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Review Summary
2014-03-31T21:00:00
This is an upgrade from my e620 and offers a few more features--mostly the larger view finder and a few more accessible controls. As usual, Adorama provides excellent service and the camera was just as promised.
House s.
2012-04-22T21:00:00
The E30 is an excellent DSLR. Coupled with Oly lens, it takes wonderful images.
HWPhoto
2012-03-11T21:00:00
I have used My E-30 for over 2 years and never had a problem with it. If you have Olympus lenses this is a great addition it has most of the capabilites of an E5 with the exception of waterproofing and at a bargin price. I also have other brand of cameras which I use and the E-30 compares well
Richard
2011-10-30T21:00:00
Great for grand kids sports and landscapes
son t.
2011-10-30T21:00:00
I use tis camera usually for indoor sports and landscape photography.
PHotos L.
2011-10-16T21:00:00
The high level of user control available through logically placed function controls makes for great ease of use. Relatively small dimensions and light weight (especially with the lightweight Zuiko Digital lenses mounted) compared to other cameras makes it a great tool to work with. Excellent image quality.
Finn
2011-09-11T21:00:00
Do not buy the kit lenses. Olympus Pro lenses are excellent- based on my Optical Chart tests. Feel very confident in recommending this system over its major competitors. This system is used for family and trip photos. I find that the focusing and controls are simple to use and give you the results you want. This is the third Olympus camera I have owned:one major camera in between, and returned to Olympus. As a Photographic Engineer, I am extremely happy with the Olympus System!
Paul B.
2011-09-10T21:00:00
This is a fantastic camera, and Olympus had it right 12mp is more than enough (don't get caught up in a numbers game). The ridiculous availability of beautiful lenses makes this camera body a great one to have, however, it is best suited outdoors in great lighting or aided with a flash(or multiple flashes). The body feels very rugged, and the 100% viewfinder is such a huge plus. The image stabilizer is adjustable to your use, and it is fantastic in application. IT is not a weatherproofed camera, so if you are needing this get the E3 or E5. BC of the 4/3 sensor it allows for a greater depth of field without having to crank the F-stop to F11 or greater. A great lineup for this is the olympus 35-100 F2 and the 50-200 SWD lens. No great primes for olympus, but these lenses make up for a lot. The downfall of the 4/3 is that you wont get that really shallow depth of field that a 1.4 or 1.2 lens would have on a full frame camera (because it is half the size of a full frame). Overall, an amazing tool. I'd buy it again if I had a choice. There is a great support group of other Olympus 4/3 users out there who will help you customize your settings and find a community of like minds. This camera is not for everyone, and glass can get expensive.
Daniel C.
2011-09-04T21:00:00
I have used this camera for over a year without problems. The camera is everything a good camera should be.
Richard R.
2010-06-19T21:00:00
Visited a history museum yesterday that featured paintings, scultures, photos, mannequins, a Huey helicopter, a jeep, etc. The shadows, lighting and overhead spots made for some tough shooting. The E-30, with a 14-54 F2.4-3.5 lens did an outstanding job. I had forgotten my tripod and the image stabilization feature worked to perfection for the hand-held shots. I upgraded from an E-500 to the E-30 and am extremely pleased with the product [...]
Wally J.
2010-04-10T21:00:00
I've used the Oly 510 and 620 and loved the latter, but needed the additional capacity of the E-30, namely the ability to bracket exposures with a full 2 E.V. stops on either side of zero. What I found, when I got the camera were that there were many smaller, incremental improvements over the entry 620 which endear the camera to me: a bigger, much brighter viewfinder; a better image stabilization engine (or at least more effective for me), a shorter shutter lag upon shutter release push, and of course the topside LCD information window. When you are using the Live View image magnification for critical focusing, you need additional information which this topside LCD provides, but the 510/620 lacked. Despite it's bigger size and heavier weight, I find myself reaching for it each and every time as compared to the 620 (which I still use as a second body).
woodden
2010-01-23T19:00:00
Great Camera use it for Landscape,Sports, Wildlife. Picture Quality is great,easy to use.
Peter
2009-11-06T19:00:00
I bought this to upgrade from my E-500. Quite an improvement.
KEVIN M.
2009-07-08T21:00:00
This is a great replacement for my E 510, which was no slouch it self. Larger viewfinders come at the cost of more size and weight, but worth it. Weather sealing isn't as good as the E3, but better than the E 510. I thought that the art filters were a marketing gymic, but since I have won several gold medals using them, I have changed my mind. The useful ISO range has been doubled, but is still not up to Canon/Nikon standards, however the Oly lenses easily make up for that. Not perfect, but highly recommended.
JACK H.
2009-06-26T21:00:00
I upgraded from an Olympus E520 to the E30 and am SO glad I did. The camera is more substantial, has a great ergonomic feel and performs beyond my expectations. The articulating LCD is a wonder! I actually didn't think I'd have much use for it. But I've found it comes in so handy for those high and low shots and works spectacularly well with tripod use. The colors are superb and the dynamic range much improved from the E520. With more megapixels and the built-in art filters the potential is spot on. The only con (and it's not much of a con) is that the shutter is noiser/louder than I expected. Not bird frighteningly so, but more loud than the E520. That's all! One feature I absolutely adore is the two-jog-dial mode for adjusting shutter and aperature. The 520 had one dail and had to used in conjunction with a small button. The two dial mode of operation is the best! I can't say enough great things about the E30. I'm so very glad I decided to upgrade!
Chris
2009-06-23T21:00:00
I upgraded to the E30 from an E500. The E30 is slightly bigger and heavier, but I quickly adapted and now my E500 feels puny. I don't like the digital display on top (very hard for me to read) but the info shows on the back screen also so I just look there. The menu choices are easy to access with buttons and dials. The LCD seems to fog or smudge easily making it hard to review photos in bright sunlight. I'm constantly cleaning the screen. They must have used the same anti-glare coating as my glasses (they are horrid). I shoot mostly landscapes, dog and horse portraits, and horses at liberty. I've taken close to 1000 photos in my first week of ownership and am quite happy with the fast focus and exposure. I've gotten some awesome photos under not so ideal settings.
Saddlebum
2009-06-09T21:00:00
See best uses.
Rudy P.
2009-03-29T21:00:00
Having already owned the Olympus E500 & E510 along with a nice assortment of Zuiko four thirds lenses, moving up to the E30 was a breeze. Controls are similar to above mentioned models, Larger lcd w/articulation is great as is improved Auto focus & upgraded image processer. This is a substantial DSLR compared to earlier E system cameras and actually has features not found in the E3 Pro model. If you do not require a sealed camera you cannot go wrong with the E-30. E-30 has performed admirably in all respects and I use it exclusively for weddings, portraits, landscapes and wildlife photography.
Mike B.
2009-03-10T21:00:00
OK- SO I JUST BOUGHT IT! Just ran it through a series of test and can tell you it's photoshop in a camera! The menus are a bit more complicated than Olympus' top E-3, but that's to be expected considering the additional features. The camera's grip is perfect and it's very lightweight. Going back to the menus, When you access the Art Filter set, which you can do from the main dial on top, the menu shows bright and clear examples of each style of effect. So I of course tested them out. I absolutely love the "Grainy Black and White" effect, and I noticed that when you select these Art Filters, the ISO changes to match the style. The "Grainy B&W" went to ISO 800 for instance. The "Pop Art" effect was REALLY vivid, but my other fave is the "Pinhole" effect which vignettes the corners and edges in a dark blended frame, and colors and exposure changes to match this effect. The only complaint is that you can't combine effects like the "Grainy B&W" and Pinhole. "Soft Focus" is a bit too soft for me, but it has its uses. I've yet to try the mutiple exposure function, but I'll do so by the weekend. The swivel LCD is Olympus' brightest and sharpest yet and pictures look stunning on it. Image quality is much better than reported. I expected some increase in noise ( I shoot with NR off all the time), but found less despite the increase in megapixels on the four-thirds sensor. I'm left wondering why Olympus DSLRS aren't considered more for pro use when Olympus has consistently made great images. More to come...
dynamarcvisuals