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(More customer reviews)I have been an avid photographer for over 35 years. I recently sold over $7,000 worth of Leica equipment because it was gathering dust. Even so, I have not given up on film-based photography just yet and have a complete collection of professional-grade Nikon SLR equipment. This is the context in which I make the following comments about the Olympus C-5050, a 5 megapixel digital camera.
I have been watching the evolution of digital cameras for a number of years, wondering if they would ever approximate film-based photography for the advanced hobbyist. I can report without reservation that based on my brief experience with the Olympus C-5050 that day has come.
Are we there yet? - When I reviewed the current crop of "pro-sumer" non-SLR digital cameras, I expected to pick up an interim camera that would hold my "digital curiosity" for a couple years and revisit the issue when 20 megapixel cameras were the norm and film-based photography was dead to all but a few narrowly focused professionals. What I came away with is that 5 megapixel is more than adequate for 99% of your print requirements and strikes a good balance in the areas of file size and write speed. Will 6, 8 and 10 megapixel cameras that come out in the next couple years do a better job? Not necessarily if the bulk of your prints are in the 5x7 to 8x10 range (although even 11x14 fairs rather well) and you crop your subjects with care.
The images - After reading a couple of reviews, not the least of which was at dPreview.com, I was concerned about a couple issues; noise levels (the equivalent of grain in film-based photography) and chromatic aberrations in high contrast images. There was also criticism that the sharpness of the images was a little harsh. Resultantly, I set the camera for sharpness, contrast and saturation as recommended by this well respected reviewer. The first thing I noticed was the images were not contrasty enough. Then I started to look at other attributes including the noise and CA issue. I came to the opinion that Olympus may have taken these criticisms to heart and recalibrated their software to correct the noise problem and zeroed out the sharpness, contrast and saturation adjustments. In terms of the CA issue, I simply haven't shot into situations where this is a problem. Then again, maybe I'm not as critical as some reviewers.
Point is, the camera takes wonderfully sharp, contrasty, and "noiseless" photographs that 99% of the people using this camera would be hard pressed to differentiate from a 35mm pro-sumer SLR.
The camera - I was an owner of Leica rangefinder equipment for over 10 years so I appreciate a well made camera. I loved the solid feel of the Leicas, the ergonomics, and precision of these photographic instruments in miniature. I wasn't expecting this, but I have the same appreciation for this Olympus. The magnesium body has weight, it feels solid (with the exception noted below), it fits your hands perfectly, the controls are where you would expect them, and there is just the right number of external controls; not too many to be confusing and not too few to require frequent visits to "drop-down menu hell" which is a place even Nikons occasionally send you to.
The caveat to the comments about the "feel" of the camera is the lens that extends and retracts when you turn the camera on and off. It looks cheesy and subjects the extendable plastic lens housing to damage. The solution is to permanently install an Olympus CLA-1 conversion lens adapter, a 43-46mm step-up ring and a UVa filter. This well machined metal extension provides a self-contained extension in which the lens extends and retracts and looks every bit a part of the original design of the camera. The lens is protected and it improves the looks of an already good looking camera.
The competition - I didn't start looking for the Olympus. I was initially looking at the Leica Digilux 1, the Nikon CoolPix 5000 and 5700. I also looked at the well-regarded Canon G3. When I asked the salesperson whether there were other cameras I should consider, he pointed me to the Olympus C-5050, "Try this, a lot of people come away with a very favorable impression of the Olympus and end up buying it." Mind you this is at a high-end camera store in the Bay Area.
The Leica was a little bigger and boxier than it needed to be; not a bad camera but didn't necessarily follow in the footsteps of the M6 or M7. I was disappointed by the Nikons. In addition to the reliability problems reported about the CoolPix 5000 elsewhere, the ergonomics weren't quite right and you needed to delve into confusing menu options too change basic settings. The 5700's LCD was simply too small and it was annoying how you either got the LCD screen on the back of the camera or the LCD through the viewfinder, never both. The Canon was nice but felt a little too much like a point-and-shoot.
Other picks, the Leica and Nikons use a proprietary battery which means you will have to add an additional hundred dollars or so to the purchase of the camera if you don't want to run out of power. The Olympus wisely uses standard AA's that you can get anywhere in a pinch and even the best rechargeables cost only $20 for a pack of 4. Additionally, the Olympus is very good on battery power, you can shoot an entire day and the batteries still have a good charge. The Leica uses only SD memory and the Nikons use only CF whereas the Olympus can use 4 different types of memory.
Bottom line, the Olympus exceeded my expectations in every respect. And here's the best complement one can pay any camera - with the Olympus C-5050, I don't miss my Leica's.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus Camedia C-5050 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom
Professional features abound in the five-megapixel C-5050ZOOM. The ergonomically designed camera incorporates an ultra-bright f1.8-f2.6, 3x optical zoom lens system. Its many manual options give you the freedom to create the images you want. The tilting LCD monitor helps frame scenes when shooting from difficult angles, such as from the floor or above the head. A range of automatic modes is also included, enabling the quick reaction to capture the moment. Furthermore the C-5050ZOOM is compatible with the new digital image storage standard xD-Picture card, as well as SmartMedia, Compact Flash and Microdrive.
Click here for more information about Olympus Camedia C-5050 5MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom
