Digital photography has made enormous strides in recent years, and as a result, the technology is being incorporated into affordable consumer products. Prices have fallen to the point where $300 will get you a serviceable digital still camera, which means digital photography is no longer the domain of experts.
However, professional practitioners are shunning the digital camera. In fact, you could probably count the world-class photographers working exclusively in digital in the dozens. More are inclined to attach digital backs to their film cameras, so that the optics and mechanics of the equipment are essentially what they have been trained on (what they know and trust), but with the convenience of the digital medium at the ready.

A digital SLR camera is a different sort of beast, not only to traditional film cameras but to other digitals. The Olympus Camedia E-10 is the pinnacle of Olympuss digital range and, as an SLR, is promoted as a professional-level camera. The first feature you notice about the camera is the barrel lens. The E-10 rates as a 4 -megapixel camera with a special lens matched to the CCD, allowing an aperture rating of f2 - f2.4 and 4x zoom. The equivalent film sensitivity ranges between ISO 80 to 320, defaulting to 83 when set to auto.
The next thing you notice after a cursory glance at the numerous buttons and dials adorning the menacing black exterior is the weight.

The E-10 is a heavyweight camera and is proportioned like the C-3030 (reviewed Issue 34, page 90), but considerably larger and heavier. Both SmartMedia and CompactFlash memory card types are accepted. Maximum resolution settings for the camera produce prints of 2,240 x 1,680 pixels. Shooting in TIFF file format will blow file sizes out to 11.3MB. Thankfully, JPG capture is also an option, squeezing hi-res images down to about 2.8MB.

How does it compare with the best in film SLRs? Special features abound in the E-10, such as the pivoting LCD panel for viewing at different angles, backlit control panel, macro shooting, selectable aperture or shutter priority shooting, extensive white balance system, variable flash intensity and exposure compensation. But in terms of direct replacement for quality film SLRs, Im afraid you might be disappointed.

We had our photographer, Chris Walsh, shoot a side-by-side comparison of a graphics card using the E-10 and his own Nikon D1 digital SLR. (Chris prefers a film camera, but provides the digital for convenience.) In the closest apples-to-apples comparison that could be made, Chris rated the Camedia E-10 highly in a controlled studio situation. His main concern as a professional was the fixed lens. However, we should point out that this is a personal choice not all photographers swap their lenses. The difficulty with an SLR with this capability is the mechanism. Olympus has made a conscious decision to not follow this path, and to have done so would have blown costs out by thousands.

The camera is a little slower than expected in metering and saving. Action shots taken outdoors do not produce good results. Better results were produced under manual settings for outdoor work.

In conclusion, the E-10s requirements are too strenuous for the photographer who just wants some happy holiday snaps. And the $4,000 price tag places the E-10 firmly into the serious enthusiasts orbit. Theres no doubt that the E-10 is a fantastic camera, but you had better have a good reason for wanting it or youve done your dough.

David Lin