Olympus E-1

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Olympus E-1
Type Digital single-lens reflex
Sensor Kodak KAF-5101C Four Thirds System FFT CCD
Maximum resolution 2,560 × 1,920 (4.9 million)
Lens type Interchangeable (Four Thirds System)
Shutter Focal-plane shutter, all speeds electronically controlled
Shutter speed range 1/4,000 to 60 s, bulb up to 8 minutes
Exposure Metering TTL, evaluative (ESP), center-weighted, spot
Exposure Modes Program, shutter-priority, aperture-priority, manual
Metering modes ESP multi patterned, Center-weighted average (60%), Spot (2%)
Focus areas 3 auto-focus points, selectable
Focus modes Single, continuous, manual
Continuous Shooting 3.0 frame/s, up to 12 frames in any format
Viewfinder Optical TTL with pentaprism 100% field of view
ASA/ISO range ISO 100-800 with 1600 or 3200 in 'ISO Boost' mode
Rear LCD monitor 1.8 inch TFT LCD, 134,000 pixels
Storage CompactFlash (CF) (Type I or Type II), Microdrive compatible
Battery Olympus BLM-1 1500mAh Lithium-ion battery
Weight 23 oz (660 g) without battery or storage card

The Olympus E-1, introduced in 2003, was the first DSLR designed from the ground up for digital photography. This contrasts with its contemporaries which offered systems based on reused parts from previous 135 film systems, modified to fit with a sensor size of APS-C.

The E-1 uses the Four Thirds System lens mount and imaging system. This design choice means that because the CCD is smaller than a 35 mm negative, Four Thirds System lenses and camera bodies can be made smaller and lighter than those of preceding SLRs.

Characteristics:

Sometimes the user experiences bright spots in long (greater than a few seconds) exposures. This is called long exposure noise. By turning on the "Noise Removal" (not "Noise Filter"), the E-1 will do a “dark frame subtraction” to get rid of these erroneous bright spots.

The development of the E-1 involved the revitalization of Olympus' old Zuiko lens brand, through a new range named "Zuiko Digital" with the Four Thirds System lens mount. The E-1 was usually sold bundled with a splash proof Zuiko Digital 14–54 mm 1:2.8–3.5 zoom lens.

Olympus initially gave away free adapters to connect OM lenses to the new Four Thirds System mount. This adapter allowed a wide range of OM lenses to be used with the new Olympus DSLRs. The adapter is no longer given away for free, but is still available for purchase from various online sources.

[edit] External links

Olympus Four Thirds System Digital SLR Timeline
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2
Professional E-1 E-3
Midrange - Pentamirror/Prism E-500 E-510 E-520
Midrange - Porro mirror E-300 E-330
Entry-Level E-400 E-410 E-420
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