The E-1 shoots impressive photos and is also a low-light wonder. I found resolution particularly good in TIF mode, which produced files as big as 15MB. Color is not as pronounced as with Canon's 10D, but sharp, clean shots were the norm.
Performance
Most of the camera's adjustments are made using a combination of a button and either the front or back wheels. You can set and save multiple custom white-balance settings with a convenient front-side button. The E-1 lacks a built-in flash, but I got exceptional results using external lighting kits.
Hard-core photo enthusiasts would do well with this camera, although I doubt professionals would be satisfied. The E-1 is responsive with good metering and auto focus speeds, however, it lacks the nimbleness of a professional camera. Three frames per second for up to 12 frames is good but not exceptional. Write times can be a bit slow for larger sequential photos. It's especially annoying when you can't view a captured image while the buffered data is recording.
Lenses
Olympus currently features five
E-system lenses. Other vendors should follow. (Kodak, Fujifilm, and Olympus are the major developers of the Four Thirds design spec.) These are excellent high-end lenses but they come at a price, starting at $500 for the 14-54mm and topping off at $7,000 for the 300mm telephoto.
Summary: Overall, the solid E-1 deserves mention among the established digital SLRs in the $1,500 to $2,000 price range. But the competition has a distinct edge, not from a technological but an adoption standpoint. And the E-1 could surely benefit from lower price.
Pros: Excellent image quality; body and lenses a little smaller than other SLRs; solid build and usability
Cons: Few (and expensive) lenses exist for E-1 at this time; slow write times with large files; pricier than other good options; AF is a tad slower than other digital SLRs
Company: Olympus America Inc.Price: $1,799 (street, body only); $2,199 list
Available: Now
Category: Digital SLR camera
In the box: E-1 body, USB cable, 1394 FireWire cable, lithium-ion battery pack and charger, composite video cable, shoulder strap, user manual; software includes Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0, Olympus Viewer, and Olympus Studio Trial Version
