The Olympus E-300 (also called the Evolt) has an unusual design for a reflex-type camera. It is part of the Four Thirds system, a system developed in part by Olympus and which makes use of a specially developed CCD with 4:3 proportions and a lens mount optimized for that ratio. Compared to the Olympus E-1, the first Four Thirds camera produced by Olympus, the E-300 is more compact, and offers a new 8-megapixel CCD. But, just like the E1, the E-300 is able to receive any Four Thirds compatible lens, and is sold as a kit with an Olympus Zuiko zoom 14 to 45 mm f3.5-5.6.

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This is a good camera, even better considering the price (April 2005: you can get the E-300 with the 14-45 mm lens at less than $750 from a respectable seller). After trying it out, I decided to keep it (and I have to get another one for my friend; he still wants one). What I like about it is the general image quality, the solidness of construction, and wide range of adjustments available. The controls are good — not as good as in the E-10/E-20, but still. My biggest problem is with the placement of the viewfinder data display. I also wish the camera’s width were 15 mm or so less.

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The Olympus E-300 / Olympus Evolt E-300 is the second digital SLR camera based on the FourThirds System. The Olympus E-300 / Olympus Evolt E-300 is an 8 megapixel DSLR that looks a little unusual - Olympus have replaced the traditional pentaprism with a TTL Optical Porro Finder, which uses a horizontal viewfinder with four mirrors instead of a prism and enables the camera to have a more compact flat profile. The Olympus E-300 / Olympus Evolt E-300 is not a replacement for the older professional-level E1, despite offering more megapixels. At a current street price around £600 / $900 / €800 with the 14-45mm kit lens (equivalent to 28-90mm on a 35mm camera), it represents Olympus’ attempt to capture a slice of the entry-level DSLR market, and is subsequently competing with the likes of the Canon EOS 350D, Nikon D70 and Pentax *ist DS. The Olympus E-300 / Olympus Evolt E-300 can be used with all of the existing E-system lenses, flashguns and accessories. It also offers built-in dust protection, often a problem for DSLR cameras, via its Supersonic Wave Filter.

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Olympus’s new EVOLT E-300 is an 8-megapixel interchangeable-lens digital SLR that sells for under $1000 including a wide-to-tele zoom lens, making it just 2¼3 the cost of the next-lowest-priced 8-megapixel digital SLR. And that’s just for starters. This sturdy camera also features good performance, a unique design, a Supersonic Wave Filter that automatically shakes dust off the image sensor every time you switch the camera on, and lots more.

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The uniquely styled 8-megapixel Evolt E-300 from Olympus enters the expanding field of entry-level, sub-$1,000 digital SLR (dSLR) cameras. As with the more pro-oriented Olympus E-1, the E-300 conforms to the Four-Thirds standard for interchangeable-lens dSLRs, which in theory guarantees interoperability between cameras and lenses from any manufacturer that adopts it in the future. With the E-300 kit, Olympus starts you out with a 14mm-to-45mm, f/3.5-to-f/5.6 zoom lens (28mm-to-90mm in 35mm-equivalent terms), and the camera offers a satisfactory feature set, crisp performance, and good build quality for the price.

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