Rating: Summary: Default Settings, Etc. Review: This is a very nice camera. I agree with Jim DuLaney on the shutter delay of digital cameras. I am use to the release on my Canon F-1 and A-1. However, you can shoot again while the camera is still recording the image to the SmartMedia Card.PLEASE NOTE: "Slopedirk" (see his review) must not have used the owner's manual. You most certainly can set your own default settings, such as your preferred resolution; whether you want flash or no flash; shutter priority or aperture priority, and the preferred setting; etc. The menu selections are fairly simple once you play with the camera awhile. As for the problem of taking the lens cap off before turning on the power - buy the extender tube (an Olympus accessory). This tube is needed if you attach accessory lenses. I find it very useful because it allows me to use a filter (Haze, UV, Skylight, etc.). I leave it on at all times! A good companion book for any digital camera: Digital Photography For Dummies®, by Julie Adair(find it at [amazon])... This is an excellent resource and also explains imaging software (Photoshop, etc.) and printing. (Don't let the title steer you away. I don't usually like Dummy books; but a professional photographer even uses this book and highly recommends it!)
Rating: Summary: Best Digital Camera Review: If you got the money, buy this camera. There are only someminors things you should be aware off: 1. As pointed out below, thelens cap does seem to have a precarious life without a strap, but youcan get one... at any camera store. 2. The 16MB smartcard that comeswith it, will only last you for 20 high resolution pictures, so Idefinitely recommend you invest in a 64MB card as soon as you purchasethe camera . 3. The viewfinder displays about 20% less of the pictureof what you will actually take, depending on the zoom value, which canbe annoying when you want to make good framing. But I think this isendemic in non SLR cameras. 4. My camera for some reason refused toturn on after a week of using it. I sent it to Olympus (East Coast)for repair and they took forever to repair it... 5.What"Slopedirk" wrote below is not true. You can set the defaultresolution but its buried somewhere in the onscreen menus.
Rating: Summary: Very good, some annoyances Review: I won't repeat the positives listed in other reviews, but the main gripe of this camera for me is the need to have to access the menu to change resolutions, as it will "default" to a pretty high res setting, when most of my shots I really only need the lowest. A knob would be a much better way to handle this and some other settings. I also personally am a retro guy and would lose the motorized stuff, a nice lever would suffice and save the batteries. Same thing for flash, it goes off unless you turn it off via a menu, and that can ruin a natual light picture if you forget. Too much automatic stuff for me to really feel "as one" with this thing, but it does take outstanding pictures. The pictures are very good with this camera. Software good, and with a big memory chip it holds tons of pictures. Have not tried the movie feature, but a small speaker or headphone jack would be nice if you did this more than occassionally. Also the need to take off the lens cap to avoid motor/gear damage upon powerup is a annoyance that might be costly to the operator. S
Rating: Summary: Worth every penny Review: I've previously owned two digital cameras that I was not quite satisfied with; this one is IT!! It's simple to use in 'default' mode, but with the shutter and aperture priority, the auto-bracketing, sequence mode, movies, sound, panorama function, etc., it's a photographer dream. If I had one single complaint it would be the lack of a retaining strap on the lens cap. Big deal. If you had 6 stars, I'd freely give it that instead of the paltry 5 I'm limited to.
Rating: Summary: Outstanding Camera. Awesome features Review: I'll try not to repeat the rave reviews that others have given the Olympus C3030 but I thought I would counter a couple comments I saw about a supposedly flawed view finder, battery compartment flap, and the battery for the remote control. One person commented that it took him 15 minutes to figure out the camera battery flap which he ended up breaking. Without reading the manual it took me no time at all to install 4 AA batteries and I had the camera up and running immediately without a hitch - or breaking anything. There was nothing wrong with my remote control or the battery, and camera view finder works as it should. The one very minor flaw is that if you power up the camera with the lens cap over the lens, the zoom lens tries to push outward causing the a grinding sound. Its happend to me a couple times but didn't cause any damage and I'm more careful now to take the lens cap off before powering up the camera. This camera is awesome! Others have written about its many featues and superb picture quality. I especially like the bonus of being able to make QuickTime videos.
Rating: Summary: I'm a convert to digital and Olympus Review: This camera has incredible versatility. It allows for many pixel compressions of jpeg files, all of which are fine quality. In the 1st 3 weeks, I have taken over 1,000 photos of nature, travel, people, and objects. It uses smartcards which are smaller than a matchbook cover and the 32 meg smartcard allows 330 photos on the SQ2 down to 40 on the HQ compression. I print on a Hewlett-Packard Office Jet 60R and the quality is very close to 35mm enlargements from a color lab. I recommend using the rechargeable batteries since they last many hours then take a quick recharge. I intend to use this camera to photograph mushrooms in our forests this August and have total confidence in it. The macro button allows the lens to be within inches of the subject, and with both manual and digital zoom enabled, the subject fills the view. The lens is fast enough to use in dim light, but the flash is there when you need it. The accompanying software is easy to install, easy to use. Caveats: it is very complex and the accompanying manual is essential. I refer to the manual daily. Also, I find it hard to get accustomed to the shutter delay of a digital cameras after using a Canon A-1 SLR for all these years. I should mention that the 1 1/2 inch LCD monitor cannot be seen when in direct sunlight, although is perfectly visible when in shadows. The biggest flaw is the lens cap which MUST be removed before power is turned on, and CANNOT be in place while power is on, a very odd flaw, Olympus.
Rating: Summary: Beware of battery cover -- too much plastic Review: While this camera may indeed produce good pictures, I was disappointed from the moment I tried to start it up. It took me 15 minutes (and I know my way around cameras) to put the lithium batteries in without breaking the very difficult to use, very plastic, very breakable battery cover with a plastic hinge! I did not break it on the first day but I was certain that it would break at very short point in the future and that I would be stuck with a high end, expensive camera that would have to repaired (4-6 week wait usually). Not worth it. Plus I was certain that a better camera would be developed in very short order at a cheaper price.
Rating: Summary: I will give 5 stars if it is not that.... Review: I got one with two obvious defects. I won't say what they are. But please check your camera carefully right now. Especially the viewfinder and the battery cap of the remote control to make sure they are clean and openable.
Rating: Summary: Awesome Camera Review: I have wanted a digital camera for a year and finally bought this one. I have never used one before... I simply opened the box put in the batteries and started taking pictures! Very impressive. It's so light weight you would think its a toy. The only complaint I have is the lense cap HAS TO BE OFF before you turn it on! I constantly turn it on without removing the cap, it makes this horrible crunching gear grinding noise. It takes true Olympus quality pictures! Very easy to upload without any extra purchase. It dose need rechargeable batteries NiMh kind 2 sets. I love it!
Rating: Summary: A Digital Camera Worth Owning Review: I've had this camera for almost a month now, and I continue to be impressed by its capabilities. The high resolution, multi-shot cache, 64 MB cards with panoramic option (Olympus smart media cards only) make this a worthy companion to the old 35MM SLR camera. If you're looking for a quality product with all the control of a 35MM SLR, this is your camera.
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