Speed and creativity

The new Olympus E-30 is the new enthusiast DSLR from Olympus. Incorporating the outstanding high-speed performance of the E-3, it offers sophisticated new features designed to expand the enthusiast photographer's range of creative and artistic expression.

New Art Filter shooting mode

Creative photography previously requiring the use of special lenses, optical filters, or the use of complex computer-based editing techniques can now be easily achieved at the moment of capture. The Art Filter (click on link to see how it works) shooting mode in the E-30 provides real-time digital simulation of traditional film processing or optical filter effects that can be previewed in Live View, providing the photographer with a powerful tool for creative expression.

The set of six Art Filters consist of a colour intensifying filter (Pop Art ), a grainy black and white film filter (Grainy Film ), two filters that simulate soft lighting effects (Pale & Light Colour , Light Tone ), a soft focus filter (Soft Focus), and a pinhole camera effect filter (Pin Hole) - click on filter names to see actual user samples.

 

From top left clockwise: Pinhole, Grainy Film, Light Tone, Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Colour

100% crop showing traditional black & white film-like grain simulation in 'Grainy Film' Art Filter shooting mode

Instantaneous Soft Filter effect for beauty photography

Pop Art Filter intensifies colours whilst retaining picture tonality

Pinhole Filter recreates the uniqueness of toy camera imagery

 

Sophisticated Multi-exposure shooting

Multi-exposure film photography is often tedious and challenging, requiring careful pre-capture planning by the photographer and a
rigid, linear process in execution. The E-30s intuitive multi-exposure function simplifies multi-exposure photography (click on link to see how it works) by providing an overlay of a previous image onto a live preview of the current scene.

A separate non-linear compositing function enables the photographer to combine previously captured raw pictures in playback review mode, providing the photographer with the flexibility to create multi-exposures of scenes that can be far separated in time and location, without the use of a computer and time-intensive editing software.

With powerful software algorithms programmed into the camera, the E-30 makes highly detailed, multi-exposure photography very simple to achieve.

 

Digital Level Gauge

A new digital level-gauge provides real-time display of camera pitch and roll, displaying both information on the LCD screen in the Live View mode. Horizontal level information can also be viewed through the viewfinder. This feature provides the convenience and accuracy of a mechanical bubble-level, and is only a button press away when required.

High Speed Autofocus

High-speed operational performance on par with the professional E-3 model is achieved with an 11-point AF sensor system featuring class-leading 11 full twin-cross sensors with AF sensitivity as low as -2 EV, 5 fps continuous shooting, and 1/8000 sec. maximum shutter speed.

 

 

Multi-aspect ratio shooting

The E-30 offers a choice of nine aspect ratios for image capture, including the popular wide-screen 16:9 and medium-format film 6:6
ratio formats. Live View photography with the High-Speed Imager AF enables auto-focusing with compact digital camera ease. The versatile flip-out variable-angle LCD screen makes both horizontal and vertically oriented Live View shooting easy and displays the live scene in the format chosen.

 

Superb Image Quality

The E-30 features an all-new 12.3 megapixel High-Speed Live Mos image sensor chip with a new Truepic III+ image engine. Dynamic range in highlights is improved by 1EV over previous LiveMos sensors.

 

 

New TruePic III+ image processing engine for even better picture quality

 

An Image Stabiliser effective to -5 EV Steps

To maximise image capture quality, the E-30 features the same image stabiliser used in the professional E-3,  with shake compensation up to a remarkable five EV steps.** This capability provides the photographer with heightened confidence when handholding long telephoto lenses, or when shooting in adverse low light conditions. It also allows for ultrawide angle lenses to also benefit from image stabilisation.

 

Installing a highly effective image stabiliser in-body instead of in-lens brings a compelling cost-performance advantage by providing stabilisation benefit to all system lenses. It further provides for compact lens designs which would otherwise be size-compromised by additional in-lens stabiliser components. In-body stabilisation further preserves the telecentric light path characteristics of Olympus Zuiko Digital lenses, ensuring that image quality even at picture corners is not sacrificed when stabilisation is activated.

 

Reliability you can depend on

The world's most effective dust-reduction system, the proven Olympus Super Sonic Wave Filter (SSWF), is used to provide assurance of truly fuss-free, dust-free image captures.

 

Large Optical Viewfinder and articulating 2.7 inch Live View LCD

A large and bright optical viewfinder with 98% viewing coverage and 1.02x magnification enables the photographer to see the scene clearly and is especially useful for critical manual focus applications.

 

A favourite of macro photographers and journalists, Live View capability is enhanced with a flip-out, dual-axis LCD screen, providing maximum Live View shooting flexibility in high and low-angle photography, both in vertical or horizontal shooting camera positions.

 

White balance, exposure compensation, depth of field preview, live-histogram, grid templates, and a powerful digital magnifier to assist precise close-up manual focus are standard with Live View in the E-30. New to the E-30's digital magnifier mode is magnified depth of field preview which allows critical judgement of the zone of focus.

 

Wireless Flash System

As is now standard with all DSLR cameras in the E-System, wireless flash photography capability is integrated in the E-30.

With the built-in flash acting as commander, the E-30 can control up to three separate groups of wireless flash units. An unlimited number of FL-50R and FL-36R flash units may be used within each of the three flash groups to increase lighting power. The E-30's built-in flash commander makes buying a separate wireless flash trigger unit unnecessary.

 

 

Normal flash synchronisation speed with non-dedicated strobe units is 1/250th second. In the special Super FP mode with the new FL-50R, FL-36R, and current FL-50 and FL-36 strobe units, flash sync speed can be as high as an astonishing 1/8000th second, providing the photographer with enhanced creative fill flash possibilities in bright daylight.

 

HLD-4 battery grip compatible

To provide flexible user configurability of camera body shape, size and weight for a wide range of photography applications and user preferences, the HLD-4 provides a comfortable and sure grip for vertical shooting requirements with the E-30 and features an additional shutter release button and control dial.

 

The HLD-4 battery grip utilises up to two standard Olympus BLM-1 Li-Ion batteries, effectively extending shooting capacity if necessary. The AA battery capability with the included AA battery holder of the new HLD-4 ensures that the E-30 user has the ability to shoot in locations where battery recharging is impossible. Alkaline or Ni-Mh AA sized batteries may be used.

 

Image quality begins with the lens

Olympus understands that image quality is not a function of the camera body alone. Without lenses designed for the unique demands of digital image sensors, even the best sensor technology in the world cannot deliver the best possible pictures.

To this end, the Olympus E-system lens catalog provides the widest range of uniquely designed-for-digital lenses, providing 35mm film format equivalent focal lengths from an ultra-wide 14mm to a super-telephoto range of 600mm (and up to 1200mm with the superb EC-20 converter).

Olympus Zuiko Digital lenses are renowned for class-leading compactness and performance at every focal length, and are surprisingly affordable, providing outstanding price-performance qualities through the range. Used with the E-30 the Olympus range of Pro and Super Pro digital lenses provide the professional and serious enthusiast with lenses that they can trust to deliver razor sharp picture results, even when used at wide open apertures!

** actual performance depends on lens focal length as well as user characteristics