Features

• Light and ultra-compact design for no-hassle portability
• Anti-reflective lens coating reduces glare
• Convenient center focus knob for easy, accurate focusing
• Built-in dioptric correction adjusts to individual eyesight
• Contemporary design

Reviews (4)

Decent compacts for the price
I gave this item 4 stars based on it's price. Even for $55 list this wouldn't be such a bad buy, but you can get them for substantially less. I am not a binocular expert by any means, but I'll give you my opinion. The binoculars are lightweight and small. Probably even smaller than you would envision from the dimensions. They come with a soft case (with a belt attachment) and a strap. The strap only connects to one side, so if you wear them around your neck they hang sideways. They have a diopter adjustment which adjusts the focus to each eye, and a central focus knob. They are split down the middle and fold a bit to adjust to the width of your eyes. The build is definitely 'plastic-y' which is one reason they are so lightweight. They say "Made In China" on the bottom, which for some reason cheapens their appearance a bit. Comparing the performance of these to a $100 pair of fullsize binocs I bought my father in law, I'd have to say they are just okay. Of course, due the lens diameter & cheaper optics they aren't as bright or as clear. The images also seem to lack dimentionality. A tree, for instance, appears flat almost like cut out of construction paper. But it is still raised above the background, Giving you the feeling of watching a cheap 3D movie. The diopter adjustment is a bit stiff, making it difficult to fine tune. It also isn't stepped, so it can go out of adjustment. Finally, the lens covers fall off very easily.

Does this all mean that I regret buying them? Not at all. They were inexpensive, and unlike my father-in-laws large heavy binocs, they are lightweight & small enough to wear on your belt or put in your wife's pocketbook. The image quality is decent (if not good). They wont look ridiculous at a play or a concert & are probably decent all around traveling binoculars (for casual use). And although they are not weather or water proof they are cheap enough to replace.

Binocular Use for Individuals Wearing Eyeglasses
I have not purchased this item; however, I wanted to inform westwindtalker2 how to use these binoculars (or any other normal pair of binoculars). First step, take off your eyeglasses. Second step, look through the binoculars at a stationary distant object, close your right eye and adjust the focus until the object is in focus for your left eye. Third step, while continuing to look at the same object, open your right eye, close your left eye and adjust the diopter correction until the object is in focus for your right eye. Fourth step, open both eyes, adjust the distance between the eyepieces so the image is seen as a single object and adjust the central focus knob. (You could also try reading the instructions supplied with the binoculars--they are available in pdf format from amazon.com from this item's webpage.)

Excellent
The product was easy to use and accurate. It is also a great buy!

Good Buy for the price, but ...
if you wear glasses, I found it is very hard to get it in focus and comfortable.

The price is right however. If it had been higher priced, frankly I would have returned it and looked further for one which was more compatible with my vision challenges. ... Read more

Features

• Slim body and foldable design
• High-index BaK-4 roof prisms
• UV protection
• Center focus knob
• Built-in dioptric correction adjusts to each user's eyesight

Amazon.com Product Description

The extra-large, bright viewfinder of the Olympus Accura Zoom XB700 QDcamera makes it easier to see and frame your subject. Its high-resolution38-70mm, 2x zoom lens lets you take group shots, portraits, and close-ups. Or,switch to landscape mode and capture distant scenery with amazingly sharpclarity. The built-in, 12-second electronic self-timer also lets you join in thepictures.

When you need to shoot in low-light conditions, the built-in, pop-upauto flash goes off automatically, letting you concentrate on your subject, notthe lighting. If you prefer the look of the available light, or are in asituation where flash photography is not allowed, simply switch to flash offmode.

The fullyautomatic operations of the Accura Zoom XB700 include focus, exposure, loading,and rewinding, while the sliding barrier protects the lens against dust andscratches. ... Read more

Features

• Fully automatic 35mm camera
• Versatile 38-70mm 2x zoom lens
• Sliding barrier protects lens against dust and scratches
• Auto Flash with Red-eye Reduction
• Extra-large, bright viewfinder makes it easier to see and frame your subject

Amazon.com Product Description

The Olympus D-370 boasts a host of excellent features and a compact, clamshell design. Two features that make it stand out are a superbright viewfinder and a newly developed long-life battery circuit. The battery circuit greatly extends battery life, allowing you to capture hundreds of images during normal operation. This 1.3-megapixel camera produces photo-quality 5-by-7-inch prints at 1,280 x 960 pixel resolution. In addition, the D-370 features a movie mode that lets you capture movie clips in QuickTime.

The Olympus focus-free 4.5 mm lens (equivalent to 35mm in film cameras) has an all-glass element and aperture range of f4 to f8. The camera is capable of a 4x digital telephoto zoom, but like all digital zooms, this increase in magnification comes at the expense of image quality. The Auto Connect USB port allows for easy connectivity to any PC running Windows Me or newer, or any Mac running OS 8.6 or newer, without the need to install drivers. Since the camera is recognized as a storage drive, transferring images is as easy as copying files to a floppy disk. The 1.5-inch color LCD displays your pictures for easy viewing and reviewing in-camera. In addition to accepting SmartMedia removable memory, the camera contains 2 MB of internal memory for capturing pictures.

The built-in flash features six modes: auto, red-eye reduction, off, fill-in, slow synchronization, and synchronization effect with red-eye reduction. With the optional Olympus LB01 (CR3V) batteries, the camera can last even longer than with the standard four AA alkaline batteries. There are several shooting modes including sequence (1.3 shots per second), macro, sepia, and black-and-white. Other features offered are: auto light metering, self-timer, date-data imprinting, and automatic or manual white balance. ... Read more

Features

• 1.3 megapixel sensor creates 1280 x 960 images for prints at sizes up to 5 x 7
• All-glass autofocus Olympus lens with 4x digital zoom
• Included 2 MB internal memory holds 4 images at default resolution
• Connects with Macs and PCs via included USB cable
• Accepts SmartMedia removable memory for added storage

Reviews (58)

Great first digital camera
I originally had an Olympus D-360, the previous model in this line, but it was stolen out of my car (if I ever find the person who did that... grrrr). This camera is quite an improvement over it's predecessor. Smaller, easier to operate, the menu system is 100% improved, and the batteries last A LOT longer. My only gripe is the removal of the small status screen on the top of the camera, it's handy when you don't want to use the LCD screen to save the batteries. Oh well, not a big deal. I do hope to move up to a 2 or 3 mp camera before too long, but this camera takes excellent pictures for it's price/mp range. A good first (or second, grrr) digital camera.

And just a note to the reviewer who had "Mixed Feelings About This One": If the store you bought this from advertised it incorrectly, you can hardly blame Olympus, while it would be nice if a memory card came with the camera, it says nothing about that on the box. And, as for the 2x or 4x digital zoom, if you set the picture quality to the lowest setting, it will digitally zoom up to 4x. As it says in the manual (though not very clearly, took me a while to figure it out too). Of course, digital zooms are junk, they degrade picture quality, but it is there.

Olympus D-370 - A Great Buy
I recently purchased this camera and with the savings from Amazon.com it is a great buy!! The cameras menu is easy to navigate through and with an added 32MB Smart Media card from Viking (just insert it on the side of the camera) the storage capacity even in the HQ picture setting is over 100 images!
With good light indoors it takes great pictures. I haven't used it outside yet, but I'm sure it will be just fine. The software that comes with it is easy to download, and with Windows 98, the drivers are very easy to install too. Just plug in to the USB Port on your PC and the software walks you right through the process of downloading the images.
Again, a great buy on a nice digital camera for the money!!

It Was A Love Hate Relationship
I purchased the camera last year and for a number of months it worked great. Now it only takes pictures inside. Anything outside is so over exposed it looks monochrome. Half the time the shutter doesn't click so I have to press it two or three times more until it finally works. When I first purchased the camera I would have given it 4 or 5 stars but now I'm in the market for something more reliable. After reading a number of other reviews where people had the same type of problems I'm convinced this camera is quickly self distructing.

I Didn't Know I Was Buying a $150 Disposable Camera
Would be a great little camera if it would last more than 15 months. It took great pictures and was very easy to use. I purchased a 64mb memory card (internal memory was useless) and rechargeable batteries (after going thru MANY sets of 4). Right around 9-12 months the camera starting having problems with the LCD not focusing and the camera wouldn't always take the picture while depressing the shutter button. I had purchased the rechargeable batteries thinking that could be the problem. Didn't use it often enough to notice there was a major problem about to happen. NOW AT JUST 15 MONTHS OLD, THE CAMERA DIED COMPLETELY. Just out of the one-year warranty (plus one month grace period) time frame.

I contacted Olympus Tech Support (be prepared to stay on hold a long time on long distance) and was encouraged to send the camera in. I was told they would check it over and let me know what was wrong all for only the charge of insured postage. Then if it needed repairs, it would be a flat $80. I said it wasn't worth the postage sending it in because I wouldn't pay $80 to fix a camera that can be replaced with a newer model for that money. They talked me into sending it when they said it could be defective and the repair would be covered. Another person there said to right a letter and they would possibly do a one time courtesy repair. My letter came yesterday asking for the $80 fee for repair. I called Olympus to ask them what was wrong with it. They said they needed payment first and then they'd hook it to their computers to find out. Big line of BS just to get me to send it in. I should have followed my first instinct and applied my shipping towards a new NON-OLYMPUS brand digital camera.

After investigating further, this appears to be a very common problem with their cameras. Either the LCD or the shutter is giving out on these.

I WILL NEVER BUY ANYTHING WITH THE OLYMPUS NAME ON IT AGAIN!!! PERIOD!!

short-lived
I just threw away a D-370 that I purchased 18 months ago. It worked great until two months ago, then simply died. This is the second Olympus digital camera that I've purchased that has lasted only a little over one year, then inexplicably stopped working. The camera repair shop says it's less expensive to buy a new digital camera than to repair the old one. Think of this as a pricey disposable. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

The D-490 Zoom is the latest model in the venerable D-400 series, starting with the D-400Z and continuing with the D-450Z and D-460Z. All of these cameras have been extremely popular, and we expect the D-490 Zoom to be as big a hit. In its latest incarnation, the camera boasts a 2.1-megapixel sensor, an uncompressed TIFF storage option, plus a QuickTime movie mode.

Turning the camera on is a snap--literally. Just slide the protective lens cover until it clicks to a stop, and the 3x zoom lens pops out, letting you start shooting. The controls are so intuitive and similar to those of a film camera that most users won't even need to look at the owner's manual.

Olympus cameras consistently produce some of the highest-quality images when compared to other cameras with the same resolution. This is partially the result of high-quality optics, but also because Olympus cameras use less JPEG compression than most cameras. These less-compressed images result in larger file sizes, but Olympus feels that the higher quality results justify the reduced number of images that will fit on a memory card.

The camera includes numerous, nice little touches, including viewfinder diopter adjustment (for eyeglass wearers), a continuous shooting rate of 1.3 frames per second, exposure compensation, a self-timer, and more.

Of course, no camera is perfect. The 490Z's biggest shortcoming is its lack of USB connectivity, a nearly unforgivable omission these days. Though its serial port is compatible with virtually every PC and beige Mac ever made, it's painfully slow and incompatible with the iMac and newer Macintosh systems. Even if your computer has a serial port, we strongly recommend purchasing a separate memory-card reader, an inexpensive accessory that will transform your image transfers from a slow and painful experience to a quick and simple one. In addition, the camera is designed to operate on either 4 AA batteries or a pair of Olympus long-life disposable lithium batteries. It ships with the lithium batteries, which do have an impressive lifespan but can't be recharged and are more expensive than alkalines to replace. For long-term use, we recommend investing in a set of rechargeable batteries.

Other minor gripes: though the camera can record QuickTime movies, it has no microphone, so your film clips will be silent. Finally, the flash can be a bit frustrating. It needs to be popped up by hand before it's activated. This is probably something that becomes intuitive after you've owned the camera for a while, but we were repeatedly frustrated by having to retake low-light shots after forgetting to pop up the "automatic" flash.

Overall, the Olympus is a great camera if you're switching over from a point-and-shoot. It produces great-looking prints at sizes up to 8 by 10 inches and features an easy-to-use, compact design. The lack of a USB connection is the biggest shortcoming in this otherwise excellent camera.

Pros:

• Easy transition from a point-and-shoot film camera
• Great optics for clear prints at sizes up to 8 by 10 inches
• Excellent all-around performer

Cons:

• No USB image transfer
• No sound in movie mode
• Flash needs to be popped up manually to be activated
• Plastic case feels less durable than some cameras'

Features

• 2.1-megapixel CCD for prints at sizes up to 8 x 10 inches
• Uses standard SmartMedia cards; 8 MB card included
• 3x optical zoom
• QuickTime movie mode
• Continuous shooting rate of 1.3 frames per second

Reviews (98)

Unbelievable Clarity and ease of use!
I received the Olympus D-490 Zoom camera three days ago. Out of the box I was taking still and movie pictures within about ten minutes. Not only is the camera extremely easy to use, but the manual does a great job of explaining the features and functions with minimal confusion. The only exception here is that I didn't find information in the manual on how to switch to the SQ-HIGH and SHQ-TIFF modes. I later found out that to switch to the latter, the user must hold the "up" arrow for two seconds. I still haven't figured out how to access the SQ-HIGH.

Quality wise, the D-490 Zoom takes crystal clear and colorful images, capturing details that my Olympus film camera couldn't possibly match. The zoom features allow the user to take close-up shots of subjects quite a distance away, while the macro feature allows true close-ups from as little as four or five inches away.

My comments about specific features are:

1. The built-in multi-mode flash does an excellent job of balancing degrees of light on and around the photo subject. 2. The red-eye and slow-synch features, combined with the 12-second timer resulted in a warm close-up self-portrait that makes it hard to believe no one was holding the camera! 3. The LCD screen is clear and true to actual color, giving the viewer a good idea of what the actual image will look like. 4. The clarity of the images that I downloaded were extremely clean, even at the mid-setting (HQ and SHQ).

The only real downside I found to the Olympus D-490 Zoom is that downloading images to the computer using the serial cable is VERY slow. I had read and heard this, but until I downloaded the images myself, I hadn't realized just how slow. Still, once the download was complete, the resulting images made up for the wait.

The Olympus D-490 Zoom is overall a wonderful camera, far exceeding my expectations, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a quality digital camera. I would suggest, however, purchasing at least a 32MB memory card, as well as the USB card reader. With the 32MB card, you shouldn't have to worry about running out of image space, and the USB card reader will allow you transfer/download images at about 1MB per second.

Great camera
I am having a lot of fun with this camera. Takes great pictures, and I actually think the software supplied is pretty good for sorting and downloading the photos onto the computer--for actually tinkering with the photos, I use both Adope Photo Deluxe and Corel Photo-Paint. Couple of bugs with my unit explain the four stars:1) I cannot select all five resolutions--two intermediate settings are displayed, but the camera won't select them. 2) The battery life indicator doesn't seem to work--it's displayed, but the Lithium batteries died without warning (after lots of use). The Movie feature is a fun gimmick. So is the ability to plug directly into a T.V. to view the photos as a slide show. The camera is small, which makes it easy to take along. Fits in a jacket pocket. I like the lens cover, and the unit seems sturdy. I am looking forward to getting the USB reader in the mail. Downloads with the serial port take too long. I bought this as my first digital camera. I wanted the zoom, and I wanted a convenient size and 2 megapixels. There were a few models that met these criteria, and the zoom on this Olympus (as well as the video feature) sold me on this one. I am hoping that the two minor bugs described above are easily resolved.

great camera
I purchased this camera almost 4 years ago and love it. It sold me on the olympus name. My next camera, if i have to get one, will be another olympus.

Like the fact that it uses aa batteries b/c if i get in a predicament where i need batteries, i know i can go to the neighborhood store to get them instead of being limited to propriatary (sp?) battery units like the sony. I have 2 sets of rechargeable batteries that i use and also have the separate card reader to download at faster speeds.

This camera has taken thousands of excellent pictures for me. I'll probably buy a newer model in the next couple of years but, for now, this 2 megapixel beauty is everything i need.

Good luck.

Don't buy it!
I have owned my camera for 2 years and had nothing but trouble with it. Once the warranty expired (of course), I had strange problems with the batteries! They would only operate if they were warm! Very odd. And, just as others have posted, the camera suddenly "died" on me about a month ago. Not worth the money to fix it, I just purchased a new camera. NOT an Olympus!

Olympus D-490
The Olympus D490 is an awesome camera. I've used it for year, but someone recently dropped and broke it.
The Olympus takes great pictures. They have good color, except in flourescent lighting, which showed up as yellow. For fast moving objects, the flash is required to avoid blurring. For objects with bright light in the background and the foreground in shadow, the flash needs to be forced. In the dark, pictures will turn out with good color as long as nothing is moving while taking the picture. The camera takes longer to take the picture in poor lighting. Scenery pictures come out wonderful. I've even caught the glistening ice, mist rising from streams, and sunlight filtering through the forest.
The Olympus is easy to use with point and click, and autofocus. It also has panoramic and other options. ... Read more

Amazon.com Review

With the Olympus P-330 home photo printer, you can take all those photos you made with your digital camera, or downloaded from the Web, and print them on real photo paper. You can also capture stills from any video device, edit them on TV, and add them to your photo collection in just a few minutes.

This printer comes with an overwhelming array of accessories and cables, yet we were able to figure out which accessories fit into which slots without consulting the owner's manual. (However, we do recommend that novices read the owner's manual before attempting setup.) We simply plugged in the printer, attached the parallel cable, and inserted the paper tray and ribbon cartridge. Then we dropped in the CD-ROM and followed the setup wizard on our PC.

Next, we tested the printer's features. We started our favorite image-editing program, opened a previously scanned 24-bit color photo, chose the Print command, and waited. After two minutes of mysterious humming, the printer produced a great-looking new photo. At arm's length, the quality of the print was astonishingly true to the original. Closer inspection revealed definite pixelation, but the output was still much better than a print on coated paper from a good quality ink-jet printer.

We also attached an S-video cable (not included) from a DVD player to the P-330, and connected the composite video cable from the P-330 to a monitor. Looking at the P-330's controls, we intuitively guessed how to select the video-input signal and how to capture a still shot from the DVD player. We pressed the P-330's Print button, and the photo printer produced the image two minutes later.

The P-330 impressed us with both its sophistication and its simplicity. It's fun to use, and if you enjoy digital imaging, but miss the feel of photographic paper in your hands, then this photo printer makes a great companion for your digital camera.

Pros:

• Includes accessories to get started right away
• Intuitive setup
• Mac- and PC-ready right out of the box

Cons

• No quick start card
• Slow printing

Features

• Makes real photographic prints
• 1,024 x 1,376 effective pixel resolution
• Supports 32-MB SmartMedia
• Works with PCs, Macs, and digital cameras
• Captures video stills from any standard video device

Reviews (6)

olympus p-330 photo printer
the printer gave very good results, but see no need for all the insturction books, (2) that come with the printer. Everything said could surly be condensed to one simple to read and use set of insturctions. there should be a better system to tell what you are going to print before you print it.

Does one job well
This printer is designed for one task- printing 4x6 color images. It's not real fast or real cheap but it is very easy to use and the quality of the prints is comparable to conventional photos. This printer is particularly useful if you use your digital camera as a replacement for a point-and-shoot, and you want to be able to get good, quick prints with a mimimum of fuss. Individual prints are probably more expensive than conventional photos but you don't pay for printing pictures you don't want, so in the end it's probably more cost effective. Compared to ink-jet printers, it's clearly less versitile, but you don't have to remember to load special paper or make special settings, and you won't run out of ink in the middle of a print job, as each paper pack comes with a print cartridge that runs out when the paper does.

Good for what it is
This is not an Office printer. It print as good as a 35mm film camera does. Do not expect any thing else. Small paper high cost but best picture that U can get.

P-330/Sony Digital Camera
There are suggestioons, including on Amazon.com that the P-330 and a Sony Digital Camera that uses 3.5" floppy disks are compatible. To a limited extemt this may be true, but direct use is not possible as the P-330 only takes the smaller Smart Media disk. It would appear one would be well advised to use a Sony printer that can directly receive the 3.5" floppy disk; otherwise one of the feature attractions of a printer is defeated. The one star rating is only in connection with a Sony digital camera.

No driver for Windows NT. Picture quality is poor.
The setup was relatively easy until I tried to hook it up to my PC. There is no driver available for Windows NT workstation. I tried to install it under Windows 95. Spent most of my Saturday with downloading drivers from their website. Finally called tech support and got email back that someone will call me in 2-3 days and also to be patient. Color quality is ok. I could print from my Sony Digital camcorder. It takes about 2 minutes to print a 4-5 in. picture. Save your money and get something else. This printer is not ready for any prime time yet. At least they should include a driver that works. ... Read more

Product Description

A 2-in-1 slot PC Card Adapter (for both, SmartMedia and xD-Picture cards)PCMCIA Card Adapters work in the "PC Card" slot of most laptop PC's. Images can be downloaded directly from your xD card or SmartMedia card - at blazing speeds ...up to 300 times faster than the a normal serial connection!Works in both Macintosh and Windows PC card slots, reading all xD Picture Cards and SmartMedia cards. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

This is a good product at a reasonable price
This tape recorder is perfect for recording class lectures or conducting field interviews for academic purposes. The only thing you have to watch is make sure you have it on the right tape speed. You have to use the higher quality speed if you want to hear anything in a classroom setting. If the speaker is close and you only want the lecture and none of the student comments or you are conducting an interview both speeds are fine. Overall a very fine purchase ... Read more

Features

• Nitrogen filled for waterproof and fogproof performance
• Built-in dioptic corrector adjusts to individual eyesight, twist-down eyecups
• Large center focus knob for fast, easy focusing
• Lens construction of 7 elements in 5 groups
• Multicoated optics for maximum image brightness and contrast

Amazon.com Review

The Stylus Zoom 140 offers great styling, multi-option flash, and splashproof construction--but its most impressive feature is its ultra-powerful 38 to 140mm zoom, one of the longest we've seen on a point-and-shoot camera. The smooth, stepless zoom let us take great close-ups of faraway subjects. We've finally found a point-and-shoot that can compete with professional SLRs when it comes to telephoto capabilities.

The Olympus Stylus Zoom 140 gave us fully automatic operation--when we opened the sliding lens cover, the zoom extended and the flash popped up automatically. The powerful 38 to 140mm zoom lens extended and retracted smoothly, giving us great close-up shots. We liked the multiple flash modes, which let us choose red-eye reduction, night-scene flash, and more. We also found the spot metering feature, for hard-to-gauge lighting situations, to be useful. Our only difficulty with this camera was in opening the battery compartment.

The Olympus Stylus Zoom 140 offers a handy panorama switch that lets you take panoramic photos on a roll of regular film. (You can take an entire panorama roll as well.) If you do take panoramic shots on a regular roll, you'll have to get them specially reprinted in the panorama format.

The Olympus Stylus Zoom 140's sturdy construction and sleek form make it easy to carry and hold. The camera is weatherproof, meaning you can use it in rain, in snow, and by water, but you can't submerge it.

Pros:

• Sleek, stylish form
• Extremely powerful 38 to 140mm zoom
• Wide range of flash options
• Panorama switch

Cons:

• Battery compartment is hard to open

Features

• Powerful 38-140mm zoom
• Sleek clamshell design
• Multiple flash modes
• Easy panorama switch
• Splashproof

Reviews (4)

Great photos, tiny camera.
I recently purchased a 140DLX, and I just got my first set of pictures back. I have NO formal photographic training, but I was simply blown away by the quality of the photos I got back. To me, they looked similar to photos I've seen from really expensive, complicated cameras with all those removable lenses.

I wanted to buy an APS camera, because of the simplicity of loading film. If this is a concern of yours, buy this camera. It's ridiculously easy. APS film shots tend to look grainy, because the negative is smaller than 35mm, so there's another plus.

To me, the coolest feature was spot metering. You can get some really incredible color and life in your photos, and you can also simulate "focusing" on one object, while having other objects in the scene out of focus.

I suggest reading the entire manual, then blow a test roll (find a willing sibling, like I did) on the camera with different camera settings and lighting conditions so you can see what it will do when you really need it. And make SURE to try spot metering on things in the foreground and background so you get the concept. You'll be really impressed with this camera!

- Adam

Make sure you order batteries
This is a great camera, however be aware that when you order, the camera does not come with batteries.

AMAZING FOR THE SIZE
Very easy to use and very user friendly. I do alot of outdoor photos and the and the weather proof feature alone is worth the price of the camera. Great photo's , all the features I use on my larger SLR, but it fits in my shirt pocket.

good camera
if the international delivery also available will be appreciated ... Read more

Features

• Light and ultra-compact design for no-hassle portability
• Anti-reflective lens coating reduces glare
• Convenient center focus knob for easy, accurate focusing
• Built-in dioptric correction adjusts to individual eyesight
• Contemporary design

Features

• 2-megapixel sensor creates 1,600 x 1,200 images for sharp prints at sizes up to 8 x 10 inches
• 10x optical plus 2.7x digital (27x total) autofocus zoom lens
• Included 8 MB SmartMedia card holds 24 images at default resolution
• Connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
• Uses 2 CR-V3 lithium batteries (included) or 4 AA batteries

Reviews (104)

Excellent unit--especially if you need to use a lot of zoom.
I'm the unofficial photographer for my kid's high school tennis team. I go to all the matches I can and take a zillion photos that I then upload to the net for use by the school and the kids on the team and their parents. I need a versatile unit that works well in all lighting conditions, which is good for action photography and has very good dtorage capacity.

This camera more than fits the bill.

Picture resolution is exceptional even on zoom action shots on the court. It works well with a variety of lighting conditions, a feature I especially like as a lot of my work is in the very late afternoon/early evening time when the court lights come on but some sunlight is still available but changing minute by minute. Changing settings is quick and easy. The only major flaw I can detect for the whole unit is the fluorescent lighting setting is lousy-stay with the standard incandescent setting for better results.

The camera has good storage capacity. It quickly shifts between photos in "view" mode, a feature I like as it allows me to ditch less desirable shots on the fly so as to maximize card storage capacity.

The unit also does excellent close up work. On a recent vacation to Nova Scotia I took a lot of wildflower pictures and they turned out fantastic.

The USB connection is easy to set up and use. There is a Camedia CD for working with your pictures on a pc but it is very basic and offers somewhat limited utility-I use a different photo-shop type program.

A lot of people gripe about the lens cap on the Olympus products. While it's true they were a disaster in previous times, it has improved greatly. Just weave the strap onto one of the side strap bars and all will be well.

I personally find the viewfinder a bit awkward to use and usually just use the LCD on the back to view and set up the pics. On the other hand, my wife loves the viewfinder and that's all she ever uses. I think this is a matter of taste rather than any particular engineering issue.

On the whole, an excellent value for the price on a slew of fronts. I don't see how you could be disappointed with this camera.

Amazing Indoors and in Low Light!
The Olympus C-700 is an absolutely amazing camera. First off, it has a 10x zoom lens that's equal to 38-380 mm (in 35mm) -- or an even more phenomenal 38-1,026 mm(!) if one counts the 2.7x digital zoom. So if you're looking for "telephoto," this camera has it in spades!

The camera is even fantastic indoors and in low light (inside or at night). The camera adjusts the exposure to the equivalent of 800-speed film, but I'd swear the sensitivity is even higher. I've gone to indoor theatrical events and shot - with no flash, hand-held and with telephoto -- and the photos have come out great!

Nighttime images are also a piece-of-cake. Long exposures are rendered perfectly (and not washed out)! And even when the scene is too dark to see on the display before the shot is taken, the actual photo is viewable immediately afterwards in all of its splendor. The camera's "exposure lock" is also handy for locking-in the proper exposure indoors (which is useful when the lighting changes dramatically during a stage show, or when the performers are only in the spotlights). Simply press the exposure lock, verify the exposure in the viewfinder's LCD display -- and repeat the procedure until you achieve the level of brightness desired. (Using the exposure lock -- and adjusting the brightness using the digital viewfinder -- takes the guesswork out of overcoming previously difficult indoor lighting situations).

My favorite use for the C-700, though, is taking photos of my kids playing basketball indoors. The camera's dimunitive size (being much smaller than a normal SLR) makes the unit easy to hand-hold and maneuver under all photographic situations. And although the camera's normal focus is slow (like most digital cameras), the shutter will fire almost instantaneously -- if you pre-focus ahead of time (so catching the action is not a problem). (The C-700 will also take a few seconds, in addition, to recover for the next shot; so its important to plan accordingly.) Digital photos of my kids playing basketball are now scattered liberally throughout their rooms. My kids love 'em!

The camera has two LCD displays; one on the camera's back -- and one in the viewfinder; the latter providing an SLR-like view of the actual photo -- both before and after its taken. The LCD viewfinder is ideal for accurate composition, especially when the zoom range is so broad. But both displays will tend to wash-out when shooting in bright sun; so I'll normally end up cupping my hand over the eyepiece when I shoot outdoors. (If most of your photography will be outside -- and if you don't need the ultra long zoom lens offered by the C-700 -- then I would urge you to consider purchasing, as an alternative, a digital camera with a traditional glass viewfinder. Viewing the image in the see-through viewfinder will be much easier -- and much more satisfying.)

Even though printing photos from my PC isn't a problem, my favorite way of outputting shots from my Olympus C-700 is actually -- to bypass the computer entirely -- and use HP's new PhotoSmart PS 100 printer, which reads from the camera's Smart Media card directly. Since both the Olympus and HP save and read, respectively, in what's called DPOF (digital print order format) -- I can crop (and select) the photos I want to print on the camera's rear LCD screen -- pop the Smart Media card into the printer -- and then print borderless 4" x 6" photos by hitting just the "Print" button (since the PS 100 will always call-up the DPOF pictures first). What could be easier?

With its 2.1 megapixel capability, the camera also makes great 8 x 10's, which I output in the more traditional manner from my computer to my HP Photosmart 1315 or HP 990 Cse printers.

All in all, the Olympus C-700 is a great digital camera -- which I use to supplment (but not replace) my 35 mm Nikon SLR, Canon underwater, and Olympus point-and-shoot cameras.

If you're looking for a telephoto digital camera, you won't find a longer, more usable range -- in such a small size -- anywhere else! And if you want to shoot indoors or in low light -- you'll be truly amazed by the (previously unobtainable) shots you'll now be able to take. This digital camera has easily expanded my photographic horizons -- in ways I never anticipated. For the above situations (and a whole bunch more) -- the Olympus C-700 is now my camera of choice!

Still enjoy it!
I've owned this camera for several years now and although the resolution is starting to get low by todays standards, I still greatly enjoy this camera. I absolutely love the 10x zoom, and the pictures taken are much better than if you would have a cheapy low-end 3-4 megapixel camera. For anyone on a budget, this camera now offers alot of quality for an affordable price.

review for Dennis Curtin's book for c700 Olympus camera
This is the book that should have come with the camera. Text is written in plain language. I learned more in one weekend about my camera than I learned in two years. You may miss some of the wonderful features this camera has to offer. A must have how to book for the Olympus c 700 zoom.
FCR

10x great for viewing or calendar size prints
I have used the C-700 for a wide variety of shots. From taking pictures from high-altitude. It shows the glaciers, dams and bridges on highways, even buildings and individual trees changing color in the Rockies. I took a picture at maximum 10x x 2.7x (27x) zoom from a cruise ship in Alaska of Orcas on the beach rubbing barnacles off. I couldn't see the result in the view finder or see the orcas with binoculars, but got good quality full screen images cropping out half of the picture where the orcas were. I've taken close-ups of orchids in Singapore, Bald Eagles, in Arkansas, Geysers at Yellowstone and am very happy most of the time. I carry 5 sets of spare rechargeable batteries and use a recharger that hooks up to the car. With the recharger, I never really have to use more that 2 sets when I have the car. It recharges at home in less than 1 hour, and I seldom need more than 3 sets in a full day of photo taking. I keep about 1100MB of memory cards for a full two-week vacation and read them in with a USB reader. I organize and edit using PhotoParade and save my best ones into Webshots. These work very well for my purposes (viewing on my computer). Shutterfly prints calendars for me and the pictures are amazing.

I haven't had any trouble with the lens cap. Maybe that was an earlier model. The cord attaching it must be facing the side it attaches, but it will open with it on in this position.

I have had a problem early on with purple halo's on zoomed pictures around bright portions of the picture. This turned out to be me moving the camera. I found you can brace your hand against a tree, rock, or anything and get sharp pictures. Also, I don't hesitate to take dozens of pictures of something I really want. Animals and birds aren't very cooperative, but by taking many pictures, I've gotten some great shots. With film, I never would have tried. It is also easy to delete unwanted pictures. For landscape, I normally shot in HQ mode which is still better quality than my 1.3 MP camera gave. The main difference there is it still has the 10x zoom which if nothing else can crop a picture like you want. The 2.7x digital is mostly only good for focusing on something tiny like a small bird.

The only negative I've had is trying to take pictures with sharp contrast - real bright light and real dark shade. I've had this with my other digital as well, as well as with film. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Think of the Olympus C-211 as either the best Polaroid instant camera you could ever own or as a quality 2-megapixel digital camera with a built-in printer. Olympus designed this camera for on-the-job use by realtors, insurance adjusters, law enforcement personnel, and anyone else who needs both the flexibility of a digital camera and the ability to instantly print photos.

As a digital camera, it's similar to the popular Olympus D490, with 1,600 x 1,200 pixel output, 3x optical/2x digital zoom, self-timer, macro, multimode flash, and movie mode. Users compose and review images on the camera's 2-inch LCD screen (the camera lacks a traditional optical viewfinder), and pictures are stored on SmartMedia cards. To quickly transfer files to your computer, the camera features a USB port.

The printer can be used to make instant Polaroid pictures from any file in the camera's memory. Simply choose the photo you want to print, zoom, crop, brighten, and sharpen it as you see fit, and press the big green Print button. In about 20 seconds, the photo will pop out of the camera. The image begins to materialize almost instantly, and takes approximately two minutes to finish. The camera uses standard Type 500 Polaroid film. ... Read more

Features

• Built-in printer creates Polaroid prints from your pictures
• 2.11-megapixel sensor for photo-quality prints at sizes up to 8 by 10 inches
• 3x optical and 2x digital zoom lens
• Included 8 MB SmartMedia card holds 32 images at default setting
• Transfers images to Macs and PCs via USB port

Reviews (19)

I LOVE THIS CAMERA!
I entered digital photography very reluctantly, and only when I found the C-211 that would also make prints. The combination of the instant gratification of Polaroid and the fine digital quality of Olympus have made me one happy camper!

One Mans Opinion
I am not the best picture taker, I have used only the basic cameras in the past. The ones that have a simple telephoto built in, auto-exposure, you get the drift, a simple to use, under 100buck one. I started looking for a digital camera because I am a gadget nut, and this went right along with my interest in computers and always having aleast a showing of the newest inovations. I did some reading, not to much, and listened to others as to what to look for, and the price. Well, when all was said and done, I still had no idea what I wanted or needed or could afford.
One day, just by chance, I saw the Olypus C-211 in a store. I started reading the info on the box, well, knowing what little I did know, it sounded easy enough to use and advanced enough to play with. It looked great on the box, and the outside info was enough to convince me that I had done my homework and this was the camera for options and the price.
Ok, the old saying to good to be true, isnt always true. This is the exception. It does a great job for those of us that want good pictures, better than my film camera. It has alot of the bells and whistle you might be looking for, low-to-high resolution pictures, short mpg movies, zoom, flash and a whole lot more that I still am learning.
The one or two draw backs to this camera, or at least the package I got, was the memory-card wasnt really enough, so I bought an extra 128mb card. I also had to buy a hidride battery charger. These two items cost about another 100 dollars, but well worth the investment.
There are two main drawbacks to me, one being not so bad, the other is what I consider a major one. The first being size and weight. It is about 4x7 in. in size and wieghts alittle over one pound, both acceptable, seing as it is also an instant camera for those who want pictures now. These are small, and the film isnt the best, but sufficient for everyday need. The one major drawback to me, is the cost of the film for the instant camera side of the Camera. But, again, you dont use it all that much, but it is convenient to have.
All and all, this is a great camera for all around digital use, not a real high-end, nor a low-end camera. It does a great job at 2.11 megapixels and all the little built-in tricks.
Well, that about does it for this persons opinion, Thanks for reading this and do your homework.

This camera is AWESOME!!
I bought this camera about month ago...and I use it alot. Its so versatile... I love Polaroid 500 pics anyway...so this was neat because it is a digital cam along with the OPTION of polaroid *quick* prints. Yes it IS larger size...BUT ...I still love it.

On the polaroid part... you can take 4 to 9 pics (which you have taken on the camera) ...and put on ONE polaroid print... it's SOOOOOO cool.

One thing I havent been able to do yet is download... for some crazy reason...my computer isn't picking up the cam... BUT... I still love the camera....I RECOMMEND it... Its a fun camera :-)

ITS AWESOME!! Go for it :-)

Good camera but software problems.
This is a very good camera and it is easy to use and takes great pictures. The problem I have with it is that it won't communicate with my PC. I have installed all the software that came with the camera as instructed but when I try to install the USB Driver it says that it can't be found. I am operating with Windows 98, 30 gigs hard-drive, 128 megs RAM at 800Mhz. Has any one else had similar problems?

I love this camera!!
I have used many digital cameras--mostly high end products. I have never been able to achieve the color clarity as well as the detail that this camera can produce--even in ambient lighting situations that are not so camera-friendly. I have uploaded pics to my pc as well as taken the smartcard to the camera shop to have them printed out. It was really easy and took only a minute for either function. At the camera shop, I selected the views that I wanted and had them printed to CD since I knew their equipment was color calibrated far better than mine! (you can tell I'm obsessive about color--for an amateur). The quality of the print was so excellent that my photographer husband thought that it was taken with a 35 mm. Ya' gotta' love it. I also used the polaroid print function and found the color to be excellent in that respect as well. The nice big preview screen on the back is great and can also be used for framing shots.
Since I prefer a "sturdy" camera, the relative bulk of this camera doesn't bother me a bit! The super light cameras tend to "fly away" on me, and I'm never sure that what I wanted was what I shot.(Guess I'm getting old!) Very nice camera with excellent optics. I sold my other fancy digital camera to buy this one...Good move on my part!!! ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

The new Olympus Stylus 105 is their most compact and stylish 35mm yet. With a new 11-point autofocus system, your pictures will look just as sharp as the camera itself. This system ensures your subject will be in focus at all zoom ranges, as well as in dark or low-contrast situations. For the harsh conditions of everyday life, the Stylus comes complete with a sliding lens cover, an all-metal body, and an all-weather design.

The camera includes an LCD for time stamps and exposure counting to keep track of those special dates. A six-mode variable power flash and autofocus are standard as well. Automatic film winding, loading, and rewind continue the long list of convenience features. The kit comes with a battery, case, strap, extended warranty, and a remote control. ... Read more

Features

• Kit version comes with case, battery, remote, and extended service plan
• 38-105mm, 2.8x zoom lens; 11 point multi-wide advanced autofocus system
• 6 mode variable power flash with red-eye reduction
• Extra-low dispersion glass lens
• Electric self-timer with remote control; all-weather design

Reviews (3)

A Pretty Good Buy
When buying this camera, I had huge expectations. I previously had a canon, however it was getting a bit old. When I purchase a camera I look for one that is stylish as well as good quality. Many of my friends recommended olympus' cameras to me and so after much research I finally bought the Stylus Select 105. When buying this camera, I expected a top of the line pocket-sized camera. I half-got what I was expecting. It takes wonderful outdoor pictures which are very vivid and clear. However, in dark rooms or at night the pictures can get a little grainy and not as bright as I would want them to be. In the beginning, I tried using the nighttime features as well as the red-eye, however, DO NOT use it unless you have a tripod with you. The manual recommends a tripod, but I decided not to listen and tried it anyway. My returned pictures were blurry and awful. I couldn't even put them in my photo album they were so bad. But I'm much more careful now and don't even bother using the nighttime or red eye features. They're not even worth using unless you carry a tripod with you everywhere you go. Maybe the stylus select 105 did not live up to my expectations, but I do have to admit that it is very sturdy. Also, the camera case givin in the kit is horrible. Don't expect it to provide any protection. The stylus select 105 probably wouldn't need the protection, but I prefer to have some kind of padding protecting my camera even if it has an all-metal body.

an everithing-in-one cam!
This is such a good camera!!!!!!!!!!!!
It is so small, ALL-weather, metal body, a powerful zoom, a big LCD screen, and if that's not enough, it comes with a complete set that contains the camera(duuuh), a CR2 battery, a case, a strap, an extended warranty, and a remote control. What else can you ask for? Maybe you can say the zoom is actually not so good, but a lens of 38-105m, is actually a pretty nice zoom, because if you have a mega-zoom like 150 or something, you're never gonna use it!
If you are those who drop the camera very often, then this is your chance. A complete metal body so it won't be broken, and if you drop I mud it's all weather!
I extremely recommend this camera, besides, I don't know what happened to meubanks64 or something because it always takes sharp pictures with so nice colors.

Disappointing
I waited with much anticipation for this camera to be stocked after reading about it's new features in the press release in the fall. I purchased it as a gift for my wife for Christmas because our 6-year old Olympus Stylus Zoom 105 needed major repair. Our old camera took GREAT pictures - sharp, balanced exposures, great variable flash, etc. So, I had no problems buying another Olympus. I looked at the existing Olympus Zooms (115,140,170), but after comparing the pictures from my brother's Zoom 115 to our old Zoom 105, they still didn't seem as good. So I decided on the new Zoom 105.
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Overall, the new Zoom 105 camera is significantly (~15%) smaller than the old one. I like the cool metal shell better than the old plastic one. I was hoping that the AF system was as good as or better than the old one since it claims to be a 'new 11-point multi-wide advanced combination autofocus'.
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During an outdoor (daytime) event, we shot a whole roll of film using the new camera (fully-auto settings) in a variety of settings while my brother's wife used their Zoom 115. After comparing the pictures side by side (same processing), the shortcomings of our new camera are obvious. The pictures are VERY disappointing. The focus is not near as sharp as the old camera, or even the Zoom 115. The edges of the shots are much darker, also. We have taken several rolls in various environments all with roughly the same outcome. Perhaps we just got an early production-run lemon. For Olympus' sake, I hope so. ... Read more

Features

• Dioptric correction of -2 to +1 mIntegrated 38 -160mm (4.2x) Zoom Lens features 10 elements in 8 groups. An Extra-Low Dispersion ( ED ) lens element suppresses chromatic aberration, while aspherical glass and hybrid lens elements achieve high resolving power within a compact design
• Smallest body size of any 4.2x zoom compact camera
• 5-point Passive Multi Auto Focus system for pinpoint focus even when the subject is not in the center of the frame
• Six Flash modes, including Auto, Red Eye Reduction, Fill Flash & Night Scene

Amazon.com Product Description

With the E-100RS, Olympus does what many other manufacturers refuse to do: produce a quality, innovative camera without a high-resolution CCD. Rather than cramming as many new features as possible into their highest-resolution flagship model and relegating the lower-resolution CCDs to simple point-and-shoot style cameras (as many manufacturers are wont to do), Olympus has started to create unique, capable digital cameras across a spectrum of resolutions--something that helps to keep prices down, while increasing both speed and storage capacity.

At a time when most manufacturers are producing 3-megapixel cameras, there's nothing particularly impressive about the 1.5 megapixel resolution of this Olympus--it's the lens and processor that make the camera special. The E-100RS ("RS" stands for "Rapid Shot") comes with a 10x optically stabilized lens, and is capable of taking up to 15 shots per second--a speed unheard of in the digital camera realm--courtesy of a 9.5 MB SDRAM buffer and high-speed CCD sensor. Its speed makes it perfect for action photography.

If you've ever waited an instant too long to snap the perfect action photo, you'll appreciate the camera's "Pre-Capture" feature. In this mode, the E-100RS starts storing photos in its temporary memory as soon as you half-press the shutter button. Once you fully depress the button, the photo you took, along with the most recent photos in the temporary memory, are saved to the memory card. Users can save from one to five "prepictures" for each photo they shoot. This feature is a boon to those of us with slow reflexes.

For maximum compatibility, the camera can be used with both Smartmedia and CompactFlash cards. CompactFlash Type I and II cards are supported, but Olympus doesn't recommend using the IBM MicroDrive. Camera performance is typically quicker with Smartmedia storage, but CompactFlash cards are available in larger capacities. An 8 MB Smartmedia card is included.

In 35mm terms, the powerful 10x zoom lens is equivalent to a 38-380mm telephoto. The camera's digital zoom, which increases magnification at the expense of image quality, boosts the lens to 1000mm at full zoom. Normally, it would be difficult to take advantage of a lens this powerful without using a tripod. Why? At full zoom, the camera focuses on such a small area that even the most minute movements result in a blurry image. Fortunately, Olympus equips the camera with optical image stabilization, a complex system that senses shakes and wobbles and continuously adjusts the lenses to compensate.

All the flexibility of Olympus's higher-end digital cameras is present in the E-100RS. Aperture and shutter priority modes coexist with landscape, portrait, sports, and night-scene shooting modes. Everything on the camera can be adjusted manually. The EV setting can be adjusted to2 in 1/3 EV increments; auto bracketing can be adjusted for both EV increments and the total number of shots. ISO can be selected from three options: 100, 200, and 400. The built-in flash features the usual modes: red-eye reduction, auto, fill, and synchro.

For SLR-like framing, the E-100RS uses an electronic viewfinder (EVF) instead of a traditional glass viewfinder. This arrangement has all the benefits of a standard LCD screen (image preview and review, as well as instant access to camera menus), plus increased usability outdoors, while using much less power than the full-sized LCD on the back of the camera. The only disadvantages to the EVF are that it uses more power than a traditional optical viewfinder and that it can be hard to use in low light.

The E-100RS uses four AA batteries, and comes with rechargeable NiMH batteries and charger. ... Read more

Features

• 1.5 megapixel sensor creates 1,368 x 1,024 images for prints at sizes up to 5 by 7 inches
• 10x optical plus 2.7x digital zoom lens with autofocus and image stabilization
• Included 8 MB SmartMedia memory card holds 21 images at default resolution
• Connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
• 4 AA NiMH batteries and charger included

Reviews (10)

Digital with low light action
My application is taking dance pictures of my kids (no flash, dark environments except on stage). This camera is great once you get the lighting and shutter speed issues figured out (not difficult). The preframe grab buffer is also great (but you will wish you had huge memory storage capacity when you start using it). I have not had time to fully explore the camera but the results to date are great. The only issue I have had is selecting the right lighting to make sure the pictures come out OK colorwise.

My old D-490 cannot even get close to capturing some of the images I have. If you take action photos with a flash or outside in well lit areas, the minimum shutter speed is great and you can grab awesome pics.

As far as not being able to get 2.1Megapixels - the 10x optical and more digital zoom really elimates the need. I can zoom and take pics in the back of an auditorium at HQ or SHQ and they come out great.

LOVE IT! tons of cool features...
...This is a really great camera to say the least. It was pretty easy for me to figure out how to use it after playing with it for an hour. I love that it can shoot in both color and black & white. It can also take QuickTime movies. It works with both Smart Media and Compact Flash cards. If you have a 128 mb card and use the cam in a the lowest resolution, it can take almost 1,500 photos!! Pictures are high-quality (crisp and detailed). Colors are vibrant and true. Works EXCELLENT in low-light conditions. There are tons of other things and settings to play with and you can even program your favorite settings into it. It has Telephoto, macro mode, and image-stabalization. One feature that I found particularly useful is the tiny remote. Just put the cam on a tripod, (press a button & a red light shows you exactly where to stand), get in position and take your self photos. I absolutly LOVE this camera! FYI, this camera is somewhat heavy, not a big deal if it doesn't bother you. I recomend getting a good sturdy tripod. The camera also comes with very high-quality batteries. None of the rechargables I bought lasted nearly as long, but I would recommend getting at least 2 spare sets of rechargables for when you're "out and about". An ac-adapter would be a good investment if you plan on using the camera for extended periods of time indoors. Oh, it also comes with Adobe Photoshop 5 LE. The other software that comes with the camera is "ok", I didn't really need it since my preffered method of downloading photos is with a card reader.

Hope this helps!

Need Comments: Pictures of Stars & Moon w/this camera
Someone please comment on the quality of and ability to take pictures of the stars and moon with this camera please/thanks.

Fast, fun, & easy to run
The E-100RS is a great package. I've owned dozens of cameras, but this, without a doubt, is the most fun. A 10X optical, and 27X digital (the best digital resolution I've seen so far) let you reach out and grab things, even if they're a mile or more away. The rapid fire capability is great for getting just the right shot... take the best and dump the rest, but you won't miss that perfect pose or facial expression because you snapped at the wrong split second. The 640x480 movies look almost as good as my Sony Hi8 camcoder video and full screen, none of this postage stamp sized movie. I sold a 3.3 megapixel to buy this as in over 2600 photos with it, I never utilized more than 1280x960. This camera does a nice 1368X1024 which is more than I need. I have printed dozens of 8X10 enlargements from 1280x960 photos and they look fantastic. This camera is probably not for the technologically phobic types. It only took me a couple days to fully understand how to run, but I'm a network engineer by trade and play with electronics all day. The menu could be a little more intuitive, but it's not bad. Many features that you use most often have external buttons so you don't need to go into the menu system. The electronic viewfinder is wonderful, giving you all the info that the full LCD screen would through the eyepiece at a fraction of the power consumption. Plan on buying an AC adapter, Extra NiMH batteries (probably 2 more sets as they give you one set of 1600Mah and a nice charger with it), a 49mm Haze filter to protect the lens, and a 128 meg Smartmedia or compact flash (or both for a total 256MB like I did!). No regrets so far from selling my Sony 3.3MP... and I am having a ball with this camera. Can't wait to take it to some motorcycle races or other sporting events where it'll really shine! And one last piece of info: I had to call Olympus tech support for a few questions on memory cards and external flash cord and their customer service was OUTSTANDING! Got a live, knowledgable technician in under 2 minutes and he answered my questions instantly without typing a query into a database... he really knew the product. I'm impressed! Great product and service... hard to find there days!

Good camera to grow up with
I bought this camera, my first, after a lot of research and I am very happy with the purchase. It is a versatile camera with a lot of features (check out the product specs), but beginners can take great pictures in the automatic mode even while learning to use the advanced features. The resolution is more than enough for viewing images on a computer. Haven't tried printing yet.

Works great with Mac OS X and iPhoto without any external drivers. Just hook up the camera to the USB port and iPhoto starts up by itself. The software provided with camera - Adobe PhotoShop LE, Camedia Master and Genuine Fractals - are Mac 9.x versions. ... Read more

Amazon.com Product Description

Shoot without waiting--just like a traditional film camera. Real-time rapid shooting mode lets you focus, compose, and shoot without waiting between shots at all resolutions. This camera offers burst mode shooting at all resolutions with speeds up to two pictures per second. Four photo-recording modes let you choose the quality and size of your images--from SHQ 1,280 x 960 uncompressed photos to 640 x 480 VGA images. Image playback modes include automatic advance playback, an index mode with 4, 9, or 16 images, and a 3x inspection mode. With an optical 3x glass aspherical zoom lens, 2x digital telephoto, pop-up five-mode variable flash, and a resolution of 1.3 million megapixels, this Olympus digital camera offers top performance in a compact, easy-to-use package. ... Read more

Features

• 1,280 x 960 uncompressed top resolution
• 0.37-inch, 1.3-million-pixel CCD
• 3x Olympus f/2.8 to 4.4 optical zoom
• 114,000-pixel, 1.8-inch, color, wide-view, reflective LCD display
• Includes 8 MB Olympus SmartMedia removable memory card

Reviews (37)

THE BEST FOR TWICE THE $$$$$$$ÿ
THE D450 IS MY SECOND DIGITAL CAMERA. MY FIRST WAS THE D200L WHICH I STILL USE IS NOW 4 YEARS OLD. I ALMOST BOUGHT THE C2000Z UNTIL I SAW THE 450 , UNLESS YOU ARE SHOOTING PICS FROM 300 FEET AWAY WHO NEEDS A 2 MEGAPIXLE CAMERA OR THE GIANT FILE THAT IT CREATES. THE 3 LANGUAGE MANUAL NEEDS TO GO (HERE ME OLYMPUS ! ) IF YOU PLAN ON PRINTING PICS , I HAVE AN HP970 WHICH DOES THE BEST JOB I HAVE SEEN ANYWHERE, IF YOU HAVE A XXXXX PRINTER I AM VERY SORRY... I GAVE AWAY 3 XXXXXX (A 610 & 2 5000'S - SLOW IS ONLY GOOD FOR KETCHUP) GET A USB CARD READER-- VERY FAST-- ONLY WAY TO GO-- & A 32 MB CARD & 3 OR 4 SETS OF NICADS, YES NICADS- MUCH CHEAPER. I AM STILL USING 2 SETS THAT ARE LEFT OVER FROM THE D200 THAT ARE AT LEAST 2 YEARS OLD. I HAVE RECHARGED THE BATTRIES ONCE A WEEK OR MORE FOR OVER 2 YEARS & TAKEN THOUSANDS OF PICTURES WITH THEM. LOOK TO SPEND ABOUT $250.00 ON TOP OF THE CAMERA WITH THE BATTS, 32MB CARD & USB READER.

The D-450 - Probably The Best In It's Class!
This camera is simply awesome. Take it from me, I'm no stranger to digital photography. I was using my Sharp digital camcorder to take digital still pictures but I was not very impressed with the results. Moreover, a camcorder is too bulky to haul around. So I decided to go with a smaller camera. I did a lot of research before settling on the D-450 camera from Olympus.

It is feature rich, looks very cute, and delivers pictures with a punch. It works effortlessly on my Windows XP. My favorite feature is the 3X optical zoom (digital zooms are generally useless). The LCD screen is crisp and clear, although it's use should be limited to preserve battery life (Use the LCD only to review already taken shots. Do not use it for taking pictures - use the viewfinder). The video output works great. I could go on and on. It's comnpatible with SmartMedia which, in my humble opinion, is the better storage medium.

Overall, I am quite impressed with the D-450 Zoom. It's simply a wonderful camera. I wouldn't expect less from Olympus. Regarding complaints about lack of a USB port for downloading: Just get a SmartMedia card reader. A good card reader costs less than twenty dollars and simplifies your life a lot. I personally use PNY SmartMedia card reader but any good card reader should do. Not only does a card reader download your pictures at blazingly fast speeds, you also save your batteries by not using your camera to download the pictures.

PS: If you are looking to save money, consider getting a refurbished camera. They come with a 90-day manufacturer's warranty and in most cases are essentially brand new cameras. I should know. I got mine refurbished :-)

the love affair continues
I got this camera used as a gift from my stepfather, and it has been a love affair ever since. Having never used another digital camera I assumed that most cameras were just as fun. I have since realized that this thing is a gem. It is now 2004 and it is discontinued and seems to be going up in market value. The thing that I love the most about the camera after using other cameras is that it will take the picture when you press the button!!!!That is sooo important...the child turns to look at the camera and you have the picture! The other thing I love about it is that I can take night pictures with it. The camera doesn't question my judgement...it will let me shoot in pitch black and then I can take it back to the computer and pull the image out digitally.... They are selling much fancier cameras now...but I want another one of these..(even though mine is working fine)

Quality lasts!!...
I've had this camera for nearly 4 yaers and it is as good as new. Easy to use with all the features you will ever need - great picture quality after over a thousand pictures. If this camera ever dies, I will surely buy another Olympus.

Great camera
I love the camera. It is so easy to use.This is my first digital camera and within one hour after opening the box I was shooting with it and E-mailing the photos to my friends.I now carry it with me everywhere I go.Because I don't have to worry about film anymore. ... Read more

Features

• 1,280 x 960 resolution
• 1,310,000-pixel CCD
• 1.8-inch color TFT LCD screen
• 8 MB, 3.3-volt SmartMedia memory card holds up to 122 images
• Offers uncompressed TIFF recording mode

Reviews (81)

good camera, but it costs more than you think...
This is my first digital camera and my very first camera forover $200. Overall, I'm happy with it - it's easy to carry andtakes great pictures. There's not a pause between pressing the button and the camera actually taking the picture, which is a problem with other digital cameras. Some things to keep in mind though:

1. Downloading from the camera to your computer is EXTREMELY slow through the Serial Cable. Buy the SMART DISK floppy. Basically, your memory card fits right into the floppy disk, and the floppy disk works just like any floppy. The only bad thing about the floppy is it takes two lithium batteries.

2. If you have a laptop, you probably want to buy the DDSMFLSAD Smart Media Adapter for PCMCIA slot. Does the same thing as the SMART DISK floppy, but obviously cheaper. Same downloading speed.

3. If you don't buy 1 or 2, then buy an AC adapter (which by the way, doesn't come with the camera). Your camera must be on to transfer the pictures to your computer. Again, extremely SLOW.

4. There isn't a protective covering for the LCD monitor, so buy a camera case. This case doesn't come with the camera. Costs around $20 at any store. Actually you can buy the Olympus 200-523 Accessory Kit which has the AC Adapter, 2 MB card, and camera case.

5. This camera comes with an 8 MB card which holds 36 HQ pictures or 18 SHQ pictures. I can't tell the difference between the two qualities. 8 MB is good enough. After taking about two days worth of pictures, I download them to my computer and erase the 8 MB card. I don't feel the need to have more or larger cards. But then again, if I traveled and didn't have access to my PC, then I would invest in a couple 32 MB card.

6. Camera doesn't have zoom. I took some pictures of my friends running a marathon, and it would've been great to have the zoom feature. I sometimes regret not buying the Olympus D-400 Zoom Digital Camera for $600. If you like taking close-up pictures without being near the object, then don't buy this camera.

So in summary, I actually spent an extra $200 bucks ($500 total) to make this purchase worthwhile.

Great camera! And battery life not as bad as I thought...
I agree with all the high praise offered in other reviews. This is a wonderful camera. I got it to take vacation pictures (in fact it didn't ship in time for my departure, so I simply redirected the shipment to catch up to me enroute; I *love* amazon.com!!!!) and as soon as I got it I started clicking away.

I was a little concerned about the statement in the product summary that said a set of 4 standard AA batteries would last only about 60 shots; fortunately this is not consistent with my experience. I took between 50-100 pictures a day and went through three sets of batteries in 12 days; that's about 200-300 shots per set of batteries, not the 60 listed in the product summary.

Obviously it would still be better (both economically and environmentally) to switch to rechargeable batteris and I've ordered a set, but if you have to use regular batteries don't be too alarmed by that statement in the product summary. Just be careful to follow the manual's recommendation and use the A/C adapter when downloading to the computer or other non-picture-taking activities.

I had a few problems with the pictures coming out too bright or too dim but I found that by following the hints in the manual (enable/force/disable the flash, or point and half-click to set the exposure before the actual shot, etc) I was able to get good results and for the ones that came out too bright or dim I was able to fix them by adjusting the brightness using the supplied 'CAMEDIA Master' software.

To reiterate: Great camera! I'm very glad I got it.

Tried many...this one is still the best!
I bought my Olympus D-340R in late 1998 (I think) when it first came out, for around $300. The same money buys a lot more these days but this one has honestly been worth every penny.

It has been used (and seriously abused) pretty much daily for 5 years and is still going strong. I have NEVER had a single problem with it.

I've purchased 4 other digital cameras since this one, only to return them (a Canon, HP 320, HP 635, and Olympus D-390). Nothing beats the quality of the pics on my Olympus D-340R. I've never experienced photos with red-eyes like I did constantly with the others (I don't use the red-eye reduction - typically just point and shoot), and the color/sharpness are far superior to the others.

The drawbacks are that there is no optical zoom, and I do go through a lot of batteries (but we use the LCD alot). The megapixels could be higher, but it works ok for me. Although I use it primarily for web use, I've found the SHQ shots print out superbly (with my photo printer).

I recommend upgrading to a 128 MB memory card - I did this past year, and wowsa! I can take nearly 600 HQ pics or nearly 300 SHQ pics. I also recommend getting a memory card reader for super-fast downloading, because the serial cable is painfully slow. With a card reader you can also bypass the Camedia software, which leaves something to be desired.

I am amazed that this camera has served me so well for so long! And until I can afford a $500+ model....I'll happily keep on using it!

Muy buena cámara digital!
La Olympus D-340R ha sido mi única cámara digital, la he tenido por más de 3 años y no tengo queja alguna excepto por dos cosas:

1. Si se utiliza la pantalla LCD para tomar fotografías panorámicas o con el zoom incorporado, las baterías no van a durar casi nada.

2. El transferir las imágenes a la PC puede tardar una eternidad únicamente para ver el contenido de la tarjeta de memoria, luego viene el proceso de bajarlas al disco duro. Consejo: hay que comprar el adaptador AC de lo contrario las baterías se consumirán velozmente!

Respecto a la calidad de las fotos, no me puedo quejar de nada. Excelente calidad y si quieren tener más espacio para almacenar... compren la tarjeta SmartMedia de 16MB mientras duren existencias!

good for beginners
...P>Ok, bad points first:

No optical zoom, just digital zoom. Digital zoom is pointless though, just makes the pixels bigger. I really wish all digital camera manufacturers would stop with the digital zoom boasts. what's the point?

Batteries. Yup, eats batteries fairly quickly. 4 of them.

Serial port download is slow.

Bulky. Heavy and quite a size compared to some of the dinky dig-cams about now.

Good:

Contrary to noevilpeople, I've found this camera to be extremely durable. It has lasted 4 years with me. Including a drop onto a marble floor, numerous plane trips, a house fire and a touch of condensation. good going. Name a PC or printer that still goes as well after 4 years!

Seems to take quite a few pictures for its memory. 36 HQ on a 8MB card is good going. newer cameras seem to squeeze in less, even at the same res, and with no discernible increase in quality. It can take 16MB cards easily enough (I got one), but any bigger (32MB) and I recall you have to send it back to Olympus to get it retro-fitted or something!

Price. it's cheap now!

Small display on top of the camera gives you enough info without having to use the power-hungry lcd a lot. LCD only needs to be used for macro shots (<10 cm away) and panorama shots. Otherwise, just use the normal viewfinder.

All in all, this camera has done me well. the only real lack is the optical zoom, which is why after 4 years I'm after a new camera, but for the beginner this is a superb camera. ... Read more