Olympus C-211 ZoomHave your cake and eat it too! - 2 megapixels worth of digital photos, and a built-in Polaroid printer!<<Image Storage & Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Test Results & Conclusion>> Page 11:Video, Power, SoftwareReview First Posted: 9/25/2000 |
Video OutUS versions of the Camedia C-211 Zoom come equipped with an NTSC video cable (we assume European models are equipped for PAL timing) for connection to a television set. The C-211 can play back captured still images and movies to any television, VCR, or other video output device. The manual notes that some television screens may place a black frame around the image, which will probably print with the image as well. Images may also appear slightly off center on the television screen.
PowerThe C-211 follows the design of other recent Olympus models, by providing for power through either four AA batteries, or two CR-V3 lithium battery packs. (Two of which are supplied with the camera.) We'd strongly recommend buying a couple of sets of high-capacity NiMH rechargeable batteries and a charger for normal use, as that will be by far the most cost-effective option. The CR-V3 batteries are a good choice for long term "backup" power, since they'll stay fresh in your camera bag literally for years. The lithium cells are just too expensive to warrant serious consideration for a normal power source though.
The C-211 features an interesting battery compartment, basically a rectangular tray that slides in and out of the camera. The tray locks firmly into place once inserted into the camera, and is released by a sliding lever. We found that the C-211 doesn't report the available battery power until the batteries are quite low, so you'll want to keep some freshly charged spares handy. The camera does feature a power saving sleep feature, which lets you set the amount of inactive time before the camera goes to "sleep" (from 30 seconds to three minutes). You can also set the camera to not display images while it's recording them to memory card, which will save a little extra power as well. An AC adapter is available as an accessory.
The table below shows the amount of power used for each of the camera's operating modes.
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| Capture Mode, w/LCD |
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| Capture Mode, no LCD backlight |
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| Half-pressed shutter w/LCD |
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| Half-pressed w/o LCD |
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| Memory Write (transient) |
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| Flash Recharge (transient) |
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| Image Playback (w-w/o backlight) |
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Overall, the C-211's power consumption is about average among 2 megapixel cameras we've tested. The absence of an optical viewfinder makes for shorter battery life though, as there's no way to avoid using the power-hungry LCD in normal operation. The "sunlit" backlight option will save a little power outdoors, but not as much as we'd expected it to. In normal operation, a set of high-capacity NiMH batteries should provide about 2 hours of continuous recording.
Included Software
The C-211 comes an Olympus Camedia Master software CD, compatible with both Windows and Macintosh operating systems. Camedia Master allows you to download and save images to your hard drive, and provides a basic organization utility. The software also features a few minor image correction tools, such as the ability to adjust brightness and sharpness. There's also a handful of creative templates for enhancing your images and making composites. This latest version of Camedia Master also includes panorama-stitching capabilities, allowing you to assemble multiple images into a single large panoramic photo.
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