Incorporating 10x zoom performance in a compact body, the latest Olympus Ultra Zoom digital camera allows extremely versatile and comfortable shooting. With the C-750 Ultra Zoom,... more
A review by DaveHarden on Olympus CAMEDIA C 750 Ultra Zoom January 15th, 2005
Author's product rating:
Picture Quality
Good
Range & Quality of Features
Excellent
Ease of Use
Average
Durability
Excellent
Overall Look & Design
Good
Value for Money
Excellent
Advantages:
Superb exposure and macro performance
Disadvantages:
Distant detail "soft", Noisy above ISO100
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
This camera is now discontinued but makes a great second-hand buy, hence this review - to help people who are considering it.
I bought the C750 expecting great things, after reading as many online and magazine reviews as possible. A year on and i'm still impressed with this camera, although there are a few reservations.
The C750 is beautifully made, with a large proportion of the body being metal. This adds weight to it, which I actually prefer in a camera. Buttons have good actions and nothing feels flimsy in operation. As well as the LCD screen (1.8inch) it has an electronic viewfinder (EVF). This is something of a double edged sword - you see exactly what you're getting but the refresh rate is a bit low (a delay in updating) and in low light you see nothing at all. Acceptable though.
The C750 has a zoom range equivalent to 38-380mm in normal 35mm terms. This gives up to (almost) 8x magnification against a "standard" 50mm lens (The "10x zoom" refers to the range, not the magnification). ISO can be set between 50 and 400 and the lens can be set between f2.8 (3.7 at full zoom) and f8, which is pretty good for a "compact" - f2.8 zoom lenses are very expensive in the film world!
The biggest problem with a long zoom is that of camera shake. At lower shutter speeds the resulting image can appear blurred due to tiny movements of the camera as you press the shutter. The f2.8/3.7 lens helps to keep the shutter speed up thus minimising the risk. It's still easy to achieve though so be careful!
Other plus points include the "Super Macro" mode. In this mode the lens is set to a fixed length and you can focus to a ridiculously small distance (a few inches!). This allowed me to get stunning (really) pictures of some grashoppers last summer - detail was showing down to the hairs on their legs!
You have control over sharpness (-5 to +5), contrast (-5 to +5) and saturation (again -5 to +5). 0 does NOT mean 0 sharpness though - it refers to the factory default which is actually a bit too high. If you intend to use Photoshop or similar to edit your images then set the sharpness to -3 or lower.
AF performance is good rather than fast but you need an SLR to get that sort of performance. Initially I had problems in low light but Olympus provided a firmware upgrade on their website which fixed the problem (it doesn't make claim to but it does, believe me!). Later versions of the camera shipped with this firmware loaded.
You can capture video with the C750 but the implementation is too gimmicky for my liking and you can hear the AF chugging on the recorded sound. Novelty value only!
Another very useful feature is the "My Mode" setting. Here you can store 4 different profiles with the camera configured any way you like. These are recalled by turning the control dial to "My mode" and choosing 1-4 from the menus. This allows you to have different settings for landscape, portraits etc. I use this feature extensively.
Picture formats are TIFF and JPEG, with resolutions from VGA up to 4 Megapixel. TIFF files are 11Mb each, so make sure you have a large memory card rather than the pathetic 16Mb one it ships with (XD card). TIFF is the best for editing though as it is uncompressed - almost like having a negative or slide (albeit a processed one rather than a proper RAW file). A Top quality setting JPEG is between 2 and 2.5 Mb. Not a huge drop in quality from the TIFF either.
Metering options are Multi-zone evaulative, Centre Weighted and Spot (!). Wow! All are very accurate indeed. You can use a fully manual exposure mode as well as aperture and shutter priority, program and pic (preset) modes.
A nice touch is that the camera comes with an Infra-red remote release so you can put it on a tripod and fire it without camera shake being a problem - or get yourself in the picture!
Flash output is well controlled and it's very rare that I see red eyes in flash pics from the C750.
Image quality (THE most important reason to buy any camera) is stunning for a compact, with a couple of reservations which may or may not be a problem for you.
Firstly, although close up (<10m) detail is razor sharp, the more distant features in, say, a landscape have a definite softness to them. As a keen landscape photographer this was rather disappointing - I can't really go over 8 x 6 and get a print i'd be happy to display. A lot of digital cameras suffer with this though so maybe i'm just expecting too much. Portraits of family, pets etc are absolutely superb - as are normal daily pics.
The other, more serious, problem I found is noise. Over ISO100 the images from this camera are unusable, in my opinion. Even at 100 there is noise creeping in. The reason, i'm sure, is that the CCD sensor is tiny - the 6x magnification factor (to get the image up to 35mm standard size) being great for creating a long lens effect but requiring levels of signal amplification which can only generate noisy images. ISO 50 is fine but then you're risking camera shake in lower light conditions. Frustrating to say the least but again a common problem in compact digital cameras.
In conclusion, this really is a very good compact digital camera - when i go walking I can take this and know i'll have some good shots when I return. The problems listed above stop it being a great camera and it certainly can't rival a film SLR for image quality or AF speed (This is the reason I haven't sold my Nikon F80). Take the time to learn how to use it and it will reward you with some superb images. If you're looking to replace your film cameras though, look to the SLRs rather than this.
From other reviews i've read, the new models (C765 and C770) are no better in the noise stakes and the C765 is actually less featured than the 750. If this is the case then I'd recommend the C750 over either of it's replacements - especially as you'd get it for a much lower price!
Advantages: A lot of camera in a small bundle Disadvantages: Many features - could be off-putting to a novice
...Why did I choose the Olympus C-750UZ? It met the requirements for the resolution (4.1 mega pixels); it has a 'big' zoom lens (10 x optical zoom - ignore the digital element as this is at the expense of picture quality); it has an acceptable movie-mode with sound; a delay timer and a remote control (so I can be in some of the results!); xD Picture Cards are available in an increasing range (and getting cheaper) and the AA batteries are ideal for rechargeables ... ...error sessions with borrowed equipment).
Price varies enormously - much more than I expected - by as much as +50% on the cheapest. For this camera the price ranged from just under £300 to about £450... I used a number of comparison utilities available on the Internet (Ciao being among the best) to glean the cheapest price: some care is required because different vendors do offer different packages, so comparing apples with oranges is a risk. Having ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Picture Quality
Range & Quality of Feat...
Ease of Use
Durability
Overall Look & Design
Value for Money
very helpful
16.02.2004
Great Camera Review ofOlympus CAMEDIA C 750 Ultra Zoomby
beejay_1949
Advantages: Multiple functions, takes great photos Disadvantages: Not as good for low light conditions
...it. I previously owned an Olympus point and shoot digital camera (C300) and was very pleased with the ease of use and the quality of the photos. After a while, as I became more interested in photography, I wanted a camera that I could control as many of the functions as possible. I also wanted to be able to zoom in much more than was possible with the C300 (3x optical zoom). The things I wanted from the camera prior to purchase were as follows
- ... ...controls facilities. I chose the Olympus as it seemed to be able to carry out all the functions I wanted plus many many more. I also chose the Olympus as I was very pleased with my previous Olympus camera.
Camera Features:
- It has a metal body which tends to make it more rugged (the little doors on it to access the memory card and connection sockets for USB etc. are a silver coloured plastic).
-10x zoom (38-380mm equivalent)
- 1.5 inch LCD display
...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Superb picture quality, tremendous zoom Disadvantages: Battery life poor, user interface slightly unintuitive
When starting to search for a digital camera the only limiting factor I had put on myself was to look for a camera made by a traditional camera manufacturer – rather than one made by a technology company. This is due to a much higher quality of generic camera parts – flash and crucially lens are better made by the best.
With this in mind and a budget of roughly £500 placed on the purchase I began the search for a camera. At this stage I recommend ... ...and actually getting a feel for all the cameras you are considering. This dismissed many others. After this I continued my search by reading online reviews – easy to find and if you read enough you start to get a clear image of the products concerned. Finding a site that offered photos taken with all different cameras was a bonus too.
With the choice made to purchase this camera – I feel the increased resolution made this worth the price increase ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: Many features, good zoom lens, powerful for the price Disadvantages: Not very compact, only 4 Megapixels, no case as standard
I wanted a camera for all-round use, and this fits the bill perfectly. It's simple enough that I can just point-and-shoot holiday snaps, and the default 'automatic' setting produces good results in most situations. A powerful flash, self-timer and sport, low-light and landscape modes allow it to cope with just about all situations. The predominantly metal case means it's survived being thrown into a bag on several holidays with barely a scratch, ... ...the civilised world.
At the same time though this has more features than a standard compact, and I have used it for much more artistic work. Here, the 10x optical zoom lens, flash shoe, remote control, macro mode and particularly the option to take some control over the aperture and shutter settings come into their own.
The camera is not without its disadvantages, however. The powerful lens and solid build quality make it larger and heavier than ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: produces a very good range of pictures Disadvantages: can blur, but with a little practice this can be cured
...came across this one. The olympus 750uz, and WOW!! what a camera, its lightweight at 305g (0.7lb) and very easy to handle. Thats great when your trying to take that almost imposible shot, at least you can have a firm hold on your new camera and i don't think you will be sad at the picture that it takes either. I myself am not one for instructions ( infact i hate the things, i would rather be out there using the item than having to read loads of instructions). ...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful
Incorporating 10x zoom performance in a compact body, the latest Olympus Ultra Zoom digital camera allows extremely versatile and comfortable shooting. With the C-750 Ultra Zoom, Olympus presents the world's first 4-megapixel camera with a 10x optical zoom. As befits a camera of this stature, it is protected by a full-metal casing. It provides a host of automatic modes plus manual options to allow effortless operation and creative control. Images are saved on the xD-Picture Card memory media. This camera delivers 10x optical zoom performance in the smallest and lightest Ultra Zoom body yet. As such, it is a particularly welcome companion on nature hikes and at sporting events, taking the photographer to the heart of the scene. The optical zoom range, which is equivalent to 38 - 380mm on a 35mm camera, can be extended even further when combined with the digital zoom. On the C-750 Ultra Zoom, a 4x digital zoom provides up to 40x magnification (equivalent to 1520mm). This model also let the photographer shoot from just 3cm away to create fascinating macro photos. The very bright (f2.8 - 3.7), high quality optical system comprises eleven elements arranged in seven groups and includes two aspherical lenses plus an ED element, which is normally only found in pro-level SLR cameras and significantly help reduce chromatic aberration. High resolution capture and ease of use for stunning results Since this model records 4 million pixels, users can expect great quality prints - even in larger sizes. The pixel mapping function automatically calibrates the CCD chip and processor to help produce even sharper contrast, brighter colors and fewer image errors, and the TruePic technology further optimizes sharpness, contrast, color purity and gradation. A range of metering systems handles all the details to guarantee pictures have the clarity and color to really impress. Besides iESP, spot and AF area autofocus, the user may use digital ESP, spot or multi-spot exposure metering. A histogram displays brightness distribution of both captured and live images in a graphic form to allow the exposure to be checked. The cameras' scene programs (portrait, self-portrait, night scene, sports, landscape and landscape plus portrait) are ideal for when there's little time to adjust the settings manually. However, aperture priority and shutter priority as well as full manual control of the aperture and shutter speed are possible when there's more time for creative expression. The intelligent automatic white balance metering system assures realistic color reproduction. Pre-set white balance settings for daylight, overcast and tungsten light conditions and three options for fluorescent light are available, as well as one-touch white balance. Five flash modes are included for shooting in darkness or low light. The C-750 Ultra Zoom also incorporates a hot shoe for connecting external flash units (such as the Olympus CAMEDIA FL-40 and FL-20). When taking shots with long exposure times, the noise reduction function helps to enhance the brightness and clarity of the results. Favorite configurations can be saved in the 'My Mode' folders. Information about the selected settings is shown in the cameras' electronic viewfinder while shooting. The menu is very easy to use and available in four languages. Panorama shooting, black and white plus sepia modes are included and movies may be recorded. Furthermore, sequence shooting is also possible. Up to 12 exposures can be taken in normal sequence mode at a rate of 2.6 frames per second in HQ mode. The C-750 Ultra Zoom additionally enables sound to be recorded to images. The CAMEDIA C-750 Ultra Zoom supports the new EXIF 2.2 standard as well as PIM II, enabling compatible printers to apply the saved data to produce optimized results. With the USB AutoConnect interface, images are quickly and easily downloaded to a computer. Thanks to the Olympus CAMEDIA Master software that comes with the camera, the user is able to process, edit and archive the photos.
Want to join the digital revolution ? Itching to get rid of all those out of focus or wrongly framed wasted snaps? Now is the time, especially if you have a pc with a cd burner.
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