Olympus E-1 Comparison Review

The Olympus E-1 is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was revealed to the public in June 2003 and is equipped with a Four Thirds sensor. It offers a resolution of 4.9 megapixel.

Is the Olympus E-1 a good camera? The E-1 has a Camera Elo of 1347. This rating puts the E-1 below average of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (Four Thirds cameras), the E-1 also ranks below average. – Well, the Olympus E-1 is more than 16 years old, and there have been many other good digital cameras released since 2003.

Headline Specifications

Olympus E-1
Digital single lens reflex
Four Thirds lenses
4.9 MP, Four Thirds Sensor
no Video
ISO 100-800 (100-3200)
Optical viewfinder
1.8" LCD, 134k dots
Fixed screen (not touch-sensitive)
3 shutter flaps per second
Weathersealed body
750 shots per battery charge
141 x 104 x 81 mm, 738 g

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Olympus E-1 vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Olympus E-1 alongside a set of comparators. If you want to review a camera pair side-by-side, just select a right-side comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Olympus E-1	141 mm	104 mm	81 mm	738 g	750	Y	Jun 2003	1,699	-		Olympus E-1
	Canon 6D Mark II« »	144 mm	111 mm	75 mm	765 g	1200	Y	Jun 2017	1,999			Canon 6D Mark II
	Canon 7D« »	148 mm	111 mm	74 mm	860 g	800	Y	Sep 2009	1,699	-		Canon 7D
	Leica Digilux 3« »	146 mm	87 mm	77 mm	606 g	750	n	Sep 2006	1,499	-		Leica Digilux 3
	Nikon D500« »	147 mm	115 mm	81 mm	860 g	1240	Y	Jan 2016	1,999			Nikon D500
	Nikon D610« »	141 mm	113 mm	82 mm	850 g	900	Y	Oct 2013	1,999			Nikon D610
	Nikon D7000« »	132 mm	105 mm	77 mm	780 g	1050	Y	Sep 2010	1,499	-		Nikon D7000
	Olympus E-5« »	142 mm	117 mm	75 mm	873 g	750	Y	Sep 2010	1,699	-		Olympus E-5
	Olympus E-3« »	142 mm	116 mm	75 mm	876 g	750	Y	Oct 2007	1,699	-		Olympus E-3
	Olympus E-330« »	140 mm	87 mm	72 mm	637 g	750	n	Jan 2006	999	-		Olympus E-330
	Olympus E-300« »	147 mm	85 mm	64 mm	624 g	750	n	Sep 2004	799	-		Olympus E-300
Convert to Imperial
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Olympus E-1 was launched in the US market at a price of $1,699. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Moreover, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more control over depth-of-field in the image and, thus, the ability to better isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tent to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

The Olympus E-1 features a Four Thirds sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 2.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Olympus E-1 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

For most cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

It should be noted that unlike many modern cameras, the E-1 does not provide the possibility to capture videos.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the E-1 has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 100% and a magnification of 0.48x. The following tables report on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Olympus E-1 and comparable cameras.

One useful feature of the E-1 is a presence of a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Olympus E-1 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Expert reviews

While the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says nothing about, for example, the handling, responsiveness, and overall imaging quality of the E-1 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased. This is where reviews by experts come in. The table below summarizes the assessments of some of the best known camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog).

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Olympus E-1	-	+	o	o	-	Jun 2003	1,699	-		Olympus E-1
	Canon 6D Mark II« »	+	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	4/5	Jun 2017	1,999			Canon 6D Mark II
	Canon 7D« »	+ +	84/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2009	1,699	-		Canon 7D
	Leica Digilux 3« »	-	-	-	-	-	Sep 2006	1,499	-		Leica Digilux 3
	Nikon D500« »	+ +	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	5/5	Jan 2016	1,999			Nikon D500
	Nikon D610« »	+ +	87/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2013	1,999			Nikon D610
	Nikon D7000« »	-	80/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2010	1,499	-		Nikon D7000
	Olympus E-5« »	-	75/100	4/5	-	4.5/5	Sep 2010	1,699	-		Olympus E-5
	Olympus E-3« »	88/100	+ +	o	o	4/5	Oct 2007	1,699	-		Olympus E-3
	Olympus E-330« »	-	+	o	3.5/5	-	Jan 2006	999	-		Olympus E-330
	Olympus E-300« »	-	+	o	o	4.5/5	Sep 2004	799	-		Olympus E-300
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (-) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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