The comfort and flexibility of continuous live previews directly on the LCD is available to digital SLR users for the first time. This ground-breaking innovation - which started with the E-330 - enables framing of shots without the need to look through the viewfinder. Users can therefore see what’s going on around them while they shoot and also use the camera in situations where it is difficult to frame using the viewfinder. This means that macro photographers needn’t lie in the mud to frame ground-level subjects any more, and portrait photographers can keep constant eye contact with their model or client. It makes capturing shots from unusual angles, such as in crowds, effortless.
The Live View function incorporated in the E-3, E-410, E-420 and E-510 displays the information required for photography on the rear-panel LCD monitor: the focusing, depth of field, white balance and exposure correction can all be adjusted more intuitively as they can be viewed on the LCD monitor, even making use of a live histogram. By being able to see the effect of the adjustments in real time, the guesswork is taken out of numerous situations, allowing photographers to see which setting is optimal for their intended purpose - even before the picture is taken. Make use of the E-330’s multi-angle LCD allowing for framing high and low, the E-410’s, E-420's and E-510’s great 176° angle of view and the E-3’s amazing multi-angle LCD which works from low and high angles and also from the front. This gives you more freedom to frame the shots you aim for. Photography in a way impossible before.
Until now, it was impossible to check the results of exposure correction before taking the picture, but Live View has made it possible. As this function allows the user to confirm the correction effect intuitively, even users with no knowledge of exposure can easily exploit the advantages of SLR shooting. Those users who are familiar with exposure correction can also benefit since it will allow them to make adjustments more quickly while viewing the LCD monitor, without having to check the white balance after every shot.
Since AF in previous SLR cameras was possible only in the predetermined metering area, it often caused problems for photographers doing macro shooting or who wanted to compose and image near the periphery. In addition, it used to be necessary to zoom in on recorded images in order to check focusing and re-shoot the image if it was out of focus. Now, thanks to Live View in the E-3, E-410, E-420 & E-510, you can enlarge the monitored image by up 10 times at the touch of a button and check the focus before you take the picture. When the shooting point is located in the center, AF is activated, eliminating the need of manual focusing. It allows for ultra-fine adjustments of the focus for exceptionally crisp shots - also in the tiniest details.
Even underwater, D-SLR photography reaches a new dimension. On Live View cameras with optional underwater cases, divers can see their subject through their diving masks clearly on the large LCD and also have the convenience of being able to choose from special underwater scene modes. Underwater housings are available for the E-330, the E-410 and the E-3 as well as for a wide variety of lenses and flash guns.
Live View is made possible by moving the mirror upwards and displaying the image on the LCD at the back of the camera as the image sensor “sees” it. Both automatic and manual focusing modes are supported. For autofocus in TTL phase-difference detection, the mirror is flipped down momentarily and then - once the AF sensor which sits behind the mirror has taken its reading - back up again. This is the method for the E-3, the E-410 & E-510. For the E-420 though, there is also the option to instead use an autofocus method of contrast AF, meaning the camera detects the highest contrast within the framed image directly on the sensor and sets the focus accordingly. This is the method that photographers used to digital compact cameras will feel familiar with. It is even more comfortable and very quick as the mirror flipping is not needed. For highest accuracy and a more comfortable framing, the user can even combine both methods - prefocus using contrast detection on the sensor and the using the dedicated AF sensor.
With Live View in operation, the image sensor is permanently ON, so a type of sensor was needed that consumes little power while at the same time delivers the high image quality of the Full Frame Transfer CCD. Olympus incorporated a proven Live MOS sensor technology, and then simplified the sensor construction by radically improving the materials and processing technology. The result is a sensor with low power consumption as well as low heat and noise generation. Enjoy Generation 2 of the Olympus E-System!
