Anyone got an E330?

[2wheeldiver]

Thinking of moving up from my Olympus C7070 to a DSLR. Like the look of the E330 but the 14-45 lens looks no good to me as I try to do macro stuff. Anyone got any wise offerings?

[John N]

I've changed from a 5050 to a Canon EOS400. Canon do 60mm and 100mm macro lenses (equivalent to 96mm and 160mm after taking the 1.6 crop factor into account). These lenses have a very good reputation.
I have the 100mm and am getting some good results with it above water.
You will be looking at £700 - £800 for the camera and lens though.

Most people seem to be going Nikon or Canon at this level. The E330 doesn't seem to compete well with the likes of the EOS400 or D80.
Check out this site for reviews and comparisons:
Olympus E-330 EVOLT Review: 1. Introduction: Digital Photography Review

As far as the lens that comes with the Olympus though, remember that this camera has a crop factor of 2, so your 14 - 45 is actually a 28 - 90 equivalent!

[2wheeldiver]

Hi John, as you have changed from a 5050 to a DSLR how are you getting on moving from a continuous display LCD to having to peer through a tiny viewfinder?

[MAD]

I've an E330 in an Olympus housing...

Absolutely cracking piece of kit and very well manufactured.

The PT-E02 is a stunning housing, very heavy duty and access to ALL of the controls.

Don't be fooled into thinking an ikelite housing is a better bet... it's not...

I've had Nikon SLR's for the past 20 years including an early adoptor of the D70 when it first came out...

I now use the E330 for most of my above water photos too.

I go the E330 after moving up from the 8080... which was a stunning piece of kit, but the lag and the storage rate after firing on RAW really frustrated me.

It's a proper SLR with all the benefits... fast focus, near instant shutter and interchangeable lenses.

The live view is a god send!!!! The only interchangeable lens SLR with this.

The standard lens is OK, good wideangle (relatively) but relatively "slow" in terms of aperature which can cuase the lens to hunt in very low light.

The standard port on the PT-E02 housing also takes the true macro lens.. 35mm... equivalent to a 70mm macro on a film camera. This lens is easily found for less than £150.

It's a stunning setup


Without a doubt the Liveview feature is what makes this stand out from the crowd when it comes to using it underwater though...

For a pure land camera both Nikon and Canon do better for less money... house it and this beats the lot for the price...

Cheers,

Mark

[2wheeldiver]

Hi Mark,
My mate has a E500 with the 14-45mm lens and I didn't reckon a lot to the lens. Olympus do a 14-54mm F2.8 which is a bit more money but probably worth it. Any ideas??
What kind of strobe are you using? The FL-36? If you are then does the TTL work?

[John N]

Originally Posted by 2wheeldiver

Hi John, as you have changed from a 5050 to a DSLR how are you getting on moving from a continuous display LCD to having to peer through a tiny viewfinder?

I'm still saving up for the housing and strobe but this was one of my concerns when I was looking at new cameras.
I'll see how it goes but I've seen underwater shots from the EOS and Nikon SLRs and they are good enough for me not to be too worried about it.

I think I will miss being able to hold the camera at arms length and using the display to frame the shot, but the speed that the EOS can get shots will more than make up for that.

[Mike Ward]

If you like the 330 go for it, like other SLRs it'll take a macro lens so you can get the type of shots you want.

In my opinion the option to fit a specific lens for a specific situation or type of shot and the faster handling are the advantages of an SLR over a compact. The disadvantage is that if you've fitted a macro or ultra-wide you can't then change it underwater.

Viewfinder vs screen is a bit of a red herring - again in my opinion. Either will deliver good results and there are some situations that would suit one rather than the other. Overall, I prefer a viewfinder, I find I get better framing and composition and can hold the camera steadier, but there are times I'd like to have the live view, so there's a good argument in favour of the 330!