Camera: Olympus Camedia C-50

My newest, and lately my most-often-used, camera. At all times I carry an extra battery and about 280 MB of storage (on three cards). It lives in a fanny pack which goes many places I go, so it’s generally available if I see something to shoot….

I got some cash for Christmas in 2001, and earmarked it for a digital camera. What I wanted–a small, smart, high-resolution camera–wasn’t yet on the market for a price I was willing to pay, but it was clear that I’d find one within a year. About a year ago, I went shopping, and found this.

Things to like:

  • It’s small, & it’s light-weight.
  • It’s pretty savvy about handling light and focus.
  • It’s sturdy. I’ve dropped it several times, with no apparent ill effects.
  • It can be set up as a fully manual camera.
  • The batteries are decent. (But you really need to carry two charged batteries at all times.)
  • At its normal setting, the memory card holds about 100 pictures. This is configurable; I occasionally decide to push the resolution up.

Things that I have issues with:

  • It’s a little slow to start up.
  • It’s a little prone to argue with me about settings.
  • The LCD is pretty dim.
  • The batteries occasionally fail earlier than I anticipate. I may add a third to my normal kit to combat this.
  • It doesn’t handle high contrast particularly well.
  • It’s not a good camera for garden pictures, as the shortest focal length is about four feet.

All in all, an excellent and convenient camera. It’s a good deal less serious than my Nikon, but it’s terrific for most purposes.

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