WOW! That's all I have to say...
If the hype is accurate this is one amazing camera at a great price! I have been an Olympus systems fan for a while now, but this successor to the E-1 appears to live up to the standards set by Olympus with the E-1 back in 2003. I had been contemplating an equipment shift to the Canon line since it had been so long since Olympus put out a new professional grade DSLR, but they have won me back over with the release of the details on this baby this morning.
Check out these features!
5 FPS Burst Shooting... for as long as your card can handle!
The E-3 can capture fast action shots as fast as your itchy trigger finger can fire them off. The highly reliable 5-fps burst shooting provides extra flexibility when shooting sports, wildlife or any other dynamic subjects. The E-3's ability to process over 10 million pixels of high-quality image data at extremely high speed enables continuous shooting at up to five frames per second. In fact, you can shoot until your finger tires — as continuous shooting up to the limit of available memory is possible at the highest resolution setting.** If the memory card slot cover is opened during card writing, image data is held in the buffer memory. Writing continues when the card lid is closed again.
Experience the World's Fastest Auto Focus* with the Olympus exclusive 11-point biaxial auto focus system coupled with the new (SWD) Supersonic Wave Drive™ lenses. It provides exacting auto focus precision at exceptional speeds.
1/8000-second high-speed, high-precision shutter enables you to freeze even the fastest subjects. Or, set shutter speeds as long as 60 seconds in Manual or Automatic settings.
Effectively reduce blur with Olympus' exclusive Supersonic Wave Drive (SWD) in-body Image Stabilization System. Get up to a five step EV stabilization effect with all Zuiko Digital Lenses, and all Four Thirds Format Lenses.
A newly developed high-performance 10.1-megapixel Live MOS Sensor provides the high resolution you need to accurately reproduce subject details with rich tones and natural colors as well as lower power consumption. Increased reading speed supports 5 fps continuous shooting.
The Olympus exclusive TruePic™ III digital image processing system produces superior image quality and shadow detail.
Olympus Zuiko Digital Lenses — designed specifically for the demands of digital photography — deliver sharp, high-quality color accuracy to the image sensor for amazing photographs.
Live View shooting provides the next generation of composition control in digital SLR photography. The E-3's Live Simulation allows you to check exposure, white balance and composition -in real time, while you compose — with the integrated Live View technology.
The 2.5-inch dual-axis, free-angle swivel Live View monitor provides a 100% accurate representation of your shooting scene. Additionally, the E-3's HyperCrystal™ wide-angle display, with 360-degree articulation, makes composition and image viewing possible at any angle.
The E-3's proven Dust Reduction System, with the Supersonic Wave Filter™ (SWF) self-cleaning ultrasonic sensor unit, eliminates dust particles on the sensor by silently vibrating an amazing 30,000 times per second, ensuring spot-free images.
The 100% accurate high eye point optical viewfinder, delivers the precise compositional accuracy demanded by the most discriminating photographer. When shooting with the E-3, what you see is what you get.
A Rugged magnesium-alloy construction coupled with advanced splash and dust protection, make the E-3 the perfect choice for photographers who demand the most from their equipment, in any situation.
Durable shutter mechanism tested to 150,000 cycles. The pro-level shutter ensures reliability, even at five frames per second, thanks to a durable shutter mechanism tested to 150,000 cycles, making the E-3 the camera of choice for photographers who demand durability from their equipment.
*When coupled with three new Zuiko Digital Supersonic Wave Drive™ Lenses (SWD), like the ED 12-60mm f2.8-4.0 (24-120mm equivalent), the E-3 offers unmatched AF speeds, and the fastest AF speed in the world with that lens. The autofocus speed of the Zuiko Digital 12-60mm (24-120mm) f2.8-4.0 SWD lens, combined with the E-3, was measured during in-house testing by Olympus and is based on similar available lenses for digital SLR cameras as of October 17, 2007.
...and get this...expected retail: $1,699.00 (body only)
See all of the details at: http://www.olympusamerica.com/e3/index.asp
As of 9:00am this morning, the only place I could find listing it for sale is Amazon.com, but they are only taking pre-orders for what the site originally said was a mid-December availability timeline. Let's see if that holds true.
See it here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000X1T3IQ/104-2830008-5025501
Let me kn ow what you think!
