The Olympus C-3030 zoom digital camera is an ultrahigh-resolution digital camera providing a 3.34-megapixel CCD for true-to-life colors and 2,048 x 1,536 pixel resolution. Its all-glass f/2.8 3x zoom with continuous 2.5x digital zoom brings you up to 7.5 times closer to the action. You have the choice of using either the traditionally styled real-image viewfinder or a 1.8-inch color TFT LCD monitor to frame your shots. The LCD is also handy for playback. Other technical features include a built-in 6-mode intelligent flash, a self-timer with remote, and a time/date imprinting function.
Using removable SmartMedia cards for its storage system, this camera offers 15 different image-resolution capture modes--including five uncompressed TIFF modes and up to 191 seconds of QuickTime movie capture with sound. Built-in USB connection and serial connection allow users downloading flexibility. The Olympus C-3030 is compatible with both Macintosh and PC platforms. It is the only camera in its class with a 32MB SDRAM buffer for rapid shooting at 3.3 frame-per-second burst mode up to 5 photos, and real-time shooting at 1 photo every second.
Even though the Olympus C-3030 is user friendly and can perform all camera functions automatically, you have a wide variety of user-selected and manual features to make your pictures as artistic as you'd like. The Olympus C-3030 offers special-effects modes including B&W, sepia, blackboard, and whiteboard. It also provides user-selectable ISO settings (100, 200, and 400), slow shutter speeds of up to 16 seconds in manual and 1/800 second to 1/2 second in auto, aperture settings of f/2.8 to f/11 through the entire zoom range in 1/3 step increments, and autoexposure bracketing for an array of exposures (plus or minus two stops in 1/3-step increments with three- or five-step bracketing.)
In response to one of digital camera users' chief complaints about previous models' power consumption, Olympus has designed the C-3030 zoom with improved battery life. While it will operate on 4 AA alkaline batteries for convenience, it lasts longer with the use of the CR-3V (LB-01) lithium batteries. It can also operate on an optional AC adapter.
In the box, you receive the C-3030 zoom digital camera, a 16 MB SmartMedia card, an RM-1 remote control, a software CD-ROM (including Adobe PhotoShop LE), a PC/Mac USB cable, an NTSC audio-video cable, two AA lithium CR-3V batteries, a user guide, a registration card, and a strap. Olympus backs the C-3030 with a one-year limited warranty.
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I have just gotten this camera, and already I love it. It works well with the Viking 128MB chip (other than inability to do panorama, not much of a drawback for me) and right out of the box I was able to quickly be pointing and shooting. This is my second digital camera, and I am very impressed with it. The LCD menus are a little tricky to navigate at first, but I am quickly learning where things are. I have experimented with taking pictures at different resolutions and qualities, and also shot some movie clips. I downloaded the results to my computer with little trouble, although I think I would recommend buying either a reader or a PCMCIA adapter for the memory chip, downloading from the camera over it's USB port to the hard drive is a little cumbersome. It takes very nice photos in average lighting without the need for the flash, and I find it very easy to quickly snap a picture, especially of quickly moving subjects like children. It took me a little reading of the manual to discover that the remote only works when the timer is enabled, however once I mastered it I like the 3 second delay so you can hide the remote. I like the ergonomic placement of the controls, I can both hold the camera and work its major functions with a single hand. I didn't see any mention in the manual of the fact that the lens cap has to be removed prior to turning it since the first thing it tries to do is extend the lens barrel. Perhaps the lens cap should snap onto the extensible barrel and not the external housing? These are not major drawbacks but things to bear in mind while learning to use this camera. As a prior user of a digital camera, I think Olympus has done a good job addressing some of the shortcomings of early digital cameras, plus creating a digital camera that looks and feels like the film cameras I have used for years. The touch of the shutter button, picture resolution and recording speed are vastly superior to what I am used to in a digital camera, and compare with a good SLR. All the additional features are there if I want them, but the solid performance of the basic function is a key ingredient. I like to tinker, and having numerous overrides is great, but sometimes I am glad to not to bother with them and just click away, knowing the automatic program is making the right choices for me.
I'll try not to repeat the rave reviews that others have given the Olympus C3030 but I thought I would counter a couple comments I saw about a supposedly flawed view finder, battery compartment flap, and the battery for the remote control. One person commented that it took him 15 minutes to figure out the camera battery flap which he ended up breaking. Without reading the manual it took me no time at all to install 4 AA batteries and I had the camera up and running immediately without a hitch - or breaking anything. There was nothing wrong with my remote control or the battery, and camera view finder works as it should. The one very minor flaw is that if you power up the camera with the lens cap over the lens, the zoom lens tries to push outward causing the a grinding sound. Its happend to me a couple times but didn't cause any damage and I'm more careful now to take the lens cap off before powering up the camera. This camera is awesome! Others have written about its many featues and superb picture quality. I especially like the bonus of being able to make QuickTime videos.
I got one with two obvious defects. I won't say what they are. But please check your camera carefully right now. Especially the viewfinder and the battery cap of the remote control to make sure they are clean and openable.
I have not used this camera, rather the D360L. However, when I upgraded to Windows ME (to take advantage of "My Pictures" and the built-in digital camera stuff), my camera wouldn't work. It wasn't in the driver list, so I contacted Olympus. This was my response (read - "doesn't work - we're not doing anything abount it") "The newer Olympus digital camera models -- D360L, D400Z, D450Z, D460Z, D490Z, C2000Z, C2020Z, C211Z, C2500L, C3000Z, C3030Z, and the C21 -- are not designed to use twain drivers, plug-ins, or the mini-apps to communicate with the computer. The Olympus Camedia utility software communicates with these camera models to download (copy) your picture files into a folder on your computer harddrive where they can be accessed by any software program that can use jpeg or tiff formatted graphic files. Only the following Olympus digital cameras are twain compliant: D200L, D220L, D300L, D320L, D340L, D340R, D500L, D600L, and D620L. Only the D200L and the D300L can not communicate using Camedia. "
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2000
One of the major issues around Olympus digital imaging systems is, that they keep ignoring TWAIN as a standard for digital imaging. We had the C-21 and returned it because of the lack of support for W2K and Twain (i.e. no direct picture transfer into W2K or PhotoShop). Reading the reviews this is a general problem for all Olympus cameras except the E-10. Olympus does not intend to fix this. The consequence is that you need to buy additional transfer equipment, use additional software spending extra money and time on getting things achieved. Your option is thus the Nikon and Canon (S-20).
I purchased this camera because I needed to be able to send Photos by E-Mail. I have been a 35mm photgrapher for 20 years, so I needed a camera that would allow me to be in control of my creations if I wanted to be. This camera suprised me with its excellence. When all is said and done, all that you have is a lens and a subject, and, of course, the film plane. I was not disappointed by the range and versatility of the Olympus design. It even feels good in my hands! I am very happy with this camera and hope to use it for many years to come.
