For a compact, affordable digital camera that takes sharp pictures with enough detail for prints at sizes up to 8 by 10 inches, look no further than the Olympus D-370.
Optics and Resolution
This higher-resolution successor to the popular D-370 comes with a 2-megapixel sensor that captures enough detail for crisp 8-by-10-inch prints. For the typical family photographer, 2 megapixels is a great balance between price and performance. If you want a camera with even more resolution, you'll probably also want more manual controls than the D-380 offers--consider the Olympus C-3020 instead.
The glass Olympus focus-free 4.5mm lens (equivalent to 35mm in film cameras) has an aperture range of f4 to f8. The camera features a 5x digital telephoto zoom, but remember that digital zoom tends to reduce the sharpness and detail of your image, so it's best used sparingly.
To compose your images, either use the traditional camera viewfinder or the 1.6-inch LCD display (which is also used to review the shots you've taken). Having both types of viewfinders offers the best of both worlds: if you're used to using a film camera or want to conserve battery life, use the viewfinder. If you want to see exactly the picture you'll be capturing, use the LCD display.
More Features
A sliding clamshell lens cover simultaneously protects the lens and provides a simple way to turn the camera on and off. While the D-370 is clearly designed for point-and-shooters and beginning photographers, there are several manual features for more adventurous photographers, including macro mode, adjustable white-balance settings, exposure compensation, and the ability to shoot black-and-white and sepia images.
Power
Power is provided by four AA batteries or two LB-01 disposable lithium batteries--a set of LB-01 batteries is included. These lithium packs are the size of two side-by-side AA batteries, and they have a surprisingly long lifespan. However, they aren't rechargeable, so when they finally die, they go into the trash. If you use the camera once a month or less, the lithium batteries are a logical idea, since they'll hold their charge for years when sitting in an unused camera. If you use the camera more often, then the lithium packs don't make economic or environmental sense--we recommend getting a set or two of rechargeable nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries and a charger. A digital camera will kill a set of alkaline batteries extremely quickly, especially if you're using the camera's LCD display, so they aren't recommended except in a pinch. To ensure you'll always be ready for action, we recommend having two sets of rechargeables so you can always have one set in the camera and the other set in the charger.
Movie Mode
In movie mode, the camera captures silent video clips up to 60 seconds in length. The limited duration and resolution of your movies guarantees that this feature won't replace your camcorder, but it's perfect for when you just want to capture a quick movie and e-mail it to a friend or relative.
Storage and Transfer
Images are stored on SmartMedia memory cards. The included 8 MB card holds approximately 16 images at the camera's default settings. SmartMedia cards are reusable, but if you tend to take more than 16 images per outing (or plan to use the video feature frequently), then you'll want a bigger card. A 64 MB card will store well over 100 pictures. To transfer images to your computer, simply attach the included USB cable between your PC and your camera. Your computer should automatically recognize your camera and let you move the pictures to your hard drive.
Size
At 4.8 by 2.6 by 1.8 inches and 6.7 ounces, the D-370 is slim and compact enough to bring along in a purse or pocket
Contents and Recommended Accessories
The package includes the camera, 8 MB SmartMedia card, two long-life LB-01 lithium batteries, USB cable, carrying strap, and software on CD.
Everything you need to get started is included in the box, but we recommend these accessories to make the most of your camera: a carrying case, a set of NiMH rechargeable size AA batteries, and a higher-capacity SmartMedia memory card. Compatible accessories for this camera are listed near the top of this page. --Shane Burnett
Pros:
- Compact, lightweight, and easy to use
- Focus-free lens means fast startups and quick operation between shots
Cons:
- Movie mode lacks sound
- 8 MB card and disposable batteries are fine for occasional users, but more frequent use will require upgrades to these accessories
1 Great beginner camera!
I have owned this camera for 3 years and only recently thought about selling it to upgrade to a camera with more pixels. It is a great camera for a beginner, easy to use and takes great photos! I do wish that it had an optical zoom as well as a digital zoom and that is one of the reasons I am upgrading. But if you are just starting off this is a GREAT camera to being with!!!
2 Olympus Camedia
I purchased this camera 2 weeks ago and I highly recommend it.
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3 Great little family camera
We've had this camera for almost 2 years and have taken about 3 or 4 gig worth of family pictures. Really easy to use (even the kids use it), compact, relatively inexpensive, reliable, durable (we've dropped it a few times on our tile floor- just put the batteries back in and keep on truckin). I suggest getting a 128MB m=smart media card and eight Nickel Metal Hydride AA batteries (1700 Mah or more) with a charger. These accessories allow us to avoid changing the memory card at all (holds about 130 photos on the highest quality setting) and we change the batteries whenever needed (roughly about once every 150 to 200 photos?)
4 Good for novice photographer
The Olympus D-380 is a very reliable if you want to snap a picture of the family. I have been using this camera for about two years and it has just been awesome, even though it lacks a few things, which I will get into in just a bit. I mainly photograph dirtbikers, BMX, and race trucks. This little camera does the trick in capturing fast moving objects. Also, it does very well with not getting messed up with all the dirt and dust in the air when photographing motorsports - I have never had a problem with this at all. It has very decent resolution as well, but definitely not enough if you're past the novice stage of photography. I am very pleased with this camera considering it is an older model, but there were a few downsides to this camera which has caused me to seek a newer model. The most annoying problem that I have every time that I use this camera is that the battery compartment on the bottom of the camera is one of those sliding latches. It always slides out, causing all four batteries to spill onto the floor. So you have to be really careful when taking pictures to stay away from the battery compartment. Also, the batteries don't last very long, especially if you use the LCD and review your pictures often. A brand new set of batteries lasted me about an hour to maybe an hour and a half or so, with the camera on the whole time, snapping about 70 - 100 pictures. Another issue is when zooming in, the quality of the picture becomes very degraded - spotty and blurry. And sometimes the flash is too strong when indoors, it makes for too much contrast and loss of color in pictures. And when using no flash or the night time flash, it comes out too dark or sometimes blurry - if your hand shakes or moves. So, this is why I say that this camera is awesome if you just take general pictures but not if you are pursuing high quality shots.
5 Awesome low end camera.
I've used this camera for over 2 years now, and I've never had a problem with it. The battery life is excellent and the pictures are really sharp and good looking for 2MP. The camera has taken a lot of beating, but its really durable and still in excellent shape.
6 Great camera for the price!
I have had this camera for about two years now, and I have to say that I have been extremely pleased with it during that time. It is very easy to use and takes great pictures for a 2.0 MP camera. Downloading pictures to my computer is a snap. The software is easy to use, and allows for editing of the images. I have printed out and framed many pictures that I have taken with my camera, and you can hardly tell a difference in quality when compared to pictures taken with my old APS camera.
The few drawbacks that I have encountered are that the picture quality does get fuzzy when using the zoom feature and alkaline batteries do tend to die fairly quickly. However, I came back a week ago from a trip to Cancun and easily took 75+ pictures and have since downloaded the pictures onto my computer and the batteries are still at full power. I do use alkaline batteries, and if you don't want to invest in lithium batteries, I suggest keeping an extra set of batteries in your camera case.
I would recommend this camera to any first-time digital users, who would like a great digital camera for a very reasonable price.
7 Olympus d #80
This is my second d-380. The first one I purchased was returned for spots in the image. The second one has the same defect. I sent the product to Olympus for repair which wasnt done nor will they replace the camera so I'm stuck with it. It's a defect Olympus will not admit to. Their customer service is no service. STAY AWAY FROM THIS CAMERA!!!!!
8 Excellent camera
I've owned the camera for about seven months now and can find nothing to criticize. I initially bought it thinking I'd carry it with me everywhere, but it's a little too big to do that. I do carry it with me frequently, though. I love the image quality and simplicity. I have no issues with my 8x10 pictures. I'm just delighted with this camera.
9 best little camera in the world
I carry this great little camera everywhere. Add an Ikelite Underwater housing and you have a perfect compact camera for all your recreational scuba diving and snorkeling adventures. The built in flash even works great for underwater night shots. Many of my film-making friends want to know what kind of expensive camera I'm using to get such wonderful shots. They are amazed when I pull this tiny camera out of my shirt pocket. The batteries last for at least 2 long dives.All photos are clear and bright. Easy to use with XP.
10 Super long battery life and great flash: I love this camera!
This is one neat camera! Although it's my first digital camera, I have used a Kodak DX3700 and an older Sony Mavica (FD) owned by someone else. For the money, this camera has so-o-o many "bells and whistles" and is so easy to use. It was so easy to set-up in Windows 2000. No external drivers needed (unlike some others I have tried). I took my first photo with the subject standing in a dark room in front of a bright window yet it came out so clear thanks to the Digital ESP metering. Actually, I was shocked by the effectiveness of the flash! I took 3 photos in a closed room with no windows. Two with the light on and one in complete darkness. The flash is so bright, it was hard to tell the difference!
It's got so many features: panorama shooting, Two-in-One shots, adjustable white balance, spot metering, rapid sequential shooting, exposure compensation, self-timer, on-camera still-image & movie editing, DPOF printing, etc. It's truly a camera with a computer built-in! The only thing I'd like changed is the ability to delete the picture while reviewing it immediately after shooting but before recording it to memory (like the Kodak). The addition of auto-focus would have been nice also. Finally, I can't seem to run-down the batteries! The four 1800mAh NiMH batteries just keep going and going! In a recent trip to England, I took 215 pictures and 5 movies using the flash and view finder on most shots. Yet after 2 weeks the batteries were still going on the first charge. I eventually had to put the batteries in my portable CD player to run them down! Overall, it's a really great camera and I am well pleased!
11 Awesome camera with a great price tag!
For the inexperienced user this camera is a great first step into the world of digital cameras. I bought this thinking I would get started with digital then sell it to upgrade but I'm keeping this one. I purchased the rechargable batteries but I'm still waiting on the original batteries to die out. This camera takes wonderful pictures and I've even blown a few of them up to poster size.
12 Olympus D-380 2 Megapixel digital camera
I purchased this camera from Target last year and it produced excellent pictures. The 8 x 10 are of professional quality. I would recommend this camera to anyone. Even if you have never owned a digital camera.
13 Enough Camera
If there is a name to define this camera would be "La Cachimbona" which in salvadorean means "The Good one " because fill all my requirements that i needed to go on vacation, Good Photos, Good Price and super portable.
Good Deal Guys if you wanna buy it , i recommend it
14 GREAT camera!
I've owned this for a few months now. I love it! So easy to use.I carry it with me all the time. The batteries last much longer then a camera my friend owns of a different brand.Perfect for your first digital camera.
15 nice pics for the price but...
i honestly wish it had a real zoom. the zoom it comes with has 3 levels and all digital. you get a bit more flex with a manual zoom. otherwise, no complaints
16 This is SO easy to use!!
While most people do a ton of research before making a purchase, I simply walk into a store and see how something actually looks and feels. I'm an impulse-buyer. I did, however, do a tiny bit of research on Amazon and decided to look at the Olympus D-380 in a store in NYC. I looked on Amazon to see what was appropriate for me - I've never owned a digital camera before and I am rather technologically illiterate. That said, the Olympus D-380 seemed to fit the bill.....it is idiot-proof! I have used it like crazy since I got it and I haven't run into any problems whatsoever. It's light, compact, has great zoom capabilities and it's as simple as point and shoot.
I highly recommend this camera to anyone who is looking for a dependable, fool-proof, starter camera. I would suggest purchasing a 64mb card to go with it - the 8mb card the camera comes with does not hold alot of pictures...
17 Great family camera
I love this camera! I take so many more pictures now because I don't have to worry about getting the "perfect" picture. My kids always want to see the pictures right after I take them so they LOVE this camera. My only complaint (after a weekend of use) is that when I carried the camera around using the wrist strap, the batteries kept falling out. I will definately be getting a small travel bag for it.
18 Great Camera
I use my Digi Cam all the time. It's small enough to carry around without getting in the way. I think the price was right, that's why I bought it. There are many options with the camera, I recommend reading the user manual all the little menus and buttons can get somewhat confusing but any logical person can figure it out. The one thing that I have learned is that you have to turn it to Red EYE reduction every time you turn the camera on--annoying. I would personally love to get another camera this time with an optical zoom. The digital zoom really isn't that big of a factor but for someone that wants a more professional look I would get a digi cam with a optical zoom the pictures came out much more clear and crisp.
The transfer from my camera to the computer is easy and fast absolutely no problem. You really don't even need their software if you have Windows XP it recognized my camera without even installing. But the program was easy to install.
19 Great Camera
Great workmanship and quality in this baby!!
20 Want Features at a Reasonable Price?
WOW. Granted I'm not a digital camera afficianado but I am truly ecstatic with the quality of the Olympus D-380. Out of the box, I was able to take the elusive macro photos I've not been able to take without my 35mm camera. The picture I took was so sharp, I was able to read the nutrition label of a bottle of vinegar sitting next to my subject (yeah yeah, so I'm not the most meticulous person when it comes to putting away the vinegar). The built in flash is POWERFUL! I took a shot of my husband at night in our living room with only a lamp for illumination. The flash kicked in. The picture was sharp and the resolution excellent. I printed an 8x10 of the shot and I can't tell it was a digital picture. If you're expecting a camera to take good pictures, be easy to use, allow you to take close ups, give you the versatility of a monitor and viewfinder view of your subject, this is the camera for you. I read comments that this is a great beginner's camera -- I think it goes farther than that.
21 Best camrea I've ever had!
This is best camera that I have ever owned!-is their any more to say?
22 Digital camera for dummies
This is my first digital camera. I was able to take pictures and see them on my computer within 15 minutes of opening the box. I am not a digital whiz by far. Pictures look great. Very clear and color is great. Easy to set up. Easy battery, camera strap, and usb driver installation. Very easy to take pictures, I couldn't believe how easy. Instructions were complete and accurate. I researched a lot of web sites with customer reviews and found this camera was the one for me. It had the best reviews and least criticism. I see why. I made a great choice. You can't go wrong if this is your first camera. ...
23 Sweet little camera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This digital camera is really great. It is small enough for easy transportation. The two megapixel resolution is perfect for everyday needs. The movie feature in great also, even though it doesn't have sound. Me and my friends(I am 12 years old) like to make short movies a lot. The setting and buttons are really easy to use and the photo software is great for quick downloads to the computer. It also has great programs on it that help you print, put in albums, and edit. The software makes it really easy to export and inport photos and movies. It is even is very helpful in inporting photos and movies for CD's, zip disks, and floppy's. It is really hard too do this with a Windows 98 operating system. Olympus is a great brand as whele. My Mom and sister own Olympus's too, and we all love them. Beware if you want to send pictures over the internet though. Two megapixels is a fairly good resloution, so you need a good internet connection to send more than a few pictures, but this is a problem with every hig reslution camera. the battery like is extermly good, but you will still want to get some recargeable battery's. In the way of memory, on defualt resolution you can store two pictures per megabyte(If you use the highest resolution, it will be a little less). If you are thinking about getting a digital camera, whether you are an begginer or a expert, this camera is the very best and the best deal you will get for your money!!!!
24 A picture is worth...
Knowing nothing about the digital camera world I set out 6 months ago to buy a camera that was low cost (in case I wanted to go back to the 35MM world) yet with reasonable photo quality. What I found was a gem in the Olympus D-380. This camera has whet my appetite for a more sophisticated model, but it will always be the easy one to stick in the car, take on a trip, or just shoot those family reunions.
The photo quality is superb for such a small camera, and the features are simple and easy to use. I'm not expecting to get photos from a camera of this price and function in National Geographic but I have put some great shots on the family web page and even printed out a rare moment with the kids and framed it on our hallway wall. The Quicktime video is great in the right light, with the only drawback being there is no sound.
Let me highly recommend this to you if you are new to digital photography and are looking for a model to learn on, or if you want that perfect, small travel sized camera to take on the plane with you. Heck, shoot your kid's wedding with it. You won't be disappointed.
25 Just enough camera to do the job, easy to use software
I love this camera! It is easy to use, does a great job with all the snapshots I want to take, and does not seem to eat batteries like my friends' digitals do. The software is some of the easiest to use that I've seen.
It is very good for both indoor and outdoor pictures. I also use it to take pictures of items for resale. It does a fair to good job for this purpose...can't quite get as close up and as much detail on small items as I'd like, but I think that to get better I'd have to get a much more expensive camera.
The only thing about the camera that has been a little problem is the lens cap on/off switch. My S.O. does not always remember to close it before putting the camera back in the case...which drains the batteries. I also suggest you get the power adaptor to use when downloading images and an extra card and case.
26 Great Digital Camera For Beginners
This camera is great for those just stepping into the world of digital photography. When I brought it home from the store I openned it up and prepared to spend the rest of my day reading the manual, but as soon as I put the batteries in I turned it on and began taking pictures within five minutes without ever having to look at the manual. But as easy as this camera is to operate, it has its set backs:
Pros: -Easy to use -Great value for the price it costs -Great for kids.
Cons: -No optical zoom, so if you're planning on printing your pictures don't use the digital zoom at all
-2 megapixels limits largest possible printing size to about 5" by 7". The pictures this camera takes are mainly for sharing on a computer, not for printing -The software it comes with is hard to use and doesn't even do much when you know how to use it, luckily, my CPU had other software that came with it that I can use.
Overall, I would only buy this camera if I was new to digital photography or if I needed a gift for a child.
27 Decent camera for the price
I tinkered around with this camera, but ended up returning it...mostly due to my own high expections. It is a decent camera for the price, but I wanted a little more. In my opinion, here are the pros and cons of the Olympus D-380 2MP digital camera...
Pros:
- Great, clear picture quality when subject is within 2-3 feet of the camera
- Easy, fast upload to PC over USB.
- Remembers your quality and system settings (So long as you set the "Remember settings" option to yes)
Cons:
- MEGA BATTERY DRAIN! Rechargeables are a must! I had taken approximately 40 pictures and made 3 fifteen second movies when my 4 regular AA batteries ran out.
- Picture quality is fairly blurry when subject is further than 4 feet. Optical zoom might help. Digital zoom is worthless when quality is required.
- Menu is not so user-friendly up front. Quite cryptic. Reading the manual a few times over is necessary.
- The "night" setting on the camera causes a very bad blur.
- The "red-eye reduction" setting flashes for over 1/2 second, then stops for another 1/2 second before taking the picture (doesn't sound like long, but it seems so when you're having your pic taken).
28 Excellent Camera but....
I just purchased the Olympus D-380 2MP Digital Camera. The Camera was a snap to get going. The Quick-Start Guide was very helpful, and within a couple of minutes I was shooting pictures. The one glitch that I did find was what one other owner also encountered: the directions to download your pictures to your computer[are bad]. Did anyone else have problems hooking up their USB cable from their computer to their camera? Maybe I'm a bit slow to catch on, but the connection was fine at the hard drive end, but the end fitting into the camera will not work. Any ideas or suggetions? Otherwise the camera is very easy to use, the menu function works very nicely, and the quality of pictures is great.
29 Great deal, high quality and affordable
I bought this camera based on the good reviews on Amazon[.com], reputation of Olympus products, and very competitive price. So far I have not been disappointed in any part of its performance. The camera takes very good pictures with excellent color reproduction. The provided Olympus software is not very good in my opinion, and I don't use it, but the camera connects directly to my computer via USB cable and downloading pictures from the camera directly to my viewing software couldn't be easier. Overall I'm very happy with this camera and would definitely recommend it to anyone, especially if you're shopping for your first one.
30 Opening Mechanism Breaks
I bought this camera in 1999 for $300+. It takes good pictures with a steady hand and some Zen magic--sharp, clear, and best of all, it can take macro pictures. There is a problem with blurring, however, as it is impossible to hold this camera still while you wait for the depressor to finish exposure. The sliding opening mechanism, which turns the camera on, flies open in your bag or pocket--there is nothing to hold it closed. This drains the battery. Worse yet, this mechanism broke, came loose, and the camera stopped working altogether. New batteries last for about 4 pictures, then you have to change them. I'd put your money into a better design with battery power and a better depressor.
31 Solid Camera for the $$
This is a great camera for beginners and those that do not have money to burn.
32 Great camera
Excellent camera. I took pictures in the middle of the day and at night and both came out great. The software that comes with this to put the pictures on your computer is also good. I couldn't have asked for a better camera for printing pictures myself.
33 nice little battery consuming digital camera
I got the Olympus about a month ago and was very pleased with the pictures it takes. It does have some problems:
1. The lack of an optical zoom limits your creativity (the digital zoom is fine, but has its limitations).
2. The sutter speed does not correlate well with neon lights giving a blurry picture in such lighting.
3. The camera uses up lots of batteries, it seems irrelevant at first but it adds up.
In all, it is a fine camera, I think I would have bought it again if I knew the camera in advance.
34 Great little camera
I know nothing of digital cameras but when I saw this one it was just the price I wanted. Not too cheap and not too much little piggy. It takes great pics but eats batteries like a really large person at an all you can eat buffet. Also it did not come with a case that would have been a nice touch!
35 5 - Megapixels in your pocket
If you need to put a high res camera in your pocket, this camera is the ultimate. All the controls are designed for one hand operation. The pictures it takes are incredible but it has a somewhat quirky focusing system. The camera spends a lot of time trying to find its focusing point and it's not always successful in low light, low contrast situations. Because of its small size it also lacks some of the features of its larger albeit more expensive cousins such as a TTL hotshoe, advanced noise filtering and a more robust super macro mode. In summary...a great camera for the price if you don't need the more professional features of the larger cameras.
36 Dandy little snapshooter
I've got a Hasselblad and a whole box full of Nikons but wanted to try a simple digital camera for casual snapshots. I did a fair amount of shopping first (including the interesting Consumers Reports article.) The D-380 looked like a good performance/price balance. It's easy to carry around, a 64mb card holds 44 maximum-quality pics (and 140 at the resolution I often use for casual snapshots), and the batteries, just as Consumers Rpts said, last *forever*. Drawbacks: the lens and auto-exposure are both suited for nothing more than casual snapshots, 2mp will give a decent 8x10 only after an hour of work in Photoshop (in my opinion), the digital zoom is pretty lame, and there's no way to use a hotshoe flash--no surprise in a pocket-sized P&S camera. The high points are as above; I found the menus to be pretty easy to learn and the camera is very simple to use. Digital is GREAT for snapshots. And the price/performance ratio of the D-380 is very attractive. I'm entirely pleased with this camera and use it nearly every day. (And now I'm thinking seriously about a Nikon D-100 digital SLR, now that I've tried digital, but that's another story.) ;-)
37 Great Quality...
I'll admit I'm no expert when it comes to photographic equipment but I CAN recognise a bargain when I see it. Olympus are a manufacturer who have always had my utmost respect and when it came to upgrading my 1.3 megapixel digi-cam to something with a little more juice they were once again my first choice. The D-380 was released around Feb 2002 (I believe) and is one of the few 2.0 Megapixel cameras... at a price you simply can not argue with for this kind of quality.
What you get for your money is a camera which is aestetically pleasing as well as functionaly impressive as well. It's not too bulky, around 5" wide and sub 7 ounces in weight, with a sliding lens protector to make transportation a breeze, a wrist strap, 8MB Smart Media memory card (although it takes upto 128MB) as well as 1MB onboard memory, USB connector, built in flash and a 1.5" digital viewfinder at the back for live preview or viewing of your snapped images...a good size for a small camera.
The camera requires 4AA batteries to operate and unlike the previous model I owned uses some kind of battery saving technology to give you more operational time before run down. It still gobbles the things like nobody's business though if you use the viewfinder at the back too often so you are best advised to buy a set or two of rechargable batteries for this camera...but it is MUCH better than the previous models.
When it comes to using the camera you'll find it a doddle. I'm not going to run through each and every thing it does or I'll bore the pants off you, ...[but] if you want a list of specs, then visit the Olympus website. What I will say is that it is dead easy to use. The menu system is accessed through 4 buttons on the back, and is very intuitive - you'll have no problem with using this unlike with some others. If you've ever used an Olympus camera around this price range before in the last couple of years then you'll be more than familiar with the set up because it doesn't seem to have changed much in this respect.
The most important thing of all though is the quality of the pictures and I have to say that once again Olympus has come up trumps with this camera. Colour saturation is generally excellent and whilst bright sunlight and very murky conditions give you somewhat under/over-exposed results at times, it is otherwise faultless for a 2.0 megapixel camera. There are various image manipulation options such as switching to black and whire/sepia tones built into the camera as well and an option to record video footage as Quicktime images which is great as well.
The only thing which is missing for the average user (no, it's not a pro choice obviously) is a zoom lens. You can digitally zoom if you so wish, but I find a slight jagged edge appearing on the images if you do, so it's not optimal.
Overall, for the price you can't fault it and I'd be happy to recommend it to anybody in the market for a 2.0 Megapixel digital camera without any qualms that they would be disappointed in their purchase. If you want professional quality images then look elsewhere, but for the general user this is a great purchase.
38 Very Good Camera
This is a very good camera. Takes very good pictures. My camera is more than few months old and I take picture everyday still I have not had to change the battery so far. Movie mode is very convenient.
39 This camera rocks!
I purchased this camera after trying several others. The olympus d-380 is without a doubt the best digital camera of the bunch for the price. It is everything I expected in a digital camera and more. Battery life is awesome, picture quality is awesome, connectivity is awesome. This camera in general is just plain awesome. I am now an Olympus customer for life!!!..
40 Very pleased with Olympus
We had the old D-360L at 1.3 megapixel and it broke after about two years. At first we were upset and thought that it should have lasted longer. Then we realized we had 4,000 pictures from it. We were thus forced to by a new digital camera. Looking back we're glad the other one broke! The clarity for the price of the D-380 is excellent. Two other family members have Olympus digitals in the $ range with more features, but we're glad to have this one. The pictures it takes are crisp and the camera is very easy to use. This camera has been great so far for capturing our growing baby.
41 Not nearly as good as I expected
For the price of this camera I was very disappointed. Lens cover is a bit flimsy, pitcure quality is lousy even at highest resolution. LCD display is slow to respond. Menu display could be more intuitive, flash over-compensates and washes out pictures entirely. No optical zoom, digital zoom is terrible, non-standard USB. Do your self a favor and spend a few more dollars and get a better digital camera. This one is a dissapointment. Ended up with a Sony Mavica which is more money but is a far better camera.
42 Not nearly as good as I expected
For the price of this camera I was very disappointed. Lens cover is a bit flimsy, pitcure quality is lousy even at highest resolution. LCD display is slow to respond. Menu display could be more intuitive, flash over-compensates and washes out pictures entirely. Do your self a favor and spend a few more dollars and get a better digital camera. This one is a dissapointment. Ended up with a Sony Mavica which is more money but is a far better camera.
43 The best of its kind
i have been using digital cameras for a few years now i have paid up to $800. I got this olympus d 380 as a gift and is the best i have ever used for the price and a few expensive ones too
i would recomend this camera to anyone, beginner or expert
44 Good for just the basics
This was my first digital camera and I found it to be extremely easy to use with great picture quality. Very easy to download onto my pc (I use XP) and then e-mail the pics. Nonetheless, I ended up returning the camera because after playing with this camera, I realized that I really wanted at least some level of optical zoom. I am waiting for the price to come down on the Olympus D-550 and then I will buy that camera (basically the D-380 with zoom and few other "extras"). If zoom is NOT important to you, then this is a great beginner's camera. I highly recommend it! P.S. Amazon shipping was a great deal, the product was delivered on time, and the return process was very easy.
45 Great Camera for the Price!
Olympus D-380 is my first digital camera. I did my research, using online reviews and consumer publications. This is a great camera for high quality, user-friendly at a reasonable price. This camera takes great pics especially animal pics.
It is lightweight and comfortable. The "Quick Start" guide was easy to understand. My first pics were of my pet tarantulas taken from outside of a glass aquarium; I was amazed at the detail and colors captured on the animals when I downloaded on the hard drive; 300 times better than pics taken with my Pentax camera! Downloading the pics was a cinch. The 5x zoom is especially useful with up close shots of my pets.
I am running Windows XP and simple to use.
I bought an additional 128MB Viking card and rechargeable batteries.
I highly recommend this camera for an introduction into digital photography. It is extremely easy to use, very well constructed, takes excellent pictures and an unbeatable value! I can't wait to use it on my Antartica trip this year and next year to Africa!
46 Gotta love it
The camera is amazing. Especially considering the price.
The pic quality is good. Its light weight. The lense cover turns the camera on as well as protects the lense from dirt and dust.
5(x) digital zoom is surprisingly clear.
The Cammera didn't need drivers to be installed for it to work on Win 2000. As soon as the USB port was plugged in from pc to camera Windows installed the Cammera as its own drive. From there its as simple as drag and drop.
The few downfalls with the camera are that it is a bit to big to throw in your pocket.
No optical zoom.
The USB cable isn't the standard type, so this particular cable is the only one you can use to transfer files.
Over All, Definatly a very nice product.
47 Great Digicam for us first timers!!!
This is the first Digicam I've ever owned and I'm really pleased. The pictures taken with this baby on HQ setting (1600x1200 compressed) make excellent images for 4x6 or 5x8 photos, whereas the pictures taken at SHQ setting (1600x1208 uncompressed) look terrific when printed at 8x10 or even at full letter page size. The PANORAMA function is cool but just that.
What I reaaly liked about the camera is that it is very to use. You just plug it to your PC and it pops up as a new drive. Its that simple. Also the menus of the camera are very straightfoward and intuitive. You don't need to be an expert computer technician to use this thing.
The only downside is the lack of optical zoom, but for a price under U$180, you get an excellent product (besides the digital zoom isn't that bad if you don't zoom in too much)
48 Lousy instructions
Seemingly good camera for the price. Once you start using it, you notice all the deficiencies. I also have a Sony 1.3 MP digital and this Olympus 2 MP is not any better definition than the Sony. The instructions, especially how to download the pictures into your PC are the worst I have seen. Hard to follow even for a degreed engineer like myself. Figure out why the SHQ mode at 1600x1208 pixels takes twice as much memory in the Smart Card as the HQ setting at 1600x1200 pixels. My suggestion: Spend a few more bucks and get a real camera. This one is for the birds.
49 Perfect Camera for a really Good Price!
This is my first digital camera and I just have one thing to say: It is absolutely perfect. It is very fast to download the images onto the computer and the quality is just great. It takes less than 5 minutes to take a picture, download it to the computer and send it to somebody by e-mail. If you are looking for something that is not complicated and not expensive, I strongly recommend this camera.
50 great camera
This camera took really great pictures! I took it on vacation over the summer and we took pictures at all times of the day. I have an amazing night shot that turned out 100 times better than I thought it would. If you're looking for an affordable camera that takes great pictures, look no further.
51 Good camera, good price
I bought this camera as a Father's day present for my husband. Have used it frequently ever since. It's compact enough to tuck into a pocket or purse, takes great pictures and even mini-movies, and downloads the pictures to our PC in a snap. I could have spent more, but didn't see the reason since I'm not a professional photographer. Could have spent less but think I would have been unhappy. The Olympus brand was recommended by a friend. Glad to have it!
52 Wonderful camera!
This is a great camera, particularly for the price! It has excellent definition, great color, and is easy to use. It's closeup feature lets you take very detailed up-close shots. It will make about a one-minute movie with no sound. I use it with the 128 meg "Smart Media" card, which I would recommend. The camera comes with an 8 meg card. I also use the Viking IntelliFlash, which allows instant downloading of all pictures into files. Also an excellent product. This beats using the time-consuming USB routine. Taken together, these products make this a really swell system. But the camera is a winner, just by itself.
53 Still figuring it out
While a lot of people will rate for ease of use, some who have experience with computer graphics will realize that the camera is limited to JPEG images (no option of using TIFF's which are pixel for pixel stored, no loss).. I'm getting a pattern on my images that looks a little like what one sees with video cameras in dark rooms, the images are slightly blurry, the images have inconsistent tones with patches of pink - purple - blue - black - etc. This would say to me that although its high resolution array, the per pixel tone is shabby.. I've seen better pixtures coming from my brother's Kodak digital camera with a similar pixel resolution. There is no way to adjust image loss (what if its set to Jpeg's default of 85?).. Also its a macro lens, dispuportionate images, stuff at the edge is blurry.. Flash direction is not adjustable.. Its only been an hour that I've had it, I'm thinking about sending it back..
And yes it was quick to get the software setup, download from USB is quick, About 8 seconds or so to download from a 8 meg card (USB is usually about 800K a second), I got about 20 images out of the camera in low light, tried flash white balance, incadescent white balance and auto, tried with flash, tried without, tried light metering settings, in all cases (except where there was overexposure) the blackish areas and greyish areas were multi-colored without a continuous tone over large areas where there should be say white or gradations of black, and so forth..
If you really don't care about your images, or find as much beauty in single shots from a video camera, you will be okay with this camera, but forget about using it for photo-quality work.
Hey I haven't tried it in sunlight, I took pictures at 10 at night, so its probably a different camera in the day time. I compared all images to images my brother took with his camera in low light.
54 2MP is all you need for normal every day pictures.
I just got my camera today and immediately went to work trying to figure out how to operate it. All you have to do is study the quick sheet that comes with the camera and you know most all you need to know about how to operate the D-380.
You will see the 2.5 on up to the 4 MP camera her but you don't need that. If all you are going to do is take some pics and download them to your computer, the D-380, or any other 2.0MP camera will fit the bill. With the 8 meg card included with the camera, I can take 30 photos that look really good. This is by far not the highest resolution the camera offers, but nor is it the lowest. I found this setting to be optimal. Think about it: Why would you want to take a picture that is bigger than your monitor screen?
The black and white setting is great also. There is nothing like a good black and white picture.
For the money, this is a great deal considering you also get a 32 meg memory card to boot.
The only thing that i have found that i do not like is the USB port on the camera. The company changed the size of the port so you will have to use THEIR cable. The model before this one could use a regular USB cable. This is the one thing that will probably make me sell this camera and search for another one. I have five computers and I am not going to continually unplug the USB cable and haul it around my house to the other computers.
I give this camera a solid 10. I give the people at Olympus a big fat zero for being so greedy as to change the USB cable port so that buyers would have to use THEIR cable.
55 Great introduction to digital photography
I bought this camera about 4 months ago, and it is the most satisfying purchase I have made in quite some time. It is simple to use, takes quality photos that are easy to upload onto my computer, creates great prints & is not a battery hog. Here are a few random comments related to this item:
- I bought a 128Mb smartmedia which holds about 256 photos-- I highly recommend it.
- Through the simple USB connection, I can upload 50 photos in about 1 minute. (I bought a flashlink because I was told it was much slower, but have since returned that item.)
- I uploaded some photos to Ofoto and had prints made-- and they look magnificent! (Plus, through Ofoto, you can allow friends & family access to your photos so they can order their own prints.)
- The battery is still going strong after 4 months and over 700 pictures. I bought rechargable batteries which I am sure I will use someday-- but not yet.
...
56 Easy and fun to use
I'll admit it, my decision to purchase a digital camera was a very spontaneous one. Following some short research sessions I ended up with Olympus's Camedia D-380 2MP, and I couldn't be more happy.
For starters, the D-380 is incredibly user friendly for beginners such as myself. I found I was up and snapping pictures within 10 minutes of removing the camera from the package. The display monitor on the back of the camera allows you to preview your pictures exactly how they will be before you shoot. Other features include an auto-flash indicator, which turns on and off flash automatically at appropriate times, along with different types of flashes that remove the "red eye" phenomenon. Also included is a self timer, and the ability to shoot up to 15 second videos. The 2 Mega-Pixel limit is just fine for those of you who are going to be taking point and shoot type pictures. Plus, with the D-380's excellent zoom feature you have nothing to worry about in terms of distance.
The advantages to picking up this Camera are clear. For one, with the appropriatley sized memory card you can hold up to 128 pictures. Plus, with the included cable which plugs easily into your computers USB port, you have an almost unlimited amount of storage space. I must say however that the D-380 eats up your batteries pretty quickly, however that can be solved with rechargable batteries which I highly recommend.
So for those of you looking to make the jump to digital don't hesitate any longer and pick up the Olympus Camedia D-380, I highly recommend it.
57 A MOST excellent Camera
My Olympus D-380 is such an excellent camera. I received it one day & left for Europe the next day, without the instructions.
It was so easy to use, takes great, sharp photos, the zoom lens works well.
The only negative reports I saw on other reviews of this camera was that it is a "battery hog". I used the camera daily for 3 weeks on one set of batteries - why? It is not necessary to use the display every time you want to take a photo. If you turn off the digital display & use the viewfinder like a regular camera, I find it easier to center the shot AND your batteries don't dry up.
Lastly, as I can be a klutz at times...I dropped my camera 4 times on floors hard enough to make the batteries pop out and it never quit on me. It is a tough device.
58 Great camera for the price
It didn't take long to get into a routine with this camera. It's simple and easy to handle (and lightweight!). The photos come out great and they transfer over very fast. You can choose to download all the images or just the ones you think you want. We upgraded to a 128 MB card (per Amazon's special sale) and it holds well over 200 images at 1024x768 resolution. We loved the different flash features and zoom and all in all are very happy with our purchase. The only downside is the software that came with it, but other programs can be used so it's no big deal.
59 As advertised...
This camera comes just as advertised, and as said in many of these customer reviews-it's a great camera for the money. I waited until I got some prints made before writing this (from Ofoto), and they came back super sharp-as big as 5x7. I haven't tried any bigger, and probably won't.
The software is functional, if a bit limiting. It can be upgraded for 20.00, and I probably will. The images upload to your computer very fast, no real waiting at all. Battery life is better than I thought, but I still bought a Nimh battery set and charger, just to have no worries.
With the enclosed 8mb card, you get about 16 images per default settings. You could get more by using a different setting. I've bought a 128 card for our vacation, so I should get about 250. The nice thing is you can edit what you've taken, and dump all the dogs-you only keep the ones you like. In my mind, that's a huge plus over film photography.
The flash works well, as does the close up feature. The fill in flash works nicely as well.
I really have no complaints. For an entry level camera it's great. Sure there's no optical zoom, but this camera is a good value, and I recommend it for anyone.
60 Great camera for the price.
I just got this camera a few days ago, and I love it already. I don't usually take many photos, because I never remember to buy/develop film. So, I decided to get a digital camera - if I could find one in my price range, with the high quality I was looking for. The D-380 is just that. Two megapixels is more than enough for the average point-and-shooter, and the camera itself is easy to use. The LCD screen is very sharp and easy to see in all conditions. And one particular, minor feature that I noticed (and liked)- the button that turns the LCD on and off is set lower in the plastic, so it's not easily bumped (thereby rendering your batteries dead, hours later). Smart thinking on somebody's part ;)
The camera's video ain't that shabby either - and the Quicktime movies aren't as big (in filesize) as you'd think they'd be. I could email somebody a 10-second, lower-quality movie without clogging their inbox.
Adding on to what somebody said below, about the Camedia software not letting you send pics via email or save them to disk - who cares? You don't need any kind of software to do that. Just drag the files off of the SmartMedia disk, and on to your computer. It can't get any easier!! I haven't even bothered to install the software - you don't need it.
61 Good entry level camera at a good price
I've been waiting for a while to get a 2 megapixel camera for [this price]. This one fits the bill nicely. The image quality is good (as expected from Olympus), the battery life is good (surprisingly so), and the control interface is OK (too few buttons control too many features, lots of back-and-forth).
I particularly like the body design form-factor. The clamshell case is nice and tough, feels good in your hand, and -- this is a BIG plus -- does not have that wacky pop-up-flash that the Olympus D-5*** models have. I suppose they had to do that to make room for the zoom lens, which this model lacks.
The lack of optical zoom is, of course, the biggest drawback of this camera. Bear in mind, though, it's what enables the...price, so it's a trade off. The optical zoom works acceptably, though the image quality does degrade. Again, that the trade off.
Finally, a word about the software. I'm a long-time Photoshop user, so (in my experienced opinion) the freebie "photo-editing" software that comes with any digital camera is [cruddy], not worth the CD it's burned onto. They may offer some value as a way to catalog photos, but their retouching abilities are a joke. Just out of curiosity, I tried running it on my Mac. It crashed the machine when I tried using the red-eye reduction. I realize that non-pros are not going to buy the...full-version of Photoshop -- but the [less expensive] Photoshop Elements (formerly "LE") is pretty good. Quite frankly, a digital camera without decent photo-editing software is a bit of a lame duck. Consider investing in such software as you would any essential accessory, like a tripod or case or memory card.
All in all, I'm glad I bought this camera and feel like I got a good deal. I haven't made many consumer electronics purchases recently I can say that about.
62 This is a FABULOUS camera
I just recently received this camera and let me tell you, it is a FABULOUS camera for a beginner like me. All the other reviews I've read has helped me alot in choosing this camera. I didn't want to spend a lot and I didn't and I also didn't have to give up on quality either. Yes, the optical zoom part might be a factor later but, hey this camera does the job for me.
63 Impressed
I was pleasantly surprised about the clarity of the pictures, even when printed at an 8X10 format. I took a photo of the dog, and you can practically see every single hair of his fur on the large print-out. Close-up (Macro) photos turned out to be excellent. I must add, though, that I am not using the photo editing software that came with the camera. So I cannot really judge its performance. I am using Microsofts "Picture It" software instead. It has far more features than the Olympus software - even though it is terribly slow - and it does a great job for its low price tag.
Ni-MH batteries and charger are a must for this and any other digital camera. Otherwise one would use up regular batteries by the sackload.
64 Great camera-Poor software
I just got this camera a couple of days ago. The picture quality is wonderful. The camera is easy to use, takes great pictures and has a ton of options that makes it fun to use.
The problem is the software included for loading your pictures onto your computer. The Camedia Master software lets you load your pictures from your camera to this program but IT DOES NOT LET YOU SEND PICTURES THROUGH EMAIL OR EVEN TRANSFER THEM TO A DISK. I spent hours trying to do this, thinking I was just doing something wrong. In the end, I wasn't. You have to buy the upgrade to Cameia Master Pro in order to do this. I think this was pretty much false advertisement on Olympus's part...
65 This camera ROCKS!
I just got my new digital camera yesterday. It's the first one I ever owned and it couldn't be simpler! I was taking pictures within 5 minutes of opening the box. I had the software installed, the pictures downloaded, cropped and edited in 30-60 mins (I wasn't keeping track of time because I was having SO MUCH FUN with the camera) with no problems whatsoever: the editing software that comes with it is really easy to use, I found the instructions simple and the camera's controls intuitive. I researched cameras a lot before deciding on this one and I couldn't be more pleased. I am an average home computer user and a VERY novice photographer, but I thought the first pictures out of this camera were great. You can see them all at [URL] if you want to check out the quality for yourself.
66 Easy as 1-2-3
Actually, just bought it, just got it, and it took me less than 20 minutes to be best buddies with it... Takes great pictures, as I knew an Olympus camera would, that's why I went for Olympus. I didn't want to spend a lot of money, and I got lucky on an Amazon sale. Great buy, great pictures, easy to use software, can't tell about the batteries cause I didn't have time to evaluate how fast consuming this camera is. What I know is that I heard that digital cameras were so hard to deal with that you ended up leaving them behind, and this is as fast as regular cameras plus you get to fix, erase, modify the pictures in a cinch.
67 First Impressions
After three years of wanting and drooling, I finally bought a digital camera. Now of course, I had my doubts and worries, so I held my breath with each click I made which led me to purchase the Olympus Camedia D-380. My fears subsided when I began to test the features of this camera when I received it the next day. This is a great beginner's camera. At the highest resolution (1600x1208), you can take 5 photos. At the lowest resolution (640x480), you can take up to 47 photos, although it's not the best quality. By default, the setting is at 1600x1200, which allows for 16 photos. I use 1024x768 which gives me 29 photos. Keep in mind that these number of photos are on an 8MB memory card. A higher card will produce more clicks for your buck. For the most part, I didn't need the instruction booklet to guide me through the steps. I find it simple to operate, and mainly used the booklet to understand what the icons represented. There was very little which I couldn't figure out where I used the booklet to understand. This camera is simple to operate. This is my first camera of any kind, and I found it worth my money. The first thing I noticed was how light this camera was. It felt like a toy, but it's functions proved otherwise. The four AA batteries will add some weight to the camera, but not by much. After every photo, the image will freeze for less than a second in the LCD screen. You can view your photos through the thumbnails offered, and delete those which you don't want, saving space and meory for those good photos. The Olympus Camedia D-380 can also record mini movies (without sound of course). The more difficult aspect I found was the application which comes with this Camera, but the problems where easily worked through. Over all, I found this camera to meet my needs. I'd recommend it to anyone first starting out.
68 Half my kingdom (or 1 more star) for a real zoom lens.
The D-380 is another of the Olympus line of clam shell cameras dating back to the old (non-digital) Stylus models of the mid-80s; this one is an update of the successful D-370. The design is tried and true and I like it for its compactness and its ability to protect the lens from those with a penchant for losing lens caps. The D-380 offers adequate resolution at 2 megapixels. As I have stated in numerous reviews of other digicams, resolution much beyond 2 megapixels is worse than useless for most applications, it is costly. It not only costs money in the sense that it raises the initial price of the camera, but operationally, it requires greater battery use, usually involves longer lag times between shots, takes much longer to download to a PC and especially prolongs both phases of e-mailing photos (your uploading the file and your recipient opening it). These latter issues are, in my opinion, the most important, as the real purpose of digital cameras is their neat integration into the world of personal computing. [note: For those folks whose needs are enlarging photos beyond 8" x 10", higher resolution is required] The downside of the D-380 is the lack of an optical zoom. Digital zooms are in no way the equals of optical zooms. What these digizooms do is enlarge the center of the image captured by the zoom's stated power. In this case, using the full 5:1 zoom will take the central 20% of the image and stretch it to fill the entire frame. Unfortunately, this degrades the image by an equivalent percentage of pixels. Therefore, a 2 megapixel image digitally zoomed 5X begets an image with a resolution of only 400,000 megapixels. The result is a grainy picture suitable only for emailing or website posting, but not for any sort of printing or enlarging.
Aside from the zoom issue, the camera is a winner. Its ability to operate off readily available AA alkalines (though it will accept rechargeables and these make more sense in may ways), its easily expandable memory (it uses SmartMedia, not quite as good as CompactFlash cards, but close enough) and its adequate number of user-controllable settings all combine to make this a very serviceable camera at a very attractive price.
69 Excellent Camera
This turned out to be an excellent camera. I was a bit scared of the Olympus brand, whether the pictures would come out good, and if the cables were going to fit. None of this were problems. It takes great pictures. I like how one has the option to use either alkeline or lcd batteries. The only small problem is finding a 6.5 volt dc adapter to use the camera at home, which I cannot find. I'm beggining to doubt whether it exists at all. Oh well, if you buy it you will be pleased. Enjoy!
70 Hey...it's easy and it works!
Just got this camera on May 31, 2002, there were not many reviews so I vowed I would respond when I had made a quick review of the product. Here goes:
Camara came with the non-lithum batteries, but I have used the ones in the box now off and on for two days. It was very intimidating with all the multiple books included, but mostly that's because they duplicate each book for each language. It took me about an hour to feel comfortable shooting the camera, but I took several pictures in the first 10 min.
Camera feels solid, light and comfortable. The LCD menu is intimidating and I think I will still have to do more research, but it looks promising for advance features. The panarama works with the card that comes with it, so use it for just those shots, cause it won't work on any other smart media cards like the free one that was given with the promotion. I went out and took two dozen pictures of my chickens on the free media card and never got to the end.
The quality of the pictures are excellent, especially for web design or email. Printing I haven't done on the good quality paper but appears that it could successfully accomplish that also.
Overall I found the auto light and point and shoot ability with this camera great...even went outside at dusk and took great shots. The software is fair, but I fell back on JASC Paint Shop. The connection was exactly like connecting an external USB external hard drive and works the same so you can drag and drop things to whatever location you prefer.
If I come across any downs for this camera I will write an additional review. But my conclusion is...
This is a great camera for my needs and most needs and is awfully fun to work. Excellent for the price...and if it last for a good long while I will be tickled to death.
71 Great for beginners
After a lot of comparing I decided to purchase the D-380. I must say that I am very happy with it. Although the zoom is not all that great, and some of the pictures come out blurry, it is a great buy. I have a habit of loosing things so I needed a camera that was cheap but nice. Also the software that comes with the camera is kind of iffy but the free ofoto software works great. I recommend this camera to someone who is buying their first digital camera or just need a camera for occasional use. I am in college and it is perfect for me. But i am definetly going to upgrade when i purchase my next camera. Great Graduation Gift.
72 Excellent camera
This is an easy to use, high quality digital camera.
The images are sharp and clear. If you want a simple camera for taking travel pictures, the Olympus D380 is ideal for you. Indoor pictures with flash are good. You can easily transfer photos to your computer and send e-mails to your friends. The timer function is very convenient. A 64 MB card and a bag are highly recommended accessories. This camera does not have optical zoom. With the alkaline batteries you can take a lot of photos, but be careful and turn off the camera when not in use.
73 Great Camera
This camera is great, I was very surprised at how good the movie mode was. I know that in the editors review it says it won't place your camcorder, but for the average user it is great. The pictures look fantastic, and the software that comes with it is very user friendly. It's much simplier that Adobe products. It's easy to learn some of the beginner elements of changing photo's color, and croping, things like that.
I was a little dissapointed with the movie mode because it doesn't have sound, but I plan to one with it soon anyway. The batteries that came with mine, lasted me 1 full day, and they still hav'nt run out yet, I was using the LCD screen and everything. But it's true they do drain fast.
The paranorma feature, is best used for landscape shots, but it is cool, once you learn how it works. Some my outdoor shots came out a little dark when flash is not on. But the software that comes with it, changed that very quickly. All in all, I think this camera is a great why for someone to make the step into digital, I'm never going back.
Recommended: It does not come with a carrying case (what is that about!?!) so pick up on of those. Rechargeables are a must, unless you plan to use it just for an trip or something. And a bigger memory card would be nice to, go with a 64MB and your set. And if you are thinking about getting a 128MB card, I'd advise against it if you have frequent access to your computer, because you will just be wasting space.
74 Great intro to the world of digital photography!
The Olympus D-380 is my first digital camera. I did my research, using online reviews and consumer publications. I wanted something high quality, user-friendly, and well built, at a reasonable price. I concluded that Olympus makes products that fit my criteria. This camera is everything I hoped it would be and more!
Upon opening the box, I was pleased to find an attractive, sturdily constructed camera. Though there's nothing cheap-looking about it (it's all classy looking metallic surfaces), it is very lightweight and comfortable in my hand. The lens cover slides with precision and covers the lens securely (many of the cameras in this price range don't have an integrated lens cover). The wrist strap attaches easily. The covers for the battery compartment, memory card, and USB and AC adapters are well designed and look as if they will last a long time. This camera is manufactured in Japan.
It took only about a minute, after scanning the "Quick Start" guide, to insert the included batteries and SmartMedia memory card and start taking pictures. The very first picture I took was a keeper; I was very pleasantly surprised at the quality. I handed the camera to my 6-year-old son, who snapped off a shot of my daughter and me, which I then printed on glossy photo paper. It looks so nice that I'm actually going to frame it and hang it on the wall. I have since taken pictures at all the different resolutions, and all look great when viewed on the computer. I have settled on the 1024 x 768 setting as my "standard", since it matches the resolution of my monitor, and makes for reasonable file sizes (around 180 KB per photo). 640 x 480 works great for e-mail, and 1600 x 1200 turns out beautiful results for printing, or those special occasion "keepsakes". Even the QuickTime movie mode does a decent job, certainly much better than those grainy webcam captures.
There is a 5X digital zoom (no optical). I detect a little graininess when using it, but for the money, it's fine and it's simple to use.
I am running Windows 2000 Pro, and setup for transferring files to the computer couldn't have been easier. Simply plug the USB cable into the camera, then into the computer. That's it! Open My Computer and you'll find a new removable storage drive. From there it's a simple matter of dragging and dropping files to wherever you want to store them. You can delete the files from the SmartMedia card from your computer, which is easier than doing it with the camera. The included Camedia software looked fun, but I haven't had a need to use it yet, so I can't comment on its functionality.
I received a free 32 MB Viking SmartMedia card from Amazon with this camera. Together with the 8 MB card in the box with the camera, this is enough storage for roughly 200 photos at 1024 x 768. The only thing I needed to buy to complete my setup was a carrying case.
I highly recommend this camera to anyone looking to enter the world of digital photography. It is stylish, extremely easy to use, very well constructed, takes excellent pictures, and is an unbeatable value!
