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[OM] Re: The E-330

Subject: [OM] Re: The E-330
From: hiwayman@xxxxxxx (Walt Wayman)
Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 16:39:06 +0000
In the following post, > = Andrew W.; > > = Moose, and the stuff without any > 
is mine.

 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Andrew L Wendelborn <andrew@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> At 9:50 PM -0800 2006.03.13, Moose wrote:
> >Ok, Walt, here are the big questions.
> 
> I'm not Walt, and I don't have an E-330, but I do have a reasonably detailed
> review of one in front of me (Australian Camera, March/April 2006).
> 
> >With the right answers, an E-330 will be coming this way soon after the
> >lens I want is back in stock at B&H.
> >
> >How is the noise at iso 400, 800 and 1600, full pixel?
> 
> To quote: "everything holds together well up to ISO400, but noise becomes
> evident in the shadows at ISO800 and more widespread beyond". I must say that
> the ISO1600 sample that AndrewF posted a while ago looked pretty reasonable 
> to 
> me.

Well, I am Walt, and I'm possibly the wrongest person you can find to ask about 
noise for several reasons: (1) It doesn't bother me as much as it does some, so 
I probably don't notice it and/or just ain't all that troubled by it; (2) In 
all my years of shooting film, I doubt I've ever shot as many as a dozen rolls 
of film faster than plain ol' Tri-X, and this addiction to low ISOs has carried 
over to my digital modus operandi.  In the 10 months or so I've had my E-1, I 
haven't taken even a dozen shots at 800, none at all at 1600 or 3200.  Out of 
every 100 pictures I take with the E-1, probably 90 are at 100, with the other 
10 being 50/50 at 200 and 400.

So, consider Andrew W's review quote and, for even further and more better 
elucidation, take a look at Andrew F's E-330 speeds comparison:

http://www.pbase.com/afildes/e330_comparison_shots

> >Does the LCD show changes in exposure live? That is, if I use spot and
> >meter something bright, does the rest of the LCD image turn darker, and
> >vicy versy?
> 
> Not so good. " ... it won't show you the effect of any adjustments that might 
> be
> applied prior to image capture ...".

Here I'll disagree with the "not so good" part.  I like it just the way it is.  
The E-330, when using the mode "B" live preview, is about as close as a fellow 
can get to an itty-bitty digital view camera.  I use the LCD live view mainly 
to assess focus and depth of field, an exercise instantly aided and abetted by 
the mere push of a button to great advantage by the 10X view, which can be 
moved to any part of the image with the up, down and sideways buttons on the 
arrow pad.  I've spent enough time sweating under a dark cloth with a view 
camera to appreciate these marvels: when closing down the lens to check DOF, 
instead of the image getting darker and darker, it stays at precisely the same 
brightness, while the effect on the DOF is oh so obviously and clearly seen.  
And moving the little green square around to get that 10X view is the digital 
equivalent of sticking a 10X loupe in different places on the ground glass.

I could go on and on about this.  I spent an hour the first day with the E-330 
walking around and playing with just this feature, going from f/2 to f/22 and 
watching the depth of field change on an image that never got the least bit 
darker.  Maybe only we old view camera guys can appreciate that.  This alone is 
going to make the E-330 my default macro and landscape camera.  The E-1 
probably will still be the walkabout choice. 
 
> >
> >For bonus points, does the LCD live display have any histogram and/or
> >blown highlights display? I know it does after, but how about before I
> >push the button?
> 
> Can't find a direct comment, but the specs section says " ... exposure
> histogram with highlight alert ...". FWIW.

In a word, no, unless I've missed some setting.  The E-330's histograms are 
historygrams, coming only after the event.  The hilight and shadow thingies, 
though, are really cool!

Anyway, if the two List curmudgeons, on opposite sides of the world, both like 
the E-330, you might want to think long and hard about its virtues, and I say 
this in large part because I know you shoot a good bit of macro, and I know 
you're going to really, really like "B" mode for that.  :-) 
 
> >
> >Thanks for any elucidation.
> 
> Hope this was some help.
> 
> regards
>   Andrew

Me too,

Walt

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