Westlake Village (CA) - Olympus has announced their new Evolt E-330 Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera that can actually show a live preview of the image on its LCD.

Such a live preview has been a feature of digital snapshot cameras for almost 10 years, but has not been available in digital SLRs (DSLRs). DSLRs typically also carry a LCD screen, which, however, can only display a picture after it has been taken.

The E-330 is the first DSLR to actually provide a preview of an image on its LCD screen. The feature is enabled through two image sensors : One 7.5-megapixel sensor is used to take the actual image. Another less powerful sensor grabs the live preview and displays it on the camera’s 2.5" LCD.

In addition to a normal preview, the camera can also display a 10X zoomed up preview to enable improved focusing.

Many professionals, who believe that the naked eye is the best way to compose a shot, are likely to avoid this camera. However, the E-330 may provide an opportunity for users to transition from a snapshot camera to a more powerful DSLR that comes with the convenience of a live preview.

The Olympus E-330 will be available in March and retail for about $1100, including a 14mm to 45mm lens.

Update January 27, 2006

An astute reader told us about the Canon 20Da, a specialized version geared towards Astronomy photographers, that does have a live preview mode. Instead of using the two sensor technique of the Olympus, the Canon 20Da repositions and locks the mirror.

The Canon 20Da was introduced last summer and retails for more than $2000 dollars.