Olympus C-2040 Zoom

The C-2040 Zoom continues the Olympus tradition of digital cameras that look and feel like conventional film cameras. The C-2040 is an updated C-2020 Zoom with the major feature being the faster F1.8 "Ultra Bright" zoom lens which not only improves the low-light performance but extends the flash working distance as well. It's nice to see a manufacturer actually improving one of their two-megapixel cameras rather than abandoning it which seems to be the trend. Two-megapixel cameras have more than enough image resolution for the average user who doesn't need to make prints larger than 8x10 inches.

Internal improvements include a new and improved 1/2-inch CCD, the latest Olympus iESP auto focus system with Spot AF and manual focus, ESP Multi-patterned and Spot metering modes plus a new Multi-Spot metering mode that I've never seen on any camera. It lets the user define up to 8 different points in the frame to take spot readings from and then calculates the exposure. Another nice improvement is in the software supplied, the USB driver lets the camera act as a drive resource on Windows 98 / 2000 / Me and Mac OS 8.6+ computers. I much prefer this to having to install proprietary software that "talks" to the camera, now you can use any file management utility to copy files from the camera to the hard drive.

Someone new to digital cameras feels right at home with the Olympus C-2000/3000 series as they don't really look "digital" except for the color LCD on the back. The Olympus cameras have always been excellent indoor/flash cameras and the C-2040 Zoom is no exception. Many cameras have a problem with flash pictures, close ups are washed out and anything beyond six to seven feet turns into a black hole. I so no such problems with the C-2040 Zoom, close ups of people's face were natural and when needed it seemed to have no problem lighting things up at ten feet or more. Normal daylight pictures are excellent and even indoor pictures taken in mixed lighting conditions are handled well by the auto white balance. For the purist you can always use the custom set white balance feature when shooting under these conditions.

The C-2040 Zoom has all the same exposure options as a good 35mm film camera. From fully automatic to fully manual with shutter speed and aperture priority in between. AE Bracketing insures that at least one picture from a series of 3 or 5 will be as close to "perfect" as possible. There are more than enough image size and quality choices to suit anyone's tastes and may even confuse you until you give the manual a good read. The uncompressed TIFF option can be used in any image size. The SQ1 and SQ2 modes can really stretch out your picture storage capabilities when all you need are snapshot- quality images. And for those that want it--the C-2040 zoom can capture up to 15 secs of 320x240 or 66 secs of 160x120 motion-JPEG video but there's no sound because the camera lacks a microphone.

Olympus has dropped the infrared remote and the rechargeable batteries out of the standard package. We all like to save money but these are not exactly "options" in my mind, especially the batteries. Olympus has been pushing their CR-V3 lithium batteries which are nice and do last longer than alkalines but they're still one-use and fairly expensive. Let's get back to NiMH rechargeables and save our local landfills for something other than batteries. If you've read my other reviews then you know that I am always urging the manufacturers to add IR remote controls. The circuitry for the camera and the handheld remote itself are items that cost next to nothing these days. If the camera outputs video to a TV set then it should come with a remote so that playback can be controlled from the other side of the room. Another frequent complaint (suggestion) is the data LCD on top of the camera is not illuminated. This is another item that wouldn't cost much to add and would be greatly appreciated by the consumers.

The bottom line is image quality, ease of use and value and I'd have to rate the C-2040 Zoom as very good to excellent in all of these categories. Most digicam users will find that the two-megapixel resolution of the C-2040 Zoom will be more than adequate for their picture-taking needs. It makes photo-quality prints up to 8x10" with no problem when partnered with a good photo printer. This is a well-matured camera currently in its third generation and it shows it, the pictures speak for themselves - have a look at my samples.