Customer Reviews

Olympus C-3040 3MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I used to be a serious camera buff. Loads of Nikon gear, etc. My first shot at digital was the Olympus D600L, a nice TTL digital. Not really comperable to a film camera, but good enough for small time digital only work - still used a couple of film cameras for 'serious' stuff. Just got the C-3040 after looking at its specs and reviews of the C-3030 here on Amazon. Amazon did not have the 3040 yet, so bought elsewhere (NY camera store). The 3040 meets or exceeds all expectations. It is a REAL camera. Compact, light, easy to use for point & shoot yet with almost all the 'serious' capabilties. No wait between shots, low light capable with f1.8 lens and ISO 400 ability. See the reveiws for the C-3030, kick in the added speed, and you know what I mean! Plus the little things - lens cap tied to the camera, ability to use the LCD for framing, index at the back of the manual, easy to understand manual (but too much to remember because of the many, many functions available). Although you need to go through menus for some stuff, most of the commonly needed functions are either on the dial or telephoto control. Can't say enough good about this puppy - it looks like our film cameras are going into early retirement. May seem pricey, but easily worth every cent.

I agree wholeheartedly with the many others on this site who have already told you about the excellent image quality this camera can produce. It's truly exceptional! Even on its default image-quality setting of "HQ" (medium), image quality is superb.

I'm not a digital camera expert, although I've been using a Canon A-1 35mm SLR for 22 years. I've spent almost a year researching my digital camera alternatives - I should have switched earlier! The end results I got from the 3040 using its out-of-the-box "point-and-shoot" settings are substantially better than what I've generally been able to previously achieve in my years with a Canon A-1. Compared to several other digital cameras I've tried, I find the TV output from the 3040 is superior - very high quality. Note: some reviews I've seen say this camera supports both PAL as well as NTSC TV outputs. Olympus tech support web site says no: it's one or the other but not both. USA models only support NTSC - European models only support PAL.

I found the camera easy to use and set up for the first time. The documentation is adequate and accurate but could use some help in the readability department. The supplied Camedia software is very ordinary, there are much better software products available at very low cost. USB connectivity to Windows Millenium worked great, dragging and dropping picture files couldn't be easier, although other software packages have a nice "Transfer all pictures from the camera to a specific folder" function that isn't available with the supplied Camedia software. If you connect the 3040 to your computer using USB, read the manual for the Camedia software carefully! The apparently obvious "My camera" icon on the Camedia PC screen is in fact non-functioning when USB-connected. The QuickTime movie function of the 3040 works well and is adequate for casual use but it won't replace your camcorder anytime real soon.

To get the best use out of your camera, expect to purchase several accessories not provided in the box: 1. The provided 16MB SmartMedia is pitifully small - replace it with a 64MB or larger. I use a 128MB Olympus card (the *only* SmartMedia card that currently supports Olympus' panorama feature). 2. Buy an AC adapter to minimize use of the rapidly-consumed batteries - especially when uploading photo's to the PC or displaying photo's on the TV. 3. Buy two sets (that's eight altogether) of rechargeable lithium ion batteries - and a charger, if you don't already have one. Taking a lot of pictures - especially with flash, uploading pictures to your PC or showing photo's on your TV consumes batteries very quickly! The batteries provided in the box are not rechargeable! 4. Buy a protective case to carry your camera, spare batteries, and spare SmartMedia card.

I marked this camera down to four stars solely because of its price. I think Olympus needs to include several, or all of the items I found myself buying as "accessories" above. Having said that, don't be afraid to shell out the money for this camera - you won't be disappointed with the end results. At the end of the day, that's what really matters isn't it? This camera takes really, really great pictures - no if's, and's, or but's. Enjoy!

After loving my Olympus C-2020 for the past two years I decided to give it to a relative and step up to a 3.34 Mega pixel CCD and faster lens.

I already knew that I liked the camera since the controls and interface are very similar to my old camera - Olympus has been smart enough to make small improvements to a great design. The battery life is as great as ever too (mine lasted for 2 weeks of heavy daily use). I still have the original set of rechargeable batteries that came with my C-2020 and they are still going strong many charges later.

I have been keeping my old SLR around for taking the "serious" shots with but I think those days are over. I did some test shots on a vase with a multi-colored design in varying light conditions (with no flash and uncompressed). I printed the digital shots on my HP-952C and compared them to the 35mm shots when they came back from the lab. I couldn't believe it. In all but the lowest lighting conditions the digital shots were better. I had the best 35mm shot enlarged to 8x11 and printed out the best digital shot on 8x11. I really expected the digital shot to be a little grainy but I couldn't see any distortion. It was easily the equal of my SLR!

Good bye film, digital has finally crossed over the line. I am never going back.

A few tips: Spring for an extra set of batteries so you can swap them out. Buy a 128MB or 64MB Smart Media card and spend a few extra bucks on a name brand so you don't get stuck with a dud. Buy a telephoto lens to give that 3x lens a little help.

Normally, I am one of those poor souls who has to be first on the block when it comes to consumer electronics, but I held off buying a digital camera because I was unwilling to sacrifice image quality for digital convenience. After witnessing the near 35mm quality of the new generation of 3.3 megapixel models, I decided the time had come. Of course, much research had to be done, but I came to my choice of the C-3040 fairly quickly after triangulating information from photography magazines, Amazonians and online photo sites. The superfast lens cemented the deal, as I prefer to shoot sans flash whenever possible.

Getting started with the C-3040 was fairly straightforward and within a couple of hours I had taken 20 or so photos and uploaded the good ones to Ofoto. When the 5x7's I ordered arrived in the mail a few days later, my jaw nearly hit the floor. The quality of the image and trueness of the colors are just amazing. I hate to admit it, but the images have more clarity and detail than those shot with my Nikon N2000 SLR! Also, I hadn't fully appreciated the convenience factor of using a digital camera in conjunction with an online photo service. I'm a touch sad to say it, but my 35mm days may be behind me.

Although I'm hardly an expert photographer, I feel like one now with this camera. I love just about everything about it. First of all, it looks like a real camera, not one of those pieces of junk that pass for cameras these days. It takes incredible pictures right out of the box. I have the option set for the camera to ask me everytime I take a picture whether I want to keep it or not. That way, I can quickly zap any bad pictures. The LCD monitor is easy to see so you have instant feedback as to whether or not you want to retake the picture. The manual was very well written -- I spent a good deal of time reading it. Even thought the camera does many things, the menu function is very intuitive. After a day or so, I was able to do pretty much anything, even use shutter priorty mode or aperature priority mode. Although many software programs have color options, I love the fact that you can shoot in black and white, color or sepia tones. Also, this camera has both a digital and an optical zoom -- beware of false claims by other cameras. I did a great deal of research before buying this camera and I'm happy to say after a month of using it, I have not been disappointed at all. Some suggestiosn for accessories: buy a card reader! You don't want to drain the battery by using the USB cable right from the camera. They only cost around $35. You'll want at least a 64 MB card! The one it comes with is too small (for the price of this camera, I think Olympus should throw it in). The battery it comes with was dead on arrival and since it is not recharchable, forget it. Buy AA rechargable batteries (one charger, two sets of batteries) and switch them often. The batteries lose charge fast when you use the monitor feature, so beware and carry spare batteries when you travel! A great camera.

There really two perspectives here, one from someone who has owns/uses a high-end Nikon (2 1/2 *), and the other from a new digital camera user (4 1/2 *). I point this out because mid-range digital cameras are NOT really going to placate all of the needs of the amateur photographer, but may be appropriate for your situation. Caveat photographer.

The biggest adjustment I've had with the C-3040 is the slowness in taking pictures -- delays of 1 to 5 seconds (fresh batteries, not including the startup time for the lens to extend to the default setting) before the photo is actually grabbed. While fine for still life, this is a problem for truly spontaneous photos, such as of one's kids. Expect blurry pictures on anything that's moving at more than a walking pace.

A second criticism is the flash seems too bright and colors wash out. You can compensate for this in Photoshop, but I don't really think you should have to.

On the positive side, uploading pictures is extremely easy: on my Win2000 machine, I just plug the camera in, and the camera's pictures appear as a removable device. Just cut and paste to your local machine.

Resolution is very good and services like Ofoto can print up to 20x30" prints from the default (2048x1536) image size. (With a 128Mb memory card, you can get 162 pictures at this resolution.)

The menu system in the camera is fairly extensive and you can alter default behavior such as turning off the camera's beep, changing color mode, shutter speed, color balance, date, and resolution. Another nice feature is you can enable verbose data display, which will show you what settings were used for each photo.

The movie feature is actually more fun than I thought it would be. Pictures are jumpy and the audio is fair, but I enjoy having it as an option. You can record up to 74 seconds in one swoop -- this is a limit of the camera's internal memory, not the memory card size used.

+Performance
This digital camera allows FULL control of picture capture - apeture size, speed (1/800th sec!), film speed, a white balance differential, manual zoom, and basically everything you have in an SLR and more. The pictures are excellent on the auto setting for outdoor shots. Indoor shots are more difficult, but can be done well with some steady hands and setting customization. Close up shots are limited to greater than 7-8 inches. However, there is a macro option allowing the range finder to know you are focusing up close. The flash can bleach out images, but I've been using the white balance to correct this easily. From a straight forward image quality and ease of picture taking, I cannot complain.

The LCD screen is fabulously clear. The interface does take some time to understand, but is no more difficult than a computer monitor interface. The read/write can lag if you really push it with semi-auto like shooting or using repeated multi shot. The zoom is not bad, but has something to be desired with the tube extension making the proportions not quite a true point-shoot camera or an SLR.

+Bonus
There are some nifty and useful functions like a 3-spot light meter that gives you the average, a 360 panorama stitching function, 5-shot `autowinder,' and video recording capability. The tactile feel is excellent with a non-slip surface on the hnad-interaction areas.

+Connectivity
No card reader needed with the included USB patch cable. Super simple and a very fast download time. Using XP makes it even easier - don't even need the 3rd party software.

+Longevity
With a 128 MB card at 1600x1200 resolution (medium) I can burn through the card 1-2 times with downloads no problem, dependent on the flash and LCD use. This is a lot of shooting on 4 AA NimH - from my past Kodak and Nikon dig cam experience.

Peeves include no immediate delete option when you've just taken a bad picture. And you can record audio to a picture, but can't playback on the unit until cpu download. I could continue with the lame 16 MB card included and one-time use batteries, but the overall verdict is that Olympus made a very professional camera for people who want total control but the convenience of semi point-shoot size dimensions. 5 stars for rock-solid performance at a fair price.

When I went shopping for a new digital Camera, I had several things on my wish list. One of the most important was that when I clicked the shutter, I wanted the picture taken THEN, not in 1/2 Seconds. Not in 1/4 Seconds. But THEN, before the subject moved. This camera has met my needs. I line up the shot, press the shutter 1/2 way down and the camera gets ready to take the picture. When the time comes, I press the button all the way down and I have My shot.

I also wanted to be able to enlarge my picures to 8x10 and have them look good. They do.

My object here was to get something to replace my 35MM SLR camera for vacation and family party shots. Since I normaly take about 10 Rolls of film at a family event, I feel that the camera will pay for itself after about 10 events

It does eat batteries for Breakfast, lunch and dinner so I recommend 2 sets of rechargeables.

With a 64 Meg Card it will take 81 HQ (2048x1536) Jpeg Shots, or 26 SHQ (2048x1536) Jpegs with less compression, or 6 (2048x1536) Tiff shots with no compression. In my tests, I could find no aparent difference in the quality between these options. Since they are the same pixle size and since 8x10 is my target size, I shoot with the default HQ setting. You can get more than 300 shots at a lower resolution, But I only tested the HQ and above.

Did I mention the IR remote control? or the optional bounce flash?

I have had this camera for a couple of months and have really come to lke working with it. I consider myself a serious amatuer photographer and have a range on Nikon cameras and a darkroom in my home. This is my first digital camera and it had to do alot to make me happy given my background with film.

The camera is very easy to use and the menu system is quite straight forward. For everyday pictures of friends and family the automatic program mode offers very good point and click shooting. I do not hesitate to let others snap away with it. On the flip side, if I want to take photos requiring more control of the cameras functions I've been able to do so without having to resort to the manual. Exposure compensation, flash control (red eye reduction, synch, exposure comp), aperture and shutter priority modes are all very easy to manipulate through the menu and cursor. There are still a few controls that I've not yet tested and that I think says much about the depth of functions given how much I've tried to push this camera.

The images are quite sharp and very esy to work with. All of my computers run either Windows ME, 2000 or XP andthey all support plug and play USB so getting files from the camera to the computer has been very easy. I've used this camera with at least a half dozen computers without any trouble.

I have a few complaints, but I think these are endemic to digital cameras and not limited to this model. The camera uses batteries quickly. I wish there were more and better lens accessories. I would especially like to work with graduated nuetral density filters for landscape shots. Memory cards are expensive. If you buy this or any digital camera you should consider at least a couple 64 or 128 MB cards and rechargeable batteries. Adding these will boost your purchase price by a few hundred dollars, but will make your shooting that much more enjoyable. In standard mode this camera will take 80 pictures on one 64 MB card. Given that you can delete bad shots instantly this is like having three or four roles of 36 exposures in one camera.

I would not hesitate to buy this camera again. However, if you have some additional money to invest I would consider the Camdia 4040 which is basically a 4 megapixel version of this camera.

I'd been waiting for affordable digital cameras to get good enough to give me better pictures than my scanned 35mm negatives. Obviously I've waited long enough because this camera more than meets the test. There is a learning curve if this is your first digital camera--I recommend reading the manual--but the full complement of modes has not limited anything I've wanted to do. The macro focusing distance is close enough for normal flower shots--roses, lilies--and the camera fits my slow, cautious shooting style very well. I find the monitor easy to focus with, even with my post-middle-aged eyes. I can even use my reading glasses if I have too. The telephoto is long enough to be useful; shots from plane windows came out well. The f1.8 lens is great for indoor photography. If you're tired of futzing with film processing, dust&scratch cleanup, negative and proof storage, it's time to go digital! If you want to see your shots as soon as you take them, go digital! On my iMac, all I have to do is connect it, turn it on, and it looks like a drive. Copying 35 shots takes about two minutes. Get the rechargeable battery kit, have AA's for backup. With a 128MB card I get 55 shots at max resolution in the SHQ jpeg mode, and no file so far has been bigger than 2.1MB. Wow. Now all I need is a great photo-vacation!