Rating: 
Summary: Unbelievable detail and helpful customer service
Review: The Olympus C-4040 digital zoom is my second digital camera. I previously owned an inexpensive Agfa digital, which had only three "focus" choices (up close, portrait, far away) and which had no control over the exposure. Before the Agfa, back in 1972, in high school, I bought my first 35mm camera. It was a Yaschica, and it was great. It was completely manual, with a built-in light meter. So I quickly learned about aperture settings and shutter speeds, film speeds and so forth. In college, I used a Pentax 35mm, and studied photojournalism. I became adept in the darkroom, developing black and white prints. I also learned about darkroom manipulation, opening up a whole new world of creativity. After college, I began to travel, and began making color slides, as I didn't have a darkroom anymore, and the slides offered the best bang for the buck.
About 10 years ago, I bought a Nikon 35mm, which was fully automatic, with a 35-105 Nikkor zoom, motor drive, etc. It takes good pictures, but it is very heavy and cumbersome. After awhile, I realized I just wasn't shooting pictures anymore, because the Nikon was too heavy. It wasn't convenient to take on snowboard trips, or into the Grand Canyon...and I didn't want to lug it around on trips to Europe and Central America. Besides, I like to shoot MANY shots when I shoot, and film processing can be expensive and an inconvenient way to review bracketed shots, for example. Hence, my investigation into the Digital camera world.
The Agfa was great, for the cheap price. It was cool to be able to download images onto the pc, and once again manipulate them in the "darkroom." (Manipulating digital images on the computer is much easier,faster, cheaper and more amazing than anything I could ever do in a real "darkroom.") After a year, the Agfa was not enough. I wanted to be able to adjust the focus more selectively; I wanted to choose aperture or shutter priority; I wanted a nice bright viewfinder; I wanted a light, tiny camera body; and I wanted to be able to make enlargements up to 11 by 14. I got all these things and more with my Olympus C4040 Digital zoom.
The features are amazing. It can shoot in color, black and white, sepia and other options. It is very small and very light (but big enough to be easy to handle). And the picture quality is nothing short of mind boggling. This is not hyperbole...it is the truth.
I was not initially able to download the camera onto the pc. After checking all the materials again, however, I found a toll free number to call, within the first 30 days, to get free help from a live person at the other end. I called and was able to speak with somebody within one minute, the first time I called. I was talked through, step by step, how to load the drivers onto my Windows 98 system, and I was downloading images within minutes. I had already taken and saved about 40 images, mostly portraits of my son. I had shot in b&w and sepia. I enlarged a few of them on the computer to larger than life size. Although my son is only 12 and has very blond hair, we both laughed as we could easily see the blond hairs in his nose, which were as visible as his nose itself, when his image was enlarged to about 150% of its normal size. The clarity, sharpness and depth of the images were amazing. I had a friend in college with a Hasselbladt larger format, and these images were comparable, when enlarged. My 35mm has never made such razor sharp enlargements, with good depth of field. And these were done in the autofocus mode, under poor lighting conditions. The ability to weaken or strengthen the flash power, combined with the ability to instantly review the resulting image, allows hitherto unknown (to me) power and control over the final image. I can bracket by adjusting exposure times, aperture settings, and even flash settings. And I can erase the ones I don't want, freeing up more space on the 128MB optional memory card, which I highly recommend.
Now that the Olympus customer service folks have walked me through the downloading process, it is easy, and the results are just plain fun. I highly recommend this camera to anyone who has had experience adjusting exposure features, to take full advantage of what this sophisticated, yet simple, device has to offer. I am glad I chose this model.
Rating: 
Summary: i love the black and white and sepia features
Review: I bought my first "real" camera in 11th grade: a 35mm Yaschica SLR. I loved it. I shot only Kodachrome, and took thousands of pictures with it. In college, I got a Pentax 35mm SLR, with lots of attachments, strobe flash, professional tripod...the works. The system was great, but it weighed a ton. As a result, I didn't use it very much. Twenty years later, (about 7 years ago) I bought a Nikon 35mm SLR with a Nikkor 35 - 105 zoom. I think it's called the 8000. It takes great pictures but, again, the weight makes it cumbersome. As I result, I usually leave it behind when my son and I go on snowboard trips and the like. Then, about 2 years ago, I bought my first digital camera. It was an Agfa, pretty basic stuff. I was amazed at how easy it was to use, and how light it was. And although it cost only about $..., it took great pictures. After awhile, however, I wanted more features. I was desiring more control over the exposure process, the focusing, and the flash. I missed the opportunity to take "creative" photographs, rather than just snapshots. And I wanted pictures that had high quality, that would hold up at 8 by 10, and maybe 11 by 14.
I bought the Olympus C-4040 based upon the reviews I read at this site. I have had it for 3 days, and I wanted to share some intitial reactions, both good and bad. First the bad:
1. There are too many "instruction" manuals (about 10 different pieces of literature) that make it very confusing when you are trying to figure out how to turn the darn thing on and get going. I would recommend one comprehensive manual, with a good index.
2. There are inadequate directions on how to upload the photos to the computer. I am a college graduate who can figure out most things, but I still have not figured out how to upload onto my Windows 98. I have read the big manual; I have downloaded the Adobe Photoshop driver; and I have downloaded the Camedia Master Guide. Still no luck. Every time I try to upload, I get a message stating: "Improper camera connection," listing some possible problems. I have checked them all, read and re-read the manuals and the CD info...still not able to upload. I guess I am going to have to go to the photo store for help.
3. It DOES eat batteries. I'm glad I bought the AC adaptor and the rechargable NiCad batteries. As others have said, use the AC plug when watching on TV, or trying to upload. It's worth the extra money.
4. The 16MB card is a joke. I'm glad I bought the 128 MB version. It's worth it.
5. It's hard to see the monitor image, outdoors, in sunlight.GOOD THINGS
1. The camera is smaller than I thought it would be. I think it weighs only 11 ounces. It is very compact. This means I will be taking it on those snowboard trips, simply putting it in my jacket pocket.
2. I have hooked up the camera to my 29 inch Sony TV, to review the pictures. They are quite good. I think they are as good as the 35mm Nikon shots, and I suspect they will be better, once I better understand the camera's features. (I am taking most of the shots so far on automatic mode.)
3. Take the camera out of the box, put all the manuals aside, put batteries in, from the bottom, turn it to "P" on the mode dial (where the old "ASA" knob is on 35mm cameras) and start taking pictures. Push the "monitor" button on the back of the camera (right below the clearly marked "OK" button) and you can review your shots. Push it twice quickly, and you can review the last shot you took. After you take a few, use the "arrow" button on the back of the camera (using the left and right directions, rather than the up and down) to look through your shots. Push the "OK" button to start the menu. When it appears, use the "arrow button" to steer over to "mode" at "3 o'clock" and use the "right" directional button to select "camera." Then go up or down until you come to the function you want to adust. When you get to it, go "right" again, then select "ok" when you land on the function or feature you want. If you want to erase a shot, push the "flash" button on the top of the back of the camera, and the menu will show you how to erase.
4. The 1.8 lens is quite cool. It is super bright, and makes it easy to see what you are about to shoot. And since the manual focus is set by entering into the camera the amount of "feet" or "meters" you are from your subject (rather than by simply turning the barrel while looking through the lens, as with an SLR) it's a lot easier, and likely more accurate, to set the menu to "always autofocus" before shooting. The focus has been razor sharp. (I have taken about 60 shots so far.)
5. The directions assume that you already know a lot of the technical jargon. I don't know what "pixel mapping" means, and the info provided doesn't let on. I don't know what CCD stands for, either. But it is neat that there is a CD version that is more complete. I still haven't read it all, as it is about 110 pages, all in English. I am frustrated that I can't upload my images, but I am sure I will find out what I am doing wrong. I am looking forward to familiarizing myself with the items on the menu, so that I can use the camera in as versatile a way as possible. It's cool that it has such high quality optics, and is so light and small, and is apparently capable of many, many variables. I look forward to reviewing again, hopefully in the next two weeks, after I have gotten to know it better.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor Customer Service
Review: The camera is great, however, don't loose your CD! If you happen to misplace your Camedia software CD, as I did, you will have to shell out [more money] plus shipping to get a replacement disk. Olympus won't let you download the software from their site and claim it's expensive to replace:
"Due to the high cost associated with replacing the software, we can provide one free copy only per purchase. Unfortunately, if you have lost the original CD, the only way to obtain the software would be to purchase a replacement CD from the Olympus Emporium."
...Why they don't let their customer download the software is beyond me. The required software only takes up 12.8 MB. At the very least, they could have emailed me the replacement. I would not purchase a digital camera from Olympus again unless the offered online support for their software.
Rating:
Summary: Much Happier Now
Review: This is my third generation of digital camera's. First 1.3 mp, then 2.1 mp, now 4.1 mp. I bought and tested the Nikon 995, Kodak 4800 and finally kept the C-4040. Picture quality is the best by far. Menus are second to the kodak 4800. The camera is much more comfortable and controls are located in the best possible spot. I would buy this camera again, and again.
Rating:
Summary: best of 15 i've owned
Review: i've owned c-2020, c-3030, c-700, and now c-4040. this one is by far the best. professional reviews have missed the two resolution choices for movie mode, and using zoom for movie mode, which makes a big difference at soccer games at 3X zoom movies. another surprise is that with the new bright lens, non-flash indoor photos can be superior those with flash. the c-700 zoom at 10x for still and movies is wonderful, but there is no remote control, and images are less than half the bytes. my c-4040 is averaging almost 3,000,000 bytes, the c-700 1,000,000 at best.
Rating:
Summary: Another Step Forward
Review: I admit to buying each of the Olympus cameras in this series, starting with the C2000. And just about the time I discover what features I really want, Olympus brings out a new model with just those features. Fortunately, I have a hand-me-down system that puts the previous models into good hands. And the models in this series do get better and better. This latest model has some significant improvements, not the least being a greatly improved menu system. To start, this is nominally a 4.1MP camera, though I believe the effective pixel count is on the order of 3.87. No matter, it's now at the point where you can make truly superb 8x10 prints with todays's best inkjet photo printers or Oly's own dye sub printer, which is probably the best you can do at home. And as if that were not enough, Olympus supplies this camera with an interpolated mode that creates a gaint 7,680,000 pixel file. I haven't had time to try that yet, since I am wary of these interpolated modes. The extra pixels are welcome, as is the very fast F1.8 lens. This is probably the same lens that was introduced on the C3040, one of the few cameras in this series I didn't get. Glad to have waited until there was a bit more on offer than just a fast lens. The extra speed lets you shoot more often at 100 ISO, and also give you more selective focus when you need it. It's a worthy improvement. Perhaps the most welcome improvement is the new menu system, which lets you use configurable top-level short cuts to get to the most used settings. I used to fumble when I wanted to change from one picture size or quality to another. Fumble again when I wanted to tone down the flash power. Now I can put these settings at the top level, where I can find and set them easily. You can also change the function of a new button marked AEL, which comes preset to lock an exposure when you want to expose for something that would ordinarily be overwhelmed by other contrasting elements. Since this function is so useful, I decided not to change its setting, but you could configure it to do something you do more often. For next time? I still want the top LCD to be dimly backlit -- which it isn't. I also want the attached lens cap not to cause the camera to hemorrhage internally -- which it does. I still want the camera to come with NiMh batteries and charger -- which it doesn't (any more). And I still wish they would supply either no memory card or one of a decent size -- which they don't. A manual that actually explain the advanced functions also wouldn't hurt. What is pixel mapping? Don't ask the manual, I still don't know. All in all, I believe this is the best compact digital camera you can get. It has plenty of pixel power, lots of manual and semi-manual settings, a great new lens and a quick and intuitive menu system. Unless you need an SLR, with its bulk, complexity and weight, this is the camera to get for best quality results.
Rating:
Summary: Best Quality Prints
Review: My first digital camera was the Olympus D340R, a 1.3M pixel "entry" level camera I purchased in 1999. It was (and still is) fantastic, and has me hooked on Olympus since. I wanted to upgrade because I wanted two things the 4040 offers: 1) be able to print super-large prints (like the 16" x 20" and the 20" x 30" size prints offered by Ofoto) 2) be able to print reasonable size enlargements by digitally zooming into a digital photo. Well, I just got my first 16" x 20" size photo back from Ofoto and it's gorgeous! On top of that, you can crop and retouch (using Photoshop) to your desire, so you can get everything just right. I had planned on buying the 3040, but when I saw this camera, I couldn't resist. I'm not sure if the extra savings can be justified by others, but in my case, it gives me the resolution confidence to do the large size prints that I want. Also, the extra resolution is perfect for cropping to a small portion of the orginal photo for printing, within losing needed resolution for a quality print. Some other neat applications with the camera's features: - bright lens is great for indoor picture without flash. do this if possible as underexposed images can be resuscitated with Photoshop, but not too much can be done with overexposed photos - use the manual focus to pre-focus before asking a passerby to help you take a photo of you and your spouse. This way, the inexperienced photo-taker would not out-of-focus photos by framing the picture so that the center of the photo is the infinity that is in between you and your spouse.
Rating:
Summary: C4040 very impressive
Review: I bought the C4040 a few months back and love the camera. The bright lens allows great low light shots. With the noise reduction, the low light photos are great. The menu is somewhat complex or layered and there are not too many short cuts like some of the Canons have. The images are very easy to down load, infact it's acts as a removable drive, so you can just drag images. The C5050 corrected this, but the price is much higher. The Negative is also the printed manual is basically useless. You have to put in the CD for the full manual. The camera is not a compact, so I ended to getting a S200 Elph for places where I wanted a super-compact. The lens cap design is very poor. Infact I added a tiffen filter tube to protect the lens when it powers on.
Rating:
Summary: Olympus C-4040 Zoom
Review: Olympus has a winner on their hands (or in my hands). This camera takes crystal clear pictures in auto mode. Perfect for the intermediate digital photographer. Everything can be adjusted (with menus) and shots can be taken as close as 3 inches. For me, this was a great second camera on my journey to Digital SLR Heaven.
Rating:
Summary: Great photos
Review: I bought this camera about a year ago, after reading the good reviews here at Amazon.com. I was nervous buying it sight-unseen, but I have not been disappointed. This camera is awesome. I have used a Minolta SLR (with a heavy bag full of lenses and accessories) for 20 years, but I was taking better, sharper photos with this camera within weeks. The other reviews tell you much about this camera, so I won't repeat all that. I mainly want to add my additional "thumbs up" to the list of reviews. This camera has a lot of features that deserve to be learned. So plan to spend some time with it to get the most out of it. A lot of the detailed documentation only comes on the CD ROM included with the camera, by the way. The camera takes superb photos in automatic mode, but knowing all of its features makes it even more capable, and more fun to use. This is not the camera for someone who only wants to point and click. But if you're considering spending this much, you probably already know that. I have never taken so many beautiful photos before this camera. I print the best on 8 x 10 glossy paper and they are extremely sharp and colorful.
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