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Olympus Olympus Camedia C-3040 Zoom 16MB 2048X1536

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Bottom Line

The C-3040 is a sturdy camera that should meet the needs of digital photographers who like automatic cameras, but want some control over their imaging.

Olympus Camedia C-3040 Zoom

Olympus Camedia C-3040 Zoom 16MB 2048X1536 Review, by Tracey Capen, PCWorld.com March 23, 2001

WHAT'S HOT: Though somewhat brick-like in shape, the all-black-bodied C-3040 has a comfortable and rugged feel, with a four-cell battery compartment that makes a solid right-handed grip. The C-3040 also sports a fast f1.8 lens and takes QuickTime video clips with sound. An extensive list of exposure controls runs the gamut from full auto to shutter and aperture priority, and to a full manual mode that's especially easy to use.

When you're shooting in bright sunlight, viewing the LCD screen of many digital cameras is a painful act of squinting and trying to shade the display. The C-3040's LCD seems brighter than most, and with its simple and easy-to-read text-based menu system, you can work in sunlight with little difficulty.

Quick reviews of shots you've just taken are especially easy on the C-3040. You double-press the button that turns on the LCD, and the last shot you took pops up. The thumb-pad navigation buttons let you scroll through all of your images and selectively delete the rejects. We also like the dual-function zoom control: In review mode, it lets you quickly switch from a nine-shot thumbnail view to one of several magnifications of a single shot (up to 3X).

WHAT'S NOT: Most of the controls are in menus, which slows down your shooting if you need to make some basic adjustments, such as changing the image resolution or switching between aperture-priority and shutter-priority modes. The only two dedicated exposure control buttons handle the flash mode and the spot-meter/macro modes.

Some minor annoyances make this camera less of a pleasure to use. Forget to take the lens cap off when you turn on the camera, and you get a lot of grinding and beeping as the camera tries to extend the lens and then finally warns you there's a problem. Kodak's DC3400 handles this a bit better, with a tethered, soft rubber cap that pops off when the lens extends from the camera body. (A related problem with both cameras is that you cannot put the lens cap on while the camera is in shooting mode.) Our final quibble is with the zoom, which works noisily and slowly.

Setting the resolution is also frustrating: Whenever we turned the camera off (to save power) and then back on again, it would not save the high-resolution setting we wanted to use--it kept reverting to a lower resolution. We later discovered that we had to change one of the user-defined settings buried deep in the menus to make the higher resolution stick.

WHAT ELSE: The C-3040 produces images that rank slightly better than those of most of the digital cameras we've reviewed. In our jury tests it slightly outscored both the nearly identical Camedia C-2040 and Olympus's power-shooter camera, the E-10. The C-3040's images showed good detail and accurate exposures. In flash and outdoor shots, colors looked bright and accurate, though some of the images with lots of blue sky had an overall bluish cast.

Power options abound in the C-3040. The camera comes with two long-life, disposable 3-volt lithium battery packs (CR-V3), but you can also insert four standard AA batteries, get optional NiMH rechargeable cells, or connect the camera to AC with an optional adapter.

Though navigating through the camera's menu system is relatively simple, a few functions drove us back to the user manual more than once. Figuring out the manual focus, for example, took careful reading, and even after we understood how it was supposed to work we found it cumbersome to use.

There is no shortage of extras with this camera, including a remote control for the shutter release, an automatic exposure lock, auto-bracketing, the ability to add audio notes to images, manual focus, sequence shooting, and preset white-balance options. And unlike the C-2040, this model offers both USB and serial connections; the C-2040 is limited to the former.

BEST USE: The C-3040 is a sturdy camera that should fit the needs of digital photographers who like their cameras automatic but want some control over their imaging.

SUMMARY

Olympus Camedia C-3040 Zoom

3.34 megapixels; 2048 by 1536 maximum resolution; 35mm to 105mm focal range (35mm equivalent); f1.8 to f10 aperture range; shutter speeds from 16 seconds to 1/800 second; optical and LCD viewfinders; serial, USB, and video connections; bundled 16MB SmartMedia card; two 3-volt disposable lithium batteries (can also use four AAs); 13.7 ounces with batteries; Camedia Master 2.5 software. One-year parts and labor warranty, toll-free support for 13 hours on weekdays.

$799
800/622-6372
www.olympus.com

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User Reviews From Around the Web

Reviewed by: khchao

Strengths: packed with features, hand grip, fast lens, ease of use, versatility of lens add-ons., clean and crisp professional pictures at an affordable price

Weaknesses: Battery hog, lens cap blockage, add on longer lenses may cause shadow in lower left corner, smartmedia being phased out of use may cause availability limitations, shutter a little slow for quick shots

Overall: I've used many of my friends digital cameras before, but none truly feel as substantial and of great a quality as the Olympus 3040. I did plenty of research on the various cameras available, but decided on the 3040 for the reasons listed above. The super-bright f1.8 lens was a big factor in choosing the camera, since, inherent with many digital cameras is having a weak stock flash. The brighter lens compensates for much of the flash insufficiencies, though the flash is pretty good on its own. My 3040 has seen a multitude of shooting situations around the world and has performed superbly. The availability of manual settings truly helps once you know what they all mean. Tweaking manual settings can help you achieve greater effects and get better pictures when shooting conditions are not ideal or unique. The other day, I was shooting in an auditorium in low lighting and using the zoom feature. I noticed the pitures were a bit blurry (probably due to the strong add-on zoom and no tripod, or so I thought). I decided to move the ISO setting manually to 800. Apparently the 3040 auto settings had chosen something lower because my subsequent shots were much better. Both point and shooters as well as serious photography enthusiasts will appreciate the 3040. It's a highly rated camera and serves well in almost all conditions. The phasing out of smartmedia is of concern, but just buy some more to stock up and you should be okay.
Reviewed by: Barrybuss

Strengths: Many Features, Lens, Easy to use, Feels good in hands, solid.

Weaknesses: the Lense Cap thing.....

Overall: Other than the thing with the lens cap having to be removed before you turn the cam on, I have nothing bad to say about it. It works great, Takes super clear pictures. Very easy to use.. The Remote Control is cool.
Reviewed by: Ginsnap

Strengths: The f1.8 Super Bright Lens, size & weight, Zoom lever being attached to shutter release button on the top front of camera.

Weaknesses: Lens Design/Lens Cap: You can ruin the camera motor by accidentally turning the camera on without removing the lens cap. Bought tube adapter and UV filter; keep them on at all times.

Overall: This camera outshines all cameras in its class because of the fast f1.8 lens that compensates for low light. Also purchased 128 Mb SmartMedia card, Monster Rechargeable Battery Kit, SanDisk Card Reader, and a Casio Dig. Camera case. Most of my shots are done on "P" (automatic) mode and are excellent. I did lots of research before purchasing this camera and am very pleased with it. It handles nicely and there's a place to put your fingers, unlike some of the tiny cameras out there.
Reviewed by: aeloa

Strengths: Bang for the buck. so much quality in a reasonable price. super fast lens. Great pics in low light. easy to use

Weaknesses: Batteries (we fixed that by buying monster power) to little memory included (16mb) we fixed that when Costco had a sale (128 mb for $43)

Overall: Awesome camera, my wife took a picture on the beach at dust and she accidentally turned off the flash, the picture came out clear as a whistle. We had no problems setting up the camera or downloading to our computer. The pictures taken were outstanding even the macro shots were of very high detail. Their defaults are set so all you have to do is point and shoot. But yet they give you the power to tweak any shot you take (Powerful). The camera feels good in our hands and is definitely a keeper.
Reviewed by: joe37

Strengths: Quite a bit of photo power for its size

Weaknesses: No panoramic function unless Olympus media is used.

Overall: Great camera for the price. I've already burned quite a few CD's of photos. Obviously the 16M card that comes with it will need to be upgraded, but smart media is relatively cheap. The 3 megapixel range is great for printing out 8X10's. Connecting the camera via USB to my G4 was a breeze.

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