Rating: 
Summary: No better for the price, but not a "casual" camera.
Review: When I set out to make my camera purchase, I was trying to decide between a Minolta Dimage 7, a Sony DSC-F707, and the Olympus E-10. After holding all three in my hands and shooting with them, there is no comparison -- the E-10 is a camera and feels and works like an SLR body, the Minolta and the Sony are just consumer electronics.E-10 photos in adequate light or with a decent flash system are excellent; resolution is great, noise is present but when exposure is good it is very gaussian and thus mimics good film grain perfectly. Though the E-10's sensor is "only" 4 megapixels, the lens is bright and perfectly matched to the frame; when you're looking at the 8x10 prints, it's very hard to tell the difference between the E-10 and the 5 megapixel cameras on the market. Color reproduction is very true, which means again much more film-like, but possibly flat for people accustomed to consumer digicams (which tend to try to make everything look "better than real life" rather than "like real life"). If you want to oversaturate, you can always do it afterward in Photoshop, GIMP, etc. Some user reviews have complaied about the E-10 autofocus, but there's nothing wrong with it. The E-10 has an SLR-style AF system; this is not a "focus-free" camera. You must pay attention at least to the AF target area and focus lock, and if you're not shooting in 'P' mode also to the depth of field and shutter speed. Many users who complain about getting out of focus shots with the E-10 are coming from low-end "focus-free" point and shoot film or digital cameras and don't know how to properly use the AF system on a camera like this one, nor how to adjust for the other variables. Positives: camera looks like a USB hard drive to the computer, no additional software or hardware needed to transfer images; adjustable quality settings -- SHQ, HQ, and SQ can each be user-defined to any number of resolution and compression settings; both CompactFlash AND SmartMedia slots and you can use both at once; excellent build quality -- my E-10 could survive a war; manual focus and zoom rings for rapid, accurate control; raw mode for highest quality shooting; histogram for checking exposure; all controls are locking controls and are on the camera body -- you won't have to be navigating menus all day while you shoot; settings panel on top is lit (nice touch!) for shooting in darkness; long tripod exposures in low light are stunning, noise-free, and very sharp; bright TTL viewfinder, not an electronic viewfinder like you'll find on some "SLR-like" digital cameras; easy-to-access rapid white balance measurement system; zero shutter lag -- you can get four shots off in one second; lit status display below the glass in the viewfinder just as you'd expect with any SLR so you can shoot, change settings, shoot, change settings again, without ever moving your eye from the shot. Negatives: noise becomes a problem in "pushed" (underexposed, then gamma-corrected) shots -- no "ISO-boost" trickery with the E-10; body and lens are heavy enough to cause strap-burn after a few hours; inability to reliably use microdrives; must be sent back to Olympus for firmware upgrades; maximum shutter of 1/640s can be a limitation in sunlight or when shooting action; only four shots in continuous mode before having to wait for buffer flush; focus screen can be difficult to see accurately; no depth of field preview; RAW images are not optimized/compressed and are thus 7MB(!) each, TIFF are 12MB(!!). This is a great camera for the enthusiast or the professional needing a backup or studio camera. On the other hand the E-10 is probably too much work (settings, weight, additional storage requirements of 4 megapixels, more complex AF) if you just want occasional shapshots or a thought-free, unobtrusive vacation camera. When all is said and done, the E-10 is without competition...
Rating:
Summary: A fantastic unit from every standpoint.
Review: I certainly agree with all the preceding raves about the quality & design of this camera & just want to add some qualities that others may have overlooked. This is my second digital camera. The first was the Kodak 240i which I liked very much. I also have a couple of Nikon F3s with a host of lenses & other accessories & am more or less a semi-pro photographer. Things that stand out about the E-10 for me: 1) The through-the-lens viewing capability. For a current &/or former SLR user, it's a godsend. I don't know how people can use those dinky little computer screens on the back for composing & shooting, except in emergencies like shooting over the heads of a crowd. 2) The two memory cards option! Wow! I keep one of each in the camera at all times & set the resolution at SHQ, giving me 89 exposures on the 128MB CF card & 22 on the 32MB SM card that came with it. 3) The quick & easy connectivity to my PC & associated software. 4) Battery life. I use 2 CR-V3s which I've found... on the web & they last for several weeks, sometimes months. I try to use the AC Adapter as much as possible for studio/indoor shooting. 4) The time-stamping system: Date & sequence. Only a problem if you delete & shoot & download on the same day. Possibly you can add the time to the stamp. I haven't checked. 5)Lastly, the camera FEELS great which is always so important to us camera geeks.
Rating:
Summary: PRICE
Review: THE CAMERA SPEAKS FOR ITSELF..A WONDERFUL PROFESSIONAL
DIGITAL CAMERA IN EVERY RESPECT. HOWEVER COMPETITION
AT EBAY AND OTHERS ARE FOUR TO FIVE HUNDRED LESS FOR OPENING BIDS. JACK FALLON I AM A SERIOUS BUYER AND SPEND THOUSANDS ON EBAY MONTHLY. WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU THE SALES..BUT HAVE TO GO WHERE THE PRICE IS RIGHT!!!
Rating:
Summary: Grudgingly
Review: I hate it when a bad company makes a great product. The E-10 is my camera of choice, although I could afford to step up to full pro. The lenses are excellent, and don't let the fact that you can't interchange them bother you. It protects the CCD, which bites dust and can't be cleaned except by a tech. Unfortunately, Olympus has among the worst customer service attitudes I've ever encountered. They make no secret out of the fact that they don't want to talk to you. They leave you on hold listening to a recording that encourages you to use their website instead. They even charge you extra if you choose to order by phone. Trouble is, they don't answer their email, so if you have a question before you buy, forget it. They also talk to you like you're a dog, transfer your call in the middle of your sentence, and just generally act like you have a lot of nerve to interrupt their day. The hot shoe cover on my E-10 was loose when the camera arrived, and eventually it came off and was lost. I contacted them about obtaining another, and they gave me totally useless advice about where to get one, and acted like they'd rather be eating road kill than talking to me. Will I buy the E-20? Before I contacted Olympus, I'd have said yes with no hesitation. Now, I don't know. I love the E-10, but I hate to reward bad customer service.
Rating:
Summary: Best of the Best
Review: I've read a lot of reviews on this camera and I can't find anything bad about it from anyone who knows anything about photography. There are those who say the camera is heavy..That's a plus , not a minus when you're trying to keep it still. There are those who say that the focus is out. Olympus will gladly fix it if it is in fact out, but before you say it's out learn how to focus. Even in autofocus mode you should learn the tricks. Overall the quality of the camera is nothing short of excellent. Dual Storage media is a BIG plus. Picture quality is among the best digitals out today. The Built-in Flash is probably the best of all digitals. Lens construction and quality is above average. The F2.0 is a real pleasure. Just think, where can you get a 400mm F2.0 lens by adding an attachment. Olympus E10 that's where...The controls are all outside so there's no messing around with the menu. They are all at your finger tips. This is one of the best ergonomic designs that I have seen in a camera. The viewfinder displays all the important info about the shot. There are controls for bracketing, compensation, AE lock, macro mode, Spot, Center weighted and EPS Multi pattern meetering etc..
What else...Well there was some small talk about noise and dead pixels...I never experienced either the noise or the dead pixels (Just lucky I guess)but maybe some of the talk was a lot of bull....
In any case, if you're moving from a film to a digital, this is the one. The camera will feel good in your hands and the results will be nothing less than spectacular. I know, I had a Nikon F100 and that camera was the best 35mm film camera that I ever owned.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent camera (but heavy)
Review: This camera is everything that the other reviews claim. I now use the E-10 instead of my 35mm SLR for customized shots and don't really miss the 35mm's flexibility. Built-in flash is quite capable (other than the short distance from the lens). Battery consumption is excellent -- batteries last several days to a week of pretty heavy vacation shooting (if you don't go overboard on using the LCD screen and do remember to turn the camera off promptly). Get the rechargeable AA NiMHs. The CR-V3s last very well, but are quite expensive. Alkalines will work in a pinch (i.e., there's an advantage to the standard battery form factor), but don't last. The positives have been said many times here already. Just don't focus on the few negatives that I will mention! Setting up a customized shot (field-of-view, exposure compensation, etc.) takes a fair bit longer than on my 35mm because of the time to walk through the menus. ... and, this camera is heavy! That was obvious from the spec's (most people consider a 2 lb 35mm to be a heavy camera), so I knew that going in. That's not even considering the excellent, but also heavy external flash. I have not yet tried my filter collection, but a lot of filter functions can be accomplished by digital post-processing. I'm very happy with it after 5 months of good usage.
Rating:
Summary: The good, bad but no ugly
Review: I own several Nikon 35mms, a Kodak DC 260 and the E-10. Most of the time I carry the E-10 as my primary camera and use the DC260 for point and shoot.
I've seen some criticisms about the E-10s auto focus in low light. This condition exists in most digital cameras not just the E-10. The only real negative that I can complain about is the TTL view finder. It's just a little too close to the body. To protect the LCD I use a clear Palm Pilot screen overlay. This keeps grease and dirt off of the screen and provides a scratch resistant surface.
On the plus side, it feels just like my Nikon N80. The overall performance of the E-10 has exceeded all of my expectations. I've had the camera for 2 months and have already taken over 600 pictures. I love this camera. If you want the most bang for the buck in a digital camera and plan on taking a lot of pictures, then this is the camera to buy. I suggest that you keep a UV filter on the lense at all times. The only other filer that you might want is a circular polarizing filter. The camera will try to color balance pictures taken with any enhancing filters so save your money. The White Balance feature on the E-10 is great. I've had some pictures where the colors seem a little flat particulary on cloudy overcast days. By changeing the WB setting, I've been able to correct this condition most of the time. It just takes practice.
I use both CF and SmartMedia in this camera and have no problems at all. Having had previous expirence with IBM microdrives, I wouldn't recommend that they be used. First of all they are delicate and don't like to be bounced around, Secondly they are power hungry. I wouldn't expect battery life to be too good using a microdrive. Besides Olympus doesn't support the microdrive on the E-10. It is supported on the new E-20.
The only warning that I have for prospective internet buyers is if the price seems to be too good, it might be. Some sources are selling a European version of this camera that is not covered by the Olympus warrenty in the US. Check the Olympus web site for more info on this.
Anyone interested in a great digital camera should consider this one for sure.
Rating:
Summary: After 3 Months and 5000 Pictures, I love it.
Review: I find myself carrying my E-10 with me everywhere. It is a joy to hold and shoot with. I started with a canon s20 a year ago and stepped up to a "real" camera this summer. Sure only 1 in 100 pictures are worth keeping, but that is because of me not the camera. My photography can grow almost without limits with this camera. As I pick up skills, I won't hit a capability limit with the E-10.
Rating: 
Summary: Best for the money
Review: I have owned mt E-10 for about 3 months now. I am a novice photographer and started out with the Olympus 3000. I love the E-10 as it takes great photos in spite of lack of experience but it does seem to have some drawbacks. For one, the auto focus does seem to have trouble especially in any type of low light. I mostly use the manual focus. In group shots you may find some focus problems. I would recommend nothing smaller than a 128mb memory card even though I used a 256. At the resolution the camera is capable of I take only SHQ or Tiff shots. Lithium batteries actually work quite a while in this camera. The manual that comes with the camera is quite easy to use and understand. While the camera does come with lots of bells and whistles, it's not too difficult to understand most of them in a short period of time. I did find it was very easy to take blurry shots with just the slightest movement of the camera during the shot. Use a tripod when its reasonable to use one. If not, HOLD STILL. Use the LCD display only if necessary as it sucks the life out of the batteries. Almost impossible to use it during bright sunlight. Also its too close to the rear eye piece so always expect smudges on it from your face. The camera is quite heavy but it is constructed very very well. The lense is non-removeable and this has been somewhat of a critcism but I find the lense on this camera is great. I do recommend the U.V. filter and leave it on all the time. A replaced filter is a heck of a lot cheaper than a replaced lense. As far as service from Olympus. I actually damaged my E-10 (dropped the darn thing) and sent if off to Olympus. (Keep the original box). It was fixed, no charge, and returned to me in 7 days and it works perfectly. That I was impressed with. In conclusion. Is this a professional camera as touted by others? Naw, not really. But for the money it's a close as you are going to get. Most of the other professional digital cameras are 5k to 30k. With this camera and some practice, you can take pitures that rival a pro. Of course, a good photo printer is necessary. I am an idiot when it comes to photography and the camera takes great shots in spite of me. I do recommend this camera highly.
Rating:
Summary: Great pictures and camera!
Review: Ok... I have had this camera about a year now....Am still having a little trouble with low lighting situations, those where one can't use flash... but have learned some tricks....hold it steady or use a tripod!......or you need to up the ISO. I love that you can transfer files from one media to the other(ie smart to compact flash).
The 4 megapixels produces great details and a variety of print sizes. Overall I am very impressed by this camera, I use it to take portrait and wedding pictures on the weekends and thus far it is producing great pictures! It has all of the features I need to adjust my photos the way I want as well as a program mode when I want it. Best of all I like that it feels like a regular SLR camera, ok a little heavier then my canon rebel, but none the less otherwise works and looks very similar. Haven't found any other negatives yet, although I did buy rechargeable batteries right away. Overall I think its an excellent camera and the price is getting better. Enjoy!
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