Exposure Control

• Metering Modes selectable in any mode but Manual.
  
  
  • iESP Multi-patterned reads the entire image to calculate the exposure
  • Center-weighted reads a large area of the center
  • Spot metering uses a very small portion of the center of the frame
  
  
  
• Exposure Compensation can be adjusted from -3 to +3 EV in 1/3 EV increments.
  
  
• White Balance can be iESP-TTL Automatic or dialed in to various presets from 3,000 to 7,500 degrees Kelvin. A little confusing to those used to Daylight, Incandescent and etc but the manual explains it all. For "perfect" white balance there is a One-Push button on the front of the camera that measures and sets a custom white balance setting.
  
  
•  AE Lock button will hold the calculated exposure to allow you to re-compose your shot without having to keep the shutter button half-pressed which is normal for consumer-priced digicams.
  
  
• AE Bracketing causes the camera to shoot three frames and varies the EV for each according to the user-selectable options of 1/3, 2/3 or 1.0EV step in either the plus or minus direction. The flash is disabled in this mode.
  
  
• Flash Intensity for the popup flash can be adjusted from -2 to +2 in 1/3 EV increments.

The E-10 has a host of dedicated buttons that let you change settings without using a menu on the color LCD. On the left side starting at the top is the metering (ESP, center-weighted, spot) and drive mode (single, sequence, self-timer, remote) buttons. In the middle are the exposure compensation and macro mode buttons and below that is the autofocus / manual focus switch.

The menu system is easily navigated using the 4-way jog switch and pressing the OK button to accept selections. During playback you use the rear Main Dial to control the thumbnail and zoomed playback modes. Below the LCD is the INFO button that displays the exposure data and/or histogram, the Protect / Unprotect button and the Erase button.

The E-10 is supplied with the Olympus RM-1 remote control. Because the E-10's zoom is manual it cannot be operated by the remote. It can be used to trip the shutter in record mode and control playback functions when connected to a TV.

When the color LCD is enabled you cannot select the camera's remote drive mode. Granted you can't turn the LCD around to face forwards but many of us use it for framing macro shots and the remote is much handier than the self-timer because you don't have to physically touch (bump) the camera.

The E-10 is equipped with both a SmartMedia and a compactFlash Type II card slot. Any size 3.3v SmartMedia card up to 64MB may be used. Both card slots can be occupied, user selects desired media with the SM/CF button on the top.

Olympus specifically states that the use of a Microdrive is "not recommended" but any capacity solid state CompactFlash Type I or II card works just fine, the bigger, the better -- those TIFF files are about 12 megabytes each!

Tucked away behind this little door is the Video Out port for connection to a television and a high speed USB data port for downloading to the computer. On the bottom is a DC INput port for the optional AC power adapter.  Next to the strap lug is a PC sync connector for external flash units and a port that is used by the optional Olympus RM-CB1 remote cable release.

Power for the E-10 comes from either 2 of the Olympus CR-V3 lithium batteries, 4 x AA Ni-MH or Ni-Cd batteries or an optional AC power supply...

You can also use the optional Olympus B-HLD10 power battery holder with the heavy duty B-10LPB lithium polymer battery. Besides supplying a lot more power this also serves as a portrait grip with a vertical shutter release.