Olympus E system

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Olympus E-1

The E-System is a compact camera system designed by Olympus for its digital SLR cameras . It is the first digital camera system to be manufactured according to the Four Thirds Standard (FT) developed by Olympus and Kodak .

Special features

All E-System cameras have a sensor dust protection system ( SSWF ), which means that manual sensor cleaning is only required for stubborn dirt. With the E-330 model , the first single-lens reflex camera with support for live view was brought onto the market, although this capability has meanwhile also become standard in competing systems.

The E-System camera models are partly equipped with an image stabilizer integrated into the housing . In return, no Olympus lens has lens stabilization, even if, for example, the stabilized Leica lenses (sold by Panasonic ) can be operated on the Olympus cameras.

Due to the design of Four Thirds, the cameras are on average slightly smaller and lighter than those of competing systems. The manufacturer claims to offer the world's smallest and lightest DSLR housing with an integrated image stabilizer with the E-620 at least temporarily (as of May 2009). Due to the very telecentric beam path , Four Thirds cameras (compared to APS-C and full-format cameras) generally show slightly better behavior in terms of vignetting and edge sharpness. E-System cameras provide images with an aspect ratio of 4: 3, in contrast to the aspect ratio of 3: 2 that is common with other manufacturers and adopted from 35mm film.

Compared to the larger APS-C or even 35mm full-format sensors, Four Thirds sensors of the older generation with the same number of pixels and higher ISO settings generally have a somewhat stronger noise, the depth of field is increased and the exposure of objects is more difficult. The latest generation of the sensors built into the Olympus E-30 and Olympus E-620, however, have significantly improved noise characteristics and an expanded dynamic range compared to previous generations, which are comparable to current APS-C systems.

Camera body

With the E-1 , the E-System's first digital SLR camera came onto the market in autumn 2003. Since then, 13 other models have followed (as of October 2010):

2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
E-1 1 E-300 1 E-500 E-330 2.4 E-410 2 E-420 2 E-30 2,3,5 E-5 1,2,3,5
E-400 E-510 2.3 E-520 2.3 E-620 2,3,5
E-3 1,2,3,5 E-450 2

1 : dust and splash protection
2 : with live view
3 : image stabilizer integrated in the housing
4 : display can be folded around the horizontal axis
5 : display can be swiveled around the vertical axis and the horizontal axis rotated

The E-510 and E-3 are the first models to have an image stabilizer built into the housing . Like Pentax and Sony , Olympus is taking the path of stabilizing the image in the housing and not installing an image stabilizer in special lenses, as is the case with B. is the case with Nikon and Canon .

By Panasonic , there are those on the 330 E- based DMC-L1 and DMC-L10 . The Digilux 3 offered by Leica is almost identical to the DMC-L1, but with a modified upper housing cover, a different algorithm for generating the JPEG images, better software included and an SD memory card included.

Lenses

Wide angle zoom Standard zoom Telephoto zoom macro Fixed focal length Teleconverters and adapters
7-14mm f / 4.0 12-60mm f / 2.8-4.0 SWD 35-100mm f / 2.0 35mm macro f / 3.5 8mm f / 3.5 fisheye EC-14 1.4x teleconverter
9-18mm f / 4.0-5.6 14-35mm f / 2.0 SWD 40-150mm f / 4.0-5.6 50mm macro f / 2.0 25mm f / 2.8 pancake EC-20 2.0x teleconverter
11-22mm f / 2.8-3.5 14-42mm f / 3.5-5.6 50-200mm f / 2.8-3.5 SWD 150mm f / 2.0 EX-25 Extension Tube
14-54mm f / 2.8-3.5 70-300mm f / 4.0-5.6 300mm f / 2.8 MF-1 OM system adapter
18-180mm f / 3.5-6.3 90-250mm f / 2.8
14-45mm f / 3.5-5.6

Explanation: SWD = lenses with ultrasonic drive

The 2,8–3,5 / 50–200 has its own stand with a tripod thread

Some of the currently 19 Zuiko digital lenses (as of June 2008) have received awards, especially for their good imaging performance. The ED 1: 2 150 mm (corresponding to 300 mm in KB format), for example, received the coveted TIPA Award in 2004 in the “Best High-End Lens” category. Due to the system, the lenses are quite compact and light in comparison with lenses of other formats that map the same angle of view . A focal length range from 7 to 300 mm is now covered. In relation to the 35mm format, this corresponds to a focal length range from 14 mm ( wide angle ) to 600 mm ( telephoto ) ( format factor 2).

The ED 1: 2 50 mm Macro macro lens (small image 100 mm) is designed for close range up to magnification to half life size (1: 2), based on the size of the image sensor. In relation to the 35mm format, this corresponds to a magnification of 1: 1, i.e. life size.

All lenses for the Four Thirds standard are compatible with each other and can therefore also be used for the E-System. In autumn 2006, Leica brought the first FT lens (14-50 mm focal length) with an optical image stabilization system onto the market, as well as a normal lens with 25 mm focal length and a maximum aperture of 1.4. The Sigma company also offers lenses for Four Thirds, which extends the focal length range in relation to the 35mm format to 1600 mm (without teleconverter).

Additional optical accessories are teleconverters with a factor of 1.4 (EC-14) and 2.0 (EC-20) as well as the EX-25 intermediate ring for macro applications. Olympus also offers an adapter for connecting old lenses from the company's own earlier OM system. Because of the short flange focal length, there are also adapters for other lenses, e.g. B. Contax / Yashica, Leica R, Nikon, and Canon EOS.

Other Accessories

In addition to basic accessories such as transmission cables, image processing and archiving software, chargers, remote controls, etc., some of which are already included in the scope of delivery of the system cameras, battery handles (E-1, E-3, E-30, E-620) , Eyepiece cups , angle finders , underwater protective housings , etc. Interchangeable viewfinder screens are currently only available for the E-1 and E-30.

The manufacturer also offers various flash units to match the system, which can be controlled by TTL measurement (through the lens, control of the flash triggering and intensity by the camera).

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Olympus website: E-620 ( memento of the original from July 1, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / olympus.de
  2. ↑ dpreview, Olympus E-30 review Olympus E-30 ISO Sensitivity / Noise levels

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