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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT
OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC.
(888) 553-4448
http://support.olympusamerica.com
®
Olympus E-3 FAQ
Olympus E-3 Digital Camera
Product number: 262010
Shipping Date: November 2007
Box Contents
Olympus E-3 Digital Camera
Strap and Body Cap
USB 2.0 Cable (CB-USB4)
Video Cable (CB-VC1)
Eyecup (EP-7)
Lithium-ion Rechargeable Battery (BLM-10)
Lithium-ion Battery Charger (BCM-2)
Quick Start Guide
Instruction Manual
CD-ROM: OLYMPUS Master ® 2.0 software
W
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com The magnesium-alloy frame and the seals around all controls and ports make the E-3 a rugged camera and the only truly weatherproof DSLR available today. The 11-point biaxial autofocus system provides numerous autofocus setup options and accurate autofocus in low-light situations. The built-in flash also serves as a control for the wireless, remote-controlled flash system, built
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com What are the advantages of lenses that are designed specifically for digital camera use? Although the small size of the individual pixels in CCD, CMOS, and Live MOS image sensors enables them to capture even more detail than film, the sensitivity of the sensor elements is highly directional. That is, they respond best to light that strikes the elements straight on. With lenses d
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com The E-3 allows the photographer the option to customize the four JPEG record modes by mixing and matching their quality settings. The factors that define a JPEG record mode are image size (determined by number of pixels) and compression ratio. The table below shows all of the combinations of image size and compression ratio available in the E-3. Customization of the quality
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com In the White Balance (WB) menu, what do all of those numbers followed by a “K” mean? The color balance of different light sources in the color spectrum is rated numerically by color temperature in the standard Kelvin (K) temperature scale. A color temperature value is expressed as a number followed by a “K,” for Kelvin. The chart below shows approximate values of different li
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com The E-3 is able to create these effects without using physical filters by modifying the performance of the red, green, and blue color channels in the MONOTONE mode. The functions of the B&W filters are described below: • RED - The red filter darkens blues and greens and lightens reds. In landscape photography, it produces dark skies that make clouds look more dramatic. The red
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com My 35mm SLR had a mirror lockup to let the camera vibration settle down before the shutter tripped. Does the E-3 have this? The E-3 has an ANTI-SHOCK function that diminishes camera shake caused by vibrations when the mirror flips up. This feature can be useful in astrophotography, photo microscopy, or other applications where a very slow shutter speed is used and camera vibra
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com • [MF] – Press [;] to switch AF mode to MF. Press the button again to switch to the original AF mode. • [ ] - Press the [;] button to switch the record mode from JPEG to RAW+JPEG or from RAW+JPEG to JPEG. You can change the record mode by turning the main dial/sub dial while holding down the Fn button. • P/A/S/M – You can change the shooting mode by turning the main dial/sub di
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com Usage Where can I find the documentation for this camera? The E-3 is packaged with a printed Quick Start Guide and Instruction Manual. The documents can also be downloaded in PDF format by clicking here. ® Adobe Reader is required to view the PDF files. The software is available as a free download from Adobe's web site. How do I update the firmware in the E-3 camera body and
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com How do I insert a memory card into the E-3? To insert the memory card into the E-3, power off the camera and then do the following: 1. Slide the card cover door lock in the direction shown below. 2. Open the card cover on the right side of the camera. 3. Orient the card as shown below. For CompactFlash™ media, hold the memory card so that the contact area is on the card’s left,
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com Is it possible to view the Live View image on a computer? The E-3 has a VIDEO OUT jack that can be used to display images on a television screen. When the E-3 is connected to a computer in the CONTROL USB mode, the VIDEO OUT can be enabled using the Camera Control option in OLYMPUS Studio 2.0. In the Shooting/Camera Settings column on the right side of the Camera Control window,
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com Sometimes when I turn off the E-3, I feel a slight vibration or hear a noise. Why is that? When the camera is powered down, slight vibration and noise occur as the Supersonic Wave Drive (SWD™) motor resets the image sensor to its default position. The E-3 takes this action when shooting with the Image Stabilizer function set to I.S. 1 or I.S. 2. In either mode, the camera mov
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com • A (Aperture Priority shooting) – This mode allows the aperture to be set manually, thereby giving the photographer control over depth-of-field. This mode also uses Program Shift, so the photographer can select any aperture in the range of the lens using the main dial or sub dial. The camera compensates for the exposure by changing the shutter speed automatically as the f-stops
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com • S-AF+MF (Simultaneous use of the S-AF and Manual Focus) – This mode allows the photographer the option of fine adjusting the focus using the lens focus ring after the shutter button has been pressed halfway and autofocus has been locked. This mode allows the photographer more creative control over the autofocus to focus on a specific area the autofocus may not have selected. •
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com How do I use the different metering modes? The E-3 provides several metering options that allow the photographer to have greater creative control over exposure. The metering modes can be set in the Control Panel screen or the camera menu. Descriptions and applications of the metering modes are detailed below: Digital ESP metering is recommended for general use. The camera me
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com How do I select which ISO setting to use? Think of the ISO values as film speeds. Low ISOs such as 100 and 200 are better suited to situations in which there is a lot of light – outdoors scenes. ISOs such as 400 and 800 would be used outdoors where there is plenty of light and fast shutter speeds are desired – sports and air shows, for example – or indoors for available light sho
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com To edit a RAW file in camera: 1. Press the [MENU] button. Select the menu, and then select the PICTURE MODE, RECORD MODE and WB (White Balance) settings to be applied to the RAW image to be edited. 2. Exit the menu by pressing [MENU] again. 3. In the playback mode, select the RAW image to be edited. 4. Open the menu, select the third tab (Edit), select EDIT and then toggle ri
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com Accessories What accessories are available for the E-3? Click here to view the System Chart for the E-3. Does the E-3 support the Olympus wireless RC flash system? The E-3 supports the Wireless Flash system in which the camera’s built-in flash acts as a controller that sends data commands to FL-36R and FL-50R electronic flash units. The system can control up to three groups of
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com Can the E-3 use a flash with shutter sync speeds higher than 1/250th of a second? The optional FL-36, FL-36R, FL-50, and FL-50R flash units have a Super FP Flash mode th which enables flash sync at shutter speeds higher than 1/250 of a second. This is accomplished by the flash emitting what is essentially a very high-speed stroboscopic “flicker” flash, rather than a single flash
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DIGITAL TECHNICAL SUPPORT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC. (888) 553-4448 http://support.olympusamerica.com Do I need a voltage converter to use my battery charger outside the U.S.? The bundled BCM-2 Battery Charger bundled with the E-3 is rated at 100-240 V AC and automatically adjusts itself for the local electrical current. However, you may have to get a set of plug adapters for the different wall outlets used in foreign countries. Plug adapter kits are available at electronics an
