|
 Click to take a QuickTime tour of the 490Z
Recording mode options let you choose the quality and size of your images;
1600 x 1200 SHQ in uncompressed TIFF or low compression JPEG, 1600 x 1200
HQ in standard compression JPEG or two 640 x 480 SQ modes, one is highly
compressed for email attachments. QuickTime movie recording options lets you
capture up to 60 seconds in SQ mode or up to 15 seconds in HQ mode.
 The stylish, compact and lightweight D-490 Zoom closed up and ready to slip in your pocket and go. You never need to worry about losing the lens cap. When you slide back the protective lens barrier the camera automatically turns on, close it to turn it off.
Advanced features include selectable Digital "ESP" matrix or spot metering,
Automatic Exposure with +/- 2-step exposure control in 1/2-step increments,
equivalent ISO settings of Auto, 100, 200 and 400, White Balance (Full TTL
Automatic, Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten and Fluorescent)
 New on the D-460/490 is the 4-way jog switch used on other Olympus cameras. There's a high-resolution, 1.8-inch, Wide-View LCD that displays images in brighter light and at greater angles than standard LCD displays, and uses less power.
When the camera is first powered up in Record mode the color LCD is off but can
be turned on by pressing the LCD control button on the back. The D-490 displays
very little information on the LCD, all pertinent camera settings are shown on
the data LCD on the top.
The D-490 Zoom follows the same basic design as many of Olympus' other
digital cameras and their Stylus line of compact film cameras.
The bottom of the D-490 is flat and the only things found here are the battery door (see
below) and the tripod socket. The latter is rather badly located to the opposite side
of the camera from the batteries and makes for a somewhat unstable mount.
Olympus lens 5.4 - 16.2mm, F2.8-F4.4, 8 elements in 6 groups and Digital
telephoto 1.6x, 2x, 2.5x (at any focal length).
For closeup photography switch to macro mode and shoot as close as 8 inches.
 The zoom lever is located on the top of the camera and easily actuated with your index finger without taking your eye off the viewfinder. In play mode it toggles between thumbnail and zoom playback.
The user controls are minimal as this is basically a point-n-shoot type of
digital camera.
Starting at the top is the LCD control button to turn the color LCD on or off. It can also be used to go from Rec to Play mode by quickly pushing it twice. Next is the Menu button which calls up or discards the menu system. The 4-way jog switch is used for navigating the menus, scrolling around a zoomed playback image, selecting pictures to display or as Quick Focus presets of 8ft and infinity.
The OK button accepts menu selections.
 The three buttons across the top edge of the back are dual purpose, their functions change depending on whether you are in Rec or Play mode.
(Left to right) Flash mode/Delete, Selftimer/DPOF, Macro and Digital Zoom/Protect.
View your subjects clearly with either the real-image optical zoom
viewfinder (with dioptric correction) or with the Wide-View color LCD. The optical viewfinder
shows about 85% of the captured image.
The monochrome data LCD on the top indicates recording mode, number of remaining
pictures, flash modes, self-timer, battery check, macro mode, spot metering mode,
exposure compensation, white balance, burst mode, image sharpness and panorama
mode.
 When you need some extra light just pop up the 5-mode flash:
The D-490 Zoom comes with an 8MB card and can use 8, 16, or 32 MB 3.3v Olympus SmartMedia cards for exposure lock, panorama "stitching" functions.
Other brands of
3.3v Smartmedia up to 64MB can be used but you will not be able to use the camera's panorama
mode.
 I/O ports include a standard RS-232 serial port for PC or Mac computers. NTSC video out for connection to TV, VCR or other video devices. And a DC power input jack for the optional AC power supply or external battery packs.
Sadly lacking here is a USB port. You will grow old (literally) waiting for
this camera to download high resolution images to the computer via the serial
port. A card reader is a mandatory accessory.
 Powered by four AA size batteries, NiMH is recommended for optimal performance. Olympus sells an optional kit with four NiMH batteries and a compact charger. |
| Olympus D-490 Zoom Specifications | |
| Type: | Digital camera with 4.5cm/1.8-inch color TFT LCD monitor |
| Memory: | Removable 3V (3.3V) SmartMediaTM (SSFDC) card (2MB, 4 MB, 8MB, 16MB, 32MB and 64MB); One 8MB card including Panorama function is supplied with camera |
| Number of storable frames with 8MB SmartMediaTM card: |
|
| Recording system: | JPEG (DCF), TIFF (non-compress) |
| Image pickup element: | 1/2.7-inch CCD solid-state image pickup, 2.11 megapixel |
| Recording Image: | 1600x1200 pixel (SHQ/HQ mode); 640x480 pixel (SQ1/2 mode) |
| Lens: | Olympus lens 5.4 - 16.2mm, F2.8 - F4.4, 8 elements in 6 groups (Equivalent to 35-105mm lens on 35mm camera) including 2 aspherical lenses |
| Focusing: | TTL system auto focus, one-touch focus (2.5m & Infinity) |
| Working range: | 20cm - 80cm (Macro mode), 80cm - infinity; LCD finder is turnd on automatically in Macro mode |
| Digital Telephoto: | Digital 1.6x, 2x, 2.5x Tele at any focal length is possible |
| Photometric system: | TTL digital ESP metering with imager, spot metering possible |
| Sensitivity: | Auto, Equivalent to ISO 100, 200 and 400 fix selectable |
| Exposure control: | Programmed auto exposure (± 2Ev by 1/2Ev steps exposure compensation possible) |
| Aperture: | Wide; F2.8 or F8, Tele F4.4 or F8.6 (Auto select) |
| Shutter: | 1/2 - 1/1000 sec. mechanical shutter |
| White balance: | Full Auto TTL, Pre-set (daylight, overcast, tungsten light, fluorescent light) |
| Viewfinder: | Optical real image zoom viewfinder, LCD monitor |
| LCD monitor: | 4.5cm/1.8-inch color TFT with 61,000 pixel (brightness adjustment is possible) |
| Display mode: | One frame, slide-show mode, index-display mode (4/9/16 frames), close-up display, file-name |
| Motion picture mode: |
|
| Flash mode: | (manual) Pop-up Flash: Auto (low- and back-light), Red-eye reducing, Off, Fill-in, Slow synchronization, Slow synchronization and red-eye reduction |
| Flash working range: | Wide; 0.2 - 4.0m, Tele; 0.2 - 2.6m |
| Sequence mode: | Takes up to 5 shots in HQ and up to 45 shots in SQ mode; 1.3 shots/sec. (LCD off) |
| Self-timer: | 12-second delay |
| Outer Connector: | DC input terminal, Data input/output terminal (RS232C), Video Output terminal (PAL or NTSC) |
| Operating environment: | Temperature 0-40º Celsius (operation); -20 - 60º Celsius (storage); Humidity 30-909% (operation); 10-90% (storage) |
| Power supply: | Main power source: 4xAA alkaline batteries/4xAA NiMH batteries/4xAA Lithium batteries/4xAA NiCd batteries/2xCR-V3/Optional AC adapter |
| Date/Time/Calendar: | Simultaneous recording onto image data; up to year 2030 |
| Dimensions: | 5-in. (W) x 2.6-in. (H) x 2-in. (D) |
| Weight: | 9.5 oz. - 270g (without battery and SmartMediaTM card) |
731,413,186
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