Olympus's Live View pioneer — the E-330, Four Thirds DSLR, 7.5MP, tilting screen, 2006.
The Olympus E-330 was released in 2006 and is widely credited as the first DSLR with a usable full-time Live View system, letting the photographer compose on the rear screen rather than only through the viewfinder. It was sold as the EVOLT E-330 in North America and built on the flat-bodied E-300 design.
The E-330 is a Four Thirds digital SLR with a 7.5-megapixel Live MOS sensor in the four-thirds format and a Four Thirds lens mount. It uses a porro-mirror finder and offers two Live View modes, one using a dedicated finder sensor and one using the main sensor, together with a tilting rear screen. It is a stills body with a focal-plane shutter and no video recording.
Its Live View implementation makes it well suited to tripod, macro and awkward-angle work where composing on the screen is easier than through the finder. The 7.5MP resolution is modest, which limits big enlargements, but the body pioneered a way of working that later became standard, and the small Four Thirds lenses keep the kit compact.
When buying, check the shutter count, inspect the sensor for dust and stuck pixels, and test both Live View modes and the tilting screen hinge. Confirm the battery and card-door latches and that the BLM-1 battery is obtainable. Its early Live MOS sensor handles colour better than the CCD E-System bodies but is still weak at high ISO, and note that Olympus no longer services E-System cameras, so condition is what you are buying.