Quantcast
PC World: Technology Advice You Can Trust
Find a Review
Free Newsletters
Receive the latest reviews, how-to's, news, and more.
Digital Focus
Digital Gear Review
Bargain Bulletin
WiFi Finder
Locate wireless services by a specific address, city, state, country, airport, or zip code.
RSS Feeds
Get our latest content via convenient RSS feeds.
Digital Cameras
Become a PCW Member
Join the community and start enjoying the benefits:
  • Get tech advice from thousands of PC World Members
  • Rate and recommend the latest tech products
  • Share your thoughts in blog and article comments
  • Get free excerpts and exclusive discounts on Super Guides
Reviews: Point-and-shoot Cameras
Olympus FE 280
Max. Megapixels: 8 • Optical Zoom: 3X • Zoom Range Min. (mm): 36 • Zoom Range Max. (mm): 108 • Weight (ounces): 3.9 • Media Slots: xD-Picture Card • Price When Reviewed: $200
Olympus FE 280 (Front)
Olympus FE 280 (Front)
Olympus FE 280 (Back)
Olympus FE 280 (Side)
Olympus FE 280 (Top)
75.8 Good
Last updated
April 11, 2008
Test Center Reviewed by
Narasu Rebbapragada
Pros
  • Can show multi-frame preview of effects
  • Slim and lightweight
Cons
  • Smile Shot feature doesn’t always work
  • Only-average image quality
Pricing: Inexpensive: $200 (10/19/2007)
Performance: Good: 78
Features: Fair: 60
Design: Good: 79
Pricing
Inexpensive: $200  
Performance
Good: 78  
Battery
Battery Life Score Good 
Number of Batteries
Number of Shots 252 
Battery Life 138.5 
Image Quality Tests (Max. points = 100)
Image Quality Score Good 
Image Quality, Color 60.3 
Image Quality, Exposure 61.1 
Image Quality, Exposure--Flash 55.3 
Image Quality, Exposure--Normal 63.6 
Image Quality, Sharpness 43 
Image Quality, Distortion 61 
Image Quality, Overall 55.7 
Features
Fair: 60  
Imaging
Max. Megapixels
Maximum Resolution 3264 by 2448 
Optical Zoom 3X 
Zoom Range Min. (mm) 36 
Zoom Range Max. (mm) 108 
Highest Shutter Speed 2000 
Lowest Shutter Speed 0.5 
Wide-Angle Aperture Maximum 3.1 
Telephoto Aperture Maximum 5.9 
Manual Focus No 
Interchangeable Lens No 
Accessory Lens No 
Hardware
LCD Screen Size (inches) 2.5 
Dimensions 3.6 by 2.2 by 0.65 
Weight (ounces) 3.9 
Viewfinder None 
Image Stabilization Software 
Media Slots xD-Picture Card 
Starter Media or Internal RAM Yes 
Battery Type Rechargeable lithium ion 
Charging Dock No 
Remote Control No 
Flash Shoe No 
Controls
Scene Modes 21 
Aperture Priority No 
Shutter Priority No 
Full Manual Exposure Control No 
White-Balance Calibration No 
White-Balance Bracketing No 
Exposure Bracketing No 
ISO Range ISO 50 to ISO 1600 
Flash Slow Sync No 
File & Printing Formats
Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) Yes 
PictBridge Yes 
File Formats JPEG 
Warranty & Support
Labor Warranty (years) One 
Parts Warranty (years) One 
Weekday Support Hours 13 
Saturday Support Hours
Sunday Support Hours
Toll-Free Support Yes 
Reliability & Service
Summary of results for all of brand's products in this category Reliability and support are average, but Olympus cameras aren't easy enough to use, readers report. Olympus got dinged for poor usability in our last R&S survey, too. 
Reliability of brand's products in this category
Reports of product arriving with problems Average 
Reports of products with any significant problems Average 
Reports of problems that render a product unusable Average 
Buyers' rating of product's Worse than Average 
Overall satisfaction with reliability of brand's products in category Average 
Service & Support Quality
Overall quality of vendor's phone support Average 
Reports of problems unresolved after contacting service Average 
Overall quality of service Average 
Design
Good: 79  

PC World's Marketplace

PC World's Free Whitepapers

Name City
Address 1 State Zip
Address 2 E-mail (optional)