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Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom Digital Camera

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Performance
Image quality: To gauge picture quality, we take a series of shots, with and without flash, at 640 by 480 resolution and at the camera's highest resolution. 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.	Outstanding
Ease of use	Very Good
Features	Very Good
Maximum effective pixels/resolution	8.0 megapixels at 3264 by 2248
Bundled media	32MB XD-Picture Card plus CompactFlash slot
Optical zoom/Focal range (35mm equivalent)	5X/28mm to 140mm
Aperture range	Wide-angle: f2.4 to f8; telephoto: f3.5 to f8
Shutter speed range (seconds)	15 seconds to 1/4000 second
Viewfinders	Electronic viewfinder, 1.8-inch LCD display
Video and audio recording	640 by 480 video with audio, clip length limited by size of media
Semi-automatic/manual modes	Four scene modes; aperture-priority, shutter-priority, and manual modes; manual focus
Continous shooting speed (at highest JPEG setting)	1.6 frames per second for a maximum of 5 frames
Optional lenses	Wide-angle and telephoto
Software	Olympus Camedia Master
Battery score	Outstanding
Battery life: Battery life testing cut off at 500 shots	458 shots
Battery number and type	One rechargeable lithium ion
Dimensions (w/d/h) and weight	4.9 by 3.9 by 3.3 inches; 25.6 ounces
Support policy score	Good
Support policies	One-year parts and labor warranty; 13-hour weekday toll-free support

User Reviews for Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom Digital Camera

Reviewed by: fyigmokid

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Macro ability. Extensive exposure/camera settings. Image quality. CF and xD card capability. Size and weight.

Weaknesses: Manual focus on distant objects. Battery meter. Menu system.

Overall Evaluation: This is the most awesome camera you can buy for the price. I have the highest praise for this camera, and in almost two years of ownership have only had one issue (exposure sensor went bad), which was very quickly fixed under warranty by Olympus. The only real negative thing I have to say is regarding the battery meter. There's no graduated indicator like you have on other cameras, cell phones, or other electronic devices that tell you there's 60% left, etc. On this camera you have a green indicator for the battery, then, suddenly, it turns red and starts blinking that battery is almost dead. That can be a real pain when you're engrossed in photographing something and aren't mentally keeping track of either how long the camera has been on or how many photos you've taken, and like Murphy's Law the battery WILL die at the most inopportune time. At any rate, overall that's still a small issue and I absolutely love this camera. I highly recommend it to any serious photographer who wants to go digital.
Reviewed by: jimmm

Duration of ownership:

Strengths: Great picture quality. Solid feel. Lots of bang for the buck.

Weaknesses: No manual focus. No image stabilization. Auto focus a problem in low light.

Overall Evaluation: Given my large hands, when holding this camera, because it?s heavy, small and rounded I?m always worried I?m going to drop it. A neck or wrist strap pretty much protects against this, but combine this worry with no image stabilization and I?ve basically relegated it to studio work where it always sits on a tripod. I?ve been using it for a little over a year. At first it had truly remarkable battery life, but recently that?s changed. This sounds like a lot of negatives, but pictures is what cameras all about and the superb 8MP images, combined with a solid feel and the price makes for a fine camera