The Olympus E-1 is the first
camera to use a 4/3 CCD. Although this CCD has the same resolution
as the E-20, the 4/3 CCD has 4 times the surface area of the
E-20's CCD measuring 22.3 mm diagonally, imparting it with
greater dynamic range, a higher resistance to noise, and the
ability to capture more precise colours.
To keep the CCD clean, the E-1 is equipped with an ultrasonic dust reduction
system that operates every time the E-1 is turned on. While the system
will not prevent all dust from settling on the CCD, it does remove most
dirt and dust.
The CCD sensitivity starts at 100
ISO, and can be increased to 200, 400 or 800 ISO. In addition,
if the option is enabled in the menu, an ISO Boost is possible,
offering sensitivities of 1600 and 3200 ISO.
There are currently 5 Zuiko lenses designed specifically
for the E-1 and to get an idea of their equivalent in the
35mm film format, the focal lengths can be multiplied by
2:
11 to 22 mm f2.8/3.5
14 to 54 mm f2.8/3.5
50 to 200 mm f2.8/3.5 (shown here)
50mm Macro f2.0
300 mm f2.8.
Also available are a 1.4X teleconverter
and an extension tube (EX-25) which permits macros with a 1:1
ratio when used with the 50mm lens.
The E-1 provides a shutter speed range of 1/4000 second to 60 seconds.
Moreover, a Bulb mode is available in the Manual mode that can extend the
exposure to 8 minutes if the shutter release is held in, or an optional
wired remote is used.
To control noise, the E-1 is equipped with both a Noise filter and
the now standard Noise Reduction system used for long exposures.
The Noise filter is effective to eliminate random noise that can
become noticeable in the flat or smooth parts of an image such as walls
or sky. Noise Reduction on the other hand is to lessen the noise captured
over long exposures.
The E-1 is able to save images in three formats: JPEG, TIFF and RAW (12-bit).
Interestingly, the E-1 presents compression levels for its JPEG format
as fractions, providing a clear idea of how much data will be removed by
the process. In addition the SQ image format can be set to a size between
1600 x 1200 (2 megapixel) and 640 x 480 (VGA) and to have either a 1/2.7
compression (a Fine mode) or 1/8:
Format
Resolution
Compression
Extension
RAW
2560 x 1920
—
ORF
TIFF
2560 x 1920
—
TIF
SHQ
2560 x 1920
1/2.7
JPEG
HQ
2560 x 1920
1/8
SQ
1600 x 1200
1/2.7
1/8
1280
x 960
1/2.7
1/8
1024
x 768
1/2.7
1/8
640
x 480
1/2.7
1/8
As can be seen by the chart above, SHQ and HQ provide a quick and efficient
access to specific compression levels, a system that is simpler than some
of the more complex — and occasionally confusing — combinations
of compression and image sizes that are offered on some other Olympus cameras.
The E-1 can also be set to record a RAW image in addition to an SHQ, HQ,
or even SQ image. Equipped with a large memory buffer, the E-1 is capable
of capturing a burst of 12 RAW images, or 9 TIFF format photos, either
shot after shot or as a burst.
With the E-1, white balance is set by pressing the WB button which turns
on the LCD monitor to make it easier to choose the desired setting, but
also echoes it on the top control panel. The E-1 presents all white balance
settings in degree Kelvin, but helpfully adds a small icon for things such
as incandescent, fluorescent, etc.
White balance can also be set using the one-touch white balance button ,
and once established the new white balance can be saved to any of 4 memory
locations:
-A-
Auto
Auto, appropriate for most situations
as long as there is some white element within the frame.
3000K
Tungsten lighting
3300K
3600K
Warm toned incandescent lighting
3900K
4000K
Fluorescent
4300K
4500K
Daylight Fluorescent
4800K
5300K
Sunlight
6000K
6500K
Cloud
7500K
Shade (outside on a clear day)
-0-1 -0-4
Sets the one-touch white balance. The
white balance is established by pointing the camera at a
white surface under the ambient lighting, and pressing the
small button near the top part of the grip. Once set, the
reading is confirmed by pressing the OK button
Up to 4 complete groups of camera settings can be saved to memory locations.
This is ideal for studio situations for instance, where a lot of time and
experimentation has gone into determining the best and most effective settings.
The following parameters can be memorized:
ISO sensitivity
Exposure compensation
White balance
Capture mode
Flash mode
Bracketing
Metering
Drive mode
AF frame selection
Shutter speed
Aperture
Playback mode (thumbnails or full screen images)
Info display
Flash compensation
Saturation
Contrast
Sharpness
Colour space
White balance bracketing
Setting for RAW/JPEG option
Noise filter setting
Noise reduction setting
Image orientation in playback for vertically shot photos
EV increment for exposure compensation
ISO boost,
White balance compensation,
SQ setting
AEL/AFL function
Main and Sub Dial functions in different modes
Focusing direction for manual focusing
Manual focus with Single AF
Shutter release priority with C-AF
Shutter release priority with S-AF
AF Frame rest at power off
PC configuration
Selection of the pre selected cursor position for image erase
File numbering
Rec View (image playback immediately post capture)
Beep sounds
LCD screen brightness
Sleep delay (auto shut down)
Interface language
Video output
Shading compensation
AF illuminator
Anti-shock setting (pre-exposure mirror up)
The E-1 has a single menu which is divided into 4 sections that are grouped
under tabs that are shown on the left side of the LCD monitor. The
first contains settings for photography:
Card Setup: to format the memory card.
Saturation: sets the colour tint of images. Five
saturation levels are available starting at CS0 (Low) which
produces subdued colours up to CS4 (High) which yields
vivid colours. Alternatively, any 1 of 4 other settings
can be selected, each emphasizing slightly one of the three
primary colours over the others.
Contrast: provides 5 levels over which the contrast
can be adjusted.
Sharpness: can be used to adjust the image sharpness
from Low to High in 7 steps.
Colour Space: sets the camera's colour space.
Two options are available sRGB or Adobe RGB.
White Balance Bracketing: although 1 photo is
taken, the camera records 3 frames with white balance shifts
that can be selected to have increments of 2, 4, or 6 steps.
RAW+JPEG: On or Off. Records images in both the
RAW data format and the JPEG format when using SHQ, HQ,
or SQ mode.
Noise Filter: On or Off. Eliminates the random
noise that is generated during normal shooting (requires
extra processing time).
Noise Reduction: On or Off. Reduces noise captured
during long exposures.
Shading Compensation: On or Off. Compensates for
dark areas at the image's edge that can be caused by some
properties of the lens.
AF Illuminator: On or Off. Controls the AF assistance
light.
Anti-shock: On or Off. Serves to control the length
of time between the moment the mirror flips up, and the
photo is taken so as to reduce camera shake.
Pixel Mapping: Checks and adjusts the CCD and
image processing functions. Also activates the CCD cleaning
system at the same time.
Flash Compensation: adjusts the flash compensation
over ±2.0 EV in 0.3EV increments.
The second part of the E-1's menu deals with Playback:
Slide show: plays back images on the card either
1 per screen or as index screens (thumbnails).
Picture Rotation: On or Off. When On, pictures
can be rotated in 90° increments using the Sub Dial.
RAW Date Edit: allows editing RAW images directly
in the camera, for saturation, contrast, sharpness, record
mode (resolution and format), and colour space. The edited
RAW image can then be saved either as TIFF or JPEG.
Print Reservation : marks selected images for
later printing on a DPOF compliant printer.
The E-1 is compatible with CompactFlash I/II and Microdrives.
The card slot is on the right side of the camera and its cover
door is opened with a spring loaded latch.
The E-1 is sold without a memory card. However
the chart below provides an idea of what can be saved on a
1 GB Microdrive:
Format
Compression
Capacity
RAW
-
100
TIFF
-
66
SHQ
1/2.7
269
HQ
1/8
842
SQ
(1600 x 1200)
1/2.7
730
1/8
1999
First, near the top of the camera and on the side of the
viewfinder housing is an external flash connector, covered
by a screw on cap, for use with commercially available
flash units that can be connected with a synchro cable.
Next is the Remote Cable connector, also covered by a screw
on cap, for use with the E-1's optional wired remote control.
Video Out, USB 2.0, and Firewire connections are covered by a door that
is dust and moisture proof. All 3 cables are supplied with the camera,
and the video signal can be set to be NTSC or PAL in the menu.
Last, near the bottom of the camera,
is the DC-IN jack to power the camera with the optional AC-1
power adapter.
The E-1 is powered by a rechargeable Lithium
ion battery (BLM1 - 1500 mAh) which is housed in the grip.
A charger (BCM-1) is included with the camera, and is able
to fully charge the battery in approximately 2 hours.
Characteristics
,
and once established the new white balance can be saved to any of 4 memory
locations:
