Olympus D-360L 1.2MP Digital Camera

Other products by Olympus

Product Details

Product Manual [149kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 1.7 x 5 x 2.6 inches ; 8.3 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004R8V6
• Item model number: D-360L
• Batteries: 4 AA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (141 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #870 in Camera & Photo (See Bestsellers in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: March 13, 2000

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The Olympus D-360L digital camera offers truly outstanding performance for its price range. It's very similar to its bestselling predecessor, the Olympus D-340R, and, like all the Olympus cameras in this line, the D-360L produces high-quality photos with amazingly accurate color. This camera also works well in low-light situations and offers a wide array of compression, display, and printing options, making it a good choice for both beginners and advanced users.

With an interface much like a standard point-and-shoot camera, the Olympus D-360L combines ease of use with digital technology, 2x digital zoom, and TTL autofocus with macro mode; these elements give you the flexibility to shoot a wide variety of subjects. The 1.3-megapixel CCD sensor ensures accurate color, while features such as automatic exposure, white balance, and four-mode flash enable you to capture shots in a range of lighting situations.

The Olympus D-360L includes a 1.8-inch color TFT LCD monitor for picture composition and playback, onscreen menus, and on-the-spot lock/erase buttons so you don't lose pictures you want or waste memory. It also includes a 12-second self-timer, video-out capability, and optional direct printing straight from the camera. The camera automatically shuts off when not in use to preserve battery life.

The Olympus D-360L is easy to set up; all you have to do is put in the batteries and memory card. The included 8 MB memory card holds up to 60 pictures in the lowest resolution mode (640 x 480), and memory is expandable up to 16 MB. Taking pictures is a snap; you can easily adjust the exposure, change the flash mode, change the picture compression mode, and use the self-timer. We ended up referring to the manual to display and erase pictures, but once we learned the process, it was simple to display images in either thumbnail or single-picture mode. The LCD screen is clear and bright, and we preferred using it instead of the optical viewfinder. The D-360L does well in low light, focusing in dark situations and then providing well-lighted images via the flash (which has a red-eye reduction option). As long as you have something stable to set the camera on, the D-360L takes great night cityscapes or indoor nonflash photos.

The Olympus D-360L's strength lies partly in its high resolution--at 1,280 x 960, it's one of the highest-resolution digital cameras available for under $400. If you want the very highest picture quality, the D-360L can even record images as uncompressed TIFF files, eliminating any loss in quality suffered during compression. You can fit only two uncompressed images on an 8 MB memory card, but for certain high-end or professional applications, the uncompressed TIFF capability is a strong advantage.

The only drawback to the D-360L is its relatively short battery life. Four AAs have enough power for only about 60 low-resolution pictures--not nearly enough for a day on the town or a friend's birthday party. It doesn't come with rechargeable batteries, but you should consider buying a few sets and a charger.

Along with the Olympus D-360L, you receive a removable 8 MB SmartMedia card, capable of holding 122 standard quality shots, a Windows connectivity kit, a video output cable, four AA alkaline batteries, a user's guide, and a strap. You also get a CD-ROM with Camedia utility software for editing, manipulation, and panorama stitching. This camera is compatible with both Windows and Macintosh platforms and comes with a limited one-year warranty. --Cintra Pollack and Holly Blumenthal

Pros:

• Bright, clear LCD viewfinder
• High resolution
• Provides uncompressed TIFF recording capabilities
• Compact size
• Does well in low light

Cons:

• Limited battery life

Product Description

On the heels of the wildly successful D-340R filmless digital camera (a camera that had won nearly every award in its class) is the CAMEDIA D-360L. Like the autofocus D-340R, the D-360L has all the convenient consumer features you need in a filmless digital camera, including a compact, lightweight design, low price, all-glass aspherical lens system, and 2x digital telephoto mode. And that's just the beginning. The autofocus D-360L isn't just an improvement over its predecessor; it's a whole new style of entry-level camera. Advanced features previously found only in the top-of-the line filmless digital cameras include selectable ISO ratings, exposure compensation, selectable digital "ESP" matrix, spot metering, auto or preset manual white balance, two compression ratios in Standard Quality mode for more imaging options, and a six-mode automatic flash with a slow syncro flash.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

137 of 137 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This camera rocks!, April 8, 2000

By	Tim Dockter (Elgin, IL) - See all my reviews

The D360L camera is very easy to use and takes awesome pictures under almost any conditions. The resolution and features are truly incredible for a camera in this price range. The software installs easily and has good help information to guide you through the image editing process.

The camera comes loaded with many nice features. About the only thing lacking is an optical zoom. I'm a frugal consumer and decided that the added cost of an optical zoom wasn't justified for my intended use of the camera. Most features have been covered in other reviews but one nice feature that I haven't seen mentioned much is the video out jack and cable (included) that allows you to view your photos on a television. My parents are in their 80's and don't have excellent vision, so the television connector lets me share photos with them without them having to peer at the tiny LCD screen.

Accessories add a substantial amount to the cost of your camera outfit. Expect to pay an extra $100 to $250 above and beyond the camera price for them. I bought a SanDisk SmartMedia 32MB memory card, a DigiPower Solutions 12X rechargeable power pack, and a SanDisk SmartMedia USB external drive for downloading onto my PC. The only problem I encountered was with the Sandisk SmartMedia USB external drive. The install software had trouble locating a device driver, but I was able to locate the correct driver at the Sandisk web site and get things working properly. I have not had any experience with Olympus support, since everything works great.

The bottom line is that this camera offers fantastic value for the money you spend on it. You really can't go wrong buying this camera. It rocks!

145 of 147 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another Fine Olympus, March 31, 2000

By	Thomas Dukich (Spokane, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I bought this camera because it ranks high in "pixels per dollar" (resolution) and because I own three other Olympus cameras which have been outstanding performers--good picture quality and easy to use. I spent some time comparing the features of different brands and models in the $300 to $800 range. Dollar for dollar this camerea is very hard (impossible?) to beat. What you get for twice the price isn't that much more with the exception of a zoom. Zooms are a mixed blessing anyway because so often you get blurry pictures (because you don't use a tripod). Plus, you usually give up some close-up ability when you have a zoom. The zoom might be more important if you don't have some photo editor software to crop, enlarge, or otherwise manipulate your digital pictures. Some minor concerns. I find the look and feel a little "clunky" compared to other Olympus cameras and other brands. Also, the new models are less iMac friendly. So, I bought an Olumpus SmartMedia Reader which added to the cost but is a very cool device. And battery life? I read all the comments about getting rechargeable batteries but I was still shocked at how fast the batteries wear out. Still, all-in-all, this is a great camera for the price.

97 of 97 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars best for the money, March 15, 2000

By A Customer

I looked at a lot of cheap digital cameras before my friend told me about this one. It had a good feature set so I bought it. I've been really impressed with the picture quality, especially compared to my friends with more expensive floppy-based cameras. It's also really small compared to those clunkers. It doesn't have a zoom, but night pictures and flash come out very well. I've been very happy with it so far--used it as my only camera on my trip to Hawaii with great results. Be warned, it goes through batteries quickly--we got some rechargeables that helped.