Great, Low-Noise Compact Digicam with RAW
In all I've bought four C-7000s. The 1st was a gift to my daughter-in-law. Its images were so excellent that I kept comparing them with my Nikon Coolpix and was amazed at the Olympus's superiority. So when I dropped and broke the Nikon, I picked up a 2nd C-7000 on eBay.
WOW! The images were SHARP, colors saturated and true--more so than any other camera I've ever owned (many), and noise was exceptionally low. However, I found the camera was not without its drawbacks:
Learning curve.
Image review somewhat slow.
Menu awkward til you get used to it.
No image stabilization; care must be taken at slower shutter speeds.
Advanced manual on CD only. Of course you can print it, but a stapled 8x10 is impractical when you're out in the field.
Battery life--you need a couple of extras on hand, charged and ready to go.
Requires xD Picture cards.
Movie clips limited to 20 seconds at hi-rez setting (can be extended at lower resolutions).
Slow image transfer with supplied USB cable--standard 2.0.
Because of these flaws I didn't give my new purchase the chance it deserved. After keeping it a couple of months, I grew impatient and sold it. My head had been turned by all the new cameras flooding the market--tilt-and-swivel LCDs, higher MPs, greater ISO range, etc. Just certain that it would be a huge improvement, I replaced the Olympus with an optically-stabilized 8MP Canon Powershot.
WRONG! While the Canon was not without its merits, I truly didn't appreciate what I'd had til it was gone. The Canon was a snap to use and stabilization was great, but image noise was TERRIBLE above ISO 200. There were artifacts and chromatic abberations I hadn't seen with the C-7000, too. And the Canon sorely lacked some of the Olympus's greatest features. Features that make all the difference to the advanced amateur or pro photographter.
So I bought my 3rd C-7000 on eBay and gave it the time it deserved, acquainting myself with its advanced capabilities. Conclusion: it's a SPLENDID camera, very worthy of your consideration if you aren't rushed and can take time composing your pictures. Although the C-7000 is an older digicam, it has many features missing on most new compact models. These features make it a standout even in today's compact competition:
RAW, TIFF and j-PEG file formats.
In-camera settings for sharpening, saturation, white balance, ISO, flash output & red eye removal.
Full manual mode as well as Program, AV and TV modes for maxiumum creative control.
Time lapse function.
Option to create your own custom setting.
LOW image noise even at ISO 400; little chromatic aberration.
Excellent image resolution.
GREAT macro mode.
5X optical zoom a bit more than your average compact digicam,
In-camera panorama function (when using Olympus brand xD card).
Dead accurate, richly saturated colors--blues are truest of any camera I've ever used.
Optical viewfinder.
Super hi-resolution LCD.
Fast start-up.
Sturdy, CLASSY metal case.
Very acceptable movies, though sound must be turned off to zoom during shooting.
When Canon came out with PowerShot G9 12MP with RAW, my head was turned once again; I sold my C-7000 and got one. Short story here. I'll keep the G9 for close crops, but I'm now on my 4th Olympus C-7000, and it's stayin'!Read full review
