The “Break it Down” Blog

Introduction

Over the past few years I have burned through a couple of digital cameras, demolishing them to a pile of plastic and circuitry because of my active and outdoor lifestyle. I was ecstatic when I came across this camera, and picked it up on Amazon for a trip to Hawaii. This is a compact frame 10.1 megapixel camera sporting a nice 2.7″ display with 28mm-102mm 3.6x zoom. It is 3.7 x 0.8 x 2.4 inches and weighs in at 6.1 ounces and packs a multitude of features.The biggest ones of all being:

• Water Proof to 33ft
• Shock Proof for a fall from 6.6ft
• Crush proof to 220lbs
• Freeze proof to 14°F

Features and Specifications

• Face Detection
• “Shadow Adjustment Technology”
• Digital Image Stabilization
• ISO 80-1600
• Manometer (depth meter)
• VGA, 30fps movie mode, including underwater movie mode.
• 2cm Macro mode with LED illumination
• Self Timer
• XD memory cards (micro SD with supplied adapter)
• Water replant coated lens

Software

The built in shooting guide offers your photographer novice 29 quick select modes like “Night scene, Behind Glass, Sunset and Fireworks”. While the camera does not have as many as manual modes as a DSLR, you do get options for ISO, exposure level, and white balance. One other nice little feature is voice recording, which after taking the picture records a short audio clip that you can use for voice notes about each picture. One feature I was no so fond of was the Panorama mode, while being a good idea it fell short in execution. After setting the camera to panoramic mode you depress the shutter button and are prompted to move the camera left of right, and the camera will automatically snap the shot when you reach the end of the last frame and it will stitch it and save to the memory card. But the limitation is the size of the picture file, so your final stitched picture will only ever be as wide as a 10.1Mp file (3,648 pixels). You wind up with lower quality picture in the end and are better off just using photoshop or Windows Live Photo Gallery for its great stitching function.

Hardware

The large 2.7″ display is bright enough to be fully visible in broad daylight. While the mediocre 3.6x optical zoom might leave you not being able to get “close enough” the mechanics are all contained within and covered with a retracting metal shutter, so there is no lens to get snagged and broken off. The rechargeable battery life is very nice, I was able to snap over 180 pictures on a single charge. Start-up time is a decent 1.5 seconds from power to shutter. The camera is designed to be held in the right hand with the shutter/power buttons and mode wheel easily accessible with only 1 hand use. All of the doors protecting the various slots and ports are sealed with a rubber gasket, and have to potential to fail and be breached by water even by a grain of sand, so make sure you are not opening and closing the doors out in the field.

What’s in the Box

• Digital Camera
• Wrist Strap
• Lithium Ion rechargeable battery LI-50B (925mAh)
• Battery charge
• MicroSD to XD adapte
• AV Cable
• USB Cable
• Olympus Software Cd
• Basic Manual
• Advanced Manual

Conclusion

Overall I am very happy with the camera, it makes a great pocket multi-use camera suitable for many occasions. And hopefully it will be the last one I buy for a while.

Cost

If you watch the sales you can pick it up on amazon for just under $300. MSRP is $379

Areas of Improvement

• The data cable is not a standard usb-mini to usb, but a micro-av to usb. This makes getting the pictures off the camera say at a friends house somewhat troublesome. Why doesnt the industry standardize already!?
• Ability to charge the camera via the usb cable

Gallery

Video