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Olympus E-3 PDF User Manual

Did you lose or misplace the instruction manual that came with your Olympus E-3? It happens all too easily, but fortunately Olympus makes a soft copy available that you can browse through online, print out, or download (see the pdf file below). It is certainly good practice to carefully familiarize oneself with the many different functionalities and options that the E-3 offers, and the official user manual is without doubt an authoritative and comprehensive source of respective information.

That said, the instruction booklet can be a dry read, so that a dedicated camera guide book from a professional photographer that illustrates the camera's core functions in a real life photography context can be a very helpful complement. Yes, getting one of these camera guides (see here at amazon) would involve an additional expense, but if that book helps to exploit the camera's potential to the full, the (small) additional investment may well be worth it.

Also, you might want to check out the video tutorial on the Olympus E-3 below.

camera

In any case, the E-3 is an advanced imaging tool, whose many features merit serious attention. This DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera was officially introduced on October 16th, 2007, which means that, as of today, the camera is 6187 days old (young?). The camera has meanwhile been discontinued and was succeeded by the Olympus E-5 as a replacement in the same line of cameras.

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Olympus's instruction manual for the E-3

The camera's instruction manual is 156 pages long. The pdf version is embedded below. As you browse through, you will hopefully find the information you are looking for. You can also print out a hard copy by right clicking on the manual and then choosing the respective menu option. For convenience, a summary of the key specs of the E-3 is included towards the bottom of this webpage.

Don't forget to bookmark this page for future reference (Ctrl-Shift-D on a Windows PC; Cmd-Shift-D on a Mac). Happy browsing!

Click on the button below to download the pdf version of the Olympus E-3 manual to your computer. The file will open in a new browser window.

Download the Manual

If you prefer to read the user guide in another language, please check the respective availability on Olympus's support site. That site also provides complementary online resources, such as information on the compatibility of various camera accessories or the availability of firmware updates that are not necessarily comprehensively covered in the instruction manual.

Printed, hardcopy versions of the Olympus E-3 manual can sometimes be found online. You can check the availability on amazon and ebay via the buttons below.

amazon.com ebay.com

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Video tutorial for the Olympus E-3

Perhaps instead of reading through a manual or operations guide, you might prefer to better familiarize yourself with your E-3 by watching a video tutorial. It can notably help to quickly get to know the key functions and to set up your camera according to your particular preferences and needs.

Once again, the Olympus E-3 is a sophisticated imaging tool and not exploiting its capabilities to the full would be a pity. Hence, taking the time to study online information material or to read through a well-written camera guide book is highly recommended to make the most of your purchase.

Find E-3 guide book at
amazon.com

Olympus E-3 FAQ

Below are some additional questions and answers concerning some particular features of the E-3.

What technology is the imaging sensor in the Olympus E-3 based on?

The camera has a CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensor at its core.

Which image processing chip is used in the Olympus E-3 to convert the raw signal into an image file and perform noise reduction and image sharpening?

Olympus equipped the E-3 with the TruePic III image processor.

What is the ISO sensitivity range of the Olympus E-3?

The camera has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 3200.

Does the Olympus E-3 have a selfie-friendly screen?

Yes, the LCD-screen of the E-3 is flexible and can be turned to be front-facing for capturing selfies.

What is the life expectancy of the shutter in the Olympus E-3?

Olympus mentions a shutter rating of 150 000 actuations for the E-3. This number represents a Mean Time before Failure, that is an average value. The shutter might fail earlier, or it might last longer. Anyway, in order to exhaust the expected shutter life of the E-3 over, say, three years, one would have to take about 150 pictures each and every day.

How do I find the shutter count on my Olympus E-3?

Olympus embeds the number of shutter actuations in hidden menus. You can check the number of shots that your E-3 has taken up to now by carefully following the steps described on the Olympus E-3 shutter count page.

Does the Olympus E-3 feature an autofocus assist light?

Yes, the camera has a lamp built-in that can illuminate the subject and improve autofocus in low-light settings.

What is the fastest shutter speed that can be used with the Olympus E-3 for flash photography?

The E-3's flash sync speed is 1/250 sec.

Which battery does the Olympus E-3 use?

The camera gets its power from the Olympus BLM-1 (here at amazon), which is a rechargeable Lithium-Ion power pack.

Is there a vertical grip available for the Olympus E-3?

Yes, Olympus offers the HLD-4 as an optional accessory to facilitate shooting in portrait orientation and to provide additional battery power.

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Further reading

How does the E-3 stack up against available alternatives? In case you would like to check on the differences and similarities with other camera models, just use the search menu below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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    Core camera specifications

    Here is a list of the main features and technical characteristics of the Olympus E-3.

    Specifications Summary
    Camera Model Olympus E-3
    Camera Type Digital single lens reflex
    Camera Lens Four Thirds lenses
    Launch Date October 2007
    Launch Price USD 1 699
    Sensor Specs
    Sensor Technology CMOS
    Sensor Format Four Thirds Sensor
    Sensor Size 17.3 x 13.0 mm
    Sensor Area 225 mm2
    Sensor Diagonal 21.6 mm
    Crop Factor 2.0x
    Sensor Resolution 10 Megapixels
    Image Resolution 3 648 x 2 736 pixels
    Pixel Pitch 4.74 μm
    Pixel Density 4.44 MP/cm2
    Moiré control Anti-Alias filter
    Movie Capability no Video
    ISO Setting 100 - 3 200 ISO
    Image Processor TruePic III
    DXO Sensor Quality (score) 56
    DXO Color Depth (bits) 21.6
    DXO Dynamic Range (EV) 10.5
    DXO Low Light (ISO) 571
    Screen Specs
    Viewfinder Type Optical viewfinder
    Viewfinder Field of View 100%
    Viewfinder Magnification 0.58x
    Top-Level Screen Control Panel
    LCD Framing Live View
    LCD Size 2.5 inch
    LCD Resolution 230k dots
    LCD Attachment Swivel screen
    V-logging Friendliness Front-flip possible
    Touch Input No touchscreen
    Shooting Specs
    Focus System Phase-detect AF
    Manual Focusing Aidno Peaking Feature
    Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000s
    Continuous Shooting 5 shutter flaps/s
    Shutter Life Expectancy150 000 actuations
    Silent Shootingno E-Shutter
    Time Lapse Photographyno Intervalometer
    Image StabilizationIn-body stabilization
    Fill Flash Built-in Flash
    Storage Medium CF or XD cards
    Single or Dual Card Slots Dual card slots
    Connectivity Specs
    External Flash Hotshoe
    Studio Flash PC Sync socket
    USB Connector USB 2.0
    HDMI Port no HDMI
    Wifi Support no Wifi
    Body Specs
    Environmental SealingWeathersealed body
    Battery Type Olympus BLM-1 power pack
    Battery Life (CIPA)750 shots per charge
    Body Dimensions 142 x 116 x 75 mm
    (5.6 x 4.6 x 3.0 in)
    Camera Weight 876 g (30.9 oz)

    Did you notice an error on this page? If so, please get in touch, so that we can correct the information.

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