Conclusions

This and the pictures below were for a newspaper, covering the local Christmas parade
All pictures were taken with the 12-60mm

First, all people should realize I am not a mass camera reviewer. In fact, I think that shooting test targets and pixel peeping is quite boring. I do think that there are many places to read full reviews of this camera and others on the web. Instead, I am a camera user. I have spent a ton of time, shooting this camera from warm southern California to the cold snowy mountains. I have exposed it to heat and ice. I have shot some action, as well as still life shots. I have tried every single type of photography that I can with this camera. For me, it is the best camera that I have ever used. It really does a lot of work for me, and has taken a beating already. I have over 10,000 exposures on the body, and have just begun to break it in. I really feel that the camera is truly in a class of its own. It can compete with the $4000+ cameras on the market today. The camera really lives up to my desires in ways that no other camera on the market ever has to this point.

The strengths of the E-3
Viewfinder
Dynamic Range
Auto Focus Speed
Frames per second
Ability to customize camera
Wireless Flash controller
Build of the body — It seems like it is built to take a beating
Great LCD for reviewing images
Moveable LCD for the hard to reach shots
Live view for when I need it
Ability to change camera settings easily.
Also, even though this has nothing to do with the camera, when Olympus released the EC-20 there were some focus issues with the 90-250mm lens. However, within a month they posted a firmware fix that solved the issue. This is a very fast response, and truly shows Olympus' commitment to solving issues when they arise.

The Weaknesses of the E-3
Really it has been a steep learning curve, I have used the E-410 and 510 a lot over this summer, but the E-3 still is a very different camera than even these models.

Second, Olympus Documentation is a bit unclear at times about how a feature functions within the manual.

Third would be the vertical grip. I do like that I can use BLM-1 batteries, however, I really wish that I could use the same plate on the vertical grip as I would on the body. It is a hassle to carry 2 different plates for the camera. As well as it being an extra expense to buy 2 different plates, and keep track of both of them when they are off the camera.

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