Rating: 
Summary: From a professional Photographer
Review: I have been using an Olympus C2500L for two months, and it has helped me take numerous photos that I wouldn't have bothered to take otherwise. I like the fact that a digital camera allows editing on the spot, so I don't take any duds home with me.It comes with a 32mb Smart Media card, and I bought a 32 mb Flash Card to have more capacity. I'm getting another Smart Media card for a spare. They seem expensive at first, but ten rolls of slide film cost $ 90, plus another $ 90 in processing, and you can't reuse film. I bought a Flashpath floppy disk adapter, which is faster than the cable to download photos, but kind of buggy with my Macs. I'm not really satisfied with it. It may work better with PCs. I am now thinking about using a USB download device that accepts both Smart Media and Flash Cards. The camera is useful with external flash, with some tweaking and experimenting, but not for professional studio flash systems. The built in flash is mainly good for fill-in. Buy an extra set of the NiMh batteries (it can use alkalines in a pinch, but it quickly drains them) so you'll have a spare ready to use, and you'll also need the AC adapter (which I wish was included in the camera price) to use during downloads and TV viewing of your photos. I have not tried the adapter lenses and dedicated flash yet, so I can't comment on the system. This camera is capable of taking photos more than good enough for web sites, and good enough for newspaper publication. The professional alternatives, which use interchangeable lenses, cost three times as much. This is designed with a closed zoom lens, which is good because no dust gets inside it. I recommend getting a step-up ring and fitting a lens hood for better photos, or a Uv or skylight filter to protect against water and dog slobber, if you prefer. This is a great system if you like tweaking your photos and retouching them in your computer, especially if you don't own a conventional darkroom. The Photoshop Light and Olympus Camedia software that come with the camera give you many choices for editing, retouching, and storing your photos. The Olumpus C2500L has a good optical zoom lens, and it's fun and handy to use. I'm glad I got one. I think it will be as good as we can get for awhile, and I recommend getting a CD burner to store all your new photos.
Rating: 
Summary: Super Cool Beans
Review: I just opened the camera package last night, and within acouple of hours I was experimenting with most of the features of thecamera. When people talk of digital cameras they love to talk numbers, but who cares? It's what you can do with it that matters. I took a picture of a dark hallway with the flourecent bathroom lights on, and it looked like something out of The Shining. It was dark and foggy outside, but with the aperture full open, ISO 400, and the shutter open for 8 seconds I was able to take pictures of the buildings and night lights. The camera is so light I didn't have to use a stand (at 8 seconds you have to be as steady as a sharpshooter, though... be sure to hold our breath). Using the flash, with the spot metering and the aperture closed I was able to take a crisp, detailed picture of our dog in the midst of the night, doing dog things. With the multiple picture thing I took 5 pictures of my friend in a row waving his arms, and the sequence of where his arm is going is clear when viewing the 9 pictures at one time from the LCD. I'm also going to throw out my slow ... scanner, which I was using for sending faxes. I took a picture of a page from Webster's collegiate dictionary, and it was readable from the LCD! Make no mistake, this is not a replacement for an analog camera. The casing and the interface feel like a cheap digital camera. I think, however, that in many ways this is better than an analog camera. You can do the things that are possible with an analog camera (except maybe for star trails), but with greater simplicity. And you get instant feedback. If you are a journalist, claims investigator, or web publisher, and you have some basic knowledge of analog photography (...), this is definitely the camera for you. I recommend you get the ATA adapter so you won't have to mess with stupid cables or limited software. Gotta go take some more pictures....
Rating:
Summary: Super Cool Beans
Review: I just opened the camera package last night, and within acouple of hours I was experimenting with most of the features of thecamera. When people talk of digital cameras they love to talk numbers, but who cares? It's what you can do with it that matters. I took a picture of a dark hallway with the flourecent bathroom lights on, and it looked like something out of The Shining. It was dark and foggy outside, but with the aperture full open, ISO 400, and the shutter open for 8 seconds I was able to take pictures of the buildings and night lights. The camera is so light I didn't have to use a stand (at 8 seconds you have to be as steady as a sharpshooter, though... be sure to hold our breath). Using the flash, with the spot metering and the aperture closed I was able to take a crisp, detailed picture of our dog in the midst of the night, doing dog things. With the multiple picture thing I took 5 pictures of my friend in a row waving his arms, and the sequence of where his arm is going is clear when viewing the 9 pictures at one time from the LCD. I'm also going to throw out my slow ... scanner, which I was using for sending faxes. I took a picture of a page from Webster's collegiate dictionary, and it was readable from the LCD! Make no mistake, this is not a replacement for an analog camera. The casing and the interface feel like a cheap digital camera. I think, however, that in many ways this is better than an analog camera. You can do the things that are possible with an analog camera (except maybe for star trails), but with greater simplicity. And you get instant feedback. If you are a journalist, claims investigator, or web publisher, and you have some basic knowledge of analog photography (...), this is definitely the camera for you. I recommend you get the ATA adapter so you won't have to mess with stupid cables or limited software. Gotta go take some more pictures....
Rating:
Summary: This camera is simply amazing
Review: I love this this camera. The pictures quality is excellent. The ease of use is 5 star. It comes with 32Meg flash, it's good for 50 pictures. Has easy dial for auto, semi-auto and manual modes. I took 50 pictures first day I got it. All 50 were excellent quality, compare to my "old" sony PC1 digital video recorder. Down load to my portable is easy with compact flash, if you don't forget to put 2 batteries included with compact flash. Camera also comes with batteries, and recharger. Overall excellent, 5Star I am very happy with it.
Rating:
Summary: My SLR feels lonely
Review: I purchased my C-2500 before Christmas and haven't any regrets . Using it is much more of a breeze then I have read in the reviews. Now I send family or customers photos that are so nicely done that they always think they are 35mm. I print them out on my HP-1100 printer. What a great pair. I purchased readers, But really never use or hassle with them . I think both the camera & printer, together are what really increases the enjoyment. I also have both lenses and the flash attachment. Lenses are worth it, but haven't mastered the flash settings yet.The investment was hard but has paid me back already.
Rating:
Summary: Probably the best digital for advanced amateurs
Review: If you are an advanced amateur photographer who wants a digital camera, you should take a serious look at the Olympus C-2500L. It has one of the few true through-the-lens viewfinders available on the market today, and it takes pictures with excellent color and resolution. If you add the dedicated FL-40 flash, and the add-on telephoto or wide-angle lenses, you have a true digital photography system, capable of handling almost any situation. Advantages: TTL SLR, excellent quality lens, very high resolution, excellent color, remote control, long battery life (NiMH), automatic or manual operation, TTL metering, spot metering and flash metering. Disadvantages: Limited number of aperature settings, no continuous manual focus. Overall: the best digital camera that I have seen for less than the [higher priced] professional models.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, A digital 35 SLR
Review: If you like using a 35mm SLR, the Olympus C-2500 is so close, it's difficult to tell the difference. The view finder, like a SLR, is through the lens, allowing you to compose your photos as they acutally appear. With the ability to chose aperture or shutter preferred selections, you can obtain the same effects as a SLR. The download time is so fast, you can take photos in rapid succession. The menu is somewhat cumbersome until you learn how to use the toggle button and understand all the features but with all this camera can do, it is worth learning. The camera comes complete with rechargeable battiers and a charger. The resolution is fantastic and the software included not only allows you to clean up your photos, but seam them together to get a full 360 panorama effect. I am very pleased with this product.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, A digital 35 SLR
Review: If you like using a 35mm SLR, the Olympus C-2500 is so close, it's difficult to tell the difference. The view finder, like a SLR, is through the lens, allowing you to compose your photos as they acutally appear. With the ability to chose aperture or shutter preferred selections, you can obtain the same effects as a SLR. The download time is so fast, you can take photos in rapid succession. The menu is somewhat cumbersome until you learn how to use the toggle button and understand all the features but with all this camera can do, it is worth learning. The camera comes complete with rechargeable battiers and a charger. The resolution is fantastic and the software included not only allows you to clean up your photos, but seam them together to get a full 360 panorama effect. I am very pleased with this product.
Rating:
Summary: This camera is simply amazing
Review: If your into computers and you'd like to integrate your photography into your computer world this is definitely the camera for you. If you already know how to use a 35mm SLR you'll find learning how to use most of this camera fairly easy. It has an auto mode that makes it possible for anybody to use and it has some manual modes that I've not yet totally conquered. It has enough pixels to blow your mind most of the time. You can't buy a monitor big enough to view the shots in SHQ mode all at one time with your browser. You can change pixel density on the fly. You change the effective film speed in steps of 100, 200 and 400 ASA. You can vary your exposure plus or minus 2 fstops in 1/3 fstop increments. You can focus down to 0.8 inches and set it at infinity. You can get 150 or 200 shots out of a set of batteries. You can put on a slide show into a standard TV set right from your camera. You can take great remote control shots without even touching the camera or a cable. You can view your pictures on sight and zoom in to see quite good detail right on the camera. The controls are easy to use and and very ergonomically designed. You can delete pictures. You can transfer pictures from a smart media card to a compact flash card for extra storage. You can run off of AC power (I never do). The built flash works okay but the red eye feature sucks. You can use averaging or spot meter mode for exposure calculation. It's really nice to have a laptop computer with a PCMCIA card in it. When you fill up a smart media card you can stick it into the PCMCIA card and the computer see's it as an extra drive on your machine with all of your JPEG files readily accessible. I normally put my laptop on my network and drag and drop all of the files on to a CD Burner in Adaptec mode. I've used the serial port adaptor but it's very slow and anybody who spent this much money for the camera probably wont tolerate such bad performance for long. Don't spend all of your money buying this camera. Buy 3 sets of batteries. (3 hour charge time) and the PCMCIA card adapter (much faster and hot plugable). Get a CD Burner for your computer. I have a friend that has an HP for his laptop...He doesn't like. I have an HP and a Sony for two of my desktops and I like them both. I've had the camera for about 3 months now and I've taken about 2000 shots with it. I'm on my second CD. One day at work I spent the whole day taking pictures of old photographs on the wall to send to a guy at a trade show. The CAMEDIA software is simple but very useful. It's good at renaming your shots in batch mode and it has a good browser mode for previewing new shots. The Adobe Photo deluxe is tolerable but slow. I've purchased Print Shot Pro and I like it a lot more. It's also good to have Image Robot and Smart Media Center as well (all from Jasc software). Smart Media Center has a feature that creates a HTML environment that allows you to create photo albums viewable totally by your browser. It's great for sending photo CD's to your friends and family. If you want to see some photos I've made go to http://www.studioavenue.com and search on for the album named "Singing Youth of Denver at Dahlia Street". A lot of people have asked me the price of the camera and I've told them. However, the real price involves a lot more. You need to have some computer power available to you. You need to not be afraid of the technology. Installing a PCMCIA card is easy for me but my father would not have done it. This camera will force most people who purchase it to learn some new things and if they do so willingly then they will enjoy the experience. If you must see your pictures on paper (I don't) then be prepared for some additional cost. Your average printer will not do that great of a job. I've been waiting for a digital camera of this performance for a couple of years and it's been worth the wait. I suspect that in five years everyone will have a camera like this. This is the perfect camera for a CEO. You can take useable pictures of anything and view them anyware with your laptop.
Rating:
Summary: Seeing Is Believing
Review: If your into computers and you'd like to integrate your photography into your computer world this is definitely the camera for you. If you already know how to use a 35mm SLR you'll find learning how to use most of this camera fairly easy. It has an auto mode that makes it possible for anybody to use and it has some manual modes that I've not yet totally conquered. It has enough pixels to blow your mind most of the time. You can't buy a monitor big enough to view the shots in SHQ mode all at one time with your browser. You can change pixel density on the fly. You change the effective film speed in steps of 100, 200 and 400 ASA. You can vary your exposure plus or minus 2 fstops in 1/3 fstop increments. You can focus down to 0.8 inches and set it at infinity. You can get 150 or 200 shots out of a set of batteries. You can put on a slide show into a standard TV set right from your camera. You can take great remote control shots without even touching the camera or a cable. You can view your pictures on sight and zoom in to see quite good detail right on the camera. The controls are easy to use and and very ergonomically designed. You can delete pictures. You can transfer pictures from a smart media card to a compact flash card for extra storage. You can run off of AC power (I never do). The built flash works okay but the red eye feature sucks. You can use averaging or spot meter mode for exposure calculation. It's really nice to have a laptop computer with a PCMCIA card in it. When you fill up a smart media card you can stick it into the PCMCIA card and the computer see's it as an extra drive on your machine with all of your JPEG files readily accessible. I normally put my laptop on my network and drag and drop all of the files on to a CD Burner in Adaptec mode. I've used the serial port adaptor but it's very slow and anybody who spent this much money for the camera probably wont tolerate such bad performance for long. Don't spend all of your money buying this camera. Buy 3 sets of batteries. (3 hour charge time) and the PCMCIA card adapter (much faster and hot plugable). Get a CD Burner for your computer. I have a friend that has an HP for his laptop...He doesn't like. I have an HP and a Sony for two of my desktops and I like them both. I've had the camera for about 3 months now and I've taken about 2000 shots with it. I'm on my second CD. One day at work I spent the whole day taking pictures of old photographs on the wall to send to a guy at a trade show. The CAMEDIA software is simple but very useful. It's good at renaming your shots in batch mode and it has a good browser mode for previewing new shots. The Adobe Photo deluxe is tolerable but slow. I've purchased Print Shot Pro and I like it a lot more. It's also good to have Image Robot and Smart Media Center as well (all from Jasc software). Smart Media Center has a feature that creates a HTML environment that allows you to create photo albums viewable totally by your browser. It's great for sending photo CD's to your friends and family. If you want to see some photos I've made go to http://www.studioavenue.com and search on for the album named "Singing Youth of Denver at Dahlia Street". A lot of people have asked me the price of the camera and I've told them. However, the real price involves a lot more. You need to have some computer power available to you. You need to not be afraid of the technology. Installing a PCMCIA card is easy for me but my father would not have done it. This camera will force most people who purchase it to learn some new things and if they do so willingly then they will enjoy the experience. If you must see your pictures on paper (I don't) then be prepared for some additional cost. Your average printer will not do that great of a job. I've been waiting for a digital camera of this performance for a couple of years and it's been worth the wait. I suspect that in five years everyone will have a camera like this. This is the perfect camera for a CEO. You can take useable pictures of anything and view them anyware with your laptop.
| 
