Rating: 
Summary: Movies with audio?
Review: >shoot short videos (without audio) The odd thing is that the review says "without audio" (as above) but the Olympus website says it works with audio as the 5050 etc do. Any idea why it would say that?
Rating:
Summary: EXCELLENT OPTICS, GREAT PICTURES, COMPLICATED.
Review: After 40+ years of taking pictures in 35mm I decided to wet my toe in digital waters with an Olympus C2020. Used that excellent
camera for three years and decided this spring to upgrade to the
Olympus C8080WZ just then released by Olympus.
This camera takes great pictures, many examples can be viewed at digicam.com by going to the forum for Olympus Digital. The Olympus lens is considered by many reviewers to be the best available for digital. So... why not five stars?
End results are, of course, the bottom line in an camera but some weight must be given to how difficult it is to get those results. This is where I must hold back a star on the C8080WZ.
The camera is difficult to focus in many situtations... low light, low contrast, fast moving subjects. There are options as to how the camera's auto-focus is applied but each has its own issues. I do not think Olympus has done a good job with the auto-focus in this otherwise excellent camera.
Personally I don't like the EVF (electronic viewfinder). It is overloaded with information in my opinion and under high contrast conditions it suffers degrading vertical color bands which do not show in the photos but are distracting when trying to compose a nice landscape scene.
The power zoom works... but I would prefer a manual zoon. Power zoom seems a waste to me, it is never as accurate nor fast as manual zoom and uses battery power in the bargain. I suppose this is a necessary evil but could do nicely without it.
Maybe I'm spoiled by my years of Nikon SLRs that were straight forward in their operation. Look through the lens, set apature and shutter from built in metering, focus and trip the shutter.
Now it's a half dozen choices to be made and in things like focus you really don't have much control anyway... the camera
decides and you are stuck with that.
My Olumpus C2020 remains my favorite for most outings. It is a true "point and shoot" and gives fine results within its 2mp
capability. An 8mp camera that operated as nicely as my C2020
would be a true "upgrade" for me.
Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding 8-Megapixel Camera with top quality lens.
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: Extremely Happy
Review: As someone who has jsut begun to get beyond the basics in photography, this camera has allowed me to really grow. This is a terrific tool and I have been extremely pleased with my pictures:
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Yes, it is slow in low light to focus. Yes it is a bit bulky (but feels good in the hand to hold) but that lens takes terrific pictures.
I have had the camera for about 6 months now and love taking it out more every day. Lots of flexibility and features to keep me busy.
Rating:
Summary: No major issues so far...
Review: I am still getting acquainted with this little gem. In spite of all the criticism below, I am definitely happy with it.
I have to say that I agree with pretty much everything JB said in his review "Great in the day, noisy at night" -- I haven't done any night work with this yet.
So why post? Some comments I've got are not included elsewhere. Some are worth repeating.
As mentioned in other reviews, I too have hit the power button when I wanted something else. The main annoyance with this is the camera's configuration is reset on power-on, so if you had a shutter speed set, you get to reset it. There is a camera setting to reset all settings on powerup or not which is presumably intended to correct this. Personally I'd rather have the settings reset and have the power button recessed, or at least a little bit stiffer. The power button is *very* responsive.
I *LOVE* the startup speed. It's on and ready to shoot before I can have the shot framed. (This does take some of the sting out of hitting the power button accidentally)
I *HATE* the manual focus. It zooms into the center of the image and you are supposed to be able to tell from very raw pixels when you are focused or not. It isn't as easy as it sounds -- slow, painful, inaccurate, and tedious. There has to be a better way. My Nikon CoolPix 995 boosted the sharpness of the preview in a way that let you tell what was in focus and what wasn't. Still painful, but much better than this.
The 8080 doesn't overexpose as much as my 995 did. I like not having to adjust. The only thing I have encountered (which I need to reshoot to understand better) was a pinkish flower in my yard that for some reason was oversaturated on the blue channel. Probably an out-of-gamut RGB color?
I very much like having all the buttons for individual settings. The 995 was a real pain going into the menu and browsing to find the setting. The 8080 is nice -- hit the right button, spin the wheel to the value you want without being required to dig through menus. Those of you who like digging through menus will be relieved to know that you can do everything through the menus that you can do with buttons.
I definitely like it.
Rating:
Summary: Only 5X?
Review: I bought this camera a month ago. so happy with that. This is my first digital camera, so I am not sure I have to authority to compare... Bought this one since all my previous cameras were Olympus and I loved them. However, I am a bit questioning the 5X optical zoom. Since I am new to digicam I am not sure what I am missing here. Can someone please say what is the drawback of having 5X in the C8080 versus the 7X or more in the Nikon Coolpix and Minolta A1/A2? Thanks
Rating:
Summary: Wow. Ok, almost Wow, but best I've owned so far.
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: No, 6 stars
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A Honey of a camera
Review: I've owned nine digital cameras at one time or another, looking for the perfect one. The olympus E-20 came close except for the weight and that monsterious lens that scaried the hell out of people. Then i found the Fuji S7000, which is a great one and i thought nothing could ever beat it. So i was hesitant to buy the Olympus 8080 but was glad i did. As soon i handled the camera, i knew this was different. I love the camera more each day, it grows on you. It has licked most if not all the past problems associated with digitals. Speed in all departments and well, what you read in the specs is all true. and the price is also great. I was a little worried about the placement of the off and on button, but i got used to it.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Pictures but some poor features.
Review: I've owned several Nikon film cameras over the years and a couple of years ago decided to try digital. My first digital camera was (and I still use and enjoy) a Olympus 2020. It is a true 'point and shoot' and takes fine pictures. The 8080 I've been using for about six weeks. It takes excellent pictures and the 8mp resolution lets you crop and enlarge far beyond what my 2020 could. This is not, however, a 'point and shoot' camera for most pictures. If you enjoy the more technical approach to photography you will enjoy this camera. It's good points have been well covered by other reviewers... read them as I agree with most of them. What I find less than ideal are the 'power zoom'... manual zoom would have been a better choice for battery life (which I have found disappointing) as well as speed of zooming and tight control of zoom. There is no reasonable warning of end of battery life. When the warning sounds you better be nearly finished for the day because you are going to need either an electrical outlet and several hours of charging or a very expensive back-up battery ($80). I like the 2020's four AA rechargables better. The electronic viewfinder is only "decent" not excellent. The brightness is adjustable but that's a pain and under many lighing conditions the electronic viewfinder is too dark and needs adjusting. My 2020 is better in this respect. The lens hood fits poorly... it is so loose it flops around and seems about to fall off. I can't help but wonder how well the two converter lenses fit as I expect they use the same mounting. The menu system is not easy to use in my opinion. It is very "powerful"... you can adjust just about anything you can imagine with the menus. But that takes lots of time and the learning curve is steep. The included printed manual is not a lot of use... the one on the CD is better but not very convient when you are out in the world without your PC. To sum up... this IS and excellent camera and it does take bueatiful pictures. But it doesn't rate the 'fifth star' because of the things mentioned above. I also think a digital SLR such as the Nikon D70 or Canon Rebel should be carefully considered before deciding on the 8080. Try out as many as you can before you invest your grand.
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