Olympus E-400 DSLR announced and previewed

Why helllooo there Olympus E-400. So, you're the world's smallest and lightest 10 megapixel Digital SLR camera huh? Announced today, this new digital shooter shares the looks of its film-based Olympus cousins and brings that fancy Supersonic Wave Filter to keep the CCD sensor dust free, Zuiko Digital lens, 2.5-inch LCD, 3fps continuous shooting, and dual-memory card slots for xD-Picture Card and CompactFlash. Oh, and the E-400 will work any of those FourThirds-compliant lenses you might have lying around including the complete range of Olympus E-System accessories. Let'sGoDigital got their mits on a pre-production unit and came away with a "very good impression" of the "remarkably compact" E-400 which will certainly sway many first timers looking to move from compact formats to DSLR. Scheduled to drop in Europe come November and the US... wha, it's not coming to the US? Oh Olympus, why? A couple of more teaser shots after the break.

[Via Digital Camera Review, Thanks Joshua]

[Stanley @ Sep 15th 2006 10:06AM]

wow.. a double memory slots. looks like the Canon EOS 1Ds. haha.. smallest? is smaller better? more convenient but less stable holding? How are you comparing with canon's new anti dust technology?

[NeoteriX @ Sep 14th 2006 10:07AM]

*yawn* the Rebel XT is already small enough as it is, with its diminutive grip. This camera is just gonna annoy the crap out of me, just trying to hold it.

[General Public @ Sep 14th 2006 10:33AM]

I dunno why, but it's nice to see old-fashioned strap lugs making a comeback on a digital camera.

[Chris @ Sep 14th 2006 3:29PM]

This makes me think that they will come out with a different camera for the U.S. market, perhaps?

(Maybe i'm just being self-centered, eh?)

[Rob @ Sep 14th 2006 1:11PM]

'shares the looks of its film-based Olympus cousins'

Wha? Um, Olympus doesn't make film SLR's. Hasn't for long bloody time, unless you count the all-in-one IS series, which...don't count.

[Jason @ Sep 24th 2006 9:51PM]

If you've ever done any photography with a manual film SLR, you would know (and possible miss) how nice it was to have a small but capable camera. Cameras like the Olympus OM-1, Nikon F3, and Canon AE-1 are fantastic to shoot with and are all at least a 1/3 smaller than my D200.

If the E-400's image quality is as high as the D200 I would seriously consider switching and if Olympus ever offered a model as small as the E-400 with a front command dial and metal body construction then I would be an instant Olympus convert.

[Steve D (Dallas, Tx) @ Jan 13th 2007 12:50PM]

I've put off buying a Digital SLR all these years because I really DISLIKE the shape of them - Those protruding grips do not fit my hand. Finally a 'normal' shaped D-SLR and I CAN'T BUY IT in the states! I currently use the Olympus C-770, which is the shape/size I like. (I wanted it in Black instead of silver, but again, Black not available in the states - thanks Olympus...)