Olympus X-42 > Reviews (8)

Olympus x-42 12mp digital camera

"===Overview==="

This camera seemed like a mistake the second I took it out of the box – it was so light that it seemed cheap and very fragile. After using it a few times I’ve seen it’s a lot more durable that I thought. The casing is some kind of plastic – weird for me after using a sturdier camera. This camera comes in pink and black – I own the black model.

The large screen is what attracted me, as well as the fact that the price was competitive – I bought mine about a year ago for around £75 from Argos. It’s obviously not the best camera in the world but it does its job! I find I get a lot of pictures with red eye – easy enough to fix on my laptop though.

One of the disadvantages of this camera – it seems to EAT batteries! I seem to need a never ending supply of batteries and I hardly use the camera. Thank goodness for rechargeable batteries.

A great thing about the screen is that the light is so bright. The first time I took this out to take some photos was in central London during Christmas – I had to take photos of the Harrods store windows! There was a lot of light reflecting off the windows and I still managed to get some decent pics, as well as managing to see the screen.

There’s a guide in the box, as well as a CD that is a little more comprehensive. I found setting the camera up and figuring out how to upload photos to my laptop was pretty self explanatory, so for those techno phobes out there – this may be the one for you. I would recommend reading the manual to see what other features the camera offers, and how to use them. There’s no case included – so may be worth investing in one to protect your screen.

"===Stats==="

• 12 mega pixels
• Plastic body
• 5x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom
• 18Mb internal memory, uses XD or Micro SD memory cards
• 2,7 inch LCD screen
• Face Detection, up to 16 faces
• Video with sound
• Built in flash
• USB connection
• Takes AA batteries
• Weighs 112g
• Comes with a 2 year manufacturer guarantee

"===In the Box==="

• Camera
• Hand strap
• Manual
• CD
• USB Cable
• Micro SD adapter

"===My conclusion==="

This is a great entry level camera and can take some pretty decent pictures. I would recommend buying some rechargeable batteries so you save some money in the long run! The camera doesn’t come with a memory card – which I discovered after taking a few photos, so you’ll need to buy one of these. I would recommend this as it's great for capturing memories, light enough to carry in your pocket and takes decent pics. Pics uploaded were taken with the camera - photos of the shop windows around London.