In this lesson we will be covering the basic startup and some of features of the new Olympus E-3 digital SLR camera. Lets get started!

Inserting the Battery
The E-3 comes with a Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery (BLM-01) (figure 1). We always recommend having an extra battery for those unforeseen occasions, such as when you are shooting all day or you are traveling and away from AC power to recharge the battery. But even with one battery, you can expect to capture around 400 pictures per charge, and around 200 if you are continually using the LCD to review and edit your images.

To install the BLM-1 Li-Ion Battery Pack to the E-3 body, first make sure it is fully charged and then follow these steps.

Depress the locking latch to open the battery bay door (figure 2). Properly align the battery with the contacts on the battery facing the battery bay (figure 3). Insert the battery into the camera (figure 4). The battery will click into position.

To remove the battery you will need to release the red catch and the battery will pop back out.


Close the battery bay door and press the locking latch to secure.

Removing and Attaching Lenses
The E-3 is a traditional SLR design that allows you to use all FourThirds format interchangeable lenses. Yet, the E-3 is unique in that it utilizes Olympus ZUIKO DIGITAL "Smart Lenses" to create a fully integrated digital system that produces amazing high quality images. Here, we demonstrate how to remove and install the ED 12-60mm SWD zoom lens.

Olympus recommends turning the camera off when removing or attaching the lens.

To remove a lens from the E-3 body, first locate the lens release button on the front of the camera near the base of the lens mount (figure 5). Press the lens release button with one hand and turn the lens counter-clockwise as far as it will go (figure 6).

Release the lens release button and remove the lens from the camera (figure 7). The lens is now ready to be stored with the appropriate lens caps.

To re-attach the lens, align the red dot on the side of the lens with the red dot on the lens mount on the camera body. When the lens feels evenly aligned on the lens mount plate, rotate the lens barrel clockwise until you hear the lens lock into place (figures 8 and 9).

Once the lens is attached, use the zoom ring to zoom in or out (figure 10). The focus ring, set toward the front of the lens, can be used to focus the lens. The E-3 menu allows you to select the direction for the focus ring and works when the focus mode is set to Manual, Single AF + Manual (S AF+M) or Continuous AF + Manual (C AF+M) in the AF mode menu.

Focusing
There are five focus modes in the E-3:

• Single Auto Focus (S-AF)
• Continuous Auto Focus (C-AF)
• Manual Focus (MF)
• Single Auto Focus + Manual Focus (S-AF+MF)
• Continuous Auto Focus + Manual Focus (C-AF+MF)

Inserting Media Cards
The Olympus E-3 accommodates CompactFlash (CF) cards, Microdrives and xD-Picture cards with storage capacities up to and above 4GB to store and transfer images shot with the camera, and can be used over and over again (storage rates will vary on type of card purchased). No more film and processing costs!

The E-3 will also experience a performance boost when using the new UDMA High Speed CF cards such as the Lexar UDMA cards. Each type of media card needs to be inserted a particular way, so refer to the manual to make sure media card is oriented correctly.

NOTE: Always turn off the camera before removing or adding a memory card.

The media bay door is located on the right side of the camera (figure 13 and 14). Pull the door open.

There are two media docks available in the media bay. The larger dock receives CF Type I or II cards and Microdrives. The smaller dock receives an xD-Picture memory card. There is a diagram on the inside of the media bay door showing proper card orientation for both docks. The image on the left illustrates proper insertion of a Compact Flash card (figure 15).

Selecting the Record Mode
The E-3 offers a variety of Record mode settings that ascend in both image size and quality to suit your purpose (printing, editing on a computer, website editing, etc.). While there are several settings you can choose from here, keep in mind there are only two main formats from which to choose: JPEG and RAW.

JPEG (.jpg)
For JPEG images, you can select a combination of image size (L: Large, M: Middle, S: Small) and compression rate (F: Fine, N: Normal).

RAW Olympus Raw Format (.orf)
This is unprocessed data that has not undergone changes in White Balance, sharpness, contrast or color. Because there is no compression applied to an image in this format, Image Quality is optimal and sometimes noticeably better than with the JPEG format. The maximum pixel resolution in this format is 3648 x 2736 pixels, and you can adjust the compression options. These files can be displayed with the Olympus Master and Olympus Studio software (2.1 or later), as well as with Adobe Photoshop CS3 (earlier versions of Photoshop will not work with this format) and Apple Aperture (2.5 or later).

If you prefer the added quality of shooting in either RAW or RAW + JPEG modes, we recommend purchasing CompactFlash cards or Microdrives of at least 1GB or larger. The largest CompactFlash card to date is 8GB, but this number is ever increasing.

To change the Resolution mode, press OK to activate the LCD display and use the Arrows to select the Resolution field located to the left of the frame counter (figure 16). Press OK to enter the Resolution menu. Then, use the Arrows to select the desired Resolution mode and press OK to confirm the selection (figure 17).

ISO
Film photographers may remember when this was called ASA (American Standards Association), an acronym representing an organization devoted to developing technical standards for all sorts of disciplines. After World War II, the ASA merged with 25 other countries and formed the ISO (International Organization for Standardization). The ISO maintains over 15,000 technical standards with the cooperation of 156 countries, so no matter where you go, ISO 400 speed film will be the same in every language.

It should be noted that for digital cameras, however, there is no ISO standard for Digital Sensor sensitivity. The ISO standard was developed exclusively for the film format. Comparing digital ISO to film ISO is a bit like comparing apples to oranges, so it's best to think of it this way: An ISO setting of 100 in a digital camera is "equivalent to" 100 ISO speed film.

ISO, as it relates to film, measures the speed or sensitivity of given film. The higher the ISO rating the faster or more sensitive the film is, and fast/sensitive film affords better exposures in low light situations. The trade off is that the faster the film sensitivity gets, the more the grain size increases. With high ISO numbers in digital cameras, the result is increased "noise", or the digital equivalent to grain.


Setting ISO
The shipping default ISO setting in the E-3 is set to -A- (Auto), which will allow the camera to make an interpreted setting, depending on the availability of light, from ISO 100 to 400. We recommend setting the ISO to 100 (its lowest) for most situations, as this will render the best image quality.

To change the ISO setting on the E-3, press OK to activate the LCD display and use the Arrows to select the ISO field located near the top left of the screen (figure 18). Press OK to enter the ISO menu. Use the Arrows to select the desired ISO setting and press OK to confirm the selection (figure 19).

NOTE: Higher ISO ratings are available by activating the ISO Boost in the camera menus (refer to the ISO section in your manual).

Setting the White Balance
The Olympus E-3 offers a variety of White Balance (WB) settings so that you can render natural-looking colors in your photographs.

• AUTO
  You can leave it on AUTO and let the camera interpret the correct color temperature for any given situation. The camera is quite adept at determining the appropriate color temperature in most situations. However, there will be times when you will want to either choose a Preset WB setting or create a Custom/One Touch WB setting.
  
  
• PRESET WB
  There are many different preset White Balance settings from which you can choose that will color balance such situations as sunny days, cloudy days, shade in daylight, and many different artificial lighting conditions. You can experiment with different color tones by selecting different preset WB settings.
  
  
• Custom White Balance
  The Custom White Balance (measured in degrees Kelvin) allows you to fine tune your system. Up to 2800K can be set incrementally at 50K, from 2800K to 4000K by 100K, from 4000K to 7000K by increments of 200K and from 7000K to 10000K by 400K increments, and from 10000K to 14000K by 1000k increments. This allows you to get proper color representation no matter the situation, lighting requirements or time of day.

• One Touch White Balance
  This setting is useful when you need a more precise White Balance than the presets can provide. In the One Touch setting, you can point the camera at a neutral gray card or sheet of white paper under the light source you want to use, and can capture the best possible White Balance setting. This can then be saved in the camera for future use. We recommend this setting if color reproduction is critical.

Follow these steps for setting the White Balance mode.

First, press OK to activate the LCD display and use the Arrows to select the White Balance field located near the to the right of the ISO field (figure 20). Press OK to enter the WB menu. Then, use the Arrows to select the desired WB setting and press OK to confirm the selection (figure 21).

Specific Kelvin color temperatures can be set within the "CWB" (Custom White Balance) field of the White Balance menu.

To set a specific color temperature setting in the White Balance main menu, use the arrow keys or the Control dial to highlight the "CWB" field at the bottom right of the White Balance menu. Then press and hold the +/- button (located next to the ON side of the power switch) and rotate the Control dial until the desired setting is shown in the CWB field (figures 22 and 23).

Available Exposure Modes
The E-3 has several exposure modes available. These include Program, Program Shift, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, and Bulb. The next two diagrams shown below (figures 24 and 25) illustrate how to change the Exposure mode on the E-3.

Each of these exposure modes offers a unique way of determining the correct exposure for a photograph. The next set of diagrams describes how each exposure mode is used.

Manual exposure mode allows for precise exposure control when metering the light source (figure 26). The user can manually adjust both the aperture and the shutter speed.

Shutter Priority allows the user to set a fixed shutter speed to control motion by rotating the Control Dial. The camera will select the correct aperture value based on the level of light available (figure 27).

Aperture Priority allows the user to set a fixed aperture to control how much is in focus by rotating the Control Dial. The camera will select the correct shutter speed based on the level of light available (figure 28).

Program is the most common type of automatic exposure selection. Ideal for quick snapshots, the camera will select both the aperture value and shutter speed based on the level of light available (figure 29).

The Bulb setting is a special tool ideal for extremely long exposures. When the E-3 is set to the Bulb mode, the shutter speed is determined by the length of time that the shutter release button is physically pressed down. The aperture is set manually (figure 30).

Setting Exposure in Manual Mode
In order to have maximum control for your depth of field and your exposure, you need to manually adjust your aperture and shutter speeds. To be able to manually adjust your aperture and shutter speed settings, first set the camera to the M (Manual) Exposure mode (figure 31).

Setting the Aperture
The most important thing to remember is that your aperture setting controls your depth of field. The smaller your aperture number, or "f/stop" (f3.5), the shorter your depth of field will be. Or in simple terms the less will be in focus. You can adjust the aperture number by simply turning the front Control dial located in front of the shutter release button. (figures 32).

Setting the Shutter Speed
You can adjust your shutter speed in the Manual mode by turning the Control dial until the desired shutter speed appears in the shutter speed field (figure 33).

Adjusting Aperture and Shutter Speed in Auto Modes
When using the E-3 in Aperture Priority mode, the Control Dial adjusts the aperture allowing you to control the depth of field or amount of focus in your photographs (figures 34 and 35).

When using the camera in the Shutter Priority mode, the Control Dial adjusts the shutter speed controlling the amount of action stopped in your photographs (figures 36 and 37).

Using the Live View Function
Unlike most digital SLRs, the E-3 allows you to shoot with a Live View on the LCD monitor. Although this may not seem like a big deal to some, particularly when you consider that just about every compact digital camera available has this capability, it's actually quite a feat. Essentially, the main obstacle for this function in an SLR is contending with the mirror/shutter mechanism.

Olympus took pains to create this functionality in their SLRs in order to afford more versatility in difficult shooting conditions such as shooting in a crowd where you can't see over the heads of those around you or shooting at a low angle. The Live View mode is perfect for any situation where it is difficult to physically look through the viewfinder.

To illustrate this functionality, we decided to use the E-3 to take some floral macro shots with the Live View function engaged. We set the camera on a sturdy tripod and attached a 50mm Macro lens so that we could get really close to the flowers (figure 38).

We powered up the camera, and configured the following settings:

• Exposure Mode: Manual
• Aperture: f/2.8 (for a shallow depth of field)
• Focus: S-AF
• ISO: 100
• White Balance: Sun (5300K)

We then pressed the Live View button on the back. When you press this button, you cannot view your composition through the viewfinder, but it will be displayed on the LCD (figure 39).

If you are shooting in Manual Exposure mode (which we encourage for this type of shooting), you can see the previewed effects of your exposure settings on the LCD. For example, here we slowed the shutter speed until the preview appeared overexposed (figure 40).

As this preview was brighter than we wanted the result to be, we gradually adjusted the shutter speed (increasing its speed) until the exposure on the LCD looked good. Note that if you want to clear the LCD of all camera setting data to better focus on your composition, simply press the INFO button repeatedly (generally three times) until only the image and center target are displayed (figure 41).

Once we arrived at a good exposure and composition, we took a shot. Note that the shooting process in this situation was much simpler and faster than it would have been without the Live View functionality (figure 42).

NOTE: When capturing images in the Live View mode, there is a slight time lag during from when you press the shutter down to when the camera actually captures the image. For most shooting situations, this will not affect your results. For situations where timing is critical, you may find it easier to shoot while looking through the viewfinder.

Activating Auto Focus in Live View Mode
If you want to shoot with Auto Focusing enabled in the Live View mode, you'll find that locking down focus before you take a shot is a little different here than with ordinary shooting. When you are shooting normally (looking through the viewfinder), you press the shutter button halfway down to lock focus on your subject.

When in Live View mode, however, you need to press the AEL/AFL button to lock focus on your subject (figure 43).

IS (Image Stabilization) Feature
The IS (Image Stabilization) feature allows your subject matter to be sharp even when the camera is moving. The E-3 uses a sensor-shift image stabilization technology to counter the effects of camera shake. The Supersonic Wave Drive motors provide two modes of image stabilization: Standard IS 1 and IS 2.

To activate the IS menu, simply press the IS button on the back of the camera (figure 44).

Standard IS 1
The Standard IS 1 option offers both horizontal and vertical Image sensor stabilization, which is ideal for most low-light, handheld photography or when shooting in unstable conditions, like when you're in a car or on a boat. Inside the camera body, a gyro sensor tracks the image while the camera automatically adjusts for the motion. Blurriness is minimized or even eliminated, and because it is in the camera body, it works with any lens you're using.

Once the IS menu is activated, use the Control dial to select the IS 1 option (figure 45).

IS 2
The IS 2 option offers vertical stabilization only, which helps you to capture your subject matter clearly while panning during action shots.

Again, once the IS menu is activated, use the Control dial to select the IS 2 option (figure 46).

To illustrate, we photographed moving cars both with and without the IS 2 option enabled. The first example, taken with the IS feature disabled, reveals that even when you're doing your best to pan smoothly, your subject matter can still become significantly blurred (figure 47).

With the IS 2 feature enabled, however, you'll have a much better chance of capturing your moving subject matter so that it is rendered clear and sharp while panning the camera (figure 48).

NOTE: Neither of the IS functions can correct excessive camera shake or camera shake that occurs during very slow shutter speeds. If you are shooting in very low light conditions, disable the IS function and use a tripod to steady the camera.


Working with the Free Angle Live View Monitor
The Olympus EVOLT E-3 also features a unique, flexible-angle Live View monitor. Live View shooting allows real-time hunting and framing of your subject right on the LCD. Enabling ultra high-angle and low-angle shooting, the dual-axis flexible-angle Live View monitor can be rotated freely — up and down and from side to side — allowing you to take shots from angles you just can't get with standard SLR cameras. [figures 49 & 50]

For example, we used the adjustable LCD to great effect in this commercial studio shot of a men's sweater. Because the camera had to be positioned above the sweater, which was laid out on a styling set, it would have been difficult to frame up the shot and ensure sharp focus without this adjustable LCD.

By adjusting the LCD to eye-level, however, we were able compose and review results as we developed the lighting of the shot. [figures 51, 52, & 53]

Downloading Images to Your Computer
When you want to transfer the images you've captured from your camera to your computer, you can do so in a couple of different ways.

One way is to connect the camera directly to your computer using the USB 2.0 cable that is included with the E-3. The USB port is located behind a rubber flap on the left side of the E-3 (figures 54 and 55).

To access the USB port, pull the cover flap from the bottom. Then insert the properly oriented USB cable into the port. The other end of the cable inserts into the USB port on your computer. The computer will recognize the camera as a drive. You can copy and paste the images into a folder on your computer.

NOTE: There is a cable for viewing your images on a TV directly from your camera included with the camera.

An alternative method and the most popular method for importing the images onto your computer is to remove the media card from the camera and insert it into a media card reader on your computer (figure 56 and 57). Your computer will see the memory card as a drive. Just copy the image files from the memory card to a destination folder on your computer.

After images are copied from the media card, they can be erased. It is best to do this with the camera. With the media card inserted in the camera, press the menu button. Scroll to Card Setup, then to the erase menu. Choose Erase, then press OK.

In order to edit your new images on your computer to manipulate, email, or print them, you'll need to install the Olympus Master Editing software (included with the Olympus E-3) onto your computer or use an alternate photo editing software.

Shooting Portraits Outdoors
Taking good portraits outdoors can be easy if you have some basic light modifiers on hand. A bright sunny day can render beautiful, vibrant colors but can also present a high degree of contrast: a primary concern when shooting portraits. To illustrate more effectively, we set up a typical backyard portrait set-up with our model. Once the camera was dialed in, we took a shot of her in a vertical crop (figures 58 and 59).

Here's the contrast we talked about. Notice how bright the model's forehead is compared to the sharp shadows cast from her nose and chin in this result shot. And since she had the sun in her eyes, she couldn't help but squint into the lens.

To reduce the contrast (and squinting), our assistant held a Photoflex 12" Translucent LiteDisc up to diffuse the sunlight falling on the model's head and shoulders. This eliminated the harsh shadows, but also decreased the overall light level by about 1 f/stop. To adjust for exposure, we simply opened the aperture a full stop from its original setting and took another shot (figures 60 and 61).

In the result shot, notice how much more we can see the model's eyes, and that the shadows have diminished drastically.

For a final touch, we had the model hold a 22" White LiteDisc just under her face to bounce sunlight up into the shadow areas. We took another shot and then viewed it on the playback mode of the camera (figures 62 and 63).

The shadows under the eyes and nose have been eliminated, and the bottom LiteDisc has created a nice "sparkle" in the model's eyes. For a full body shot using this technique, you would simply use larger LiteDisc reflectors.