Olympus E30 12.3MP Digital SLR with Image Stabilization
Product Description
The Olympus E-30 is the newest addition to the interchangeable-lens digital SLRs (single lens reflex) within the Olympus E-System lineup. This new 12.3-megapixel, FourThirds-compliant camera reinforces the company's commitment to the standard. Positioned as a mid-level model, this new digital SLR camera is intended for anyone who wants to express their creativity through photography, whether they are just starting out or are a professional with years of experience behind them. The E-30 is a camera that has the speed of the E-3 and the freedom to express oneself with a variety of new creative features, from Art Filters that will let you control the way the image looks from a grainy black and white film to exagge... More >>
- 12.3-megapixel Live MOS imager for photo-quality prints up to 30 x 40 inches
- Body only; lenses sold separately
- 6 Art Filters; enjoy photographs that ordinarily require the use of special lenses, add-on filters, or the use of complex processing techniques
- 270-degree Swivel 2.7-inch HyperCrystal II LCD; Autofocus Live View with Face Detection
- Dual card slot; compatible with UDMA-Type I, Type II, MicroDrive and xD Media Cards (not included)
October 14th, 2009 - 08:03
Owned this camera for few months now. Have been an Olympus user for sometime (3-4 years). My views therefore compare with other cameras available.
What I like:
*fast focus with the 14-54Mk II lens. Wow..first time I used it, it was fast, compared to the older 14-54mm lens and the older 510 & 520, the latter two which I subsequently sold.
*light weight, compared to E3, but heavy compared to e510 and e520.
*Olympus colours
*The range of ISO up to 3200 however is much much better than the previous ISO 1600 limitation.
What I can do without:
*Has Olympus done its research? The art filters are out of place ..really, why would one use art filters if one buys the e30! art filter on point and shoot okay..but on the e30. Market positioning seems to be wrong.
*flexible LCD monitor: not really useful.
What I dislike:
* small electronic view finder: having used the Nikon D700, Olympus viewfinder need to be improved!
* LCD screen: at 2.7inch and 250,000 dots…this is appalling. 3 inch should be minimum, and at least 900,000 dots like competitors.
*low light performance: better than e510/e520, but still lags behind competitors.
*Auto white balance: totally out indoor lighting. I sold my e520 because of this. The e510 auto B is the best.
High ISO: good up to ISO 800..after that there is noise. Olympus has ot improve on this.
* xD card: its time to change to SD. xD is S.L..O….W… on downloading!
I have corresponded with Olympus before on their features and the new launches, which makes olympus owners lose high investment as the prices depreciate quite fast upon post launch.
Seems like Olympus do make changes, but slow…
Overall:
*Olympus e30: if you do not like Olympus colors in the images, then this camera is not suitable, as there are other products that may meet your needs. I stick with Olympus only because of the colors; tried Nikon and Canon, but still revert back to Olympus,
*ate its low light performance (although much better than the e5XX series!),which Olympus could seriously improve.
*Yesterday tried low light shooting… quite disappointed.
I have used the e30 for a model shooting showing…more keepers images than previously compared to e510, which however, had better accurate white balance.
Rating: 4 / 5
October 14th, 2009 - 08:42
I have reasearched this item and was very impressed with the camera being able to do just what it was advertised to do. I have had another Olympus E series camera and was very happy with it. I love the Image Stalbleization built into the camera and not the lens. This camera has a good feel to it, not like some where you can not tell that you have something in your hand. I love the adjustable viewing screen and going from live image to eye piece with just a touch of a button. I can find nothing not to like about this camera!
Rating: 5 / 5
October 14th, 2009 - 09:50
I’m not going to add much in terms of content – much has already been written about the camera in terms of the technical details. But if you have an earlier E-series Oly DSLR, it’s time to move up. I’ve really enjoyed my E-500 and have to say I learned a lot on that camera and needed that time to get used to digital SLR photography and all the controls you have at your disposal. I didn’t think the E-510 or E-520 were quite worth the jump even though they are both improvements in many ways to the E-500 (and it’s predecessor E-300/330). The E-620 is out and looks to be a fantastic addition to Oly’s line, but the E-30 really caught my eye as a logical next step. I did weeks of comparisons to include the E-3 as well, but in the end, the E-30 appeared to be the best upgrade for this experienced amateur.
I am fabulously happy with my choice and the improvements over my beloved E-500 are very apparent. The better metering and better autofocus sensors really show in the pictures. The better viewfinder is a VERY welcome change for my well-over-40-year-old eyes. The rearrangement of the data in the viewfinder is much better than the E-500’s side version, which was hard to see.
I also have larger hands, which is another reason for getting a bigger camera, rather than a smaller one as the E-620 is. The feel is – to me – very close to a film SLR in terms of weight and size, which is a very comfortable fit for me (having done film work for 30 years before digital).
If you have an earlier E-series and have been thinking about an upgrade, this is the one for you. It’s a logical step up in Oly’s current progression. I could not be happier.
Sidenote: it’s only fair to note that 17th St. Camera was an excellent seller in my case, since Amazon was out of stock when I purchased my E-30
Rating: 5 / 5
October 14th, 2009 - 11:29
I’d been debating about buying this camera for a while. I have an E-1 and an E-510 which both work just fine. I have a lot of lenses which means I’m not switching brands anytime soon. I kept telling myself I didn’t NEED the E-30, but then I got to see one in person and I fell in love! It’s the perfect size for me… a little larger than the 510 but it handles the larger lenses very well. I LOVE the art filters – and the fact that if you shoot Raw + jpg, then you get the jpg with the art filter and the original Raw in case you didn’t like the effect!
I might not use the filters that often, but I love having options. 
I love the articulating screen – that was one of the biggest selling factors for me. What amazes me though is the vibrant colors this thing produces… straight out of the camera I’m floored with how wonderful the pictures are. IT’s 100 times better than my 510. I loved my 510, but this camera is amazing.
BUY ONE! NOW! lol….
Rating: 5 / 5
October 14th, 2009 - 13:20
I expect for many people this will under consideration as an upgrade for their E-4×0/5×0.
To put this review in perspective, I really like my E-510, I think it is an excellent compromise, especially on price, and I have shot very enjoyable pictures with it.
The reviews you should read are by Wrotniak and dpreview (google those).
In summary, the E30 is bigger and chunkier than the E-510. I have found that I prefer shooting with a larger camera, but prefer carrying the smaller camera. No surprise there. The bigger body is easier to hold, fits great in my average sized hands, has slightly more room for buttons, even with the excellent LCD display on top. The color LCD on the back is noticeably better than the E-510 – although I have not yet felt a need to use its fold out mode. The level gauge is a fine idea, but it is awkward to get to through the menu system unless you use the “Fn” button for that purpose (and then you can’t use the Fn for anything else).
Many people will be trying to choose between the new E620 and this E30. The E620 is a smaller form factor even than the E-510, it is more sized like an E-410, and shares batteries with the smaller camera. Since I now have the E-510 to haul on long hikes (and it still shoots excellent pictures), I decided to go with the E30 as something really different, a bulkier photographer’s tool with a big viewfinder, rather than the more compact and portable E620.
I print out lots of 8×10s and the occasional 16×20. My old 10mp E-510 has plenty of resolution for this, so the bigger sensor on the E30 is not really necessary. The E30 has slightly better noise performance, but it is much less improved than you might expect and I would not buy on this basis. The sensor also has slightly more dynamic range, but, again, the difference is not great. Overall, this camera shoots lovely pictures, raw or jpg, that are somewhat better than the E-510.
Of the controversial “Art Filters”, I use Pop Art sometimes, as it turns mundane subjects into bright (but unrealistic) colorful splashy shots that cuts through mist. You can achieve almost the same effect by under-exposing by 1 stop, and turning up saturation and brightness by 100% in your post-processing. The Pin Hole effect is worthless for print, unfortunately, because by the time you crop to print, the pin holing will be offset. Plus, Google’s free Picasa does pinhole effect for free. There are other effects too, none of them difficult to duplicate in PP, and therefore for people who can’t be bothered to do any PP. PRO-TIP: for this money, Photoshop is a better upgrade over your E-510 than the E30 is. Before you upgrade, at least TRY post-processing, with GIMP or Picasa.
As always with a DSLR, you are buying a system. If you currently have an E-510 with just the kit lenses, get another lens or two first. Look at the 14-54 or 12-60 zooms, the 50 prime, the 9-18 or 11-22, the Sigma 30 and 105 primes, the 70-300 or the 50-200. Oly glass is really good, and so are those Sigma’s.
If you frequently shoot at high ISO (say, for indoor sports), you can do alot better than the E-510 or even this E30. On the forums, many high ISO shooters end up drifting to Canon or Nikon. I would recommend you take a look at noise software such as Noise Ninja. However, many people come back to Oly for its compactness or “Oly color” or for the glass. Before buying into Canikon, check out the price of Image Stabilization lenses – many of their lenses do not have it, and it can get expensive.
So we come to price. I’ve watched the price of this item since its release – at its original price point, it did not seem to have enough extra performance over my E-510 to justify the price, especially when compared to the Nikon and Canon bodies in that “enthusiast” market segment. It is now at a more realistic price point, and is fully competitive against the equivalent Canons and Nikons, whereas at the original price it struggled. If I moved system, it would be to a full-frame, not an APS-C sensor, at a price where Oly has no bodies at all. Note that if APS-C users upgrade, they would have to replace most of their lenses anyway (because of the smaller light circle of “digital” lenses).
Still, the E30 remains far from cheap, and one’s expectations will be fairly high. I love this camera, I’m glad I bought it, I’m very glad I waited until the price moderated, and I docked a Star because of the noise performance.
Rating: 4 / 5