Review on 📷 Olympus Evolt E300 8MP Digital SLR Camera with Zuiko 14-45mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens: High-Quality Imaging and Versatile Shooting Experience by Tamara Simms

Before purchasing the Evolt 300 I read numerous reviews about it and Nikon, Canon, Sigma and Fujifilm DSLRs with similar specs. A technically sound and advanced digital SLR camera that delivers photo quality comparable to the Nikon D70 and superior to the Canon Digital Rebel XT. So far, so good. I then visited various retailers - from specialty Photoshop shops to Best Buy and Circut City - so I could see and handle every camera in my price/performance range: $800-$1400, 6+ megapixels, a decent one Choice of lenses. (I bought the @Adorama camera through Revain). Unlike the similarly priced Nikon D50 and Canon XT, the Evolt 300 doesn't feel like a cheap plastic toy. Score 1. When I'm spending a lot of money on a digital SLR I need a certain level of reliability. This is a well-made camera. I chose Nikon D70, Evolt 300 and Canon EOS 20D. If money wasn't an issue I would suggest getting the Canon EOS 20D. Likewise, the Nikon D70 makes sense if you have compatible Nikon lenses. But other than that, it just doesn't beat the Evolt 300 to justify the cost difference. I chose the Evolt 300 with two Zuiko lenses. (above mentioned package). Even with the FL-36 flash and the extra battery, I still managed to keep the price of the whole package under $1,000. I have used the camera constantly for the past two months since moving to Senegal. No problem. If I may take others at their word, the photographs - not in terms of art, but in terms of image quality - are outstanding. I usually shoot in RAW and can handle more than 4 gigabytes without worrying about the battery. So far I've used most of the programmable features, including auto bracketing and white balance. Everything works as advertised. In addition, the various motif programs are also very good. (An exception is listed below). Three matches, the last minor.1. While this camera supports both manual and auto focus with manual fine tuning, Zuiko lenses just don't respond well to manual focus. Some macro shots (with complex backgrounds) require a little experimentation to get the subject in focus. Going to manual tuning and manual tuning which should solve the problem is almost a waste of time.2. Olympus has its own version of RAW - .orf. ORF requires a plugin for Photoshop 7 and below (don't know what Photoshop CS is). While RAW offers excellent editing options, the ORF version is tricky to handle, loads much slower, and can only be previewed with Olympus Master software. Considering the number of photos I took, the ORF added several hours to the processing time compared to standard RAW files. I'm less enthusiastic about that.3. You will either love or hate sunset mode. I don't care how it colors the horizon Martian orange. I want the deep blues, reds and purples I can see and some pretty good postcard melodrama. Now, when I'm shooting sunsets or twilight seascapes, I'm NOT using sunset mode. Conclusion: I have not regretted this purchase. I am very happy with my Evolt 300 which has been used many times in less than ideal conditions. The camera is technically reliable, easy to use and has many powerful basic and advanced functions. Simply great value for money. So far it's a lot of fun too.