Rating: 
Summary: Great Camera!
Review: I have been using digital cameras since 1998 and had a chance to work with about a dozen different cams. 5060 is one of the best. When I was making a choice on what camera to get, 5060 wasn't on my list at all -- I did not want to get a camera with non-AA batteries. However, after I saw that my AA choices are limited I decided to extend my searching range. I liked everything in 5060, except the batteries, and it was superior in quality and value to the cameras in my selection (4-5mpx canon, nikon, sony, casio). I ended up with 5060 and I can say that I'm happy about my choice. There's even a positive side about the battery -- it is only one (in comparison to 4 AAs) and it's very to change it. I bought two more batteries on ebay for $20 (non-olympus). You can read about all the features in many other reviews. I want to point out the LCD screen -- I like it much better than those on Canon's (that open up to the side). Design of Olympus LCD is much better and proved to be extremely useful in many cases. With swivel screen I can take photos at the angles I could not even imagine before. Camera takes CF memory cards (cheaper and more popular then other formats) also it has 2nd slot of xd memory card. It's sort of a waste, as I would never buy xd card, but since 32mb is included with the cam, you get emergency 32mb storage. Ability to attach filter directly onto the lens adds a lot of convenience -- no need to get adapter tubes, and camera keeps the same size. Battery life is very good but if you are going on a trip get two more batteries. Proprietary batteries can be a real pain if you run out of them, so make sure to have spares. Also, charger that comes with the cam is somewhat weak -- takes about 5 hours to charge a battery. See if you can find used BCM1 charger (charges battery in 1 hour). 5060 does offer some inconveniences but nevertheless it is a very good camera. It produces great photos, offers 4x zoom, very convenient swivel screen and many more extras. I can't say that this camera is perfect but in comparison to others it is superior.
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Update
I've been having problems with this camera: the option to move AF target simply disappeared. Called Olympus, they suggested to reset the cam and it helped. I read that some people have software-related problems with the camera. I'd suggest to try and reset it and see if it helps.
Rating: 
Summary: Good camera - but expect problems
Review: I have bought this camera in April and took it to a vacation abroad. The mode dial failed in the middle of the vacation which was very disappointing. After nervously rushing to the nearest internet PC I found that fiddling with the dial can help and it temporarily came back to life. It ultimately failed when I was back from the vacation.
Be sure you can have the camera serviced in your area, because I have to send it abroad for repairs.
Rating:
Summary: What no super bright lense ?
Review: I have to agree with other comments about the darker lense on the new 5060. I have a couple of year old Olympus C2040, the second edition of Consumer Reports number one rated camera. It the first report, it took top honors over even the 5 megapixel cameras in printed picture results. The following year with the 2040 it was comparable to the 5s. It cost about the same as the 5050 and 5060's are now. But wow what a camera. Most of it is due in part to the super bright 1.8 lense. I think Olympus decided that people, when they are shopping for a camera, look at the obvious numbers. For example 4x sounds better than 3x in the zoom. The problem with larger zooms is that they require smaller apertures. Smaller aperture means a smaller hole the camera looks through, which equals less light, which equals, more flash, which means more bleached out, unnatural light, more battery being eaten up, and just simple less ability in varying conditions to get faster shutter speeds, which equals needing a tripod, or a fuzzy shot.
When I bought my camera with the 1.8, the camera shop manager had one also as his personal camera. He showed me two of the same shot of a guitar sitting on a bed of leaves. One he took with the Olympus, the other with a Nikon, at twice the money. Both shots were very well defined on the subject, but the Olympus bright lense brought out the background a lot better. The definition was way better.
Consumer reports rated the Olympus C5050 as their number two pick, and the Nikon came in first at a lot more money. I don't agree that the Nikon is better with 100 shots per battery charge instead of 400 with the Olympus, and a darker lense on the Nikon. I guess that is something for another review.
Anyhow, I think the C-5060 has some nice features, but the bottom line is that we are taking a box, and opening and closing a lense, and recording what it sees. Ever try getting a clear view through a pin hole. You get the idea. I would pick up the 5050 if it were in the market, they are discounting them to make room for the 5060. Myself, I can't imagine getting better results than I am already getting with the 2040. I print out an 8 1/2" x 11" on glossy photo paper, and it looks indistinguishable from a 35mm photograph.
It is ashame that we have to pick out, one of these, it would be nice if we could have one of them all. After all, the 5060 does have some nice features.
Rating: 
Summary: Too bad, no Manual
Review: I purchased the C-5060 last week. So far the camera takes good pictures and has most of the advanced features I need. Before I purchased the camera, I read numerous reviews that stated that the full instruction manual wasn't included with the camera, but was included as a PDF file on the CD. The camera does ship with a "Quick Start" sheet and a tiny (impossible to read) mini pamphlet that is almost useless. I thought I could get by with out the printed manual. Boy was I wrong! In order to fully use the C-5060, the printed manual is a MUST. I tried printing the manual from the PDF file included on the CD, but page 67 not only crashed my workstation, but also crashed my business server. After re-starting my system, I tried again to print the manual, but again page 67 crashed my system. Once again, after restarting my computer, Pages 68-149 printed ok, but after printing almost 150 of the 289 pages I called it quits. I called Olympus tech support and was told to download the PDF file from the Olympus web site, and try again. I asked that a manual be sent to me, but was told that I'd have to pay $10.00. Olympus will not budge on that policy. Shame on Olympus, keep in mind that the instruction manual is 289 pages, and much of the information contained in the manual is important to get the most out of the advanced features the camera offers. My advice: Buy another brand of camera that includes a full instruction manual. Even though the C-5060 is probably a good camera, because of the hassles of not having the manual, I can not recommend this model, or for that matter this brand.
Rating:
Summary: Olympus C-5060 is a terriffic camera!
Review: I think Olympus has missed the boat here. This camera in no way improves on the 5050. After falling with the camera in my hand and breaking it I decided to 'upgrade' to the 5060 and so far have been disappointed with the results in "low light" ie any indoor shots, and the macro feature isn't as sharp.
I wish I'd saved the money and had my old camera repaired.
Rating:
Summary: Lens, Features, Quality Pictures . . . Hard to Beat
Review: I was an early adopter of digital photography and thus had an older, 2MP Kodak camera. I decided it was time for an upgrade and after an extensive search, I settled on the Olympus C-5060. I couldn't be happier. This camera is loaded with features for the advanced photographer, but also is simple for my wife to use as a point and shoot camera. I find the wide angle lens much more useful than a long zoom lens, since most of my photos are either indoor shots or scenic outdoor shots. The wide lens captures so much more of the action. And the camera is fast. I have it set on the highest quality JPEG mode and it snaps away pictures very briskly. The quality of the shots is breathtaking. My only complaint is that like all cameras, in auto mode, you have to be careful when taking highly contrasting shots because the auto exposure will sometimes be fooled. That being said, you simply have to change the exposure mode to focus on the subject (rather than the whole scene) and your exposure will turn out fine.Overall, an excellent camera and a fine value.
Rating:
Summary: Compact camera with great features
Review: I've enjoyed using this camera. Controls, while complex, are not difficult to figure out. Performance (in outdoor field-trip conditions in the southern U.S.) is stellar. Battery life is phenomenal, even on an all-day shoot. Weight and size are comfortable for both large and small hands, and it seems sturdier than most cameras in this category. In this part of the world, the fact that it is rated to operate in 90% humidity and 104 degrees Fahrenheit is definitely in its favor. I appreciate the utility of multiple memory slots and a nifty button to switch between them as needed. This is about as good as 5 pixels gets nowadays!
Rating:
Summary: 5060 is a great camera!
Review: I've had the 5060 about three weeks and have had great luck taking pictures. Pictures are high quality, good color and good exposure with just auto setting. The menu was not that tough to get used to (bark is worse than the bite), plus, there are special short cut buttons for common features (like flash settings or ISO) where you press one button and the jog wheel gets you right to the feature setting you want. I love the tilt LCD and the solid feel in my hand. I sometimes forget to take the lens cover off, but the cover design lets the cover pop-off with no problem. This is better than the 5050. I think the wide angle improvement (27mm) made the lens ap. drop from 1.8 to 2.8, but I'm not sure. I would have preferred the 1.8, but I love the 27 wide angle with no attachment necessary. All the other cameras I looked at had a 2.8 also (including Nikon 5400, Canon G3 and G5). The 5050's 1.8 lens was the exception. Even with the 5060's 2.8 ap., I have taken great indoor shots. Really! I just printed a beautiful Christmas picture I took in front of the tree. Yes, I used wide angle rather than tele, but aren't most indoor shots at wide angle anyway? I try to zoom with my feet indoors to get the widest angle possible, and the 5060 beats almost every other camera with wide angle (except the 5400), but, the 5400 doesn't have a low light auto focus assist. The 5060's low light auto assist seems to do the job! BTW, the movie feature works great, too! I did not buy the 5060 to take movies, but it is easy to use and the movie quality is excellent, even in dim light. You can take as long a movie as you have room on your card, too. I also love the included remote. The remote is better than the timer, but it has a timer, too. I would buy the 5060 again, but if I had a 5050 I would be happy too. Happy New Year!
Rating:
Summary: Great Camera
Review: I've had the C-5060 for about a month and I love it. The quality of the photos is excellent. I'm very happy with the built in flash which is MUCH more powerful than the one in my Kodak DC4800. I also like the fact that I can control the intensity of the flash. Yes it uses a proprietary battery, but I've taken hundreds of photos with flash on one charge. I will admit that I've purchased two spare batteries just in case..... The menus are not difficult to use, although there are so many features that I've only just scratched the surface on it's capabilities. The User Manual on CD is 289 pages! The camera has lots of "one touch" buttons that allow you to set features without needing to navigate through menus. All told I'm very happy with this camera and don't think I'll be looking to buy a replacement for many years to come.
Rating:
Summary: Great camera for an amateur photographer
Review: I've had this camera since May '04, and I have never had any problem with it. No problems with the menu, with freezen, or any of the ones mentioned in other reviews. I'm not saying those problems don't occure, since I've read the same comments in other sites, but I consider myself lucky for not having to deal with that.
My experience have been great with this camera. It has lots of features, and even thought I take approx. 250 pictures a month, I'm still learning to use some of its features. I've taken night pictures, and, in comparision with the Canon G5 (which I considered when buying mine), the pictures from the C5060 are way better. No purple halos around the lights (like the G5, and when the noise control is ON, it really minimizes the noise in the pictures. Zoom control is a bit slow, but it offers a semi-decent range. I'm still planning to buy the 1.7x zoom magnifier. Obviously, if you want more you should try an SLR. 40.5 filters can be bougth online (B&H), or even found in Ritz Camera. I strongly recommend buying a polarizer, it really helps when taking pictures during the day.
One of the more common complaints about this camera is the use of proprietary batteries. Other than the cost of the batteries, the Olympus battery offers great capacity and allows you to take the camera for a 4-6 day trip without needing to change batteries. I recommend buying a 2nd battery, try an online search for a non-Olympus battery, I found one for $20 (a third of the cost from Olympus), and it offers the same duration as the Olympus.
Overall, after comparing this camera with others that I consider in the same level (Canon G5, among others), I would give this camera a 4.5 out of 5, based on all its features and the lack of problems I've experienced.
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