Rating: 
Summary: Almost perfect
Review: I upgraded from another Olympus, and found this one to be great fun in taking pictures, accepted an up-grade Smart Media card, and does what I expected.....except for one thing.The USB connection between the software and the camera didn't! On three different computers running current editions of Windows 98, the computer couldn't find the camera. A card-reader solved the problem, and, on balance, offers improved speed. I was just surprised that the included software didn't read the camera. Otherwise? superb
Rating:
Summary: Good Camera
Review: 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?
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Product
Review: I bought this two weeks back and have tested this in varity of different situations - the results are just amazing. Time to kiss the big bulky SLRs - GOODBYE!
Rating:
Summary: THE BEST!
Review: I've been using digitals since they were invented, mostly Kodak because they had the most accurate color and all those things that make good pictures, a friend showed me their C3030 I was impressed and I read a review on the improvements made in C3040, the review didn't say enough good things about the camera, this is an incredible camera, it can be used by an amature to make incredible photos and has all the features the pros could ever use. ....I'll be using this camera till it wears out, it can't get better than this. It takes better pictures than my Minolta 7000 xi 35mm camera! Hope this helps you make a decision!
Rating: 
Summary: A little bit disappointed
Review: Things I don't like: The sensor range is still quite short, making dark regions noisy and of poor quality. Lens cover! Why don't they attach a string? Be careful not to lose it along your trip. No automatically picture orientation (portrait/landscape) adjustment. You have to do it yourself later on the computer, one by one. No built-in speaker. Can't hear any audio playback. Picture taking speed slow. Noticeable second delay. And don't forget to set "ALL RESET" menu choice to off. Otherwise, the camera will reset all your changes, such as changing the picture resolution, whenever you turn it off.
Rating:
Summary: NOT FOR BEGINNERS
Review: I am definetly not in the expert catagory, for photography and probably shouldn't have move up to this camera, from the easier to use, kodaks so soon,especially three days before my family reuion. I can comprehend pretty well, so by the time I studied the manual, and figured out what I needed, to get good quality shots, the family reunion was over. My first lesson was to go out and purchase the inexpensive, card transfer device. After I downloaded my pictures I discovered that they were to dark, and software adjustments made them look poor. I figured that I might need and external flash attachment, to avoid fumbling through the controls,at busy times, and that an additional zoom lens wouldn't hurt. My zoom pictures really suffered for light even though I used the enternal flash. I can use some additional tutoring. I Welcome!
Rating:
Summary: Top-notch pictures but some key accessories not provided
Review: 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!
Rating:
Summary: A digital camera that finally beats film
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: VIking 128Mb card works
Review: If I could edit my previous reviews, I would delete the concern about the 128Mb smart media card. For now I will just say that the Viking card works like a charm. There's just something wrong with the card that I bought, with respect to Olympus camera. Since I can't even determine the brand of the card I bought, I can't warn anyone away from it.
Rating:
Summary: A digital to satisfy 35mm snobs
Review: 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.
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