Getting DSLR and looking at OLYMPUS EVOLT E-330 - Comments please

[dvleemin]

Hi,
For the last five years I've had an Olympus c3030, and I'm now ready to upgrade to a DSLR. The camera that I am currently considering is the OLYMPUS EVOLT E-330. I have to admit I'm partial to Olympus camera's, so I wanted to get other people's not so biased opinions on it. As well as any other reccomendations for other cameras that you may have.

The one thing that I really like about the 330 is the live view. That will make things underwater much easier (I've also used the LCD in my current 3030).

Some things that are driving my decision:
- availibility/cost of housing: please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think all the housings out there are going to be very very pricy regardless of DSLR type
- lenses availibility - so because Oly uses the 4/3 senser, and I more limited? How does this impact cost
- UW strobe and housing compatibility - I don't think this should be much of a difference between DSLR's either, correct?

Any comments would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Darryl

 

[djanni]

Hi,
For the last five years I've had an Olympus c3030, and I'm now ready to upgrade to a DSLR. The camera that I am currently considering is the OLYMPUS EVOLT E-330. I have to admit I'm partial to Olympus camera's, so I wanted to get other people's not so biased opinions on it. As well as any other reccomendations for other cameras that you may have.

The one thing that I really like about the 330 is the live view. That will make things underwater much easier (I've also used the LCD in my current 3030).

Some things that are driving my decision:
- availibility/cost of housing: please correct me if I'm wrong, but I think all the housings out there are going to be very very pricy regardless of DSLR type
- lenses availibility - so because Oly uses the 4/3 senser, and I more limited? How does this impact cost
- UW strobe and housing compatibility - I don't think this should be much of a difference between DSLR's either, correct?

Any comments would be very much appreciated.

Thanks,

Darryl

I hope you get it so you can let us know how you like the LiveView. I think that's gotta be the HOT new thing is DSLR's. I wonder who'll be next to release one?

 

[alcina]

I haven't had the pleasure of using one but here's a discussion on it - you might have to wade through some of the side comments

Here's the talk

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

If I had the money, I'd be going with the E330. I've handled a couple at camera shops, they're very nice. I just can't afford to house an SLR and I don't need a third Olympus dSLR body for land applications(I have the E1 and E500 already).

More and more lenses are being released for the 4/3rds cameras.

Currently:
Zuiko Digital 8mm FishEye
Zuiko Digital 7-14mm
Zuiko Digital 11-22mm
Zuiko Digital 14-35mm(On roadmap, but not officially announced yet - not counted)
Zuiko Digital 14-42mm
Zuiko Digital 14-45mm
Zuiko Digital 14-54mm
Zuiko Digital 17-45mm
Zuiko Digital 18-180mm
Zuiko Digital 35mm
Zuiko Digital 35-100mm
Zuiko Digital 40-150mm(3.5-4.5)
Zuiko Digital 40-150mm(4-5.6)
Zuiko Digital 50mm
Zuiko Digital 50-200mm
Zuiko Digital 90-250mm
Zuiko Digital 100mm(On roadmap, but not officially announced yet - not counted)
Zuiko Digital 150mm
Zuiko Digital 300mm

Panasonic/Leica 14-50mm OIS
Panasonic/Leica 14-150mm OIS(On roadmap, but not officially announced yet - not counted)
Panasonic/Leica 25mm
Panasonic/Leica 45mm OIS(On roadmap, but not officially announced yet - not counted)
Panasonic/Leica 50-150mm OIS(On roadmap, but not officially announced yet - not counted)

Sigma 18-50mm(2.8)
Sigma 18-50mm(3.5-5.6)
Sigma 18-125mm
Sigma 24mm
Sigma 30mm
Sigma 50-500mm
Sigma 55-200mm
Sigma 105mm
Sigma 135-400mm
Sigma 150mm
Sigma 300-800mm


As far as I know, only Zuiko glass is supported with UW ports for the housings though. The Olympus ports cover quite a range of lenses, should be enough for typical UW needs. I could be wrong, I haven't familiarized myself with the Ikelite lineup. There is atleast one other company(japanese I believe) that offers a housing for the camera, slightly cheaper, with most controls accessible - not sure of port availability there either.

 

[Jamdiver]

Suprbugman, have you seen some of the shots that the Oly E1 can produce underwater?

There's a guy by the name of Carlos Martinez over on Digital Diver who produces jaw dropping shots with it......... .

Check out some of his work here and here
and errm here too .

 

[JackConnick]

Oly has wonderful optics with lots of choices and it's growing quickly. You may not have as many 3rd party choices, but I don't think lens choices for UW are limited at all.

There are 3 housings out by Ike, Oly and Fantasea.

The Ike is, as usual, very sturdy and has some good strobe choices, but performs best with Ike strobes. It will use Nikonos connected strobes in manual. It is a 200' depth rated housing. Good port selection, but usually a different port for each lens, no extension rings. $1400 msrp.

The Oly is cheaper at $1100, but is a 200' housing, with controls to match. Yeah, you won't even go to 200', but it's sort of like a dive watch, it's an indication of build quality. It does have the ability to use the nice, but expensive, Athena large dome port. It's weakness is Oly strobe connectors which aren't the best and are proprietary, you can only use Oly strobes with it. Yes, there are some 3rd party retrofits, etc. Has it's own ports which aren't cheap.

Fantasea has a great new housing for the Evolt 330. It is a 300' housing. The Fantasea has many cool features, standard Nikonos 5 pin connectors, so you can use a huge array of strobes in TTL. There is also have a housing for the Oly strobe. It has the new exclusive "air-lock" closure system in which you just open a couple of valves and the back levers off. To close you just push it on and close the valves, no clamps! Several ports available, new products for it may be announced at DEMA. Also has an optical viewfinder and comes with DEPP flood insurance included. List is same as Oly, $1100. I'm selling it for $934 to SB members. (BTW, no duty, we ship from Vancouver) There is a good review of it (its the same housing as the 10Bar) at UW Photography - July/Aug issue.

 

[SuPrBuGmAn]

Jack - Fantasea is the same as 10bar? Thats good to know, that was the other housing that I had read a review on. What is the standard lense port the housing comes with?

Jam - those are some fantastic pictures, I really wish I could afford to house one of my dSLRs - I've already got the 8mm Fisheye, 11-22mm, and a 50mm macro which I think would cover most of my needs. I can pick up a E330 body for about $800, still another $1000 for the housing :/ Maybe this Fantasea housing will do the trick though?

I flooded my C5060 last weekend, so I'm looking for a replacement as we speak. DEPP is covering the camera cost since I had it insured.

 

[JackConnick]

Well it comes with the standard lens port. Will work with your 50mm ok, I think, (send me a link to specs). There is a 5" dome port (I sell it for $295), ok for the 11-22mm, but I doubt it will work with the 8mm. For that, you'd want the Athena, for the Oly case, very nice, but $$. There is also a longer port for a 100mm and extension rings.

What are you doing for strobes and arms?

Jack

 

[dvleemin]

Hi Everyone,
Thanks for all the comments.

The initial lense I was considering getting was the Zuiko Digital 18-180mm. I figure as the default lens its a big improvement over the Zuiko Digital 14-45mm.
What do you guys think of this lens?

I have some questions about how housings work with all these lenses though. How do I know what housings can handle what lenses? I want to make sure that the housing I buy will be able to handle whatever lenses I want to buy in the future.

Thanks,

Darryl

 

[dvleemin]

I also have a question about the strobe connector types. The Ikelite has a Ikelite 5 pin connector; The fantasea has Nikonos 5 pin. Olympus uses its own?

So if I get the fantasea, can I use an Ikelite strobe?

Doing some more research, it looks like you have to match a port to the EXACT lens you're going to use - is that correct? And looking at the Oly, the only lens supported are the following:
(14-45mm)
(11-22mm, 14-54mm)
(50mm Macro)
(7-14mm)

Ikelite supports the following:
Zuiko 7-14mm
Zuiko 11-22mm
Zuiko 14-45mm
Zuiko 14-54mm
Zuiko 50mm macro F2.0

Fantasea doesn't say.

So I guess the 18-180 isn't even an option . . .

Darryl