Back in early 2005 I was looking for a good digital camera with as much 'real' optical zoom as possible (rather than just digital zoom). I didn't have the funds for a DSLR so I went down the compact digital route. After a lot of web searches and price comparisons I chose the C725. Overall, I like the camera and it has served me fairly well over the past 3 years. Plus points: It has a good feel in the hand and the weight isn't excessive. I think it looks smart too. The majority of the controls become second nature and once you have set up your custom settings, it doesn't need much altering. I have taken some lovely photos with this camera. The lens is pretty nice for its size. 8x optical zoom is still a notable feature to this day on a camera of this class. The super HQ is nice, fine pixel quality and correctly exposed shots don't tend to need any adobe photo-shop treatment. Minus points: Boy, does it eat AA batteries!! (4 at a time)- Even with the back screen default set to off, review off and power save on, you have to be ready for the last gasp red battery warning after a couple of hours. I go to airshows quite a lot and for a full day's photography I usually have AT LEAST 16x rechargeable 2300mAh AA cells in my bag! - I would be anxious with any less. For action shots it is less than ideal, due to the almost 3/4 second it takes from pressing the shutter, to the shot being taken. During this delay, the viewfinder goes black. I know this is the case with many compacts, but I kind of expected better performance from Olympus. My only way round this was to set it to take 3 frames continuous, as this does speed up the subsequent metering and shutter time. Despite this, I have lost a lot of potentially great aircraft shots due to the blackout effect. That said though, landscapes and general leisure photos are fine on this camera. The viewfinder is very pixellated due to its low resolution and this makes checking for perfect focusing rather difficult. You have little choice but to trust the camera, which usually works out, but not always. The back screen is pretty small too, but I dread to think how long the battery life would be if they had one much bigger and you used it! If you aren't going to be taking many action photos, then this could well be a good choice. I'm sure there are some bargains to be had on the auction sites. Overall, this camera has served me pretty well and even though I have recently purchased a digital SLR, I will keep the C725 as my holiday camera and for anywhere that I don't want to lug a big SLR and lenses around. I do recommend it, but only if you don't mind carrying spare batteries everywhere and if you can get one for a good price.
How helpful would this review be to a person making a buying decision? Rating guidelines
(+) Ultra-compact dimensions, fun automatic tools, good performance for the asking price (-) Cluttered menu layout, camera buttons are scarce, specs are almost identical to the Samsung ES15
As for the price...
Well, they don't make this camera any more, so its only going to be on ebay or similar auction sites.
You should be able to get a good one for around £50 ish.
sunshine_supergirl 15.06.2008 14:30
Good Review... I was wondering about the price though.
Advantages: Impressive looking (not that i suppose that matters!) Great interface and good good quality photos for a camera of this price. Disadvantages: Hard to get to grips with, the battery also runs out fairly quickly - although this isnt so much of a problem if you use rechargable batteries
Advantages: Impressive looking (not that i suppose that matters!) Great interface and good good quality photos for a camera of this price. Disadvantages: Hard to get to grips with, the battery also runs out fairly quickly - although this isnt so much of a problem if you use rechargable batteries
![Olympus C-725UZ Digital Camera [3MP , 8 x Optical]](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/106142913.jpg "Olympus C-725UZ Digital Camera [3MP , 8 x Optical]")
Jun 15th, 2008
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