The Control Dial is rotated while holding down any "direct" button to change its settings. In Program AE or any Scene mode it is used to perform Program Shift. In Aperture mode it varies the aperture value, in Shutter speed mode and Manual mode it varies the shutter speed. The Custom 1, 2 and 3 setup options reconfigure the Control Dial to perform other tasks when desired.

The Quick View button is for fast review of the image taken last. The 4-way "Arrow Pad" is for navigating menus, changing settings and selecting playback images. The OK button accepts menu selections and calls up the menu. The Monitor button selects the EVF or LCD for display and controls the amount of data displayed on it. The CF/xD button selects the desired storage media.

On top is the Power on/off button, the zoom lens control (functions as the index and zoomed playback control in play mode.) The Mode Dial has positions for Program AE, Aperture priority, Shutter priority, Manual, My Mode, Movie, Night Scene, Landscape, Landscape+Portrait, Sports, Portrait, Setup and Playback mode. The Custom direct button can be easily programmed to perform your favorite function.

The shutter release is angled along the front edge and is very comfortable to operate. The AEL (auto exposure lock) button is now on the front.

The majority of the "direct buttons" can be found on the left side of the camera. Out towards the front (top to bottom) are the pop-up flash release button, the white balance (WB) button and the Image Resolution button. On the back near the top is the Selftimer/Remote button (the Delete button in play mode.)

Angled on the side is the Focus mode button (the Protect button in play mode). The larger of the buttons below it is the Exposure Compensation button (the Info button in play) and next to that is the Flash mode button (the Rotate button in play). Holding down both the Exposure comp and Flash mode buttons lets you adjust the amount flash output power. And on the bottom is the Metering mode button (the DPOF button in play.)

When changing any of the settings with the "direct" buttons you will see a virtual dial display like this on the LCD or EVF.

On the back are the I/O ports: DC INput for optional AC adapter, USB 2.0 data port and an A/V output, video is NTSC or PAL, audio is monaural.

The C-8080 stores its images on xD-Picture Card or CompactFlash Type I or II cards including Microdrives. The C-8080 is FAT-32 compatible so it can make use of high-capacity CF cards and Microdrives that exceed 2GB.   I have personally tested it with the new 2.2GB and 4GB Microdrives.

The CF2 and xD slots can be occupied simultaneously and selected by pressing the CF/xD button on the back of the camera. Olympus includes a 32MB xD-Picture Card with panorama function.

The C-8080Z is powered by a BLM-1 7.2V 1500mAh Li-ion rechargeable battery pack. This battery supplies more power than four AA type batteries, is lighter in weight and performs better in lower temperatures. The small and portable BCM-2 AC charger is included.

The optional Power Battery Holder B-HLD30 can hold one or two BLM-1 Li-ion batteries and features a portrait grip and shutter release button (with lock) and a zoom control lever. The holder has a space to store an additional xD-Picture Card. In addition to extending the camera's runtime, the B-HLD30 provides a more secure grip when using heavy auxilliary lenses and speedlights.

One of my favorite Olympus accessories, an infrared remote control. This allows you to trip the shutter in record mode for self-portraits and is also handy when doing macro shots on a tripod.