Amateur Photographer Magazine

 Olympus E-3 digital SLR product review - taster - INTRODUCTION

Thursday 13th December 2007

Angela Nicholson

INTRODUCTION



It seems as if we have been talking about the replacement for the Olympus E-1 forever. So long, in fact, I wonder whether it has gathered almost mythical status for some among the Four Thirds faithful. After all, the longer you keep people waiting, the greater their expectations. Until recently we had very little solid information about the E-3. For many months, all Olympus was prepared to do was say there would be a replacement for the E-1 and show us a mock-up under a glass dome. Naturally, this fanned the flames of speculation and excitement. Then, during the latter half of 2007, snippets of information emerged, along with lengthy and, at times, baffling prose comparing the build of the new camera to an athlete in the starting blocks and a wild panther. All very stirring stuff which, while amusing, was no doubt intended to fuel the myth.

Finally, four years after its introduction, the Olympus E-1 – until now the only professional-level Four Thirds SLR – has been replaced by the E-3. This new camera is vitally important to both its manufacturer and the whole Four Thirds system. It is the culmination of all the research and development carried out by Olympus and its working partner Panasonic, and it showcases the manufacturer's most advanced technologies. Olympus hopes to convince professional photographers of the merits of the Four Thirds system to attract large numbers of novices and enthusiasts. But is it too little too late, or has Olympus produced the camera E-1 users have hoped for? Could it be the model other photographers, whatever their brand loyalty, will aspire to own?

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