Olympus C-700 UltraZoom Review

By: Steve's Digicams


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Olympus C-700 Ultra Zoom


Review posted 5/12/01




Click to take a QTVR tour of the C-700UZ



The CAMEDIA C-700 UltraZoom is the world's smallest 10X optical zoom digital camera. Packed with advanced capabilities and offering outstanding image quality and control, it establishes a new industry benchmark for compactness, style, versatility and ease of use. The C-700 UltraZoom's lens is the equivalent of a 38mm - 380mm lens on a 35mm camera. This optical zoom capability is complemented by a 2.7X seamless digital zoom, which extends the camera's maximum zoom range to 1,026mm.

Fully programmable, the C-700 UltraZoom is versatile enough to match any user's comfort level and application. In Programmed Auto mode, the camera offers point-and-shoot simplicity for flawless picture taking in average situations. For unique or difficult to shoot conditions, the C-700 UltraZoom offers greater control with aperture priority (Wide: f2.8 - f8.0, Tele: f3.5 - f8.0), shutter priority (1/2 - 1/1,000 sec.), full manual operation and a host of special programs including Night Scene, Sports Action, Portrait and Landscape modes. Multiple ISO settings from 100 to 800 allow users to capture sharp images even in low light conditions.

The C-700 UltraZoom is more than a still image digital camera. A QuickTime Movie mode enables users to capture up to 62 seconds of full motion video with sound at 15 frames per second on an 8MB SmartMedia card, making it the perfect choice for users producing webcasts and e-mailing short videos. The C-700 UltraZoom also records up to four seconds of audio captioning for each still image.

Whether capturing still pictures or full motion video, every image is processed through the C-700 UltraZoom's 2.11-megapixel CCD, and displayed on a 1.5-inch, 113,000-pixel color TFT LCD monitor. As a result, the C-700 UltraZoom delivers photo-quality images up to 8" x 10" when image data is downloaded to a computer and output on a photo-quality printer. For fast and simple downloading, the C-700 UltraZoom features USB AutoConnect technology. The Olympus USB AutoConnect feature allows users to plug the camera directly into any USB-configured computer. No drivers or additional software are required for PCs running the latest operating systems including Windows® 2000, Windows Me and Mac OS 8.6 and higher-these computers will mount and recognize the C-700 UltraZoom automatically.

The Camedia C-700 is available now and ships with an 8MB SmartMedia, 2 CR-V3 AA Lithium Battery Pack, CAMEDIA Master Software, Win/Mac USB Cable, video cable, manual, carrying strap, lens cap and retainer cord.


Physical Views



Olympus C-700 Ultra Zoom

Olympus C-700 Ultra Zoom

Olympus C-700 Ultra Zoom

Olympus C-700 Ultra Zoom

Olympus C-700 Ultra Zoom





Olympus C-700 Ultra Zoom

Even though the C-700UZ has a big 10x zoom lens, the camera is very compact, shown here with the pocket-size Fuji FinePix 6800 Zoom.






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C-700 Ultra Zoom Specifications

Image Pickup Element: 1/2.7" (0.37") solid-state 2.11 Million Pixel CCD (Effective 2.02 million pixels)
Lens: Olympus lens 5.9 - 59 mm F2.8-3.5 lens, 10 elements in 7 groups
(Equivalent to 38 - 380mm lens on 35mm camera)
Digital Zoom: 1-2.7x seamless
Recording System: Still image; JPEG, TIFF (non-compress), DCF (Design rule for Camera File system),
DPOF support,
Motion picture; QuickTime Motion JPEG,
Sound; WAV format
Memory: 3V (3.3V) SmartMedia Card (4M, 8M, 16M, 32M, 64M and 128MB)
Viewfinder: EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) SLR viewfinder, Full information displayed, 0.55" color
LCD Monitor: 1.5"(3.8cm) Color TFT LCD monitor (Low-temperature poly-silicon) with 114,000 pixels, Brightness adjustment
ISO: Auto, fixed approx. 100, 200, 400, 800
Working Range: Standard mode: 23" (0.6 m) - ¥; Macro mode: 4" (0.1m) - 23" (0.6 m)
Focusing: iESP multi pattern TTL AF (autofocus) system (contrast detection system): 4" (0.1 m) - ¥ , Spot AF: 4" (0.1 m) - ¥, Manual focus (manual focus setting by gauge): 4" (0.1 m) - ¥
Exposure Control: Programmed Auto mode: F2.8 - 8.0, 1/2 -1/1,000sec.

Aperture priority mode: Wide; F2.8 - 8.0, Tele; F3.5- 8.0, 1/3EV steps

Shutter speed priority mode: 1/2 - 1/1,000 sec. (used with mechanical shutter), 1/3EV steps

Manual exposure: shutter speed up to 16 seconds

Exposure compensation: +/- 2Ev by 1/3EV steps

Auto Bracketing: 3 or 5 images, selectable from 1/3EV, 2/3 EV and 1EV

Auto creative scene mode: Portrait mode, Sport mode, Landscape mode

QuickTime mode: 1/30 - 1/10,000 sec.

Metering: Digital-ESP multi pattern, Spot, 8 positions multi spot, AE Lock
White Balance: iESP Multi pattern full-auto TTL, Pre-set (daylight, overcast, tungsten light, fluorescence light), one-touch WB and manual WB correction
Flash Modes: Built-in Flash mode: Auto (low-& back-light), Red-Eye Reducing, Fill-in (Forced On), Slow shutter Synchronization (First Curtain and Second Curtain); External terminal: Auto, Forced On, Forced Off
Flash Working Range: Wide: 3.9" (0.1 m) - 18ft. (5.5m); Tele: 4 ft. (1.2m) - 14.4 ft. (4.4m) @ ISO 100
Flash Charging Time: Less than 6 sec. (at normal temperature with new battery)
Sequence: Up to 1.5 frames per second shot-to-shot (excluding TIFF)
QuickTime: HQ: 320 x 240 pixels, 15 frame/second up to approximately 15 seconds with sound (8MB SmartMedia)

SQ: 160 x 120 pixels, 15 frame/second up to approximately 62 seconds with sound (8MB SmartMedia)

4 seconds sound captioning of still images

Image Effects: Sepia mode, Black and White mode, Black Board mode, White Board mode
Self-timer/Remote: 12-second delay
Setting memorization: ON, OFF, Custom
Outer Connectors: DC Input, Storage class USB interface, A/V Output (NTSC), External Flash terminal for optional Olympus FL-40 (5 pin type)
Operating Environment: Operation : 32º - 104º F, 30 - 90% humidity; Storage : -4º - 140º F, 10 - 90% humidity
Power Supply: Main power source: 2 x CR-V3 Lithium battery pack, 4 x AA Ni-MH batteries, 4 x AA Lithium batteries, 4 x AA alkaline batteries, 4 x AA Ni-Cd batteries, Optional AC adapter (Manganese batteries can not be used)
Date/Time/Calendar: Simultaneous recording onto image data
Automatic Calendar: Up to year 2031
Dimensions: 4.2" (107.5mm) W x 3" (76mm) H x 3" (77.5mm) D (excluding projections)
Weight: 10.9 oz. (310.5g) (without batteries and SmartMedia card)
Number of storable pictures with 8MB SmartMedia card: With no sound captioning recording:

1: TIFF; 1,600 x 1,200
2: TIFF; 1,280 x 960
3: TIFF; 1,024 x 768
8: TIFF; 640 x 480
7 or more: SHQ; 1,600 x 1,200
16 or more: HQ; 1,600 x 1,200
11 or more: SQ-HIGH; 1,280 x 960
24 or more: SQ-NORMAL; 1,280 x 960
13 or more: SQ-HIGH; 1,024 x 768 (HIGH)
38 or more: SQ-NORMAL; 1,024 x 768 (NORMAL)
33 or more: SQ-HIGH; 640 x 480 (HIGH)
82 or more: SQ-NORMAL; 640 x 480 (NORMAL)







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