Olympus D-720 > Reviews (1)

I'M NO DAVID BAILEY BUT I DO MY BEST!

I realised when writing this review that although I am no expert I have had so many cameras that I do at least know what I like. I shall tackle this from a layman’s point of view and hope it will be of some help.

WHY I WANTED A NEW CAMERA

I was using a Pentax camera which, when first purchased, seemed good and was an improvement on the Kodak model I had used previously, but it didn’t quite fulfil all expectations. We used it for a few years and for most things it did its job which was to take holiday snaps, regular use by my daughter for her GCSE and later her art A level work (where many photographs were needed for coursework )and for photos of this same daughter while she sang in various shows and competitions. It was for the shows etc. that I found this camera wasn’t quite good enough; anything taken from a distance where lights (stage lights) were involved seemed to come out as very blurry. Daylight shots and portraits were fine.

After Christmas my husband and I went out together to have a look around some shops and see what was in the sales. We decided to go to the ‘Beckton Triangle’ in Barking, London, as there are both Curry’s and Comet within walking distance of each other, as well as Maplin’s and Argos.

I admit I had been thinking of buying a new camera but not so soon after Christmas. However, I was in a mood for spending and, as my husband and myself hadn’t given each other much in the way of gifts (this is usual as we find a small present or two is fine and then we treat each other in the sales, or buy a joint present) we felt a purchase or two was reasonable.

We were looking to purchase a new television for our bedroom and so while we were looking around for this we also looked to see what the stores in this area were offering in their sales.

WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR

Really I suppose I should have researched more before purchasing but I was in a mood to spend so I did. My choice was whittled down to two cameras in Curry’s of similar prices and we both felt that for us the Olympus D-720 digital camera was best. We hoped so anyway!

And so, although we hadn’t really researched, we had discussed some of the features we wanted in a new camera and they were:

Reasonably priced; I felt that I didn’t want to pay more than £100.

Largish screen

Trusted brand

Ease of fuse

Lightweight- easy to carry around especially when on holiday

Easy to upload photos on to PC

APPEARANCE

Obviously I don’t think appearance is the main point when buying a camera, but that said, I wouldn’t have purchased a camera that I didn’t like the look of.

My husband and I both thought this camera looked sleek, and smart. It’s black with some silver trim and lettering. I like the fact that it is so compact, slim and lightweight.

It is also available in other colours which I know includes silver, red and purple.

MANUAL/INSTRUCTIONS

The basic manual for this camera (and a few other models in this series) is written in several languages so only a small part was relevant to me. I felt that the instructions were thorough and clear enough with illustrations/diagrams included often. My only complaint is that the print is small which makes it awkward for me, and hubby needed reading glasses to be able to use the manual.

But small print does mean the manual can be condensed and therefore is of a handy size to carry around whilst getting used to the camera and its many features. Just remember to bring glasses or a magnifying glass if you have middle aged eyes!

SETTING UP TO COMPUTER/PRINTING

Setting up the camera to link to the PC .was easy and very user friendly. A CD was supplied and gave prompts for all actions.

Photos are easy to store and to print.

I purchased an 8 GB SD card with the camera (SD or SDHC can be used). Photos can be uploaded to the computer via the memory card or cable. This is easy to do once the software is installed as you are guided through the process.

I can also use the memory card from the camera in my digital photo frame.

The camera supports Pictbridge.

EASE OF USE

It is extremely easy to use, even for me. I will say that my sons and daughters got the hang of it quicker as they are far more technical than me. They instantly knew how to use the zoom and to look back at photographs taken, although it is easy anyway. But saying that I feel, although I am not technical, my photos still turn out just as good as theirs do!

The on/off switch is push button and located conveniently at the top of the camera, as us the shutter switch, which is larger and easy to locate even in semi darkness.

Of course if you are a David Bailey type then you will soon use many features of this camera, whereas I will probably only use a few. I take photos outside during daylight and at night, I will take many photos indoors and at various places such as in restaurants for the sake of reviewing.

Now my daughter is at university there isn’t so much use for the camera to take photos when she is onstage as she doesn’t enter competitions now. But I am expecting her to be appearing as a guest in various events in the months ahead and then the camera will be used more for the stage shots. So far we have used the camera twice to take photos of performers on stage when we have been sitting in the audience, several metres away. These shots worked well and I feel that in this respect the Olympus D-720 performed much better than my previous camera.

The zoom was easy to operate.

This camera can take video clips but we don’t often use this as have a Handycam but I do think it is a very handy feature to have on a camera for those times when something unexpected comes up.

QUALITY OF PHOTOS

I have been pleased with the quality of the photos. I am strictly an amateur photographer, as is my husband, so can only speak from an amateur’s point of view but, for us this camera performs well and does what we expect and perhaps even more.

I have mainly taken indoor photos in lit restaurants, pubs etc. and at home over the Christmas and New Year period. I feel the photos are clear and sharp and haven’t noticed any red eye. The colour seems to me to be true.

When the photos have been loaded onto the PC they look good.

AVAILABILITY/PRICE

We didn’t see the Olympus D-720 either in Comet or Argos although we did look in both stores.

At this time and in the shops that we visited we felt that Curry’s had a superior selection of digital cameras on display than Comet. There seemed to be more cameras reduced although I am rather sceptical of January sales in these stores. Many items have been reduced for weeks before, I believe.

We paid £89.98 in Curry’s (£179.99 from 31/03/11 to 20/04/11).

It is also available from: Pixmania.com £83

SPECIFICATIONS

14 mps

10x optical zoom lens.

24 mm wide-angle setting- for landscapes group photos etc.

Dual image stabilisation

Landscape, night portrait, candle light, fireworks, food, pets modes

Large 3-inch LCD screen with 230,000 dots for excellent detail. The large display is especially useful when shooting 720p HD video with the Olympus D720 Compact Digital Camera.

Automatic focus

Self-timer

Supports pictbridge/direct printing

L!-42B Lithium Ion battery

Size: 100.6x58.2x28.5

OVERALL

For my photography needs this is a good purchase. I like the look of the camera as well as its ease of use and nice photos. I also think this is an ideal camera to take on one’s travels. It can easily fit into a handbag without taking up too much room or it will fit into a pocket.

This camera has many features and I haven’t mentioned everything but for further information please see: http://www.olympus.co.uk/cameras/