The manual was very easy to understand giving you a discription of a feature as well as all related pages that offered more information. Within a matter of moments, I was able to set the camera up and start taking pictures.
The only problem I incured was when I went to download pictures to my PC (a problem I had with other brands). Unlike the other manufacturers, one phone call to Olympus and my problem was resolved in less than 20 minutes.
If you want an easy to use camera that takes exceptional pictures, then this is the camera for you. Now I anxiously await the wide angle and tele-photo lenses for even more fun
In digital photography, all you need is good photo-editing software (the E-10 comes with Adobe Photoshop LE) and a good printer - no eye-irritating chemicals and hours alone in the dark, like with film photography! Oh ya, and a good camera!
Using the E-10 is functioning on a whole different plane than anything I've used before (digitally, Kodak and Sony in the $800 - $900 range). The control is total. The product is eye-popping. What pictures! I'm producing 13x19 inch prints of amazing clarity. And although there is still quite a bit of effort involved - the comfort level and the amount of ultimate control over the product is astounding. And it all starts with the E-10.
To the hand, the fit and feel are unmistakably that of a 35mm SLR. Of course, there is no f-ring, and no gnarled knob dedicated to shutter speed control - too bad, I thought at first. But with some adjustment to thinking, there is an easy (actually, easier!), total control of these functions - and so much more. The zoom and focus rings are the smoothest I've ever used (and I have a couple of lenses for my 35mm that cost more than this camera).
I also have the 0.8x and the 1.45x lens attachments, for wide and telephoto (or 28mm and 200mm, respectively, in a 35mm format camera). Lens extenders exaggerate chromatic aberrations, flares and distortions - and they certainly reduce the speed of the lens fairly dramatically, among other things. Regarding the Camedia extenders, though there is a reduction in speed, it's absolutely negligible. And for image quality, I performed some tests photographing newspaper (a great test pattern, believe it, or not) and found nothing to complain about - quite the opposite. This is really good stuff. Not perfect, but very, very good. The quality of the lens on the camera, on the other hand, may as well be perfect. Similar, but more precise tests performed against this lens just made me smile. There are some flares and barreling under certain circumstances, but nothing - absolutely nothing to complain about. The contrast and brightness-uniformity (condensing) of the image are as good as you can get without spending a lot, like on some of Canon's Flourite lenses.
Overall, the experience is just great. The designers thought of everything. This E-10 is easier to use, and fits the hand better than any professional grade camera I've ever used.
Just a couple more notes: The optical viewfinder is bright. The shutter release is perfect for handheld, low shutter speed shots in that it requires only a very light touch (but there is good travel to prevent premature release). The CCD is noise-free at any contrast (some owners claim noise at higher contrast settings, but I haven't experienced this. Perhaps, Olympus had dealt with this by the time I purchased mine). The LCD monitor really comes in handy with its multi-position feature - in making waist level and over-head shots.
Olympus suggests that this camera will eliminate the need to ever return to film format cameras. I definitely agree. Digital photography really is a revolution. And this particular camera really is the beginning of the revolution as far as cost/quality combination is concerned.
This is a great camera.
PROS : -Very sturdy, well designed body
-All the manual controls you'll ever need
-Impressive night and macro ability
-SmartMedia and CompactFlash Type II slots
-Ultra-fast shooting speeds
-Handy backlit LCD info display and swiveling LCD
-Ability to preview shots on LCD as well as viewfinder (a first for an SLR digital)
-Manual zoom(sweet!)
-There are lots of equipment for this camera
CONS :
-Lens not removable
-Somewhat sluggish in menus and playback mode
-Disappointing LCD quality
-IBM Microdrive not supported
TIFF mode is just awesome, but the average size is... 11,3 megs. So it`s 11 pics on a 128 meg card. This is THE camera right now for the pros. The super fast shots are incredible, it takes jpg pics like lightning. What can I say else?
