Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom

I've been wanting to get into digital photography since Prosumer digicams hit the 5mp mark. Coming from Contax(Zeiss)/Rollei/Minolta/Canon rangefinders and SLRs, I didn't think the small 7mp sensor in the Oly C7070 would be satisfying. Wow... was I wrong! Peasantly surprised, the C7070 is completely capable of being a serious camera. Of course, it can't rival the responsiveness of film cameras but it's fast enough in its class. Originally my intention was to buy the Canon G6. However, I decided on the Oly after reading numerous reviews and comparisons. Both digicams use the same image sensor (Sony) but their own lenses; and both provide excellent image quality as well as the option of shooting in RAW. The Oly lens is ~1 stop slower than the Canon, 2.8 vs 2.0 respectively. I prefer Oly's wider angle (27mm), which is rare for digicams in this price range. Feature and option wise, Olympus is ahead of Canon (see below). However, more features and customization capability also make the C7070 a steeper learning curve, which once mastered is quite rewarding. For example, I configured My Modes 1-4 so that the C7070 shoots quickly, almost like a manual rangefinder. Some of the other features I like a lot are: high-res LCD, accurate built-in flash, great Macro range, long battery life, solid magnesium body and value - $100+ cheaper than its competition. You can buy a dedicated flash unit and 1gb CF card for the amount saved! Bads are slow RAW/Tiff write speeds (though slightly above average in its class). Against the Canon G6, the C7070 has a slower lens, complex menus and limited software.

+ Wide angle lens + Hi-resolution LCD + Awesome Macro (1.2" min focus distance!) + Image quality + Excellent noise supression (ISO 200-400) + Long battery life + Excellent flash accuracy & features + Accepts xD & CF cards + Screw-on filter (w/o adapter) + Build quality (magnesium body) + Controls/options rival entry-level dSLR + Very Wide/Tele converters (option) + Battery pack (option) + Best value in its class of performance

- Slow RAW/Tiff write speeds - Slower lens than G6 - Complicated menu compared to G6 - Software can be better

none

none

This is the first semi-pro digital camera that I've owned and I'm amazed by the quality and features that this little camera has. You can use it as a completely automatic "point and shoot" and as you get familiar with the camera, you can really take advantage its manual features. It delivers the high quality pictures that Olympus is known for.

• The camera can be used simply as a "point and shoot" or you can get professional results with the full manual settings and extra features. • Long-lasting battery. • Small size for the amount of features available. • It uses XD and compact flash memory card. (Two slots, one for each.) • wide range soom provide great benefit for interior and landscape shooting and motor-driven zoom moves smoothly and quietly through its range.

• 32 mb memory card that comes with it is a joke. • a little slow between shots for sport/action pictures.

none yet

none yet