Olympus D560 3 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Rating:
Summary: wow! what a bargain.
Review: i bought this camera to replace (at least temporarily) my nikon 990, which i thought an excellent camera. my big problem with the nikon, besides it having very weird behavior (it now turns on and off at around .5hz) was the shutter lag. this camera which cost about .3 of the nikon (which, granted was right when it came out) has very little lag compared to the nikon and has almost the same resolution. i miss the full tiff image of the nikon, though. however, for regular family type photos, i never used the tiff (uncompressed) option. i am very impressed with the picture quality and the size. the zoom toggle is a little stiff, i think. as far as the battery life...i think that most of the people are doing something very strange. i filled the card which came with the camera, looked at all the images, deleted about 8 or 9 and took those again. i looked at those and then downloaded them, cleared the card, and took 6 more images (looking at each after i shot them) and then, the batteries, which came with it were considered expired. (i read online somewhere that someone actually measured the current draw and found that the camera really only used .667 of the batteries electrical energy. so, i think i'll use them for something else like my toothbrush.) anyway, the camera's a bargain and works wonderfully. i fully recommend it to anyone who wants a family camera.

Rating:
Summary: great camera, great buy!
Review: I have had a digital camera for several years now. I bought one of those Sony Mavica and though it's an excellent camera it's heavy and somewhat unhandy with constantly changing disks. When I got into ghost hunting it proved to be even more unhandy and bulky so I started looking for a light weight easy to use camera. After looking at several types and makers I decided on this camera though with further reading after I purchased it I was disappointed with the write up regarding the battery situation. I'm still using the basic AA batteries but plan to look into the recommended batteries in the near future. Though being able to use standard batteries was one of the reasons I had purchased it only to find out otherwise. I found having the viewfinder a plus especially with bifocals and I only use the LCD screen when viewing. The zoom feature on play back is also a plus when viewing photos closer. It's light weight and so easy to grab and shoot I'm finding I'm taking more photos than I ever did. Another plus was the ease in downloading onto the computer using the USB cable and the program which was provided with the camera. It has the capability of printing a thumbnail sheet with the basic size thumbnail photos to one larger photo. I'm still experimenting with the many features and each time I use it I'm amazed with what it is capable of. Other than the battery issue this is an exceptional camera and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: Great Camera
Review: I have had a digital camera for several years now. I bought one of those Sony Mavica and though it's an excellent camera it's heavy and somewhat unhandy with constantly changing disks. When I got into ghost hunting it proved to be even more unhandy and bulky so I started looking for a light weight easy to use camera. After looking at several types and makers I decided on this camera though with further reading after I purchased it I was disappointed with the write up regarding the battery situation. I'm still using the basic AA batteries but plan to look into the recommended batteries in the near future. Though being able to use standard batteries was one of the reasons I had purchased it only to find out otherwise. I found having the viewfinder a plus especially with bifocals and I only use the LCD screen when viewing. The zoom feature on play back is also a plus when viewing photos closer. It's light weight and so easy to grab and shoot I'm finding I'm taking more photos than I ever did. Another plus was the ease in downloading onto the computer using the USB cable and the program which was provided with the camera. It has the capability of printing a thumbnail sheet with the basic size thumbnail photos to one larger photo. I'm still experimenting with the many features and each time I use it I'm amazed with what it is capable of. Other than the battery issue this is an exceptional camera and I highly recommend it.

Rating:
Summary: 1st time user
Review: I just bought this Olympus D-560 camera.It is great!Being from the old school of 35 MM cameras I was hesitant at first but this camera is so easy to set up and use.All you have to do is read the directions!I bought it to basically keep in the glove box of my car.I intend to purchase another Olympus soon,Possibly the C-750.I reccommend getting an ac adapter and a 256 MB card.

Rating:
Summary: Love my camera
Review: I purchased the Olympus D-560 and have really had fun with it. For a first-time digital camera buyer, it has been pretty easy to use. Many have griped about the battery life, but I never have a problem unless I use the viewscreen a lot or if I'm downloading pics to the computer. You can resolve this problem easily by purchasing a memory card reader for twenty bucks. It is a little bulky, but it has performed solidly.

Rating:
Summary: relatively quick, relatively easy, relatively painless...
Review: I really enjoy having this camera. As a music student, I'm busy, I don't have time to fuss with a camera, and this one has continued to hold up to my mild abuse. It's sturdy, compact, durable, and lives in my backpack all the time, unharmed.

For a point-and-shoot camera, it produces many high-quality pictures (all of the example photos are ones I took), and the camera is really easy to learn to use. I have been really pleased with it, and from what I've seen, this camera stands up to entry level professional SLR's. I purchased a 128 card, and can get ~190 top resolution pictures out of it. The camera easily adjusts to the situation, regardless of light levels or lighting fixtures, especially if the flash is turned off. One drawback in my mind is that the camera is always on auto flash, and as I use the camera at night, I don't like to have to turn the flash off every time I turn the camera on.

About the batteries: I generally use alkaline. I generally use the viewfinder and not the lcd screen, as one can always check the picture right after it's taken (each picture displays on the screen regardless...). It's also very easy to access the view-only mode, which can be on for extended periods of time even when the camera itself doesn't have enough juice. In continuous use, a set of alkaline batteries generally last 2-2.5 hours. Also...if it dies, you can turn the camera off, wait about 30 seconds, and it'll be fine for another 5-10 pictures. (This method can be repeated about 40 times before it really dies.)

The movie mode is nice, quick, and doesn't take up too much space. Depending on battery life, you can record up to 30 secs, but my camera generally averages about 15. Also, the digital zoom function is nice, but I've found that it takes time to get to, and I don't really use it anyway.

When I first got the camera, I dropped it and had to send it in to be fixed. The service was very prompt, free, and the Olympus people have been VERY helpful and easy to work with. The software that comes with the camera "Camedia Master" is easy to install and very easy to use. It has all of the editing tools that the average person needs ("instant fix", crop, contrast, colour balance, brightness, lightness, saturation levels, resizing tools, a couple fun effects, etc.), and a very thorough help section.

Overall, I have been very impressed with this little camera, and it suits my purposes exactly. The only major drawback is that it makes me dream of $1,500 SLR's.

Rating:
Summary: great camera for beginner+
Review: I was a little weary to get this camera because of what people said about nature scenes being murky on Olympus cameras and because I wanted to totally discontinue photo stores & print all my own photos. Well, this camera fits the bill! I've had it for over a month now & LOVE it! The photos turn out great with excellent detail and very true to life textures & colors! I print with a HP 6110 multifunction printer & the photos turn out excellent! LOVE IT!

Rating:
Summary: Awesome Camera - Awful Batteries!
Review: I was ecstatic when I purchased this camera a couple of months ago. But was quickly dissapointed when my battery went dead before I took 8 pictures?!!! I waited to install the software because I was unsure if I wanted to keep a camera that would eat batteries everytime I wanted to use it. But I finally did, and what GREAT QUALITY PICTURES! Now the tricky part is to find a battery / chargable system thats compatible and actually works. So when I go on vacation to Disneyland with my kids, I am not worried about the life of my batteries.Instead I can have the time of my life and get great photos!

Rating:
Summary: Great for what it is
Review: I was in the market for a point and shoot camera I could put in my pocket. My requirements were compact, 3.2MP, easy to use, and of course, take great pictures. This camera hits on all of these. I already have a C-3020 from Olympus that is great for more serious work, but was just too bulky for things like taking party pictures, tailgates, and the like. Now I have 2 very good cameras for all occasions.

Rating:
Summary: Are we talking about the same camera?
Review: I've been reading some appalling reviews for the D-560, and I can't sit by without asking if we're talking about the same camera? I've had one for two months, and it's the most incredible photo taking device I've ever seen....
If people would take the time to actually read the book instead of putting a pair of alkaline cells into it, pointing it at something, stabbing the shutter button then complaining about the result, they might take decent pictures with it.
This camera is designed for NiMH or CR-V3 batteries (but which are not supplied with it), the book says so. It has auto-focus which takes a moment to lock onto the subject or it will produce blurred pictures. The book explains this. If you move the camera while taking a low-light photo, it will be blurred, as with every camera. Geez!
Very few of the photos I've taken with the D-560 have disappointed me. Many have amazed me and others with their sharpness and rich colour.
I love this camera so much that I've given it a web page to show off what it can do. I'm not allowed to give the URL, but a Google search for 'Olympus C-350/D-560 photo gallery' should find it. ;-)