Cameras
Camcorders
Cell Phones
Components
Desktops
HDTV
Home Theater
GPS
Laptops
Monitors
MP3 Players
Networking &
Printers
Storage
Print
Digg
Twitter
Facebook
More…
Olympus C-5000 Zoom Digital Camera (Olympus-225415)
| Overall rating | 79 |
| Image quality: To gauge picture quality, we take a series of shots, with and without flash, at the camera's highest resolution and at its default automatic settings. We photograph a complex still life and a mannequin to see how well each camera captures details and subtle colorings such as skin tones. A panel of judges reviews the on-screen and printed photos and assigns image-quality scores; we then average those scores. | Good |
| Ease of use | Very good |
| Features | Good |
| Maximum effective pixels/resolution | 5 megapixels/2560 by 1920 |
| Bundled media | 32MB XD-Picture Card |
| Focal range (35mm equivalent) | 38mm to 114mm |
| Optical zoom | 3X |
| Maximum aperture (wide-angle/telephoto) | N/A |
| Aperture range (wide-angle/telephoto) | f2.8 to f8/f4.8 to f8 |
| Shutter speed range (seconds) | 16 seconds to 1/1000 second |
| Viewfinders | Optical viewfinder, 1.8-inch LCD |
| Video and audio recording | 320 by 240 video without audio; up to 32 seconds per clip |
| Semiautomatic/manual modes | Six scene modes; aperture-priority, shutter-priority, manual modes; manual focus |
| Continuous shooting speed | Up to 1.7 frames per second for a maximum of 4 frames |
| Optional lenses | Wide-angle and telephoto |
| Software | Olympus Camedia Master |
| Other features | N/A |
| Battery score | Fair |
| Battery life | 246 shots |
| Battery number and type (included with camera) | One rechargeable lithium ion |
| Dimensions (width by depth by height), weight | 4.1 by 1.8 by 2.9 inches, 9.7 ounces |
| Support policy score | Good |
| Support policies | One-year parts and labor warranty; 13-hour weekday toll-free support |
Olympus C-5000 Zoom
C-5000 Zoom Digital Camera (Olympus-225415) Review, by Tracey Capen December 19, 2003
Olympus's silver C-5000 straddles the line between a high-end point-and-shoot and a low-end advanced camera. It has a full-automatic mode that's best for quick shots or casual photographers. But it also comes with higher-end features, such as a hot shoe for an external flash, and a full set of manual and semiautomatic exposure modes (aperture- and shutter-priority, and manual). And it supports the noncompressed TIFF image format.
The C-5000 also accepts optional wide-angle and telephoto converter lenses--all of which place it in our advanced camera category. And at $450, the C-5000 is one of the least-expensive 5-megapixel cameras we've seen, a bargain given the range of creative controls you get with it.
Based on our tests, this model is capable of fine photographs. It earned above-average scores overall (except for average battery life) and received its highest marks for image sharpness. Our flash shot produced skin tones that were a touch cold, but overall, the exposure was spot-on and the reds and blues were vibrant. Our photo of a complex still life had bright whites and pleasing colors.
Like other Olympus cameras we've seen recently, the C-5000 has well-designed controls and menus and a solid feel. And its optical zoom is quiet and silky. You can quickly choose one of six scene settings from the mode dial on top of the camera. Shortcut buttons control the flash, macro, and exposure-value options. The white balance selections are better than most cameras' we see in this price category. The C-5000 has the usual presets and white balance calibration, plus another option that lets you tweak the color temperature toward either red or blue.
The C-5000 feels relatively light, but it's not a pocket camera by any means. It's also not an especially quick camera to use. The focus seemed a bit slow, and the camera's boot time is 4 to 5 seconds. It does not have a focus-assist beam, so focusing in very low light was especially sluggish. When you want to lock in custom settings, you often have to go into the menus--switching between aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and manual exposure modes, for example. Still, the menus are easy to work through, and getting up to speed on the camera's many options should take little time.
Upshot: Fine imaging and a bargain price make the C-5000 a good choice for photographers who want creative control over their camera but have a tight budget.
Tracey Capen
Show Less 
0 Comments | 0 Topics | Print Only This Review
User Reviews
Review Now! Already own it? Tell us What You Think
User Reviews From Around the Web
-
Reviewed by: jvfishermi
Strengths: Good overall photo quality. Ease of use.
Weaknesses: Flash. Size of unit.
Overall: Overall, a very good camera. My 3 oldest kids (9,7,5) all can take great pictures with it and can use it easily. While I said the size was a weakness, it is also a positive in that with small cameras they tend to break easier and are a little more difficult to use the controls. All of the controls are easy to use.
-
Reviewed by: CAW
Strengths: Beautiful outdoor daylight pictures
Weaknesses: Poor shots in all indoor or low light situations, poor quality when zooming in, especially if indoors. Pictures are very grainy/noisy.
Overall: I would not recomend this camera to anyone who wants good pictures (especially scrapbookers). I have sent it back to Olympus twice to have it looked at, they have updated the firmware, changed the lense and fixed some other minor thing and it is still no better. I was told to take pictures on a higher resloution, apparently HQ isn't good enough!? I am very disappointed with this camera, and I had always heard the Olympus was the way to go when buying a digital camera, well, not this one.
-
Reviewed by: sonyatong
Strengths: very clear
Weaknesses: a little big
Overall: good to use, easy to handle. The picture is very clear. It is a really good camera. Compare to other same function camera, it is cheap. LCD is big. Easy to look. Great camera.
-
Reviewed by: heraldonline
Strengths: Very good image quality. many features and manual adjustments. The best for the price.
Weaknesses: No Auto focus assist lamp, slow start up time.
Overall: A true bargain $400 for a camera with so many resources of manual adjustments and excellent image quality. I think those that didn't get good results with her need to read the manual of instructions better and to familiarize with the manual adjustments, or then they received a defective unit. Not always it is gotten good results in the automatic way, in any camera. The intensity of the flash can be adjusted or an external unit can be used for better results. And if you want to record video whith audio, buy a digital camcorder and not a photographic one.
-
Reviewed by: brandix
Strengths: Features, size, location of flash, flexibility, ease of use, size of display, durability
Weaknesses: not aware of any at this time
Overall: I bought this camera because it offered a lot of features for a reasonable price. The fact is has 5 megapixels is a plus as I like to enlarge photos and retain quality. I've had good experience with Olympus in the past and anticipate a similar experience with this camera. I like the camera's features and it's ease of use. It has all that I was looking for in a camera yet still maintains its compactness. Very nice camera! Will recommend to others.
Shop for the Olympus C-5000 Zoom Digital Camera (Olympus-225415)
Sorry, the product you requested isn't currently available from any of our sellers.
Cameras similar to the Olympus C-5000 Zoom Digital Camera (Olympus-225415)
We recommend these Cameras for their similarities to the Olympus C-5000 Zoom Digital Camera (Olympus-225415) in features, specs, ratings, and user interest.
 |
|
Latest Prices » |
 |
|
Latest Prices » |
 |
|
Latest Prices » |
 |
|
Latest Prices » |
 |
|
Latest Prices » |
 |
|
Latest Prices » |
 |
|
Latest Prices » |
 |
|
Latest Prices » |
 |
|
Latest Prices » |
 |
|
Latest Prices » |
- Before you buy
- How to Buy a Digital Camera
People who looked at the Olympus C-5000 Zoom Digital Camera (Olympus-225415) also looked at:
Start New Topic Don't see the answer to your question? Ask it here!
