and are going to keep your camera? If so, congratulations and use it well. Getting any other lenses or accessories?

12/28/2004 12:33:27 PM · #19

I am sure I will consider purchase of the E-300 at some point. Not to mislead but the camera I am testing belongs to FrostyPaws. (I'll do some more testing if I can ever get it out of her hands) She was looking to upgrade her little fuji, and I had recommended to her the rebel, the D70, and the E-300. I was surprised when she showed up at my house for the holidays with the E-300 in her frosty paw. She had done her research on line and compared the several cameras in the camera store in Oshkosh. I am sure camera size was an important factor in her decision. I think she will be busy with that camera.

petrakka

01/05/2005 01:00:12 AM · #20

my buddy just got an e-300 and is very impressed with it, i've read lots of good reviews. it seems to beat the rebel and the *ist ds