Olympus CAMEDIA C 180

...one.

The Olympus C-180 is one of a new range of low cost Hi-Res digital cameras now appearing on the market, that are aimed at photographers with a need to take quality pictures without all the complexities of a semi-pro device.

The C-180 arrived packaged in a neat blue box that contained the camera, a USB data lead, 2 x Panasonic Alkaline AA batteries, A Quick Guide booklet, two CDs containing the required software ...
...the only extra item that Olympus could have included that would have been useful to me
would have been a mini tripod for taking Macro shots. More of that later.

I'm a bloke, so the first thing I did was throw the instruction manual in a corner. I like to find out for myself how my toys work. I was a bit disappointed when I discovered the manual was just there to make the box feel heavier and that the camera was perfectly capable ... more

Type: Compact Digital Camera
Manufacturer: Olympus
Model: Camedia C-180
Resolution: True 5.1 mega pixels
Image sizes: Hi 2592 x 1944 2-Modes; Med 1600 x 1200; Low 640 x 480
Memory: 14MB Flash in-built; XD memory card compatible
Lens: 6.1mm f2.8 Auto focus
Zoom: Variable up to 4 x Digital Only
Flash: Fully Automatic; Red Eye Reduction, Exposure Compensation, OFF
Viewfinder: 1.5" Colour LCD
Connectors: USB 1.1; 3V DC IN

Price Range: £ 120 - £170 from reputable sources

REVIEW

I recently decided I needed a small digital camera for use in my work. I didn't want to pay a lot, so when I saw this little number advertised by one of my suppliers, I made the call and ordered one.

The Olympus C-180 is one of a new range of low cost Hi-Res digital cameras now appearing on the market, that are aimed at photographers with a need to take quality pictures without all the complexities of a semi-pro device.

The C-180 arrived packaged in a neat blue box that contained the camera, a USB data lead, 2 x Panasonic Alkaline AA batteries, A Quick Guide booklet, two CDs containing the required software and the warranty information.

Not a lot there I thought to myself. In truth, the only extra item that Olympus could have included that would have been useful to me
would have been a mini tripod for taking Macro shots. More of that later.

I'm a bloke, so the first thing I did was throw the instruction manual in a corner. I like to find out for myself how my toys work. I was a bit disappointed when I discovered the manual was just there to make the box feel heavier and that the camera was perfectly capable of setting itself up without any help from me. All it needed me to do was feed it the two supplied batteries.

The batteries are housed behind a sliding door on the right side of camera (looking from the rear), this is also where the XD memory cards go. Once in, all that's needed is to switch the camera on at the front. The ON/OFF slider switch also operates the lens cover, so you won't ever get that 'Oops I left the lens cap on' shot of that once in a lifetime event.

An orange LED lights up on the rear to show there is power. The camera takes approx 4 seconds to get its electronics sorted. The LCD viewfinder screen displays a clock symbol, the date and the battery indicator while this is happening. The viewfinder will then display the image the camera sees through the lens. You are given a range of on-screen information all the time the camera is active, so you will always know where the camera is focusing, what picture mode and resolution you are using, how many shots you have left and how much memory remains. The viewfinder is reasonably bright indoors, although outdoors it struggles a bit with full sunlight, this is common to all LCDs.

Visually my impressions of the camera are highly favourable. The body is small and rounded with no sharp angles. The case is a satin finish silver plastic, that feels very solid, more like metal in fact. There are some nice chrome touches that emphasise the quality feel, I especially like the exposed chrome screws that say this isn't some cheap clip together throwaway. The lens is nicely recessed to avoid greasy fingers. It is protected by a porthole cover sliding door that has a nice machined aluminium bezel. On the front there is just the lens, ON/Off switch, flash gun and a timer light, so it looks very neat and tidy. The top of the camera is smooth and flat with only the flush mounted chrome shutter release button standing out. The sides have covers that continue the smooth lines. Around the back things are a little busier. Here you have all the control buttons and the viewfinder screen. None of the controls look flimsy or poorly fitted and in use they are very firm.

As with all small cameras you have to take a few minutes to gauge the weight and best positions to place your fingers when holding the C-180. Initially I tended to stick my thumb in the centre of the view screen, but I quickly got fed up of wiping the grease off it and adjusted my holding position. This is not a fault with the design of the camera, it happened because I'm used to using an SLR camera with an eyepiece viewfinder where my thumbs weren't an issue. With the batteries in the camera weighs around 160g, not heavy, but just enough to give you confidence in it. I find that very light or very heavy cameras are more susceptible to camera shake, Olympus seems to have found a good balance here.

So, my first photo, how long did it take to set up? From opening the box to framing and shooting my first shot took two minutes. The shot wasn't interesting, but the result was superb. I did absolutely nothing to the camera to set it up, it was ready to go as soon as it powered up. My only hiccup was figuring out the shutter release button activated the automatic focus and metering before it allowed the shot to be taken. This wasn't a problem, but it felt a bit odd having to wait a couple of seconds for the camera to make its adjustments before the image was captured. I'm used to setting all the focus and metering myself, so when I press the shutter release the camera takes the shot. You have to take this adjustment time into account when framing a shot, especially of a moving object. Still, I didn't buy this camera for professional work and I didn't expect it to perform like a £500 camera.

I said the image quality was superb and I wasn't exaggerating. My experience of low cost digital cameras has always been one of hype over substance. This camera really delivers the goods. The CCD is a true 5.1 mega pixel, so at its maximum resolution this camera can capture images that a year ago would only have been available in the semi-professional end of the camera market. Resolution isn't the end of the story though. You can have all the pixels you want, but if the camera can't focus on an image properly or picks it metering point badly you will not get a usable image. The C-180 seems to have 20/20 vision and a good eye for light without user interference. The CCD is also very sensitive. Many of the shots I have taken were indoors without a flash and they still came out okay.

Now obviously not every situation is the same and some alteration to the camera's automatic functions will be needed to get the best out of the shoot conditions. On the rear of the camera is a thumbwheel that provides ten optional modes to set the camera up for a variety of situations.

AUTO: This is the fully automatic option
PROGRAM: This allows you to adjust the brightness of the shot to be taken
MOVIE: Capture full motion movies at 30fps
BEACH & SNOW: Assists when taking photos with large brightly lit backgrounds
SELF PORTRAIT: Take a photo of yourself while holding the camera
SPORT: Capture fast moving objects more easily
NIGHT SCENE: Assists in shooting night scenes by slowing exposure
LANDSCAPE: Keeps the whole image in focus. Captures natural blues & greens
LANDSCAPE+PORTRAIT: Keeps foreground subject and background in focus.
PORTRAIT: Reproduces natural skin tones in subject.

There are no manual controls for focusing, metering or white balance, although these aren't really needed. White balance adjustment would have been useful, although the Beach & Snow mode assist a little in this area.

Most of the time I image users of this camera will keep the Auto setting on. In fact that's the whole point of this camera, it's supposed to do it all for you.

Having taken a few snaps, I decided to take a look at the menu system. Once again this is limited to only what is useful and can be accessed via two buttons. The first of these is an oval rocker switch that gives access to four basic menus, Flash, Macro, Timer and Reset. Pushing the rocker switch towards the symbol representing the function you want to adjust activates the correct menu. You then use the rocker switch to move through the menu options. Once you have located the option you wish to set there is an OK button in the centre of the rocker switch that you press to make the changes. All the functions display an icon on the screen to show their current status.

Before we discuss the main menu system, there are a couple of other buttons that need to be mentioned. These are the Camera and Review buttons. They are positioned to the right of the view screen. Pressing the Camera button, it has a little picture of a red camera on it, switches the camera into shooting mode so you can take pictures. The Review button, it has a little picture of a green arrow on it, will switch the camera into picture review mode where you can take a look at your masterpieces and delete any of them if necessary. Both buttons will activate the camera from its standby mode.

If you wish to access the main menu there is a little round button labelled MENU just underneath the Review button. Depending on the mode the C-180 is in, Camera or Review, the view screen will display the appropriate menu.

In the main Camera menu are options for; setting the image resolution, setting the clock, choosing one of the six languages, setting the delay time for the standby mode, formatting the memory and pixel mapping (locating bad pixels on the CCD).

In the main Review menu are options for; creating a slideshow, backing up images to a memory card, printing images, image locking (prevents erasure), image rotation, memory setup, clock setting, language setting, standby delay setting and number of images to display on view screen.

Once you've accessed the Camera or Review main menus you use the oval rocker switch to move around them and the OK button to select your options.

The camera has two remaining buttons; the Picture Delete button and the Zoom button. The Picture Delete button is positions on the bottom edge of the view screen, protected by a recess. Pressing the button in Review mode will delete the image displayed. The Zoom button is a two way bar rocker switch located at the top right of the camera rear. It is curiously labelled W and T at opposite ends? This switch can be used to activate the progressive digital zoom function when taking pictures or can be used to select the number of images to display on the view screen when in Review mode.

Out in the field I found the C-180 to be very easy to live with. It fitted easily into my trouser pocket and the attached wrist strap made sure I didn't drop it when taking shots. The wrist strap is secured to a very strong metal pin, so it's unlikely to break in normal use.

I took a little time to adjust to framing pictures with the view screen. I would have liked a normal eyepiece viewfinder as well, especially in strong sunlight when the LCD became harder to see well. The one great thing about these LCD screens is that you know you are looking at what the camera is looking at, just like an SLR, something you don't get with a simple eyepiece viewfinder. Framing the shot required me to position the AF Target Mark (a pair of white square brackets in the centre of the view screen) on the focal point of the scene. You depress the shutter release button until you feel resistance. The camera adjust the focus and exposure, a flashing green blob on the top left of the view screen is visible during this process. If the camera is successful the green blob stops flashing and the shot is ready to be taken. Pressing the shutter release button again takes the shot. Focusing the camera can take a couple of seconds, so if you want to take shots of moving objects it's best to get the camera focused before the object appears.

I quickly became comfortable with the camera and started to experiment with a variety of shots. I soon discovered the C-180 can produce excellent results even at the lowest resolutions. If you are intending to view your pictures on a computer/TV screen then you can get a lot of mileage out of this camera. At it lowest resolution of 640 x 480 pixels it can store a massive 144 images. This figure drops rapidly as you increase the picture quality. Medium resolution images at 1600 x 1200 will swallow up the in-built memory after 27 shots and the two high resolution modes at 2592 x 1944 will allow 11 and 3 shots respectively. I'm still trying to figure out the difference between the two hi-res modes. If you plan on taking pictures for professional printing you will need at least one additional memory card. The C-180 takes XD Flash cards from 16MB to 1GB in size. They recommend their own cards (who doesn't), although any XD card will work with the camera. Olympus do state though that the Panorama mode (a function only available with the extra memory) will only work if one of their XD cards is used. If you get a memory card it's slot is located inside the battery compartment.

If you would like to see some of the early shots I took with this camera go to: http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/kadaauctions/c-180_pics.htm

Apart from taking standard still images, the C-180 has a Movie mode that allows a small amount of motion video to be captured. Exactly how long a movie you can make depends on how much memory you have available. Without an extra memory card you can shoot a maximum of 20 or 48 seconds of video at 30 or 15 frames per second respectively with a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels. Movie shots are started and stopped by depressing the shutter release button. Multiple movies can be shot up to the available memory. Movies are stored in QuickTime Jpeg movie format.

Okay, I've got my photos, what do I do with them?

The C-180 can do two things with you photos, upload them to a computer or print them.

Printing photos directly requires you to have a printer that supports PictBridge technology. If you have a printer of this type, most modern inkjets are PictBridge compatible, you can use the USB connector to send your images to it. When the camera detects the printer it displays a menu allowing you to configure the output. I don't have an appropriate printer, so I can't state how well this function works. You can't print movies.

Before attempting to upload your photos to a PC or Mac it is a good idea to install the Olympus Master software. This will allow you to manage your images easily and is of course fully compatible with the camera. You don't actually need the software, because the C-180 is recognised by Windows as a standard USB mass storage device (Disc Drive) and will install the appropriate Microsoft driver. If you have another photo editing package, you can access your camera as if it were just another drive on your computer and just work with them directly. Images are stored in Jpeg format, so are compatible with just about any software. On my computer both the Olympus Master software and Nero Photoshow are activated when the camera is connected.

An interesting by-product of the camera being viewed by the computer as a mass storage device is the possibility of uploading files into the camera as well as extracting them. I experimented and discovered the camera would allow me to create folders and store files of any type in them. I uploaded my home accounts file and found the accounts package would happily work with the file directly from the camera's memory. This opens up the possibility of using the camera as an external drive for a laptop. Incidentally, adding these odd files had no effect on the camera's ability to take photos, it just treated them as lost memory.

Before trying to upload or print from the camera, make sure it is switched off. The connection options are not available while the camera is active. The USB connection is made using the supplied cable. The camera end of the cable plugs in on the left side of the body (looking from the rear), the USB socket is protected by a rubber cover. Plugging an active USB cable in activates the USB Menu. The menu has three options; PC, PRINT and EXIT.

Selecting PRINT will give you options for printing your photos directly to your printer. EXIT quits the connection and prompts you to remove the USB cable

Selecting PC will send a signal to your computer announcing the connection. If you have the Olympus Master software installed it should launch itself.

I'm not going to go into great detail about the software, largely because I don't use it myself. However here are the basics.

With Olympus Master you can upload images from your camera or any other source. These can then be browsed using a calendar or file system scheme for locating them. Images can be arranged into picture albums, edited, emailed, printed, turned into backgrounds and slideshows. You can back up your files to another device and if you upgrade the software to the paid version it will let you create picture discs etc.

As I stated I don't use this software personally, but I am sure it will prove adequate for anyone not needing professional editing utilities.

Before I go a word or two about batteries. Like all digital cameras the C-180 is battery powered and like most digital cameras it doesn't have the ability to charge those batteries. So powering the thing could get expensive, right? Fortunately this isn't the case, the C-180 is pretty frugal with the battery power so long as it is switched off or allowed to go into standby when it's not taking shots. In power terms, the fact that the camera has no motorised zoom is also a godsend, there's nothing more voracious than a drive motor. The C-180 can use 3 types of battery, Standard AA Alkaline, Ni-MH AA and the CR-V3 long life battery. You can find out my opinion of the CR-V3 in my review of that product. As for the other two, standard AA Alkaline are fine for everyday use, but you will use a few if you take lots of shots you will eventually discard. Ni-MH batteries can be recharged, so buy a charger and save yourself some money. There are rechargeable alternatives to the CR-V3 as well and these are probably worth investigating. Oddly the camera comes with a jack for a 3V DC power pack. The only purpose for this power pack is to supply power to the camera during computer/printer connection sessions, it can't be used to power the camera during photography. This is the only daft thing about this camera. Why can't the USB cable supply the power? An added value accessory sales gimmick I would guess.

SUMMARY

Now the $64,000 question is: Did I get my monies worth?

Well yes I did. For what this camera cost me, I can happily accept not having an optical zoom and put up with the lack of a viewfinder. The pictures I get are super, the cost of running the thing is very low indeed and it doesn't look like a cigarette packet like most of its peers do.

All-in-all I would recommend this to anyone needing a sensible camera for their holidays, parties or general photography.

It's a winner.
 

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