Customer Reviews

Olympus C-8080 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Wide Zoom

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Camedia body design has always been traditional, which I've favored over Sony's outlandish model F717 & F828 body/lens layout. The C8080 has a nicely refined body style. It's a compact 4.75" wide, by 4.7" deep, and 3.4" high. For old-school film SLR users like myself, it resembles that look and feel. The ergonomics is just about perfect. It's a real joy to hold, even with one hand. The controls are easy to see and become acquainted with. The shutter lag is almost undetectable. And if you set it for continuous frames (1.6 fps), it will give you 3 to 5 shots in quick succession. The lens and picture quality is up to par with the previous Camedias. Olympus lenses are outstanding. The 8 megapixels sure help.

The things I like about the C8080 are: 2 memory card slots (CF and XD)and you can toggle between the 2 cards. So if you have a 512 MB capacity for both cards, that's 1024 MB total. If you want more, get an IBM 1GB microdrive. You don't have to download software. Plug into the USB 2 in your PC, and you're in business (Win XP os). The viewfinder is electronic, which saves on battery consumption. The display screen can tilt up or down, and is visible even in bright sunlight. It's very comfortable to hold and shoot. And of course, it's got 8 megapixels. The thing I don't like about the C8080 is you have to remove the battery to charge it.

For pro-level amateurs and professionals, I recommend it highly.

If your like me and dont have a bunch of lenses already there that could be added to the camera as in the Canon Rebel then the next best choice is to try to get a camera that has all you need in one camera. This camera also feels better than any other camera I tried. And I tried them all, HP, Canon, Minolta, Fuji, Sony, and Olympus less expensive older models.

That is what I see is one of the main advantages of the Olympus C-8080. It is a very flexible highly featured camera. The lenses on it feature both wide and telephoto capabilities and Olympus has taken the time to make sure that the lense does well in these areas. They were special produced for this camera.
I have been able to get some excellent image quality out of my Olympus C-8080 so far. By excellent I mean that there is alot of detail in mid tones. Some of the noise artifacts in high contrast areas in other cameras such as purple hazing seem to either not be there or greatly reduced. In other words I have not seen that as an issue. This is attributable to a new CCD for the camera that impliments cyan dots into the color capture system. I love the extra colors I am getting from the CCD on board that has increased my color ranges in blues and greens as well as neutral shadow areas.

Olympus also implimented an anti noise feature in this camera that is said to help with those issues.

This camera is complex. It will take alot of time to be able to use all its featured capabilities. The menu system is intuitive and very customizable.

Am I glad I bought it? Yes definitely.

Also look at the built in historgram. Better than any of the competion. That is because it has a historgram in a historgram. You can learn on line how to use historgrams and then that feature will mean more.

Negatives:
Red laser focus system can be blinding for shooting portraits
lack of stablization system like Minolta uses
Lack of illuminated controls for night shooting

Make sure your read the last paragraph of this review to see why an outstanding camera gets only three stars.

Before buying this camera I read a variety of professional reviews on various websites. The consensus seemed to be that this was the best of the lot of the new 8 megapixel cameras. As a lifetime Canon owner who also has a Canon D60 6.3mp SLR digital camera I was disappointed that the new Canon Pro1 didn't get as high ratings, but I believe that quality pics beats any brand loyalty that I might have.

I was in the market for one of these new high resolution cameras because I wanted something to carry around for quick shots when I didn't want the trouble of lugging my Canon D60 and a host of lenses.

I took it on a recent trip in to the California coastal mountains. I was totally pleased with the results. The professional reviewers were all concerned with noise in higher ISO settings for this breed of cameras. All of my pictures were shot in the range of ISO 100 to 160 in bright light. I used Photoshop to greatly enlarge pictures taken at 100 and 160 and compared them for noise. ISO 160 pics were noisier, but still printed out clear 7.125 by 9.5 prints. Colors were very accurate, and I noticed no significant distortion.

The large number of buttons and menus posed no real problems for me. You just work yourself gradually into this, and soon you are at ease. I particularly liked the button on the top that allows you to make a custom setting. I use it for ISO settings, making it a breeze to quickly change ISO when I want to.

What criticisms can I make? Here's my brief list:

1. Buttons on the top right of the camera are very crowded, and it takes a while to get used to them, and not be changing the wrong one. I find it somewhat difficult to hold down the custom button and rotate the selector wheel at the same time.

2. I am not too enthralled with the electronic viewfinder. I found it sometimes difficult to see things clearly, and colors were harder to detect as accurately as in a normal viewfinder. I particularly had problems adjusting a circular polarizer filter to best effect.

3. I am used to manually zooming an SLR camera, and the power zoom on the c-8080 is a bit frustrating. It is difficult to zoom to the exact point that you want. You keep over and under zooming it. But I suppose this is a problem found on most power zoom cameras.

As most professional reviewers have noted, this camera is built like the photographic equivalent of a tank. It feels solid and indestructible, a heft that you usually find only on very expensive professional cameras.

Oh yes. Why did I give this camera only a three star rating. When I received the camera the software disk was broken. The disk is important insofar as Olympus is too cheap to provide a complete manual with the camera, and a further 180 pages or so of it are on the disk. Three phone calls and an email, and over a month later I get a software disk in the mail. But it's not for the c-8080. Another phone call and I am told the that the c-8080 disks come only with the camera itself. They have no extras, and I will simply have to do with this one which is written for other cameras. It supposedly will suffice for the camera to computer interface, although the c-8080 is missing from the reference manual of listed cameras. When I first called and waited on hold for a long long time no one even new how to deal with this problem. I was given the run around from department to department to department. You better hope that nothing is damaged in shipment, and that you never ever need tech support from them.

After some extensive research on 8-megapixel digital cameras, I decided on the Olympus C-8080 for several reasons. I'll highlight a few of them below.

* The magnesium cased Olympus C-8080 has a quality feel to it in my hands. It feels solid. This camera won't creak or flex when handled like some of the others I tried.

* The Olympus C-8080 power up time is extremely fast which is important for catching those special moments. It has one of the fastest power up times of any 8-megapixel camera.

* The C-8080 has one of the best lenses available in its class with just the right balance of range and speed... The lens is rather large for good light gathering ability. It's also very sharp. At 5x and 28mm - 140mm (35mm equivalent) range, some might lean more toward a camera with a broader optical range sacrificing speed and quality. For me, it's about quality not quantity! I find that I often use 28mm indoors where space is limited or for those wide outdoor scenic shots. And 140mm is usually sufficient for most of my 'telephoto' needs. You can also purchase optional adapters for wider angle or more zoom if you find it necessary.

* Battery life on this camera is top notch... it's one of the longest lasting and far superior to most other 8-megapixel cameras. Although I own 2 batteries for my Olympus C-8080, I have yet to need more than one for an entire day of shooting. My findings pretty much mirror what the professional reviewers have tested with regard to long battery life on the Olympus C-8080. I have yet to see my 'low battery' indicator come on!

I should also mention that I wear eye glasses which is a problem for me with some viewfinders. Not so with the Olympus C-8080. The ring surrounding the viewfinder is rubberized and when I place the lens from my eye glasses up against the view finder, I can see the entire frame clearly and comfortably. The viewfinder also has a diopter adjustment to compensate for less than perfect vision.

Some people have commented that the controls on the Olympus are a bit confusing. The camera is very versatile with many features and I've gotten used to the controls. Also, the power on/off button is located fairly close to the shutter release button but I got used to this within just a few minutes. It really isn't a problem. Unless you're seriously lacking in manual dexterity, you'll get used to it very quickly.

Also, don't skimp on the memory card. I have a 512MB xD card in the camera and keep a blank 256MB card in my pocket in case I fill up the first card before getting a chance to download all the images to my PC. I might just get a 512MB CompactFlash card as well since the camera has a slot for both xD and CF style memory cards.

To quote another reviewer, the Olympus C-8080 is the one to get!

I bought this to supplement my E-20, and after having used it for just over two weeks, I think I'll put the E-20 away.

Pros:
-Nice size. I have big, arthritic hands, and it is a joy to use
-Best image from any digital i've owned, and i've got/had a few
-FAST, FAST, FAST, except for playback
-Quiet
-Beautiful resolution, edge to edge.
-I really like the rubber grip on the lens (and the body)
-Great battery life.

Cons:
-Slow playback (but I rarely use it, so ho hum)
-You must have a micro drive for images
-Lens cap doesn't fit well with lens hood (nitpick).

I am particularly impressed with blues and greens. Great rich color and great detail. Can be manipulated to give results very much like film, or crank up the saturation, contrast, whatever, and go crazy.

I also really like the sort of odd angle the lens is at with the body and the viewfinder, makes the camera VERY intuitive to aim and hold. I've seen some complaints about the position of the power button and exposure button, but I find them very well placed. All the controls on the left side of the camera are easy to access when holding the camera with your right.

My brother, who is a photo novice bought the camera at the same time I did, and he is producing very nice images, just using it point and shoot.

Some thoughts from an amateur having been using it for a while. Note that my overall score is high and I'm very happy with this camera: bang for the buck this is great.
So - these comments are deliberately critical since I think that's what most people want to know about. If something really cool stands out - such as dark frame subtraction on this camera for us astronomers - then I'll point it out.

1. Do not look at this camera as a 'point and shoot, slip it in my pocket' sort of camera. This is big, has many functions and can be overwhelming at first if you're new to this level of camera. That said - the functionality and positioning of features is exemplary: for example the dual use of buttons to allow quick access to features and settings. Also, assuming you've got the camera setup how you want it - you can flick it on and be snapping away pretty quickly; the 'user setting modes' are great in this regard, since you can save different types of setup to allow quick access.
2. In auto focus mode, the camera can be a little slow to focus and you can miss your intended photo moment - frustrating! You can set it to manual focus mode, but that can be slower since there isn't a focus ring for you to turn a-la-SLR. You have to use the buttons to focus and that can be tricky with your eye wedged up to the viewfinder on sunny days!
3. A full printed manual isn't provided - it is online on the CD only. I think that is cheap, Olympus!
4. I'm an astrophotographer and so far I've only been able to take piggy-back shots (not a problem with the camera - I just need to make some adapters). Dark frame subtraction in night mode is extremely useful, but so far it seems the noise generated by the CCD is too much for it to handle, even in relatively short exposures (on a 75 degree F night at ISO400). I'm going to try slower ASO speeds since that should improve it a litle, and I know cooler evenings will help a great deal, but still not off to a great start. Also, cooling would help but at 800 bucks you can't get everything! ;-) ADDENDUM 9/NOV/04: this camera works OK as an astrophotography camera, but basically you get what you pay for. Because it isn't an SLR, it is difficult to achieve focus using the camera with it's fixed lens, through an eyepieve and into the telescope. hugely magnified and actually too much noise to speak of. I'm persevering, but I'd recommend the extra step to an SLR if you're going to be into astrophotography (Canon 20D)
5. The remote shutter release doesn't plug into the camera: you have to buy a power battery holder and plug the shutter release into that. That seemed a little stupid to me and just an excuse by Olympus to make you buy more stuff.
6. I find it very frustrating that you can't plug the camera in to the mains (with the optional mains adapter) and CHARGE the battery with it still in the camera. You have to remove the battery and use the separate battery charger. That means more stuff to carry - and that's annoying.
7. Battery life seemed exceptionally good to me, but because of the charging scenario described above, I would get a spare battery
8. Video quality is good: I've taken a few but for some reason I have to convert them on my PC, presumably because of some coding issues (they import into Adobe Photo Album v2.0 but won't play). ADDENDUM 9/NOV/04: this is now resolved and is not an issue related to this product, but rather some clash in load order between Adobe and Quicktime.
9. I don't like Camedia Master, whatever version. I'd personally recommend the use of a separate photo manager and ditch Camedia. The only useful thing I've gotten out of it so far is stitching some panorama shots together, which worked quite well but it won't stay installed on my PC just to do that! Other software can do that, too!


Overall? I like the camera and it's taking some great shots that have printed onto 11x14 photo paper to produce stunning images. I find it comfortable, easy to use (after a simple learning curve) and everything you'd reasonably expect from a camera at this level.
So far, though, I haven't been that impressed with the night time photography - but I'll be able to test that extensively soon so will update this review at that time. ADDENDUM 9/NOV/04: my conclusion for astrophotography is it is worth saving some extra pennies and going for an SLR (the Canon 20D). For daytime shooting, this camera has produced some stunning shots and I'm extremely pleased with it.

Happy shopping
JB

I bought my C-8080 last summer, and I was immediately impressed with the image quality as I walked up and down the beach for hours testing the camera's features, not to mention the capacity of my Xd 512mb card. I have been abroad all year in France and this camera was the first item I packed. It has been able to withstand the Parisien winter downpours and still take some exquisite pictures. My shutterfly account has never been so full! The color tones of the camera's image sensor are increddible, and its feature set is limitless. The learning curve for the c-8080 is steeper than other cameras in its class, which is why I would call this camera a pro-enthusiast device. When you master the settings and buttons, the images improve that much more. One thing I have to comment on is the battery life...I have gone on trips for two weeks and did not bring the charger. It was only on the last day in Nice that the battery light started blinking, and I had gotten at least 35 pics in each day. The camera has survived my backpack, which is not the most forgiving place considering my traveling addiction, and has yet to have a scratch. Olympus has provided me with a great way to capture all my photographic desires in one package.

I've owned by C-8080 for over a year. Several months ago, I bought a Canon Rebel XT DSLR. The XT gets better resolution, focuses and stores faster, has a broader dynamic range, and slays the C8080 in medium and low light hands down. Add an image stabilized lens to the XT, and performance-wise, the C8080 gets left in dust accross the board.

But I still often I pack the C-8080 and leave the XT at home. In good light or when using flash, the C8080 takes great pictures, with very respectable resolution and clean, bright, vibrant Olympus style colors. It boasts a lens with one of the widest front diameters of all the digicams on the market (and thus captures more light), and the quality of the glass is superb. Raw mode storage is slow, but the results can be wonderful---you can sqeeze one more level of resolution and color depth from raw. Comparable pictures shot with my XT would blow up to bigger size, but the C-8080 is more than adequate for the typical 8-1/2X11's that I print at home. The C-8080 can produce fine prints in many cases at 13X19.

While not "compact," the C-8080 is a tidy, convenient, sturdy tool that is suitable for the serious photgrapher. The 28-140 mm is too short for field sports, but it's great for indoor people shots, landscapes, and the majority of common shooting situations. Autofocus is generally "fast enough." The dual memory card format offers a convenient way to organize pictures and immense storage capacity. I like the tilting viewfinder. The control layout is a bit complex, but you learn to maneuver it. It offers more precise control over shutter speed, aperture, and ISO than most digital cameras; ISO choices are, for example, 50, 64, 80, 100, 125, etc., instead of the more standard 50, 100, 200, etc. This means, among other things, when you haven't got enough light for ISO 100, you might not need to drop to ISO 200 where you will pick up more noise; instead, maybe you can capture the shot at ISO 160. Noise is typically not an issue until you are pushing ISO 200.

I wish the C-8080 offered image stabilization. I wish it did better in dim light. I wish it zoomed out to 200mm or better. But it is an easy camera to pack and operate, and in many, many situations, it does more than well enough. This is useful, quality gear that was built to last a long time.

I'm not getting it.

I have no problem with this camera defaulting to the xd card when you turn it on. It stays wherever it was when I shut it off.

I'm having no problem with the power switch. It's on the top, the shutter is on the front. Since I'm still trying to learn how to walk and chew gum at the same time, I don't understand the problem many seem to be having.

Swivel LCD? It's cute but the only use I found for it is taking a pic of myself in a mirror. (Not a pretty sight!) :)

Low light problems? I have no complaints. Contrary to popular belief, *most* indoor shots with a digital camera *don't* need flash. In fact, more often than not, flash will ruin it. The "film" is free. Try it both ways. :) Experience will let you know when you need it and when you don't. Don't just pop up the flash simply because you are indoors. I remember a few years back reading a lot of complaints about my old nikon coolpix 800 having low lite problems but I never did. No problem with the c8080 either. And if all else fails... that's what they make Photoshop for! (And I hardly ever need it with this camera)

Auto focus problems? Don't use it if it doesn't work for you. (Yes, it does have manual focus)

Remote shutter release plugs in? I must be missing something again. I got a cordless one with the camera.

The only con I have is that the manual has to be printed out, but what doesn't anymore? Never had a digital that came with a book.

Ok, two cons. Yes, I know it's a heavy piece of equipment but still I would have liked a wrist strap.

I learned from past experiences with digitals... even before you take your first shot, print the manual and read it.

If you go by the old adage... when all else fails, read the manual... you do this camera and yourself a disservice. And reading it on your computer doesn't really cut it. You need to print it out or you're going to miss a lot.

I bought a brand new, USA warrenty Olympus C-8080 camera a few weeks ago from Buydig.com--for $472.00, about half what this camera cost when it first came out last year. Had considered an Olympus Evolt, but I went for the convenience of an all-in-one-piece high-end amateur camera which has been receiving very good reviews and seems considered the best of the 8-megapixel non-SLR cameras available. I'm an illustrator and large-format photographer--and a stickler for image quality. The C-8080 produces beautiful images with sharp resolution and even illumination from corner to corner. The lens and image quality are simply superb.

This is my second digital camera, the first being a Panasonic FZ10. Both these cameras have EVF's (electronic view finders) instead of optical view finders. EVF's are very useful--the screen actually gives some visual indication of an exposure before you take the picture. The FZ10's EVF is especially accurate in this regard. The C-8080's EVF is less so--but it is only a matter of experience decifering the image that appears in the EVF before making the exposure.

The C-8080 has far more functions than I am likely going to explore using. Since I am mostly shooting landscapes , all I really want is confidence in the exposure and focusing functions of the camera--and after a few days of experimenting and a 2 day trip in Yellowstone shooting scenics, I'm quite pleased with how the C-8080 handles.

I especially like the AEL (auto exposure level) button on the front of the camera. It allows you to preset the exposure before focusing on the image--and generally, if a scene has both dark and very bright components, you will not get a good exposure if you just point and shoot. I found it necessary to point the camera at the brighter/brightest elements of a scene (pointing it well up into the sky with clouds, for example), then set the AEL, then return to the scene to be photographed and make the exposure. The C-8080's EVF does not give you an accurate visual indication of the exposure--if the scene in the EVF looks good, likely it will be a little or more overexposed. If the scene in the EVF looks disturbingly dark, then it is about right. When you have to choose between what looks good in the EVF and what the AEL button gives you, trust what the AEL button gives you--even if the view is very dark. Having shot 4x5 and 5x7 film in the field with a lightmeter and faith, the C-8080 exposures are a breeze.

One disappointment with the C-8080--the manual focus functions. Various user reviews dating back to last year mention problems with the manual focus--and it seems to be a design flaw. Not only is manual focus a time-consuming multi-step effort, but it doesn't work. Photo results using manual focus at infinity are noticably inferior to the same scene in auto focus. Hard to believe Olympus let this camera out of the lab with such a crummy manual focus ability. I hope Olympus is reading this--they ought to design an easy, fast, one-step, "get-me-there-now!" manual infinity lock. In some low-light conditions, the auto focus has a hard time locking onto infinity--and you have to scout around in all directions to find anything far off that the cameras will settle on. Using manual focus instead is out of the queation. I should note, that in the two days in the field in Yellowstone, I did not have any problems with auto focus--it worked fast and reliably.

The above said, the C-8080 is a great digital camera. Prefered settings can be programmed and returned to quickly by turning the dial to 'My Mode", which is very handy. Very good battery life. Very good low compression JPG's. TIFF and RAW if you want them. Image color is very accurate (some call this neutral) and can be adjusted with various settings in many small increments. Also, the memory cards and batteries are compatiable with top-of-the-line Olympus SLR models. Just be sure when erasing memory cards in camera that it is set to the card you intend, since the C-8080 defers to the xd card (if an xd card is in the camera).