Beneath the Olympus EVOLT E300 futuristic, sci-fi design lies some very retro technology–technology mined from the history of the Olympus Optical Corporation itself. Olympus EVOLT E300 is a true digital SLR, designed to please the serious photographer, but without completely alienating the novice. Featuring an interchangeable lens mount, a host of exposure controls , and a wide range of 14 preset exposure modes, the Olympus EVOLT E300 is a capable option for those amateurs looking for a meatier camera. A plastic and aluminum body surrounds the Olympus EVOLT E300 aluminum die-cast chassis, which weights in at a hefty 1.39 pounds (634 grams) for just the camera body, with CF card and battery.
You may differentiate this to other models such as Minolta X-700. Compared to Olympus EVOLT E300, Minolta X-700 selects both the shutter and aperture for the correct exposure, so all you have to do is focus and shoot. But if you want to take over, there’s aperture-priority exposure control and full metered manual exposure control right at your fingertips. The Minolta X-700 has three operating modes, programmed auto-exposure (P mode), aperture priority auto-exposure (A mode) and metered full-manual exposure (M mode). Minolta X-700 system has two silicon photocells, one for normal operation and one for TTL flash metering. Minolta X-700 is an excellent camera in all respects. It’s simple to operate and it has many advanced features but it still lets you be as creative as you want to be. The Minolta X-700 center-weighted averaging type metering leaves certain back light or otherwise more complicated exposure situations for the user to decide. Minolta X-700 bayonet of integrally lubricated stainless steel coupling for full-aperture metering, finder display input, and an automatic diaphragm control, providing programmed or aperture-priority auto operation with Minolta MD lenses, aperture-priority auto operation with MC and other Minolta SLR interchangeable lenses/accessories. Click here for more Minolta X-700 best features.
With the 14-45mm lens, the Olympus EVOLT E300 total mass comes to 2.05 pounds (933 grams). Measuring 5.8 x 3.4 x 2.5 inches (147 x 85 x 64 millimeters), the Olympus EVOLT E300 is far from tiny, but its larger size accommodates a reasonable handgrip that’s comfortable to hold if a little shallow. The Olympus EVOLT E300 control layout is more like those of its competitors than anything in Olympus’s recent past, with a vertical array of buttons left of the LCD, a mode dial and power switch on top, and a command dial and AE/AF and Focus point selector buttons next to the thumb rest. The large Mode dial on top of the camera accesses the main exposure modes, plus a few of the more commonly used Scene modes, and a wide selection of external controls is useful for changing camera settings without the LCD menu. To get this amazing features of Olympus EVOLT E300, click here.
Here is a summary of Olympus EVOLT E300 review from a satisfied customer:
It’ll grow on you
This is the latest in my journey through Olympus Digital Cameras
(D340R, 460,560,2020z, 5060 — some of which I have reviewed on Amazon). The choice of the E-300, used for some commerical work I do, was not so easy because I have a bag full of Pentax K lenses and was mightily tempted by the Pentax digitals. But, having batteries, familiarity with the menu system, and really very good experience with Olympus products and service over the years, I took the plunge and got the E-300 and its kit lens. Then got a K mount adapter for my Pentax lenses and set to work.
The Olympus EVOLT E300 optical viewfinder does feature a helpful information readout though, and the optional status display, activated by pressing the INFO button, on the camera’s rear-panel color LCD is among the best we’ve seen. A truly unique Supersonic Wave Filter prevents dust from accumulating on the CCD while changing lenses, something we’d love to see other camera manufacturers adopt. The Olympus EVOLT E300 features a 8.0-megapixel (effective) CCD, which delivers a maximum image size of 3,264 x 2,448 pixels. This is enough resolution to print quality images as large as 16 x 20 inches, or to 11 x 17 with cropping.
Olympus EVOLT E300 has the following features and specifications:
- 8.0-megapixel (effective) CCD
- Supersonic Wave Filter delivering image resolutions 3,264 x 2,448 pixels.
- Digital SLR design and true optical viewfinder
- 1.8-inch, color, Advanced Super View LCD display for image review.
- Lens mount accommodates Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses.
- Manual and automatic focus modes
- Shutter speeds from 1/4,000 to 30 seconds
- Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority
- Manual exposure modes, plus 14 Scene modes.
- Spot, Center-Weighted, and Digital ESP metering systems.
- Auto Bracketing and Sequential Shooting capture modes.
- Adjustable White Balance with 11 settings
- Variable ISO setting, with ISO equivalents from 100 to 1,600 (800 and 1,600
- Contrast, Saturation, Sharpness, Monochrome, and Graduation image adjustments.
Click here to watch a video of Olympus EVOLT E300 and get the best features
Olympus EVOLT E300 has the following Pros and cons:
Pros:
- Good bright and detailed LCD monitor
- Fast startup time
- Supplied Olympus Master software is well designed
- Customizable ‘OK’ button
- Powerful, lightweight Lithium-Ion battery
- Playback magnification up to 10x
- Orientation sensor
cons:
- No focus distance indicator on kit lens
- Flash must be raised for AF assist
- Potential to lose images if CF door is opened during write
Conclusion:
Olympus EVOLT E300 powerful 8 megapixel CCD combines with interchangeable Zuiko digital lenses, Olympus EVOLT E300 exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter and other cutting-edge technologies for world-class images. Advances in design make for a durable and portable compact camera you can take and trust anywhere. With impressively fast shooting and operating speeds that ensure you never miss a photo op, and the ability to switch lenses and add flashes so you never miss a beat. Click here to get this exciting features of Olympus EVOLT E300.
