Olympus E-3 User manual

O
OL LY YM MP PU US S
P
PO OW WE ER R U US SE ER R’ ’S S G GU UI ID DE E
M
Ma ar rk k D D. . Y Yo ou un ng g
A Southern Shutterbug Book

2
OLYMPUS E-3 POWER USER’S GUIDE
2008 MARK D. YOUNG
First published 2008 by Southern Shutterbug Books, an imprint of
Laminar Publishing Associates, Suite 9, Private Bag Bag X7005, Hillcrest, 3560,
Republic of South Africa.
The moral right of Mark D Young has been asserted. No part of this publication
may reproduced, in any format or by any means, mechanical, electronic or
otherwise without the express, written permission of the author and publisher
having first been obtained. Short extracts may be quoted in reviews provided
full credit is given as to the source of the material so used.
By the same author from Laminar Publishing Associates:
Shutterbug’s Digital Jargon Buster
A Firm Resolve – A History of SAA Accidents 934- 987
The Magic Christmas Beetle
The Great Grunklewhiska Adventure
Text prepared in Open Office Writer
Text set in Tahoma
Origination in Open PDF writer
www.openoffice.org
Frontispiece image of E-3 courtesy of Olympus Corporation
Close- up images of camera controls taken with Olympus 040SW on Super-macro mode.
The input, comments and assistance of Brian Grey (UK), Noel Hammond (SA),
Karl Ludik (Aus), Carl Dionisio (NZ) plus many other E-3 users in addition to
JEL Corporation South Africa, agents for Olympus in Southern Africa,
In the preparation of this book is gratefully acknowledged.

3
OLYMPUS E-3 POWER USER’S GUIDE
The Olympus E-3 was one of the most eagerly awaited D-SLR
cameras to arrive on the market in 2007. The existence of a
successor to the highly regarded E- – which was the Olympus
Corporation’s first four-thirds standard D-SLR launched in 2003 –
had long been rumoured. Olympus enthusiasts, however, had to
exercise patience as the engineers fine-tuned many aspects of
the camera’s performance. They tested – and rejected – many
components until they had a design which they felt would place
the camera in a class of its own.
Indeed, upon launch the E-3 heralded many “firsts” or class-
leading features in a professional level D-SLR. Some of these
were:
• First high-end professional D-SLR with built-in in-body
stabilisation
• First professional D-SLR with live-view
• First professional D-SLR with swivel-screen display
• First professional D-SLR with direct-access menu for
setting changes
• World’s fastest auto-focus when teamed with the
Zuiko 2-60mm SWD lens
• Class-leading environmental sealing against moisture
and dust
• Most effective sensor dust-reduction system
• Multi-group wireless remote flash system
Many of these aspects have now been added to competitor
products in this class of camera. However, the overall package, of
ergonomics, ruggedness and user-friendly layout of the E-3
camera itself, does place the E-3 in a niche of its own.
While many detractors may point to the “low megapixel sensor”
of the E-3 in comparison to later competitor’s higher megapixel
counts, to do so diminishes the depth and prowess of the

4
engineering inherent in the four-thirds system and the sensor
used in the E-3. The apparently low megapixel count offers the
bonus of larger individual photo-sites than those found in higher-
density sensors. This benefits the dynamic range of the E-3
images as well as providing impressive low-noise performance at
speeds up to ISO 600.
In addition, when viewed within the Olympus E-system – and the
wider four-thirds product range – the E-3 does, indeed, stand
alone amongst other cameras on the market in providing a
unique blend of portability, professional ruggedness, image
quality, user-friendliness and a whole bundle of “do anything”
capabilities. For many happy owners it was “worth the wait” and
it is a camera that they hold in high regard.
Indeed, nearly a year after its launch the E-3 was awarded the
“Best Advanced Camera in Europe 2008/2009” award by EISA – a
European consortium of more than 50 magazine editors in the
imaging and sound industries. When viewed in light of the fact
that other brands had all launched cameras with higher
megapixel counts and “more features” subsequent to the E-3’s
introduction, this is an indication of the depth of sophistication
that is the Olympus E-3 camera. There is absolutely no reason
why it cannot do all any user could possibly ask of it.
This booklet aims to help you to understand your Olympus E-3 D-
SLR camera a bit better and explain the many features which
have been designed into it that other users have found useful. In
so doing we hope to help you realise your vision for photography.
It is, however, assumed that you understand the principles of
photography and have read the manufacturer’s handbook.
Please refer to both this guide and the appropriate page in the camera’s
English user manual (Printed in Germany in 2007 item OIME-7.0 -
0/2007. Hab-E04602 2) as indicated by the (UMPgxx) notation as you
progress through the text.

5
THE AUTHOR
Mark D. Young is an award-winning South
African photojournalist, writer and
photographic mentor. He was born in the city
of Pretoria in 962 and educated at
Rietondale and Clapham schools in the city
of his birth.
He has been taking photographs
professionally since the age of 8 and has
given basic, intermediate and advanced
tuition in photography to more than 3 000
camera owners during his career which has
included “shutter-finger” time spent on newspapers, magazines and as
a consultant in retail outlets.
He is well acquainted with the Olympus camera family having owned
and used various Olympus products since 974. He has also counted
amongst his camera gear various Canon, Nikon, Yashica and Contax
equipment and retains an “interesting” collection of classic
photographica of all brands and vintages.
He was the founding editor of Great Photography and Video , SA Photo
and Digital Photofocus magazines and has worked and/or photographed
in locations all around the world, gaining useful experience in the usage
of camera equipment in climates ranging from Arctic cold to desert
heat. He has taught numerous South African National Antarctic
Expedition teams “the ropes” in regard to photography, has inducted
numerous “Street Freelancers” (Self-employed social photographers
working in all centres of South Africa) into the business and is a regular
guest lecturer at various Universities of Technology and at the South
African National College of Photography.
He currently resides in Durban, South Africa where he was recently
appointed the Founding Chair of the Whysall’s Photographic Academy ,
an arm of a famous photographic supply group which is wholly
dedicated to educating all camera owners in the joys of photography.

6
IF YOU THINK THE E-3 IS A GREAT CAMERA,
YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
As at date of writing, the E-3 had been honoured with the following awards
from photographic magazines, web-sites and professional organisations. Aside
from gaining praise for overall design, there are awards for top image quality
and one for robustness and build quality.
Arguably the most prestigious award to date is the EISA Award as “ Best
Advanced Camera in Europe 2008/9
” awarded nearly a year after the
introduction of the model and well after competitors had launched an array of
models in the same sector of the market.
All logos and trademarks are recognised as the property of their respective owners and are used with permission.

7
INTRODUCTION
OLYMPUS CAMERAS – ALWAYS INTERESTING
The Olympus company (founded in 9 9) is among the oldest
optics and camera companies in the world.
As a camera manufacturer, Olympus branded products have been
changing the direction of worldwide camera design since the
950s. The Olympus Pen-F and Pen-EE half-frame cameras with
interchangeable lenses were commercial hits in the 950s and
960s and offered a cost-effective alternative to the compact
35mm pro-grade equipment available from Europe at the time.
Perhaps the most outstanding aspect of these cameras were their
Zuiko (pronounced Zwee-ko ) lenses which have earned an
enviable reputation for sharpness, durability and their relatively
fast maximum apertures despite their compact size.
The 960s saw the launch of the Olympus Trip 35 camera which
did more to place a 35mm camera in households around the
planet than any other design before or since. The camera was
ruggedly made from metal and boasted a simple-to-understand
automatic light metering system that set speeds and apertures.
The camera could “not take a
bad photo” as the mechanism
locked if the picture was over or
underexposed. In addition, it did
not require batteries as the light
metering system was powered
by the very same light used to
capture the image via Cds cells.
The lead designer of these two products, Maitani Yoshihisa, led
the team that stunned the world in 973 with the smallest – at
the time – professional SLR with full system backup: The OM-1.

8
In the world of SLR camera design and marketing there are two
distinct periods of history: Pre OM-1 and post OM-1.
The OM system changed the course of SLR camera design and
helped to popularise the concept of an affordable, portable and
reliable SLR system camera.
Olympus followed this up
with the OM-2 which
heralded many firsts. It was
the first camera that
provided TTL (through the
lens) flash exposure
metering. This system is
used on every D-SLR
camera today. In addition,
the TTL metering (Known as Off The Film or OTF ) was also used
during the actual exposure during normal daylight. This provided
an accurate and infallible exposure system. A legacy feature of
that system is still incorporated in modern E-series cameras today
– peep under the mirror and you will see that the first shutter
curtain is coated in a neutral grey colour – this permits accurate
metering and flash exposure after the mirror has lifted, right up
to the moment when the actual exposure begins. No other digital
SLR has such a system with competitors relying on a “memory”
circuit that locks in the value measured just before the mirror
flips-up.
In 986 Olympus introduced
the OM-4Ti. This camera was
the first in the world to offer
“full-synchro flash” at all
shutter speeds via the FP flash
mode. This is another system
now used by every D-SLR
manufacturer. In addition to

9
this, it was also the first SLR camera to offer multi-spot metering
with Highlight and Shadow bias which is still used on top-line
professional cameras today – most notably the ubiquitous EOS-
series from Canon.
The year 985 saw the introduction of the OM-40 with ESP
(Electro Selective Pattern) metering. This was the forerunner of
the multi-pattern light metering systems in use by every major
camera manufacturer today.
With the change to digital sensors, Olympus continued to
innovate and the company was the first to offer in-camera sensor
cleaning systems when it launched the E-1 in 2003. This
pioneering and vital technology is only now being used on a
wider scale by other manufacturers while it has been standard on
every Olympus four-thirds D-SLR ever since the launch of the
venerable E-1 – giving Olympus a 5 year head-start in this
particular field which is why it is widely proclaimed as the most
effective system of its kind on the market.
The Olympus E-330 introduced the concept of “live view” to the
realm of D-SLR photography in 2005 and this is yet another
feature being provided by more and more manufacturers as the
first decade of the new century heads to a close.
Overall, Olympus cameras have quietly heralded many now
commonplace features and so while the company is not
commonly seen as one of the “big players” in the market, it is in
fact big on ideas and innovation and without Olympus cameras
and the new technologies the company is constantly introducing
to the market, the world of photography would be the poorer.
OLYMPUS CAMERAS DESIGN PHILOSOPHY
Overall the design philosophy of Olympus cameras is to try and
make the camera – and the technology around which the

10
instrument is constructed – as transparent as possible when in
the photographer’s hands. That is to say the company hopes to
make the camera “disappear” when it is in use.
“ I am working towards ‘no camera at all’ – a seamless link
between your mind’s eye and the printed photograph. That is
perhaps far in the future but it is my ideal. For now, we work so
that the tool is not so complicated to use that it becomes the
focus of your attention. It should allow you to instinctively
express you vision without imposing its technical will on you. It
must never interfere with your ability to capture the photograph
you have in mind.”
Maitani- Olympus Pursuit, 984 .
Effectively, to this day, the Olympus designers strive to make the
camera do as much of the technical drudgery of photography for
you as possible. This is done so as to leave you free to
concentrate your energies on composing the image you have in
mind - and selecting just the right moment at which to trip the
shutter. The idea is to make the focus of your time the pleasure
of making photographs, not the handling of equipment and the
performance of intricate calculations regarding exposure, lenses
and flash ratios.
THE FOUR THIRDS SYSTEM
The Four-Thirds system is, to date, the only “designed for digital”
photographic system on the market. When Olympus regarded the
world of the D-SLR before launching its first product, it was felt
that a new approach was needed for the new digital technology.
Accordingly the company partnered with other firms – Leica,
Panasonic, Sigma, Kodak
and Fuji – to arrive at a common
standard for a digital imaging system. The sensor decided upon
was only part of the solution. Other aspects such as the manner
in which lenses and cameras transfer data, the coupling of flash

11
units, the size of the image circle cast by the lenses as well as
the distance between the last lens element and the sensor itself
were all agreed upon and bound into a single standard.
Key to top performance was a near telecentric lens design which
ensures that the light from the image always strikes the sensor
at, or as near as possible to, 90 degrees. This avoids vignetting
(the darkening of the corners of the image) which can be caused
by using older lenses designed for film use on a digital sensor.
Proof that this was a far sighted innovation is found in the fact
that modern top-end D-SLRs have dedicated software to process
images where vignetting has been caused through the use of
lenses not designed for digital imaging.
The benefits of near telecentric lens design for digital systems
as defined in the Four Thirds standard is shown in these
diagrammes

12
Telecentric lenses are also responsible for the characteristic
deeply saturated, evenly illuminated blue skies and bright yet
faithful colours found in photographs taken on any Olympus E-
series cameras.
Another major benefit of the Four-Thirds system is that it was
made an “open system” whereby any interested manufacturer
may make use of the standard if it so wishes. This offers users of
Four-Thirds cameras such as the Olympus E-3 the benefit of not
being “tied in” to a single brand when deciding on an upgrade
path, new lenses or a back-up unit. All participating
manufacturer’s lenses, flashguns and camera bodies are
interchangeable with one another.
Finally, a further benefit of the decision to utilise the 4/3 sensor
is that the aspect ratio (the ratio between width and height)
exactly mirrors that of a standard computer monitor and a
standard TV set. It also mirrors the aspect ratio of a number of
standard photographic paper sizes (6x8 inches, 8x 0 inches,
2x 6 inches etc). This means that what is captured on the
sensor can be fully produced (or viewed on screen) without the
need to crop the edges of the frame.
For professional photographers this – coupled to the E-3’s 00%
viewfinder coverage – means that “what you see is what you’ll
get” when viewing the subject and later printing the image. This
can be a great time saver as it can prevent you having to “think
the crop factor” when framing your photographs.
For a full history of the Four-Thirds system, a description of its
philosophy and a potted-history of the design and development
of the E-3 in particular visit the following web-sites:
www.four-thirds.org
www.olympus-esystem.com
www.olympus-europa.com

13
PART ONE
GET TO KNOW YOUR E-3
The E-3 is, despite first appearances, a simple camera to operate.
Each button has a specific shape and/or its position on the
camera has been carefully considered according to the frequency
of its use so that it is difficult – once you are familiar with the
machine – to confuse the function of any given control. The
designers intended for you, once you are familiar with the
camera, to be able to operate it without having to remove it from
your eye.
POWER OPTIONS
The E-3 can be powered by any one of 5 potential power source
combinations when taken in combination with the power grip
HLD-4 or the mains power supply AC- .
Power sources can include:
• 3 x Lithium 3v batteries in the plastic holder LBH- .
• x BLM- Lithium-Ion battery (Shared with the E-
300/330/500/5 0/520 cameras in the E-system line-
up).
• 2 x BLM- batteries in the HLD-4 grip
• 6 x AA Alkaline or Nickel-Metal-Hydride batteries in the
HLD-4 grip.
• The AC- mains power supply.
As your camera is supplied, however, it will have one BLM-
battery and the appropriate charger (BCM- – the “quick” charger
or the BCM-2) depending on your market region.
CHARGING THE BLM-1 (UMPg11; 133)
The BLM- typically takes – according to Olympus – 2 hours to
fully charge the battery when it is exhausted. In practice,
however, the author has found that charge times seldom exceed

14
90 minutes on a battery that has been previously cycled through
a charge/discharge session.
Usefully, however, the BCM- charger has a charge-completed
indicator which lights green when charging is complete so there
is no need for stop-watches or guesswork.
When you place a battery onto the charger, the charge-state light
will normally glow a constant red while charging a depleted
battery and turn green once charging is completed.
If the red lamp starts flashing after a few seconds of having
glowed steadily, it means that the inner monitoring circuit of your
battery, or the cells themselves, are faulty and the cell cannot be
re-charged. Should this occur then the battery must be replaced
as there is no user-accessible method to remedy the problem.
HLD-4 GRIP
The HLD-4 grip provides an additional power supply by means of
being able to accommodate either up to 2x BLM- batteries or 6x
AA cells in its base. Additionally, the grip provides a second set of
function buttons, input dials and shutter release for comfortable
photography when holding the camera system vertically – this is
especially useful when doing portraiture with longer lenses as the
additional mass provides a well-balanced entity which is easy to
handle.
POWER USER TIP: If using the HLD-4 grip it is vital that you have the
camera firmware upgrade . or later for full functionality of the HLD-4
grip to be enjoyed. The .0 version of the firmware does not fully
support the power level indications when using AA batteries and the
ratio of input of the main and sub-dials of the grip to the reaction on
the displays has been optimised in firmware version . . and higher.

15
LET’S TAKE A TOUR OF YOUR E-3
In this section we will give you a quick tour of your camera. In
later sections, each dedicated to a particular feature, we will go
“in-depth” to fully discuss the various features and options
offered by the camera as well as detailing how to customise any
given feature or operation.
First, however, let’s start a “walk around” tour of the buttons and
dials.
When viewing the camera
from the top, with the lens
facing forwards, the three
buttons to the left of the
viewfinder each control the
adjustment of one of two
functions depending which
input wheel (situated in front
of the shutter button or
below the large LCD display)
is rotated.
As it arrives from the
factory, depressing any
given button will change the
function shown on the
button if the rear input
wheel (under the LCD display) is turned. If the front input wheel
(under the shutter button plinth) is turned while pressing any
given button, then the item shown on the marking on the
viewfinder housing (to the right of the actual button itself) will be
adjusted.
Another way to think of this is that the wheel under the LCD
display is to the “left” of the shutter button (i.e. It changes the

16
“left” most function of the two) and the front input wheel is
further to the right of the rear wheel thus operating the function
marked on the right of the button. You can, however, change
which input wheel changes the left or right function using the
custom setting menu if you wish to do so.
The rearmost two buttons have a marking to their left called BKT
and a line joining them. This indicates that you need to press
both buttons down at the same time to activate the Auto
Exposure Bracketing
feature of the camera. Depress both buttons
and turn an input dial to select from the available choices.
Finally, the COPY marking next to the light meter symbol
indicates that, when both an xD and CF/Microdrive card are in
the camera, pressing the button will permit you to copy all, or
selected images from one card to the other. (UMPg92)
At the front left of the viewfinder
housing is a uniquely shaped button
that raises the built-in flash unit
when required. It is marked with the
flash “lightning” symbol and the
word UP.
To the right of the viewfinder housing and running along the
front edge of the LCD display are four uniquely shaped or profiled
buttons. Each button has a single function according to its
marking.

17
The small round button closest to the viewfinder is set flush with
the surface and this activates a light to illuminate the LCD display
when needed. The light is switched off again by pressing the
button or if the camera’s main power switch is turned off.
Next to this is a raised button, twice as large as the first, which
changes the white-balance setting of the camera. Depressing the
button and turning either input wheel will cycle through the
available white balance settings. The icons on the LCD display will
change with every “click” of an input wheel. Changes are also
displayed in the viewfinder by removing the shooting information
and displaying a WB icon with an appropriate code.
To the right of the white balance button you will find (and feel) a
dome shaped button with a raised bump on the top. This is the
exposure compensation control button. Depressing this button
and turning either input wheel will allow you to adjust exposure
bias to your desired setting. The setting remains as set until you
reset it again either by depressing the button and turning an
input wheel or by re-setting the camera. This button also flips
any displayed image on the main screen 90 degrees with every
push.
The last of the four buttons is a round button protected to its left
by a raised plinth in the camera body. This button allows you to
change the effective ISO rating of the sensor by depressing it
and turning any of the two input wheels.
A line joins the two buttons on the right and is marked RESET.
Holding the two buttons down together for more than 2 seconds
will restore the camera to the factory default settings. Holding
the two buttons down while turning an input dial will permit you
to reset either of the two custom settings groups. (UMPg33)
In front of this row of buttons you will find the shutter button. It
has two distinct stages of operation. Light pressure sets the auto

18
focus and exposure metering systems in motion (depending on
your selection of the activation method as it is possible to
separate the commencement of auto focusing from the shutter
button and use the AEL/AFL button instead) and the next stage
will trip the shutter.
It is easy to “get the hang” of the pressure needed to lock the
focus/exposure and the camera will emit a beep once these are
locked. Of course, a beep could be a problem when absolute
silence is needed (when trying to get that prize-winning shot of a
sound-sensitive South American Jaguar for example…) so the
beep can be switched-off. There is a distinct feel to the shutter
button’s travel as it reaches the point of tripping the shutter.
Practice and you will soon have it bang-on.
Tucked away down below the shutter button, below a distinctive
lip moulded into the body casing, is the sub-input dial. Use this or
the rear dial to adjust settings once a particular function button
has been pressed.
You can also set this dial to adjust exposure bias instead. This
means you can simply dial-in the desired amount of exposure
compensation without having to press the +/- button first. If the
flash is activated or an Olympus FL-series flash is attached, this
function can be used to control the flash output.
Choices…choices…
Nestled snugly out of the way on the bottom of the
front face of the camera is the depth of field preview
button. Pressing this in any mode will stop the lens
down (darkening the viewfinder if a small aperture is
set) so that you can check the actual area of sharp
focus in the shot.
POWER USER TIP: If you have set the Fn button to
activate the LIVE PREVIEW mode, pushing the preview

19
button on the front face of the E-3 will automatically switch the camera
to live view mode with the aperture stopped-down to permit viewing of
depth of field on the monitor. So, if your camera has ever appeared to
“…suddenly switch to live preview mode for no reason…” check your
setting of the Fn button!
Right, now back to the top of the camera. Dominating this is the
LCD display. The graphic below shows you the most common
indications you could see on the display and their equivalents in
the viewfinder display
Other indications will appear as and when you press a function
and/or setting button.