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Although not sold as a pro model, the E-300 is perfectly suitable for shooting paying jobs. I've used it for portraiture, copy work, and for shots used for greeting cards, using the kit lenses, and have not found it wanting. As always, the default contrast, sharpness and saturation settings may not be to your liking, but the camera is quite adaptable in that regard. Raw shooting probably gives a slight advantage in final quality, but it is debatable --and debated hotly -- whether or not it is worth the extra work. I've used the camera to shoot raw, TIFF, and SHQ Jpegs, and I would not hesitate to recommend any setting; only adding that they should be chosen according to individual taste and the requirements of the job. It focuses all the lenses I've used on it accurately, and produces nice colors. WB is easily adjusted and fine tuned and I haven't found the much hyped noise problem on this camera to be a problem at all. The noise here at high iso settings is more defined, less mushy than on some Nikons, and I have shot at all the available speeds up to 1600 and gotten useable images. I consider 400 and 800 speeds unproblematical, only addding the caveat that, as always, shooting at noisier (or in film, grainier) iso settings requires careful exposure. Underexposure at these settings can be quite ugly, but my years working in photo labs leads me to believe that it has always been thus. Expect noise at 1600, but don't panic. 1600 speed film was "noisy" too, and quite useful at certain times. Anyway, NeatImage is an inexpensive and very useful tool when an image absolutely must have the noise in it lessened. I now shoot an E-510 mostly, and the layout of controls on this later model is significantly improved, making it more enjoyable to use. But the E-300, despite a more cumbersome approach to menus and controls, is a good, solidly built camera -- probably more solidly built than the subsequent e500 series, whatever other improvements these introduced -- and it dependably produces fine images. My only complaint is that the metering system was sometimes, and unpredictably, influenced by hot spots in the frame to underexpose the image. Once aware of that, it's easy enough to take a spot reading or an average reading with the hot area excluded, and set the camera to manual with the appropriate f-stop and shutter speed. Nikon nazis and gadget freaks are sometimes quite unkind to this camera. So, be careful, when reading reviews of digital cameras, to separate legitimate photographic concerns from those of photographically untutored gadget geeks, one one hand, or aggressive and blind brand loyalists on the other. To be up front about the latter: I've used Olympus cameras for most of my photographic activities involving hand-held equipment, using an OM-1 35mm SLR as my prime tool for years, with an OM-2 for backup. Nikon and Canon make great cameras, but so does Olympus, and its smaller SLR profiles have usually fit my less than large hands better. The 4/3 system is likely here to stay a while, and the size of the sensor devoted to actually imaging the object is not much different to the APS sensors used by some of the competition. See http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/43/sensor-size.html for an in depth review of this topic. If you find this camera at a good price, don't hesitate to buy it. I paid the new $1000 for mine, and though the price quickly dropped, I never felt cheated. It's that good.Read full review
Review written in May 2013, London, UK. Well, I bought this now old digital SLR a few weeks ago and here are my thoughts... It's my first digital SLR... I used film SLRs and medium format cameras back in my youth, but have only used 'posh' compacts and bridge cameras since turning digital (Leica d-lux 3, Canon G9, Fuji S9600 etc). I bought the E-300 off eBay for £99 (about US$150) with the 14-45mm kit lens, in mint condition. What a bargain! OK, it's an 8-year-old camera but produces pretty good results, and the build quality is fantastic. It's a big, chunky, heavy camera, and sometimes that's what I want. The full review on DPReview's website says all you need to know re technical strengths and weaknesses, but for me it feels like cameras used to feel, back in the days of film. The tiny 1.8inch screen and no live-view means you spend your time looking through the viewfinder rather than fiddling with the back of the camera... the whole experience for me reminds me of walking around with a film camera. Fantastic. I've also bought a used HLD-3 battery grip (for £20 or US$30), which makes this brute even bigger, heavier and maybe even uglier, and it feels great. Sure, go and spend about 4 times as much on a new camera and it will be better, but four times better? I doubt it. I dropped this thing the other day and it nearly broke the pavement. Camera was fine, and even if it had been damaged I could pick up another body for less than £100. It's a rock-solid, good-old-fashioned bargain bit of fun which can produce some really good results (check out the Flickr groups of users photos)... but it's definitely not one for fashionistas wanting the latest thing. Very useful for hitting people like that over the head though...Read full review
it is capable of decent photos with a good lens; very easy to operate; image quality not equal to a current $300 point and shoot, but you get more flexibility...at least that is what I keep telling myself. With the optional battery grip, and a large capacity card you can shoot all day.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
She aint exactly pretty, she aint exactly small, but baby that Kodak sensor she got it al! YES, Kodak CCD sensor made in Rochester, NY! (the Oly body assembled in China). Listen up, this sensor looks most like true film. Almost the Holy Grail. A 16 year old camera with a mere 8 MP dropped my jaw. The rig itself is decent---do the research---but the Kodak sensor is got the magic. Original price for the Evolt 300 (2004) was a whopping $1.000 smackers. Copy I got here $90.00 with all original box, etc. Mint, Also bought the 14-42 (not 14-45) better zoom for cheap. Here a pic---
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Pre-owned
Silly people have abandoned perfectly good mirrorless cameras because the micro 4/3 format has become more fashonable. They do not realize that micro cameras have micro sensors and produce shaky results. I used one of the Olympus cameras in photography class in college but could not justify the cost for my personal use. Someone offered the lens and camera seperately but with no battery, which is hard to find and expensive except on eBay. The battery came with a charger, auto charger cord, lens cleaner, and mini tripod so I was able to revive the camera I really wanted at a comparatively low cost. Now all I need is a vacation to use the admittedly bulky camera and lens.
Verified purchase: Yes
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