The Olympus E-1, announced
almost a year ago, is the first Four Thirds — a standard
developed and adopted by Olympus, Fujifilm and Kodak — camera
to be released. The 4/3 standard has for its goal the creation
of cameras and interchangeable lenses that are designed to take
advantage of the smaller size and proportions of CCDs, thereby
allowing lighter cameras.
The E-1 is part of a complete system that includes a series of lenses and
multiple accessories.
The E-1 with one of the
lenses specially designed for it,
a Zuiko 14 to 54mm f2.8-3.5
The E-1 has the same resolution as
the Olympus' E-20, 5 megapixel, but the CCD it uses is very different.
The E-1 has a CCD with 4 times the surface area of the CCD used
in the E-20, which
improves the sensor's sensitivity to light and colour.
While the ergonomic design of the
E-1 is generally quite similar to that of other E-series cameras,
the controls and their position have been adapted to suit this
new camera.
Starting on top of the grip, the shutter release is comfortably
angled towards the front of the camera with the Sub Dial, one
of two dials which serves to change settings, directly behind it. The white
balance button [WB] is placed next to the Sub Dial, making it very
easy to change settings.
A large LCD control panel is located between the controls atop the
grip and the TTL viewfinder's exit pupil. The panel can be used to make
changes to most critical photographic settings without having to resort
to the LCD monitor.
Four buttons surround the screen:
Controls Flash modes:
Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Slow Synch with Red-eye
Reduction, 1st Curtain Slow Synch, 2nd Curtain Slow Synch,
Fill-in. Although the E-1 does not have a built-in flash,
its hotshoe is dedicated to Olympus flash units FL-50,
FL-40 and FL-20. Of these, the FL-50 is specially designed
for the E-1 and offers the greatest flexibility.
Selects the resolution: RAW, TIFF a
variety of JPEG formats are available. (See the
Characteristics section of the review for details).
ISO
Allows setting the CCD sensitivity:
Auto, 100, 200, 400, 800 ISO and 1600 and 3200 ISO after
the ISO Boost option has been enabled in the menu.
LIGHT
is the button that turns on
the green backlight for the control panel. Pressed
once the light stays on for a few seconds before automatically
turning off. Pressing it a second time turns off the backlight.
The Mode Dial, with the On/Off switch below, is positioned closer
to the back of the E-1, making it easily controlled with the thumb. The
Dial is equipped with a Lock button at the centre which needs to be held
down to turn the dial, preventing an accidental change of mode.
Three other buttons are nearby:
Controls Exposure Compensation.
Exposure can be compensated over ± 5EV in either
0.3, 0.5, or 1 EV increments as selected in the menu.
AEL
The Auto Exposure Lock button
is set by default to lock both the metered exposure and
the Auto focus. However, it can be set to lock only the
exposure.
this symbol identifies the AF
Frame selector. By default the E-1 uses 3 horizontal
focus points, but any of the three focus points can be
selected. Under poor light conditions, the E-1 has a
bright red AF assist lamp that allows it to focus accurately.
The Main Dial is placed within easy reach of the thumb and clicks
when rotated. It serves to adjust most settings, just like the Sub Dial.
In Playback, the dial can be used to magnify a
photo displayed on the LCD monitor ( up to 4X), or show thumbnails ,
four per screen at the first click, 9 per screen at the second click, or
16 thumbnails per screen at the third click.
The TTL viewfinder of the E-1 has 100% frame coverage, and
its focusing screen can be changed. A dioptre correction dial
is provided on the right of the rubber eyecup of the eyepiece,
along with a lever to close the eyepiece shutter on the left.
The eyepiece shutter is intended for use when the Self-timer
or the optional remote control are used as it prevents stray
light from entering the camera.
The viewfinder of the E-1 provides an extremely detailed status display
that shows:
AF frame;
Super FP Flash (indication for the faster flash synchronization
available with the FL-50);
AF lock;
AE lock;
Shutter speed;
Aperture;
Exposure mode;
Auto bracket;
White balance;
Flash indicator;
AF confirmation mark;
Metering;
Exposure level, and exposure compensation indicator;
Number of storable sequential pictures;
Exposure compensation value indication (appears only when
the exposure compensation button is pressed).
Three other buttons are positioned on the left side of the viewfinder housing:
Metering selects any one of
the three available patterns when held in while either
the Main or Sub dials are turned:
Digital
ESP, an averaging pattern that evaluates all
parts of the frame.
Selects the Drive mode, the
Self-timer, or the Remote Control:
Single frame shooting has no indication.
Sequential Shooting captures 12 frames at
3 frames per second for as long as the shutter release
is pressed. Focus and exposure are locked at the first
frame.
Self-timer offers a delay of either 12 seconds
or 2 seconds.
Remote Control activates the IR receiver
at the top of the grip. The remote control is an optional
accessory.
BRK
Starts the AE Bracketing function.
The EV step can be selected in the menu, and bracketing can
be performed over 3 or 5 frames. White balance bracketing
is also possible, but is started in the menu.
The E-1 is designed for experienced
photographers, and does not offer Scene modes:
P
Program mode lets the
camera decide the optimum aperture and shutter speed. If
desired the Program can be shifted and alternate combinations
of aperture and shutter speeds can be selected by turning
either the Main or Sub Dials.
A
Aperture Priority lets the
user select the aperture while the camera sets the shutter
speed. Either main or Sub dials can be used.
S
Shutter Priority lets the user
set the shutter speed while the camera sets the aperture.
Either the Main or Sub dial can be used.
M
Manual Mode provides complete
freedom over the exposure. The exposure scale in the viewfinder
indicates the metered exposure according to the settings.
Apertures are selected with the Main Dial, shutter speeds
are chosen with the Sub Dial.
More external controls are found
on the back of the camera, below and to the right of the 1.8
inch LCD monitor (134,000 pixels) for which a protective cover
is provided. At the top right of the screen starts
the playback mode.
Below, calls
up the E-1's menu. The E-1 has a single menu (see the Characteristics
section), and the same button can be used to cancel or quit the menu.
The Arrow Pad, a 4-direction
control, is next and serves exclusively for navigation, be it
of the menu, or to display photos in Playback. The OK button,
to the lower right of the Arrow Pad, confirms menu selection.
The last three buttons on the back of the E-1 are below the monitor. Starting
on the left:
INFO
Presents two levels of image
information,when the E-1 is in Playback. By holding the
Info button and rotating the Main Dial, the camera can
show a histogram view, a detailed view with the shooting
data, and a view with the highlights flashing.
Protects images from accidental
deletion.
Cancels a series of photos
captured in the Sequential Shooting mode, or can serve
to Delete an image in Playback. When deleting, the OK button
is used to confirm deletion.
Two buttons are arranged so as to be easily reachable when gripping the
camera: One-touch white balance ,
just below the red AF assist lamp's window, and the Depth of Field preview
button, placed so it can be held with either the ring or little finger.
Lens Release button, and lower down
the Focus Mode lever, which has 3 position:
C: Continuous AF mode;
S: Single AF mode;
MF: Manual focus mode.
Interestingly, as the Zuiko lenses
developed for the E-1 are electronic including their focusing
ring, the ring can be set to focus in one direction, or the other,
in the menu.
The E-1 was designed as the heart of an extended and complete photographic
system. Although compatible with other Olympus flash units and able to
function with some third party units, the Olympus FL-50 was specially designed
for the E-1. For example, once mounted on the E-1 and powered on, the FL-50
can be turned on or off along with the camera as long as it remains mounted
on it. In addition, its zoom head will adjust along with the zoom position
of the standard 14 to 54mm Zuiko zoom lens.
Amongst the many accessories available for the E-1 is the HLD-2, a grip
that not only offers a long lasting battery, but replicates some controls.
The HLD-2 provides a vertical shutter release, a secondary set of dials
(Main and Sub), and both an AEL button and an AF Frame selection button.
A detail worth noting, the use of the grip requires that the cover door
for the battery compartment be removed. In a piece of brilliant design,
the door can be securely attached to the grip, on the side that faces the
base of the camera. Kudos.
In terms of ergonomics, the Olympus E-1 is excellent. The majority
of the external controls are well-placed, and their location
is quickly remembered, and the Main and Sub dials make their
use quick and efficient.
Fully equipped, the E-1 is fairly heavy; however, it provides an excellent
in-hand feel that makes its weight very acceptable.
Compare Prices for Olympus 70-300 MM F4.0/5.6 Zuiko Digital SUPER-TELEPHOTO Zoom Lens
Introduction
a
photo displayed on the LCD monitor ( up to 4X), or show thumbnails 
,
four per screen at the first click, 9 per screen at the second click, or
16 thumbnails per screen at the third click.
starts
the playback mode.
calls
up the E-1's menu. The E-1 has a single menu (see the Characteristics
section), and the same button can be used to cancel or quit the menu. 
,
just below the red AF assist lamp's window, and the Depth of Field preview
button, placed so it can be held with either the ring or little finger. 
