1. 3.0 megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 8 x 10 prints and medium-quality prints up to 11 x 14
2. 3x optical zoom plus 3.4x digital zoom (10x total)
3. Large 1.8-inch LCD; up to 60 seconds of video
4. 16 MB XD memory card included
5. Powered by 2 AA batteries (alkalines included); connects to PCs and Macs via USB 1.1

Customer Review :

Date resets when batteries are removed.

I've owned this product for 3 years. The title of this review is my first complaint. Date stamps are very important when capturing an event and when on vacation. And I forget easily. My second complaint is no customizable default resolution setting. It reverts to the factory default resolution setting every time you close the cover. Irritating. Otherwise, I have had no problem in light or dark environments. Good clarity. Works well with iPhoto on my Mac. Definitely not a "pocket cam".

Rating :

Broken before one year!

I bought this camera from a user on amazon used, in "new" condition. It arrived during the winter holidays fine. The pictures are okay if you know how to work it. The camera eats batteries like crazy, so you almost have to buy lithiums (Which add up in price quite quickly.) The camera now pauses for about one minute after each picture, and sometimes the lens or screen won't even work!!! My sister just got a new canon point and shoot. It made me realize how much better the new cameras are for the same price. If you are buying a point and shoot, don't waste your money on this. Buy something that lasts.

Rating :

It is just OK

I have had this camera for 2 years now. It has its pros and cons.
Like everyone else, the battery life is terrible. Others say that you need a lithium battery which I have not tried. Regular AA batterys only lets me take about 25 pictures.
Also, it is slow and has long delay when shooting picture. You definatly miss the moment you are trying to capture.
Pros: It is pretty user friendly. I love how it hooks up to my computer and downloads VERY easy. Anyone can do it. You dont need to be a rocket scientist on this one.

Rating :

I LOST MY CAMERA IN LAS VEGAS

After four or more years old reliable is gone. I must replace her. Olympus FE-250 I think will be my new camera. That old 3.2 MP took great pictures for emails and stuff. Yes you can expect two AA batteries per 20-30 pictures, but if you use it on the go, and infrequently it's perfect. 5 stars for reliability, ready when I am and ease of finding batteries. But for $59 she's too cheap to replace and I can afford better.

Rating :

Great Pictures, Some Style Flaws

I've had my camera for a bit over 4 years now, and it still works great. I know the problem that the previous person has had, but I figured out how to fix it somehow (probably something with the batteries). This camera takes 2 double A batteries and I use the rechargable ones. However, the batteries don't have much life in them after a year and run out of juice pretty fast so I always have to bring lots of spares (think like 3 replacement sets for an event where you take lots of pics).

It does take video, but the quality isn't worth it for the 60 seconds you get. There is no sound recorded for the video.

The best thing I can say about this camera is that if you know how to use it well, it takes really good quality pictures. Get familiar with the different settings and learn how to control what the camera does, and with that I'd argue it is almost as good as my friend's $300 camera for sheer beauty of pictures. The only glitch is I hate the flash. I just don't tend to like pictures with flash anyways, I like the more yellowy natural light look. I also tend to have a problem with red-eye with regular flash so I always have to use the red-eye reduction setting to take pics of people. This camera also comes with a panorama setting which works well with the program that comes with it (with some practice).

I really like how you don't need a card reader to download your pics onto your computer - the USB cable (which is a pretty common cable among electronics) plugs right into the camera port.

Overall a great camera for its current price, great camera overall in my opinion, and a wonderful camera for learning how to take and edit digital photographs!

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 3-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create prints up to 11 x 14
2. 2.8x optical plus 3.6x digital (10x total) zoom lens with autofocus
3. Included 16 MB Smartmedia card stores 21 images at default settings
4. Movie mode captures up to 33 seconds of video with no audio
5. Uses 2 CR-V3 lithium batteries or 4 AA batteries (rechargeables recommended); connects with Macs and PCs via USB port

Customer Review :

great camera

I bought this camera 18 months ago, and it takes GREAT pictures. I have taken thousands of pictures with this camera with no problem. The two only drwabacks to this camera is its size and it takes a second or two to save the picture to the card, but that's the way it is.
On the other hand, the reason why it is so big is because it uses regular batteries=cheap! However, battery life is great.
Would recommend this camera to anyone who needs a digital camera.

Rating :

There are better now for a little more money

I guess if you are going for an older camera to save money, this isn't a bad choice, but I would recommend looking at newer ones. Like most electronic gadgets, they get better every year.

Pros:
- generally easy to use
- uses standard AA batteries
- no lens cap to lose
- software - easy web page publishing in professional version

Cons
- a little too big to be pocketable
- there are comparable cameras with 10x and even 12x optical zoom
- no stabilization feature
- lacks shutter-priority, aperature-priority, and manual modes
- difficult to impossible to get good pictures of indoor sporting events and other low-light situations where the flash does no good or you can't use the flash (actually, this is probably true of many other consumer-level cameras)
- slow reaction time - push the button and it takes the picture about a second later (or not at all if it thinks you need the flash)
- menus aren't explained very well in the manual
- software - version that comes with the camera is crippled, but the professional version freezes occasionally

Despite what somebody else said, backing up files to a cd isn't that hard if you know what you are doing; you just have to mount the CD so it looks like any other disk drive. I had no problems with this.

Anyway, I'd say spend a little more money and get a Panasonic with 12X zoom, image stabilization, and some of the other features mentioned above. You could also go for a camera with higher MP, but I'd rather spend my money on features that will actually help me take better pictures, not just bigger ones.

Rating :

Save your $$$$$

Photo's are good, but software ain't.

I've owned the Camedia 550 for a little over a year. I am very disapointed in the software that you HAVE to use with this camera. I upgraded to the "professional" edition, but it's still bad. It does not alow you to back up your photo's onto CD. (Floppy Disk Only, which is worthless). Also I have pixels dying on my viewing screen.
It is difficult to manuver through the options on the camera. Also uses a Smart Media Card, which the new ones do not use, and very few new camera do use, so I'll be stuck with $200 bucks worth of Smart Media Cards when I decide to chuck this thing.

Rating :

TechGeek's Review

This review is based on three years of use and 3000 pictures:
*This camera is durable. The sliding cover and flip-up flash show now signs of wear
*haven't worried about keeping the lens pristine
*switched to rechargeable AA batteries early on and they still work. have to recharge them every 200 pics (get 158 exposures on the default setting on a 128MB card resulting in 700KB file sizes--enough for 8x10 pics!)
*use the default Camedia picture software (got the upgrade) exclusively for picture printing and decent editing
*software could use better 'templates' aside from 'happy bday'
*plugging in the camera to the TV video inputs and running your own slide show is great for family get togethers (especially at the end of a trip before you leave is a nice recap of family events)
*it's not a compact camera, but it's designed to hold well in your one hand to take pics
*find myself adjusting the 'gamma' up a couple of notches before printing out the pics
*night mode works great if you have a tripod

Rating :

Money Well Spent

I bought this camera a year ago; it has served me well in many different environments and in both nighttime and blazing sun conditions. Downloads are swift with either the 3.5 inch flash path floppy or USB. Picture quality is great at low compression settings, higher settings are even better. I use a 64 MB memory card and that is more than adequate for my needs. Battery life is impressive: one charge was good for a 2 week vacation, and that included at least one hour of time viewing pictures with relatives on the built-in screen. Easy to use. Documentation is a bit on the slim side, but sufficient, with the exception of instructions on taking a panoramic picture. Apparently, that info is on the CD. We've taken 1,200 pics or so, no problems.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 4-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create photo-quality 11-by-15-inch enlargements
2. 3x optical zoom combines with 4x digital zoom for 12x total zoom
3. Quicktime movie mode with audio; PictBridge enabled; 1.5-inch LCD screen
4. Store images on xD memory cards (includes 32 MB xD card)
5. Powered by lithium-ion battery (included with charger)

Customer Review :

tough comfortable beautiful

This is a beautiful looking camera. It is a very comfortable camera and fits easily into the palm of your hand. It slips into a pocket for easy carry and you can drop it and it still works. I've dropped mine several times. It's also water resistant.

If you want a rugged camera that takes good pictures and don't need manual settings this is a bargain for today's prices. I bought one
when they first came out and paid a lot more.

I also have the telephoto and wide angle lenses which are held on with magnet rings.

Don't care much for the CamedaMaster software and don't even use it.
You have to pay extra to activate some features. Also would prefer the entire manual in print and not on disk. The menu takes awhile to learn. I wish the camera would save my default settings like flash off.

Hope that helps. For $89 this is a good deal for a camera that you can
just take with you anywhere.
Michelle

Rating :

Handy, friendly little camera

This tiny jewel of a camera is a snap to use, fits easily in one's pocket, and is surprisingly sturdy (with its solid construction, automatic lens cover, and all-weather rating). We've taken many great pictures with it, including all those we'd have missed because toting our big SLRs was either too inconvenient or not an option. Our Stylus 410 stays with us whereever we go --- because we've found that it's so much easier to take a picture if you have a camera at hand. We've very much enjoyed our Stylus 410 and heartily recommend carrying one.

Rating :

I don't love this camera

We received the 400 model as a Christmas gift about 2 yrs ago and I have to say I've been fairly disappointed. The flash is way too much and blows out most of the photos...the slide mechanism to open/close gets stuck sometimes and overall picture quality is not so good. I'm trading it in for a Cannon SD1000, I think we will get much better results.

Rating :

A great little all-around camera!

I bought a refurbished version of this camera from Olympus two years ago, and it is still working perfectly. I gave it 4 stars only because it is an older camera with lower megapixels by today's standards; but even so, it's big on features, and it can take some fabulous pictures.

This camera is very hardy and rugged, light and very compact, yet if feels solid in your hands. I keep it with me all the time, throwing it in my purse to take it down the street or across the country. It is dinged up, scratched, and slightly dented, but it just keeps going. Living in the Sacramento valley, I have also subjected it to some fairly extreme conditions -- from Tahoe snow to over 100 degrees F in the summer. It even fell in the water on a boating trip, and it's still going strong.

I chose this camera because of its many features. I especially wanted the option for video with sound, and originally thought I'd only be taking snapshots of people with it. However, this camera can do so much more. It has several condition settings, such as Beach+Snow for bright sun, Landscape, Landscape+Portrait, Portrait, Indoors, and even a Cuisine setting for food! I've also had fun with the Macro and Super Macro settings. For the ambitious and creative, you can vary the White Balance and Exposure Value for indoors, outdoors, and different lighting conditions. It also has a Stitch Panorama setting (for taking multiple photos of a wide or tall scene and stitching them together with Olympus software), and you can record sound with a picture. It will also shoot multiple frames at about 3 fps. The zoom range on it is decent -- you can take pix of landscapes yet still get rather close for action.

After two years, I have pretty much maxed out this camera's abilities and will be upgrading to the Canon EOS 40D. But I would definitely recommend this camera to a friend, and I'd buy it again for its price, features, and overall quality.



Rating :

Very disappointed.

I do not recommend this camera. After a short time, the barrier slider came loose, and I had to continually tighten the screws. They finally came out on their own and I had to pay $25 for the entire slider from Olympus just to get the screws. All I needed were the screws! After replacing the screws, the flash died. I got screwed, huh? And, as many of the other reviewers mention, this is a problem that many owners have. Same with the barrier slider. WHAT'S UP WITH OLYMPUS? I paid a lot of money for this camera and am very disappointed. I will never buy an Olympus product again. I recently purchased the Nikon D40 and am extremely happy with it.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 3.34-megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create prints up to 11 x 14
2. 3x optical plus 2.5x digital zoom lens with autofocus
3. Included 16 MB SmartMedia memory card holds 20 images at default resolution
4. Connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
5. Uses 2 CR-3V batteries, included, or 4 AA batteries, not included; features QuickTime movie mode with audio recording

Editorial Review :

An upgrade to Olympus's respected C-3030, the C-3040 adds a faster f1.8 lens and better USB connectivity to the extensive features it shares with its predecessor. The new f1.8-2.6 lens is clearly the central feature of the new model. According to Olympus, the lens lets the C-3040 shoot in lower light conditions, which allows you to shoot flash-free in more situations and increases the effective range of the flash. The 3.34 megapixel CCD in the C-3040 captures images at a resolution of 2048 x 1536, in both the JPEG and uncompressed TIFF formats, and a 32 MB internal buffer allows you to shoot at 3.3 frames per second at high resolution and low compression levels. Additionally, the camera can record short QuickTime movies with sound.

The camera can be operated in several modes: in programmed auto mode, the camera does everything for you; in aperture and shutter priority modes, you get to set the aperture or priority, and the camera does the rest; in full manual mode, you have control over all camera functions. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via the included USB cable, or viewed on your television using the included video cable. The camera includes USB storage class connectivity, which means it can be connected to any USB-based Windows Me/2000 and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software. The C-3040 also ships with two CR-3V batteries (four AA batteries can also be used), a 16 MB SmartMedia card, strap, remote control, and software.

Customer Review :

Awesome camera

I've shot lots of pictures using MF/AF film SLRs but always hated buying and developing film. SO I initially tried an HP digicam with horrible results. This drove me back to the film segment for a few years until I bought this camera used. It is fricking awesome. Yes it is a 6 year old design but do you REALLY need 8 megapixels for snapshots or family vacation pics. This camera takes better pics than the minolta slr it replaces. If you can find one in good shape, buy it!

Rating :

Best for the Bucks

This camera is incredible! With all the features it's one of the lowest priced and versitile camera's I've found (and I did alot of research before purchase). It's got BW, sephia, white board, black board and normal modes. You can adjust white balance, flash intensity (it also has an external flash output), shutter speed, ap. opening, picture format (HQ JPEG, SHG JPEG, TIFF, etc), etc. It's got a movie function that will record high quality video (better than my Sharp 8mm camcorder) and audio for upto five minutes! It's very easy to attach things like a wide angle or telescopic lens with a tube adaptor. It's a 3.3 megapixel camera, but Olympus has a better quality 3.3 than other cameras (I know, 3.3 is 3.3, but the pictures speak for them selves). It's got a tripod mount, timer, red-eye reduction, and remote control (that's right, it's got a remote control). It's got 3X optical zoom (meaning it uses lenses to zoom) and 2.5X digital zoom (meaning it blows up the image losing resolution). On top of all this, mine has taken a helluva beating (extreme cold, droppage, even mud), but there's no stopping it! You will love this camera!

Rating :

Best for the bucks in 3 MegaPixels......

I've owned this camera for 3 years and it's just great.
I paid almost $1000 for the camera and several accessories. But well worth it at that time. Now you can get it for under $500 new or under $300 used (just the camera). I've already sold the camera to move to a digital SLR but I still recommend this camera to friends and family.
I've printed 10x15'' photos with excellent quality, but I'm sure I can print even larger than that.
Night photos are great and the automatic exposure feature with its 1.8 lens would make you look like a professional photographer at nightlight.




Rating :

Olympus 3040

I have owned this camera now for several years. Takes great pictures. Lots of creative options when using. It just takes some time to learn them all. Only negative comment is that flash does not seem to carry for long distance. Pictures tend to be on the dark side. Close up flash pictures are great.

Rating :

Best 3 megapixel camera!

I was planning to upgrade my C-3040 and tried different 5 megapixels cameras, such as Canon G5, Nikon Coolpix 5700 and Olympus 5050. C-3040 made better focus pictures than G5 or Nikon 5700!!! Olympus 5050 made identical pictures and although it had more features and accepts more card formats I was not able to justify the upgrade.
This showed me I made a right choice purchasing this camera.

Rating :

More reviews...

1. 3.3 megapixel sensor captures enough detail to create prints up to 11 x 14
2. 3x optical plus 2.5x digital zoom lens with autofocus
3. Included 16 MB SmartMedia card holds 40 images at default resolution
4. Connects to Macs and PCs via USB port
5. Uses 4 AA or 2 disposable lithium batteries (4 AA alkalines included)

Customer Review :

Great Basic Digital Camera

I have owned this camera for approx. 18 month and I still love it. It is one of the easiest digital cameras to get to know and use. From the first day I got it I had it out of the box and shooting right away. It's that simple. The only negative factor of the camera is the lack of a Hot Shoe Flash option. The C3020Z has several flash options for various lighting conditions; however, I have grown in my photography and require more advanced lighting options. As a starter camera this is a perfect introduction to digital photography. It has certainly helped me to expand in my Digital skills and knowledge, but as I move towards being a Professional Amateur I have out grown this model. That's my $0.02.

Rating :

Old technology

This is a camera (similar to the C-3000) whose time has come and gone. It is old technology with a serious delay between shutter release and flash. It is very hard to take a low light picture without the person blinking due to the flash delay.

At only 3 MP, and very heavy/bulky to hold and carry, you can do much better with a more advanced newer model camera. The smart media cards the Olympus requires are very expensive (get a 128 MB but they're never on sale anymore) and fragile in contrast to the newer less expensive memory media available with other newer cameras.

Be aware that the 30-second movie clip mode does not record sound. The camera does have many features but they are not intuitive nor user friendly and most people will just point and shoot.

If you do buy this camera make sure you get a lens mount extender as you can damage the lens/motor if you accidentally turn on the camera with the lens cap on (motor makes a grinding noise).

This camera "eats" alkaline batteries, so you'll also need to get 4 NiMH batteries and a fast charger. I recently sold my C-3020 on an auction site after I bought a 5 MP Canon SD 450 from Amazon. The Canon is light years ahead of the Olympus and Amazon has an excellent price for it. You get what you pay for.

Rating :

Rare Item!

My girlfriends was damaged in an unfortunate accident, and she loved it so dearly, she did not want to upgrade. Thanks for the old camera, she is back in business taking photos of the grand-kids!

Rating :

an excellent camera

There are plenty of digital cameras that are smaller, lighter, more portable than this, but I wouldn't trade this camera for any of the newer models I've seen. This one is really easy to use (especially for basic functions such as still photos, use of zoom, photo viewing, and file transfer) and the manual is well-written and easy to understand. The picture quality is excellent, and to be honest is usually a lot better than I need. I generally end up saving the files at much lower resolution than possible, and still get clear quality images. Also an extremely durable camera in my experience...I have gone through many, but have been using this one for several years now, with no troubles beyond having to change the batteries once in a while. Highly recommended.

Rating :

basic, but great

I've had this camera for almost five years now and never once have I had any problems. It takes great pictures and is easy to use. It does eat up regular AA batteries but if you get rechargable they last for a long time. It's nothing fancy but still works wonders. Coming from someone who has had loads of experience with this particular camera I would say it is definately a good buy for someone looking for something basic but still good. The picture quality is amazing, I just uploaded three of my favorites taken on a trip to England that you can check out if you need to see for yourself.

Rating :

More reviews...