Olympus C-2040 Zoom

Olympus "Super Bright" 3x optical zoom lens, 7.1 - 21.3 mm, F1.8 - F2.6 with 10 elements in 7 groups. (Equivalent to 40 - 120 mm lens on 35mm camera). Digital Zoom feature is 1 - 2.5x (up to 5x in VGA modes) seamless.

The C-2040 Zoom employs a TTL iESP autofocus system (contrast detection system) with Multi-point and Spot AF settings. It also has Single-servo and Continuous AF (only when the LCD is on) modes that are user selectable.

The autofocus system can be turned off and the focus adjusted manually with a distance readout on the LCD. The focus range (auto or manual) is :

Standard mode: 0.8 m - infinity         Macro mode: 0.2 m - infinity

The controls located on top are the shutter release which also has the zoom control ring around it. During playback the zoom control enables the thumbnail index and zoomed playback modes. The Mode Dial also serves as the camera's On/Off switch and has positions for Movie Record, A/S/M (Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority or Manual depending on how it is set up in the menu), Program AE, Off and Playback.

The monochrome data LCD is shown here with all possible icons illustrated. Unfortunately it is not illuminated - we will keep pointing this out until all of the manufacturers take the hint and add this much-needed feature!

The controls located on the back are the Flash mode button (Auto, red-eye reduction, fill-in or off) which also serves as the Delete button during playback. Below that is the Macro mode/Spot metering button that also lets you mark images with DPOF printing information in playback mode.

The 4-way selector switch is used for navigating menus, changing camera settings, selecting images and panning in zoomed playback mode. The "OK" button accepts menu selections and functions as the AE-Lock/Multi-spot metering button in Record mode and the Protect/Unprotect button in Playback mode. The large button in the center turns the color LCD display on/off and can also be used to jump quickly between Record and Playback modes. The bottom button calls up the onscreen menu system.

The C-2040 Zoom has a large and bright viewfinder with dioptric adjustment that shows about 93% of the final captured image. It is coupled to the zoom lens and has a set of focusing marks in the center. On the outside edge are two LED indicators, the green LED indicates focus condition and the amber one is for flash status.

On the left side are the I/O ports. On the top is the DC IN port for the optional AC power supply or external battery pack.

The VIDEO OUT port for connection to a TV or other video device. The video format is NTSC or PAL (determined by region where camera is sold).

High-speed USB and RS-232 serial port for image download.

A 5-pin connector to use the TTL-controlled Olympus FL-40 external flash.

On the right side built into the handgrip is the SmartMedia card slot. The C-2040 Zoom comes with an 8MB Olympus SmartMedia card with Panorama capability. Any size 3.3v SmartMedia card from 2MB to 64MB can be used.

The camera can be powered by the Olympus CR-V3 long-life lithium batteries (supplied) or by using AA type NiMH, alkaline, lithium or NiCd batteries.