Reviews for Olympus E-1 5.1 Megapixel Digital SLR Camera Body Only - Black

Superb build quality & ergonomic design!

Strengths: Outstanding ergonomics•Excellent in-camera JPEG engine•Outstanding WB control•Large file buffer (12 RAW files)•Accurate AF•Outstanding build quality•Weather & dust resistant sealing

Weakness: •In-camera JPEG processing results in jaggies along diagonal lines•Only 5 MP (but they are high quality MP)• Only 3 AF points•Tendency to underexpose images (-0.3 to -1.0 EV)

Owing to its superb ergonomic design and solid build quality, the E-1 is an absolute joy to use. The performance of its in-camera JPEG processing engine is unsurpassed, IMO, even to this day, it's only minor flaw being its tendency to produce jaggies along contrasty diagonal lines. Most impressive is the camera's white balance control, which is absolutely outstanding. It's a shame that Olympus has taken so long to produce a successor to the E-1. They could have sold a lot of units had they done nothing more than upgrade the sensor to 8 MP two years ago.

100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Best-Value Professional DSLR

Strengths: solid weatherproof body with a wide range of weatherproof lenses available, 100% viewfinder coverage, very nice tonality, great ergonomics, fast efficient handling, working! sensor dust buster

Weakness: only 3 poorly arranged AF points, slow read/write/wake-up times, instant postview not instant at all, limited highlight range, peeling rubber coating on handgrip, no wireless flash

This is a professional DSLR that can take a lot of heavy use, even in hostile weather. The viewfinder size could be bigger, but the coverage is a rare 100%, allowing precise composition. The size, shape and weight distribution are perfect. The external controls make for highly efficient handling. The photographs it takes have very nice tonality and colour, and the range of designed-for-digital lenses is the widest among DSLR systems. Many of these lenses are also weatherproofed, just like the body. Major selling point is the sensor dust buster, which eliminates sensor dust very effectively. Image noise is nonexistent at ISO 100, even when shooting JPEGs. ISO 800 and 1600 are rather usable provided you shoot raw and use an advanced developer such as RSE or ACR.

On the minus side, the low number and poor arrangement of the AF sensors means it is hard to photograph moving subjects without settling for a centred composition. Card read/write times are limited; there is no use in buying cards faster than 40x for this camera. Reviewing your photos can be a slow and cumbersome process. If the camera goes to sleep, it takes too much time for it to wake up - you may miss a shot. As with all cameras except the Fujifilm S3/S5 Pro, the limited highlight range means you often need to underexpose the midtones (and risk blocked shadows) to protect your highlights when photographing contrasty scenes.

Many E-1s have a problem with the rubber coating on the handgrip - it starts to bulge and peel down after two years or so.

100% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

The gem of my gadget bag!

Strengths: Extremely rugged design, dust and weather resistant. The Zuiko lenses are first class!

Weakness: Noise at higher speeds, like 800.

I've owned a number of Nikon digital and film cameras and until a year ago I swore I'd never purchase another brand, but when I had the opportunity to test the Olympus E-1 and their companion Zuiko lenses I was persuaded to give them a try. I'm extremely hard on my photographic equipment, shooting in wet or extremely hot or cold weather. My cameras get knocked around a lot. Olympus's alloy housing takes it all! Additionally, they produce outstanding images at all but higher ISO, for example 800, when noise becomes a minor problem. The camera produces extraordinary color and detail, even in low light and the images they capture produce beautiful enlargements, up to 20 inches! The camera also provides wonderful customization options.

90% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Super Bang For the Buck!

Strengths: Excellent pictures, designed for photo lovers; built like a tank; love not worrying about weather conditions.

Weakness: Noise level is a little high, continuous frame speed FAIR, continuous frame buffer of 12 a little low also. Speed to load images onto CF limited by older BUS design.

I bought this camera for about $450.00, a great price for so much camera - even when you compare it with current models by Nikon and Canon. I debated for a long time on which DSLR camera to go with. I chose the E-1 because it is solid and performs extremely well. While many people I talked to about it felt the E-1 pixel depth is low, I have found the 5.5 Mpixil to be as good, if not better, than other 6+ Mpixel cameras. The quality of the images more than meet my needs, allowing enlargements up to 11x14 with excellent results. I use Photoshop CS2 which contains the plugin to support the Olympus RAW format. RAW format has become common today, even on point and shoot cameras, however, they are not created equal! The E1 RAW is great! I also love the E1 ability to capture both JPEG and RAW at the same time, essentially giving me the best of both formats for each photo I take. I actually like the camera without a built in flash, having added the FL-50 flash exceeds all my expectations. Using the HLD-2 battery grip provides the power to take tons of pictures per charge. This is important as I tend to take hundreds of pictures per shoot not having to worry about film cost.

83% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Built like a tank!

Strengths: Outstanding quality, built for tough environments (dust, water), great software (camera and PC), excellent battery life, ...

Weakness: Would be great if it would have the speed (focus and 5 fps) of the Canon 20D

I use it in tough environments, mainly for sports and had absolutely no problem. Controls are very user-friendly and ergonomics is perfect.

Don't worry about the "only" 5 megapixels. These are super-pixels and the number does not tell you anything about their quality.

There is no integrated flash, but the a very small (pocket size), but pretty powerful one, is available. Advantage: much less red eyes, more powerful than a built-in gadget.

81% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Awesome ergonomics and weatherproof design.

Strengths: This camera feels rock solid, and is a steal at its current prices.

Weakness: Lack of automatic in-camera orientation correction, histogram not automatically available with image review (have to enter playback mode).

For the casual enthusiast, this camera has plenty to offer. It may not be up to current 10 MP size "standards," but its function and form are very hard to beat. I've never had a camera with more than 5 MP, so I don't notice any difference from that respect. What is touted about this camera, and I agree, is that these are quality pixels. Noise can be an issue with high ISO (800, 1600), but is easily remedied with NR software. I handled a lot of new consumer SLRs before purchasing this camera, and I can say its construction is superior to anything produced currently for less than $1000.

67% of readers found this review helpful. Did you find it helpful or unhelpful?

Olympus E-1

Olympus E-1 receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 1.77 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #79 Professional DSLR digital camera of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value, and a...

Read Full Review

Olympus E1

The Olympus E1 is a fantastic digital SLR camera with which splendid results can be obtained. The light weight and the compact size are appreciated and the professional finishing touch gives you the feeling of having a piece of quality in your hands. The images look good, the exposure is fine, and the technique of Olympus is brilliant. The Olympus E1 is a digital reflex camera with extensive...

Read Full Review

E-1

Jeff Keller looks at the Nikon Coolpix 3700, Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ10, Hewlett-Packard Photosmart 945, Minolta Dimage A1, Olympus C-5060 Wide Zoom, Olympus E-1, Pentax Optio 555, and the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-F828.

Read Full Review

Olympus E-1 review

The Olympus E-1 is the first example of the Olympus-inspired Four Thirds digital SLR standard, the only DSLR system designed with digital photography in mind from the ground up. This pro-spec camera, with a tough weather-sealed alloy body, produces excellent images and handles beautifully. Only high ISO noise performance is a concern if that's important to you. A deservedly award-winning...

Read Full Review

Olympus E-1

The Olympus E-1 digital SLR is still the only camera built around the "4/3" standard, but now it's been joined by third-party lenses built by Sigma. In my updated review based on a full-production model, I've now included a full complement of my standardized test photos, as well as detailed image-quality and performance analysis. Check it out!

Read Full Review

Olympus E-1

The Olympus E-1 digital SLR is still the only camera built around the "4/3" standard, but now it's been joined by third-party lenses built by Sigma. In my updated review based on a full-production model, I've now included a full complement of my standardized test photos, as well as detailed image-quality and performance analysis. Check it out!

Read Full Review