Olympus’ E-30 fills the hole in its dSLR lineup.
(Credit: Olympus America)
With a price gap of about $900 between the Olympus E-520 and the E-3, Olympus has long had a pretty big hole in its dSLR lineup–a hole populated by extremely popular competitors like the Nikon D90, the Canon EOS 40D, and the Canon EOS 50D. But with the announcement of the E-30, it looks like Olympus is entering the ring swinging.
First, some key specs:
| Canon EOS 50D | Nikon D90 | Olympus E-30 | Olympus E-3 | |
| Sensor | 14.7-megapixel CMOS | 12.3-megapixel CMOS | 12.3-megapixel Live MOS | 10.1-megapixel Live MOS |
| Color depth | 14 bits | 12 bits | 12 bits | 12 bits |
| Sensitivity range | ISO 100 – ISO 3,200/12,800 (expanded) | ISO 100 – ISO 3,200/6,400 (expanded) | ISO 100 – ISO 3,200 | ISO 100 – ISO 3,200 |
| Focal-length multiplier | 1.6x | 1.5x | 2x | 2x |
| Continuous shooting | 6.3 fps 90 JPEG/16 raw |
4.5 fps 100 JPEG/n/a raw |
5 fps n/a JPEG/12 raw |
6.5fps n/a JPEG/12 raw |
| Viewfinder | 95% coverage 0.95x magnification User interchangeable focusing screens |
96% coverage 0.94x magnification fixed focusing screen |
98% coverage 1.02x magnification fixed focusing screen |
100% coverage 1.15x magnification Mfr. interchangeable focusing screens |
| Autofocus | 9-pt AF all cross-type |
11-pt AF center cross-type |
11-pt AF all cross-type |
11-pt AF all cross-type |
| Live View | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LCD size | 3 inches | 3 inches | 2.7 inches | 2.5 inches |
| Approximate street price (body only) | $1,399 | $999 | $1,299 | $1,499 |
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