 
Olympus C-2500L digital camera (Review first posted 13 November, 1999) |
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2.5 megapixel sensor for images up to 1712 x 1368 pixels |
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3x optical zoom lens | |
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Variable ISO to 400 | |
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True TTL SLR viewfinder | |
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Autofocus illuminator for low-light shooting | |
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Superb image quality |
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Manufacturer Overview
Olympus has a distinguished history in the digicam field, stretching back to
their original D200-L and D-300L. They introduced the first sub-$5,000 digital
SLR in the form of the D-600L, and continue to have one of the broadest lines
of cameras in the industry. When first introduced, their digital SLRs (the
D-500L and D-600L) caused quite a stir, as there was literally nothing else
like them on the market. While there are now a very few other digital SLRs
in the sub-$2,000 bracket, Olympus still holds a commanding position in that
niche.
With the introduction of the C-2500L 2.5 megapixel SLR, Olympus has clearly
raised the bar once again. Not only does the new camera produce exceptional
image quality, but Olympus is promoting the new camera and its range of accessories
as a true "system" for the serious amateur or professional photographer.
As revealed in our tests, the resulting camera system has impressive capabilities,
and in many ways challenges professional units costing far more.
High Points
- 2.5 megapixel progressive scan CCD
- Image sizes of 1712x1368, 1280x1024, 640x512
- 3x aspherical glass zoom lens from 9.2 to 28mm (36 - 110mm equivalent)
- "Fast" f/2.8-f/3.9 maximum lens aperture
- Autofocus illuminator to assist with focusing in dark situations
- Manual focus from 24 inches to infinity in normal and from 11.8 to 24 inches
in macro
- Variable ISO (100, 200, 400)
- Through The Lens (TTL) SLR optical viewfinder
- Exposure times from 8 - 1/10,000 seconds
- Five image quality modes including uncompressed TIFF
- Center weighted or spot metering options
- Built in pop-up flash with four modes available (Auto, Red-Eye Reduction,
Fill-in and Off)
- Hot shoe for external flash (powerful, flexible dedicated flash unit available)
- True through-the-lens (TTL) flash exposure control
- Eight white balance settings (Auto, Six Preset or Manual)
- Program, Aperture Priority and Manual exposure modes
- IR remote control for vibration-free tripod and macro shots
- 1.8 inch, 122,000 pixel TFT color LCD display (playback only)
- 2x, 4x "zoomed" playback options to check details, framing
- Packaged with a 32MB SmartMedia card
- Compatible with Olympus P-330 printer and DPOF
Executive Overview
Let us first say, wow! The C-2500L will definitely capture the hearts
of those who love fine photographic equipment and full manual control. We really
loved all the features and controls on this one, with the exception of the limited
aperture control (only two stops available). But beyond that, the C-2500L is
a great camera with a lot of flexibility. In the C-2500L, Olympus set out to
create camera that offering professional-level features and functionality, and
to our mind, they've succeeded.
Design-wise, the new C-2500L isn't as portable as many other digicams out on
the market these days. But that's really a minor drawback when you consider
all the options it sports. What's more, the C-2500L's intended audience is less
interested in a camera that you can drop in a pocket than in a camera that will
reliably capture top-quality images. Two major pluses right off the bat are
the external flash shoe and lens filter threads which accommodate a range of
conversion lenses. We were also really excited about the TTL optical viewfinder
and the placement of the tripod mount and battery compartment (you can actually
access the batteries while the camera is mounted to the tripod). Beyond that,
all the controls are well marked and natural to use.
An Olympus 9.2 to 28mm aspherical, glass lens (the equivalent of a 36 to 110mm
lens on a 35mm camera) comes with the C-2500L with aperture settings at F/2.8
and F/5.6 in wide angle and F/3.9 and F/7.8 in telephoto. The TTL autofocus
ranges from .02m (0.8 inches) to infinity and the effective range of the AF
illuminator beneath the lens works from 60cm to 3m (2 to 9.8 feet). The lens
features a 43mm thread for the addition of filters or the wide angle and macro
conversion lenses that Olympus offers. (We worked a little with the high-quality
0.85x wide angle and 1.45x telephoto conversion lenses, and can confidently
say that they go far beyond the inexpensive third-party accessory lenses we've
become accustomed to in the digicam arena: These are pro-quality optical units!)
We enjoyed the full manual control on the C-2500L, even though we wished for
more on the aperture side of the fence. You get a lot more options with the
shutter speed, manually controlled from eight to 1/10,000 seconds in Manual
mode. (Program capture mode only goes from 1/4 to 1/10,000 seconds). We also
appreciated the option of the Aperture Priority mode, for those who want to
achieve certain effects by controlling the aperture.
All of the other camera features are controllable in all three recording modes.
The pop-up flash on the C-2500L features four modes: Auto, Red-Eye Reduction,
Fill-in Flash and Off. For night and slow synchro effects, the Flash Synchronization
function gives you the choice of firing the flash at the beginning or end of
a slow shutter. You can also adjust the flash intensity in 1/3 EV steps from
+ 2 to -2. We enjoyed playing with the external FL-40 electronic flash unit,
which Olympus offers as an accessory. The FL-40 features manual and auto control,
wide and telephoto flash modes, and control over ISO and F-stop. The combination
of the FL-40 and the on-board flash of the C-2500L makes for some powerful picture-taking
options!
The C-2500L's Self-Timer mode gives you a total of 12 seconds to get into place
after pressing the shutter button. An excellent bonus is the infrared (IR) remote
control, which trips the shutter two seconds after pressing the remote release
button. Besides its obvious use for letting the photographer get into the picture,
we found the IR remote very useful for macro work, or other situations with
the camera on a tripod, to reduce camera shake when tripping the shutter. The
C-2500's remote goes way beyond a simple shutter release though, offering zoom
lens and exposure compensation control as well.
In addition to the exposure controls, the C-2500L gives you several focusing
options. The Macro function lets you capture subjects as small as 9 x 11cm (3.5
x 4.3in) from approximately 0.3m (1ft) away. For closer objects, the Super Macro
feature gets you as close as 2cm (0.8in). Alternatively, the Infinity mode sets
the focus range to infinity, saving time on the autofocus when you know you're
capturing far away subjects. The Quick Focus setting lets you program a preset
focus distance that you can call up in an instant when taking the picture, overriding
the autofocus function. Finally, the manual focus option puts everything into
your hands, with 16 available focus settings.
When it comes to metering, you can select from spot or center weighted in any
of the three capture modes. You also have control over the exposure compensation
in 1/3 EV steps from +2 to -2, not only for ambient lighting, but independently
for flash exposure as well. White balance features three modes: Auto, Reference
and Manual. Auto does exactly as it sounds and puts the camera in charge. The
white balance Reference option lets you set the white value by holding a solid
white paper (ruled note paper works too) in front of the camera and adjusting
the white balance to it. The Manual setting lets you choose color temperatures
from 3000K to 6500K. (The manual gives some suggestions for judging light temperatures.)
ISO can be set at 100, 200 or 400 and you have two sharpness settings: Normal
and Soft. The net result is an unusual level of control (for a digital camera)
over the picture-taking process.
A Sequence mode allows you to take up to five rapid exposures with one press
of the shutter button. The maximum number and speed of exposures depends on
the available memory in the SmartMedia, of course, but it's a useful feature
when you need to catch rapid action.
Playback mode gives you several options for viewing images: one at a time, four
to a screen or nine to a screen. A digital zoom feature in Playback lets you
take a closer look at images and an image information display tells you all
the information about how each image was shot. A bonus here is that the camera
supports both SmartMedia and CompactFlash memory cards, and can even have both
types of cards in it simultaneously. The C-2500L is compatible with the Olympus
P-330 printer and gives you the option to set up images in the camera for printing.
You can also view images on your television set with the included video cable.
A software CD, compatible with both Mac and Windows platforms, features Adobe
PhotoDeluxe for image manipulation, Camedia Master for transferring images and
QuickStitch for piecing together multiple shots into panoramic images.
The C-2500L offers a lot of features, a lot of control and simple operation.
It's a great camera for anyone who wants complete command of image capture but
it also accomodates the novice who wants to learn more. Overall, we give it
a big thumbs up.
Design
The C-2500L is definitely not a pocket-sized camera, as evidenced by the thick
neck strap that comes along with it. Weighing in at 17.5 ounces (490g) without
the batteries and card, the C-2500L packs a powerful punch with all its bells
and whistles. The actual dimensions are 4.3 x 3.2 x 5.1 inches (109.5 x 80.5
x 129 mm). (Essentially identical in size to the earlier Olympus SLR digicams,
theD-500L, D-600L, and D-620L.) The black and silver toned design is relatively
compact when you consider the range of functions and capabilities provided.
The design of the lens makes a lens cap necessary, but Olympus offers a convenient
lens cap holder that attaches to the neck strap, somewhat alleviating that headache.
Let's take a closer look at the camera itself:
The front of the C-2500L features a protruding lens with the AF illuminator
directly underneath. The battery compartment makes an excellent handgrip which
features a thin rubber grip. Just above the hand grip is a photoreceptor, which
responds to commands from the remote control.
Turning to the right side of the camera, we see the pop-up flash button, marked
by the traditional flash lightning bolt. Near the bottom are the video, DC in
and digital transfer input jacks, all protected by a plastic flap that snaps
up to expose the jacks. (We weren't crazy about the way the protector flap seemed
to dangle at the end of its plastic retainer strip, but on the other hand suspect
that this arrangement is much more robust than the typical plastic "hinge"
most cameras use.) The dioptric adjustment dial for the optical viewfinder is
also visible here, at upper right. A sturdy metal carrying-strap lug is at middle
right.
The left side of the camera features the SmartMedia and CompactFlash slots,
protected by a hinged, plastic cover. The other carrying-strap lug is also visible
here at top left.
The back of the camera features the LCD display, mode dial, optical viewfinder
with LEDs and a few controls. A slightly-indented thumb rest adds a little security
to your grip.
The top of the camera shows the outline of the pop-up flash, external flash
hot shoe and a couple of other controls, in addition to the shutter button and
optical zoom control. A small, black and white, LCD status display shows the
camera's settings, battery level and number of available pictures.
The bottom of the camera features the battery compartment and metal tripod mount.
The two are placed far enough away from each other to allow you to change camera
batteries while still mounted to the tripod (most tripods, anyway). The battery
compartment features a plastic cover held in place with a sliding lock. The
battery compartment design is very reminiscent of that of Olympus' C-2000, although
we found the 2500's much easier to close and lock. Directly beside the AA battery
compartment is a small slot for the 3V lithium battery which runs the internal
clock/calendar.
Viewfinder
A prominent feature
of the C-2500L is its TTL optical viewfinder, thanks to the SLR (single-lens
reflex) design. A dioptric adjustment dial on the side of the viewfinder makes
it more user friendly for near- or far-sighted users. A central, circular autofocus
mark helps you adjust your composition accordingly. Two LED lights (orange and
green) just outside the viewfinder clue you in to the camera's status and let
you know things like when the image is in focus or if there's an error. (One
minor note is that we found these LEDs very distracting when using the camera
in flash mode in very low light conditions: When we pressed the shutter button,
the LEDs glaring in the corner of our eyeball were bright enough to reduce our
night vision! An option to turn them off would be nice for such situations.)
The viewfinder shows you about 95 percent of the actual image recorded, a percentage
which seemed to vary with the image quality selection in our testing. Perhaps
because of the superior capabilities of the TTL viewfinder, Olympus doesn't
provide a viewfinder option using the LCD. (This has consistently been the case
on their SLR digicams in the past. Despite the accuracy of the TTL finder though,
we'd still like to have the option of using the LCD as a viewfinder as well:
There are some times when it simply isn't as convenient to squint through the
viewfinder eyepiece.)
While the LCD
isn't available for use as a "live" viewfinder, it does provide extensive
exposure information if the "Rec Info" option is enabled on the Setup
screen. This display shows virtually every camera setting relevant to your exposure,
including aperture, shutter speed, exposure level, ISO speed, white balance
setting, focus status, flash and capture mode, image-quality setting, memory
card mode (SmartMedia or CompactFlash), and shots remaining. (This is probably
the most complete status display we've seen yet on a digicam.)
Although the rear LCD screen isn't used for a "live" viewfinder, it
does optionally display the captured image briefly after each shot, and may
also be used to view previously-captured photos. In playback mode, you can either
view groups of four or nine images in "thumbnail" mode, a single image
at normal size (filling the LCD display), or zoom-in on an image, magnifying
it either 2x or 4x. We observed one quirk in the 4x zoomed playback mode though:
In either zoomed playback mode, you can pan around the enlarged image by pressing
the +/- button on the camera's top, and then using the rear-panel rocker control
to move your viewing window around the image. In 2x mode, you can scroll to
see all of the image area, but in 4x mode, you're restricted to the region that
you had zoomed in on in 2x mode: To see more of the image, you need to drop
back down to 2x mode, scroll to center the region of interest, and then zoom
back up to 4x mode. - An odd user-interface wrinkle, albeit one that can be
worked around.
Optics
The C-2500L is equipped with an Olympus 9.2 to 28mm aspherical, all-glass lens
(the equivalent of a 36 to 110mm lens on a 35mm camera). The aperture, user-controllable
in Manual mode, has options of F/2.8 or F/5.6 in wide angle or F/3.9 and F/7.8
in telephoto. (There are two physical aperture openings, which vary in their
effective size as the focal length of the zoom lens changes.) TTL autofocus
ranges from .02m (0.8 inches) to infinity and the effective range of the AF
illuminator beneath the lens is from 60cm to 3m (2 to 9.8 feet). The lens features
a 43mm thread for the addition of filters or the wide and macro conversion lens
accessories, further expanding the camera's optical capabilities.
Given the C-2500L's exceptional capabilities in other areas, we're rather puzzled
by Olympus' decision to provide only two lens aperture settings. This precludes
a shutter-priority autoexposure mode, and also makes the camera somewhat less
flexible when used with a studio strobe system. Likewise, fine gradations of
control over depth of field are lost as well. (Although to be honest, in our
own shooting, it seems we either want the absolute minimum depth of field or
the absolute maximum, rarely some value in between.) In actuality, while we
personally bemoan the limited aperture control, several professional photographers
that we've corresponded with about the C-2500L didn't seem overly concerned
by it. They felt that, as far as studio flash went, there were usually plenty
of other ways to control the light beyond the camera's aperture. Likewise, it
appeared that their feelings about depth of field somewhat matched our own.
So: Only two apertures - A big deal' A non-issue' - We'll leave it for you to
decide, as determined your own shooting patterns. Based on our own thoughts,
and the feedback we've had from the pros we've spoken with, we'd say it'll be
a non-issue for the majority of users. (The bottom line for us: It bothers the
control freak in us, but probably wouldn't make a difference in our own shooting:
Faced with competing cameras equal in other respects, we'd definitely choose
the one with a full range of aperture control. In most cases though, it wouldn't
be a deciding factor on its own.)
Macro focusing
with the C-2500L requires a little explanation as well. The camera has two autofocus
macro modes: Standard Macro works across the full focal length range of the
zoom lens, and provides focusing between 1 and 2 feet (30 and 60 cm). Super
Macro provides focusing from 0.8 inches to 2 feet (2 to 60 cm), but only at
the lens' widest-angle focal length. The minimum field of view in Standard Macro
mode is 3.5 x 4.4 inches, about mid-range for high-end digicams. The SuperMacro
mode is literally microscopic, with a minimum coverage area of only 1.48 x 1.85
inches. We're not sure why Olympus chose to provide two different macro settings:
It could be that one trade off of the SuperMacro mode is increased barrel distortion,
something that you can avoid by working in normal Macro with the zoom set towards
its telephoto end. Overall though, we're glad they included the Super Macro
option: We're big fans of ultra-macro photography, and we suspect it opens a
range of specialized scientific, forensic, and medical applications for the
camera as well.
Auxiliary Lenses
Olympus has always offered high-quality auxiliary lenses for their digicams,
but with the C-2500L, are presenting them much more prominently, as part of
a complete "system." Many of us in the digicam world are familiar
with the inexpensive add-on lenses sold by third parties for use with digital
cameras. While these work adequately for many purposes, they generally aren't
of high optical quality. The Olympus auxiliary lenses on the other hand are
pretty serious pieces of optical hardware, with multiple optical-glass elements,
anti-flare coatings, etc. Naturally, they're priced accordingly, more in the
$100+ category than the $10+ one.
With the C-2500L, we had a chance to work with both the 0.85x wide-angle and
1.45x telephoto auxiliary lenses. The wide angle unit extends the wide angle
end of the zoom range from the equivalent of a 36mm lens on a 35mm camera to
the equivalent of a 30.6 mm one. This definitely represents a useful increase
in angular coverage, but we'd like to see even more: Given that this lens works
well across a range of zoom settings, it would be nice to have the equivalent
of a 24mm or so at the widest setting. The wide-angle adapter is a fairly large
hunk of glass, to the point that some caution needs to be exerted when attaching
it to the camera. (See our comments on the filter threads below.)
The 1.45x telephoto auxiliary lens is a good deal smaller than the wide angle
unit, making it somewhat easier to mount. It comes with a thread adapter to
mate with the camera's filter threads, but also has spring-loaded threaded clips
that attach it to the adapter unit. This makes it quite quick to attach or remove,
once the adapter ring is on the camera. The 1.45x magnification factor means
that the telephoto end of the C-2500L's lens is extended to an equivalent focal
length of 159 mm. Unlike the wide angle lens though, the telephoto adapter can
only be used near the telephoto end of the 2500's zoom range. At shorter focal
lengths, it vignettes quite a bit. This is probably OK, since the whole point
of adding a tele adapter is to get beyond the range of the built-in lens. On
the other hand, it would be useful to have a wider zoom range with the adapter
in place, to help with framing.
The Filter Threads
We mentioned that the mass of the auxiliary lenses meant some caution was needed
in attaching them to the camera. The reason for this is that the filter threads
on the C-2500L's lens seem to be made from a softer plastic, and as such are
somewhat susceptible to cross-threading. We didn't find this to be a particular
issue when attaching a lightweight filter or adapter ring to the camera. If
attempted to attach the combined wide angle lens-plus-adapter assembly to the
camera though, the mass of the large lens made fine alignment very finicky.
We'd strongly recommend that users develop the habit (as we did) of attaching
the adapter ring to the camera first, then screwing the lens onto the adapter
ring.
Exposure
The C-2500 features excellent exposure control with three different metering
modes available (Manual, Aperture Priority and Program). These modes are selectable
via the mode dial on the back of the camera. Program mode lets the camera do
all the work and leaves you to free to concentrate on framing and composition.
The default in Program mode is auto-everything, but you do have control over
zoom and flash operation. If you really want to, you can also delve into white
balance, ISO, etc. Manual mode gives you simultaneous control over aperture
and shutter speed, while Aperture Priority lets you set the aperture while the
camera selects the shutter speed.
In the following, we found that there were so many controls on the C-2500L,
that it was easier to explain each feature individually and then define the
modes it works in. Accordingly, we'll discuss each of the functions below in
that manner.
Flash
The pop-up flash on the C-2500L features four modes: Auto, Red-Eye Reduction,
Fill-in Flash and Off. Auto lets the camera judge lighting conditions and determine
the need for flash. Red-Eye Reduction emits a small preflash before firing the
full flash to reduce the effect of Red-Eye. Fill-in Flash just means that the
flash always fires, regardless of lighting conditions and Off means that the
flash never fires. All flash modes are accessible by pressing the Flash button
on the top of the camera until the appropriate icon appears.
In addition to the four flash modes, the C-2500L features a Flash Synchronization
option, accessible in the capture menu. This function allows you to choose whether
the flash fires at the beginning or end of a slow shutter opening to create
special effects. Two options are available through the capture menu, First Curtain
Effect and Second Curtain Effect. (A somewhat obscure reference to the focal-plane
shutters in 35mm film cameras.) First Curtain means that the flash fires just
after the shutter opens and Second Curtain means it fires just before the shutter
closes. These special flash timing modes are useful for combining flash exposure
with long exposure times in night photography of moving subjects. When you combine
a flash exposure with a slow shutter speed, any moving objects will appear as
both a streak (from the long shutter time) and a sharply-defined image (from
the flash). If the flash occurs when the shutter first opens, the streak will
appear in front of the object, which frequently isn't when you'd like it to
occur. Using Second Curtain synchronization produces photos with the streaks
trailing behind the objects' sharp images, nicely conveying the concept of "speed."
A standard feature on higher-end 35mm SLRs, first/second curtain flash sync
is rarely found on digicams.
The manual includes a chart explaining the flash illumination range, based on
ISO and optical zoom. To give you an idea of the capabilities, at ISO 100, the
flash range is from 0.3 to 3.6m (1 to 12ft) in wide angle and from 0.3 to 2.5m
(1 to 8.2ft) in telephoto. At ISO 400, these ranges extend to 7.2m (23.6ft)
and 5.0m (16.4ft) respectively. You can adjust the flash intensity through the
settings menu in 1/3 EV steps from +2 to -2.
The
FL-40 Dedicated Strobe Unit
Our evaluation model of the C-2500L arrived with a sample of Olympus' external
FL-40 electronic flash unit in the box with it. The (optional) FL-40 features
manual and auto control, wide and telephoto flash modes, and control over ISO
and F-stop. It also features a button to illuminate the display panel in low
light situations. The flash head itself swivels 270 degrees horizontally, and
tilts vertically to 90, 75, 60, 45, or 0 degrees. The FL-40 is quite powerful,
with an ISO 100 guide number as high as 40 (in telephoto mode), as compared
to the camera's own guide number of 8-12 (tele/wide). When the flash is in auto
mode, the camera controls the flash's settings (including the wide/telephoto
focusing of the flash head itself). Since the C-2500L's flash metering is entirely
TTL (through the lens), you can use the FL-40 at the same time as the on-board
flash for complex lighting effects. The FL-40 also contains an additional autofocus-assist
illuminator, significantly increasing the total-darkness AF range of the C-2500L
when the two are used together.
Although none of our standard test shots really highlight the versatility of
the C-2500L/FL-40 combination, we really had a blast playing with the two! With
both flashes firing forward, in telephoto mode, and the camera's ISO boosted
to a setting of 400, the maximum working range was pretty incredible: Shooting
outdoors at night, we got usable exposures of objects 50-60 feet away(!). In
indoor shooting environments, you can either let the camera figure the exposure
automatically, or optionally run the FL-40 in manual mode, while controlling
the C-2500L's onboard flash via the flash exposure setting in the camera's LCD
menu system. When using the FL-40 in manual mode, there really isn't any alternative
for calculating the correct intensity level to set it to, other than trial and
error. (Actually, a handheld flash exposure meter would probably be quite handy
here.) Fortunately, one of the great benefits of a digital camera is the immediate
feedback it gives you on matters such as exposure: We found it fairly easy to
home in on the correct manual setting for the FL-40 with just a few quick shots
viewed on the camera's LCD.
In exchange for the minor hassle of switching to manual mode on the FL-40 though,
you gain tremendous range of creative expression with the C-2500L/FL-40 combination.
We could achieve very subtle lighting effects by combining a reduced-exposure
direct flash from the camera's onboard strobe with a stronger bounced flash
from the FL-40. The ability to manually control the exposure of both flashes
in 1/3-stop increments allowed great delicacy in adjusting the lighting. (Note
to Olympus: We'd *love* to see a remote cable for the FL-40, letting us extend
it some distance from the camera, perhaps even with a light-stand mount that
would facilitate use with umbrellas, softboxes, etc!)
Overall, the FL-40 external flash unit adds tremendous capability to the C-2500L
photography system. Given the level of engineering necessary to develop such
a product, we believe it portends interesting things for Olympus' line of "pro"
digital cameras in the future: We've had no such indication from Olympus (if
we had, we'd be under nondisclosure and unable to speculate on the subject),
but our guess is there will eventually be an entire series of high-end digicams
able to use the FL-40.
Self-Timer
In any of the capture modes, the Self-Timer function allows you to get into
the picture yourself. The function is controlled through the settings menu,
under the Drive option. Like most other digicams, you simply compose the image
and press the shutter button to activate the timer. The self-timer LED lights
up on the front of the camera for the first 10 seconds and then blinks for the
remaining two before the shutter fires. You can stop the countdown by pressing
the menu button once, or cancel the mode entirely by going through the settings
menu. Olympus suggests placing the lens cap holder over the viewfinder to keep
out any extra light. (They recommended the same for their earlier SLR digicams
also: Apparently light entering the viewfinder can reach the autoexposure sensor.)
IR Remote Control
A very helpful accessory that comes with the C-2500L is a remote control
that's enabled whenever the self-timer function is active. Set up the shot as
stated above. When you're ready to trigger the shutter, point the remote control
straight at the camera and hit the shutter release button. The camera will beep
and the Self-Timer light will blink for two seconds before the shutter fires
(no more frantic running around to get into the picture). Check the manual for
a list of limitations and recommendations for using the remote control.
This is apparently the identical remote control first seen on the earlier C-2000
Zoom camera. We have to say it's one of the most useful digicam accessories
we've yet encountered, at least for the type of camera-on-tripod studio shooting
that we do so much of. The IR pickup in the C-2500L seems a bit less sensitive
than that in the C-2000, but with either camera, we found we could frequently
trigger the shutter simply by pointing the remote at the subject, from behind
the camera, the reflected IR light apparently being enough to trip the shutter.
In any case, it's great to be able to release a digicam shutter without jostling
the camera (especially for macro work), and the Olympus remote performed very
reliably for us.
The functions of the remote go quite a bit beyond a simple shutter release though,
in that it also controls the camera's zoom function, as well as operation in
playback mode. In the case of the C-2500L though, the zoom lens control is less
useful than it was on the earlier C-2000 Zoom, because the 2500L doesn't have
any video option in capture mode. (With the C-2000, you could conceivably set
up a studio system, with a video monitor for a "remote viewfinder",
and use the IR remote to control much of the camera's operation while working
with the subject.
Macro
Macro mode on the C-2500L is accessed in either capture mode by pressing
the Focus button on the camera's top until the standard flower symbol appears
on the status display panel. Macro lets you focus on images as small as 9 x
11cm ( 3.5 x 4.4 in) from approximately 0.3m (1ft) away.
Super Macro
A nice bonus on the C-2500L is the Super Macro mode, which allows you to
get as close as 2cm (0.8in). Press the Focus button until the flower macro symbol
appears, accompanied by a small 'S.' The pop-up flash is enabled in this mode,
but of relatively little use, given the extremely short distance between the
lens and the subject. (The one downside we see to the C-2500L's "super
macro" is this very short working distance, which makes lighting problematic.
Some sort of a "light tent", constructed of lighting diffusion gel
or even white copier paper, encircling the lens and lit with strong floods from
multiple directions is one solution we've found to such lighting problems.)
The manual suggests staying at the edge of the wide angle zoom settings as subjects
may appear blurry in the telephoto mode. The wide and macro conversion lenses
are not useable with this function. Super Macro lets you focus on images as
small as 3.8 x 4.71cm ( 1.48 x 1.85 in).
Infinity Mode
The C-2500L features an Infinity Focus mode, helpful for taking pictures
of far away subjects, particularly in low-light conditions, when the auto focus
system wouldn't be able to operate. To select Infinity Focus, just press the
Focus button until the infinity symbol appears on the status display panel.
It's just as easily cancelled.
Manual Focus
Another useful feature on the C-2500L is the option for manual focus which
puts you in control. Access it by hitting the same Focus button until 'MF' appears
in the status display panel, then use the up and down arrow buttons on the rocker
toggle button to control focus. The focal distance is displayed in the status
display panel as it changes. Manual focus is available in all three capture
modes, and may optionally be displayed in either feet or meters. A total of
16 manual focus steps are provided, ranging from 1 foot (0.3 meters) to infinity.
Quick Focus
Pressing the Focus button and the shutter button (halfway) simultaneously
activates the Quick Focus function of the C-2500L. Quick Focus lets you select
the approximate distance from your subject, thereby instructing the camera to
always focus on that distance until the mode is cancelled. This is a helpful
feature in fast paced shooting situations, where you know about where the action
you're interested in will occur. (This is somewhat equivalent to what pro sports
photographers do, prefocusing on a point of concentrated activity, and then
waiting for the action to arrive.) You can set the Quick Focus distances through
the settings menu with 16 choices from 0.3m (1ft) to infinity. The manual provides
what could be an excellent chart explaining quick focus settings and depth of
field, but which unfortunately fails to mention what aperture setting is assumed.
Metering
You can choose between Center and Spot metering on the C-2500L in all of
the capture modes. Center tells the camera to take an average of the lighting
conditions across a wide area in the center of the composition. Spot metering
takes a reading of a small spot in the center of the image, good for oddly-lit
scenes, in which the subject is greatly brighter or darker than the surrounding
area. Either mode is accessed by hitting the Metering button on top of the camera
(indicated by the spot meter symbol). No icon in the LCD readout means you're
in Center mode and the spot icon means you're in the spot metering mode.
Exposure Compensation (EV)
Available only in Program and Aperture Priority modes (since manual mode
is manual, it really doesn't make sense there), the C-2500L offers exposure
compensation in 1/3 EV steps from +2 to -2EV. EV is controllable by pressing
the +/- button while using the right and left arrows on the rocker toggle button
to adjust the level, shown on the status display panel. The camera beeps when
the highest and lowest values are reached. Note that this does not control the
flash compensation, which is adjusted separately in the settings menu.
White Balance
In any of the capture modes, you can adjust the white balance setting through
the settings menu. Choose between Auto, White Balance with Reference and Manual.
White balance with Reference lets you adjust the white balance according to
current lighting situations by holding up a white piece of paper in front of
the lens and tripping the shutter. The camera uses that white as a reference
for gauging the exposures. Ruled notebook paper can also be used to set the
white reference. Under the Manual white balance setting, you can choose light
temperatures between 3000K and 6500K. A chart in the manual will help you determine
the correct temperature setting for various lighting conditions. The manual
also notes that the Auto white balance setting is the best to use in a flash
(or use the 6500K setting in Manual).
The Reference white balance method works very well for dealing with extreme
lighting situations (our "indoor portrait" test is a good example,
shot under household incandescent lighting). It also offers an interesting opportunity
to selectively adjust the color cast of images by using off-white pieces of
paper as the reference targets. This will cause the camera to adjust the color
of the final shot in a direction opposite to the cast of the reference target.
Thus, a reference target with a slight bluish tint would result in a final image
with a yellow cast, a cyan tint a reddish cast, etc. (This is a technique we've
seen pros use with high-end studio cameras.)
Aperture
You can control the aperture setting in both Aperture Priority and Manual
capture modes. To select an aperture, just press the left or right arrows on
the rocker toggle button. The aperture symbol will appear in the status display
panel. Select between F/2.8 and F/5.6 in wide angle and F/3.9 and F/7.8 in telephoto.
The manual gives you some guidelines for using the aperture setting and how
to achieve specific effects like blurry backgrounds. (Really, just basic information
on depth of field vs aperture setting.)
Shutter Speed
Shutter speed on the C-2500L is only directly controllable in the Manual
capture mode. Control the setting by pressing the up and down arrows on the
rocker toggle button. The shutter speed will be indicated in the status display
panel. We liked the expansive options for shutter speed, ranging from eight
to 1/10,000 seconds in Manual mode. (Program capture mode only runs from 1/4
to 1/10,000 seconds). As with the aperture setting, the manual provides some
helpful insight to selecting appropriate speeds.
ISO
The C-2500L gives you some flexibility with the ISO setting, with choices of
100, 200 and 400. Just like film, a higher ISO is better in darker situations
but may add more noise to the image. ISO is controlled in the settings menu
and a tiny 'ISO' appears on the status display panel when either 200 or 400
is selected.
Sharpness
The C-2500L gives you two options for controlling image sharpness: Normal and
Soft. Normal does exactly what it says and portrays the standard image sharpness.
Soft looks like it softens the edges, giving just a little bit of an effect
look to the image. In actuality, the "Soft" function is simply disabling
the normal in-camera sharpening that essentially all digicams apply to their
images. Sharpness is controlled through the settings menu.
In the run-up to preparing this review, we've had some correspondence with pros
and other advanced users of the C-2500L, indicating that the Soft setting was
(in their eyes at least) far superior to use for critical images, leaving the
sharpening to subsequent operations in an image-editing application. This is
obviously a conclusion each user will need to arrive at for themselves, but
we raise the issue here because we've received such a high level of comment
on it.
Sequence Mode
The C-2500L lets you take up to five exposures with one press of the shutter
button, depending on available memory. The manual doesn't give specs for frame
rate in this mode, but our measurements indicated a capture speed of 0.8 seconds
per frame (about 1.2 frames per second), regardless of resolution/quality setting.
You enter the Sequence mode through the settings menu in any of the capture
modes. The number of available sequential images is displayed on the status
display panel. The mode is available with all of the image resolutions however
the Self-Timer and Red-Eye Reduction flash can't be used.
Shutter Lag / Cycle Times
"Shutter Lag" refers to the delay between when the shutter release
is pressed and when a picture is actually taken. In most cameras, this delay
allows time for the autofocus and autoexposure systems to do their work. In
the case of the C-2500L, this time varies significantly, depending on whether
full autofocus, prefocus, or manual focus is used. A full autofocus cycle produces
a shutter lag time of about 0.83 seconds. If the lens is prefocused (and the
exposure and white balance precomputed) by half-pressing the shutter button
before the shot itself, the delay drops to only 0.22 seconds. With the manual
focus or quickfocus options selected, the corresponding time is 0.68 seconds.
(Times were measured with an electronic test system, resolution is limited by
the shutter speed of the camera, and is about 0.01 seconds.)
Cycle time is a measure of how quickly the camera can take a second shot after
the shutter is snapped for the first one. Its large internal buffer memory (the
figure we've heard is 16 megabytes) lets the C-2500L snap the first several
pictures very rapidly, about every 1.4 seconds in our tests. (This is very fast
for a digicam!) The buffer memory is large enough to accommodate 3 maximum-resolution
shots before making you wait longer (8 seconds between shots when the buffer
is full), or 5 shots in low-resolution mode. Significantly, the buffer memory
works even in uncompressed TIFF storage mode, a feature we've not seen on a
digicam previously. (For some reason, all other cameras we've tested to date
(October, 1999) force you to wait while they save the uncompressed file to the
memory card, even when they have buffer storage.)
Another important time factor with digicams is how quickly they can take a picture
after being powered on. The C-2500L does quite well in this respect, able to
get off a shot only 3.5 seconds after you hit the power switch. The camera switches
from record to playback (to review your shots) in about 8 seconds, and can switch
back again and take a picture in as little as 1.7 seconds, depending on the
focus setting.
User Interface
We found the C-2500L a very user friendly camera, with easy to find controls
and straightforward menus. The operation was natural and a quick study of the
manual did a pretty good job of explaining all the buttons. On the other hand,
it's a fairly complex device with a lot modes and options, so mastery of it
took some time.
LCD Data Readout
Located on the top of the camera, centered over the lens assembly, the small
black & white data readout does an excellent job of reporting on camera
status, although most setting changes still require you to enter the menu system
that uses the large rear-panel LCD display.
Zoom Lever
Located on the top of the camera on the hand grip and marked with a 'W' and
'T.'
- In all capture modes, this controls the optical zoom of the lens, from wide
angle to telephoto.
- In Playback mode, the 'T' end controls the digital enlargement of captured images (to magnifications of 2x and 4x). The 'W' end switches the image display from four frames to nine, or reduces the playback zoom.
Shutter Button
Located in the center of the zoom control on top of the camera (as shown above),
the shutter button triggers the autofocus/exposure/white balance systems when
halfway pressed and fires the shutter when fully pressed.
- In either of the capture modes, halfway pressing the shutter button at the same time as fully pressing the Focus button activates the Quick Focus mode.
+/- Button / Scroll Button
Located right beside the zoom lever and shutter button. Marked with a white
+/- symbol and a green scrolling symbol. (A magnifying glass icon with four
arrows around it.)
- In all capture modes, when pressed with the right and left arrows on the
rear-panel rocker toggle button, controls the exposure compensation (EV).
- In "zoomed" Playback mode, switches operation of the rocker toggle button from scrolling through the images to scrolling the enlarged view around within the current image.
Metering / Write Protection Button
Located just below the status display panel on top of the camera and marked
with a black spot meter symbol and a green padlock.
- In all capture modes, selects between Spot and Center-weighted metering.
- In Playback mode, lets you write protect specific images.
Flash / Info Button
Located directly to the left of the Metering button, denoted by a black flash
symbol and the word 'info' in green letters.
- In all capture modes, the Flash button sets the flash mode (if the flash
head is popped-up, or if you have the optional FL-40 external flash unit mounted
on the camera and turned on.)
- In Playback mode, reports the exposure information for each image on the back LCD panel. (One press shows date, time, image number, and quality mode, two presses shows full information, including pixel dimensions, aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation, white balance setting, ISO, and flash exposure/flash compensation, as well as file name.
Focus / Erase Button
- Located to the left of the Flash button, marked with the word 'focus' in
black and a red erase symbol.
- In all capture modes, selects between Macro, Super Macro, Manual and Infinity
focus modes. When held down and the shutter button halfway pressed, activates
the Quick Focus mode.
- In Playback mode, erases unwanted images from the SmartMedia or CompactFlash storage cards.
Mode Dial
Located on the back of the camera, allows you to select the camera mode (Manual,
Aperture Priority, Program, Playback, Print and PC).
Power Button
Located on the back panel of the camera, in the center of the mode dial, this
button turns the camera on and off.
Rocker Toggle Button
Located directly beneath the Mode Dial, the Rocker Toggle Button features four
arrows (up, down, left and right). (For what it's worth, we found the actuation
of the rocker toggle control on the C-2500L to be the best of any camera we've
tested to date (October, 1999). Actuation was smooth and sure, and there was
never any "crossover" between the button directions. - That is, we
never inadvertently hit "up" when we meant to hit "right"
or "left.")
- In all modes, this button allows you to scroll through menu items and make
selections.
- In all three capture modes, the up and down arrows control the manual focus
distance when that mode is selected.
- In Manual and Aperture Priority modes, allows you to select shutter speed
with the up and down arrows (manual mode only) and aperture with the left
and right arrows.
- In Aperture Priority and Program modes, allows you to select the amount
of exposure compensation (EV) when the left or right arrows are pressed in
conjunction with the +/- button.
- In Playback mode, the up and down arrows advance the frames by 10 (from the first frame to the eleventh, to the twenty first, etc.). The left and right arrows move the cursor frame by frame when in Index Display mode. Any of the arrows pressed with the Scroll button allow you to scroll through an enlarged image.
OK Button
Located directly beneath the Rocker Toggle button and marked with a black 'ok.'
In any mode, this button confirms menu selections.
Menu Button
Located to the left of the Mode Dial, above the LCD panel and marked with a
display icon. In any mode, displays the settings menu for that mode.
SM/CF Button
Located to the left of the Menu button, marked with 'SM/CF.' This button selects
either SmartMedia or CompactFlash mode, depending on which type of card is inserted
in the camera. (As noted below, you can have both card types in the camera simultaneously,
and switch between them as desired.)
Pop-up Flash Button
Located on the input jack side of the camera, directly beneath the pop-up flash.
This button releases the pop-up flash when pressed.
Dioptric Adjustment Dial
Located on the side of the optical viewfinder, adjusts the viewfinder to accommodate
farsighted and nearsighted users.
Camera Modes and Menus
Manual Mode
Denoted on the Mode Dial by the letter 'M,' puts the camera into Manual capture
mode. This mode gives you complete control over exposure settings.
Pressing the Menu button in this mode gives you the following options in a four
page menu:
- Drive: selects the drive mode between Normal, Sequence and Self-Timer.
- Image Quality: selects image quality modes between Standard Quality
(SQ), High Quality (HQ) and Super High Quality (SHQ).
- White Balance: gives you the choice between Auto, Reference and Manual
white balance settings.
- ISO: lets you choose between 100, 200 and 400 ISO settings.
- Flash Control: controls the intensity of the flash in 1/3 EV steps
from +2 to -2.
- Flash Sync: specifies the flash synchronization effect, either First
or Second Curtain.
- Quick Focus Distance: sets the Quick Focus distances.
- Sharpness: lets you choose between Normal and Soft image sharpness..
- Beep: turns the camera beep on and off.
- Sleep: sets the period of time before the camera goes to sleep. Options
are Off (never sleeps), 1, 2, 5, or 10 minutes
- Date/Time: adjusts the date and time.
- Display Setup: turns the record info on or off and sets the unit
of distance (feet or meters). (The record info was mentioned earlier in the
review, under the "viewfinder" section. This option displays a variety
of information about the exposure settings on the LCD screen whenever the
shutter button is half-pressed in any capture mode..
- SHQ / SQ Setup: specifies 640x512 or 12801024 pixel settings for
SQ mode and TIFF or JPEG storage options for SHQ mode.
- File Name: controls the naming of files and folders.
- Auto File - keeps the last folder number used for storing images,
but auto-increments the image number when switching between memory cards.
- Auto Folder - resets image number to 0001, but increments folder
number when switching between memory cards.
- Name Reset - resets image number to 0001 and folder number to
101 whenever the memory card is changed or formatted.
- Auto File - keeps the last folder number used for storing images,
but auto-increments the image number when switching between memory cards.
- Reset: sets all the settings back to factory default, except for date and time.
Aperture Priority Mode
Indicated on the Mode Dial by the letter 'A,' this mode gives you control over
the aperture setting and the camera selects the corresponding shutter speed.
As noted earlier though, you only get a choice of two aperture settings, basically
wide open (f2.8-3.9, depending on zoom), or closed down by two stops.) Pressing
the Menu button in this mode gives you the same settings menu as listed above.
Program Mode
Denoted on the Mode Dial by the letter 'P,' this mode gives the camera complete
control over exposure. (Although you can select an exposure compensation of
up to +/- 2EV units for both ambient and flash lighting.) Pressing the Menu
button in Program brings up the same settings menu as in Manual (listed above).
Playback Mode
Marked on the Mode Dial by a green-arrow playback symbol, this mode lets you
review captured images, erase and protect them.
Pressing the
Menu button in this mode gives you the following options:
- Frame Forwarding: specifies the automatic frame forwarding function
or slide show.
- Copy: specifies the image copy function, Individual or All. (Copies
images between memory cards.)
- SM/CF Setup: specifies the way to erase images saved on SmartMedia
or CompactFlash memory cards, also includes an option for formatting the media.
Options are erase all images or format card.
- Brightness: sets the brightness of the LCD monitor, using the last-captured image as a reference.
Print Setup Mode
Indicated on the Mode Dial by a green printer symbol, this mode sets up images
for printing on a P-330 printer, or on a separate DPOF-compatible printer. (Digital
Print Order Format).
Pressing the Menu
button pulls up the settings menu with the following options:
- Select All: selects all images for printing.
- Clear All: clears all preprint settings.
- Date/Time: turns on the option to print the date and time on images.
- Card Index: sets up index printing of all images on the card.
PC Mode
Marked on the Mode Dial by a green transfer symbol, this mode allows you to
connect the C-2500L with a computer for downloading images.
Image Storage and Interface
The C-2500L primarily utilizes SmartMedia to capture and store images: The retail
package we received included *2* 32MB 3.3v cards. Additional memory can also
be purchased in 4MB, 8MB, 16MB, and 32MB sizes. Be sure to only use 3.3V cards.
You can use non-Olympus SmartMedia cards, but the manufacturer recommends formatting
them in the camera immediately before use. An added bonus on this camera is
the addition of a CompactFlash slot beside the SmartMedia slot, increasing your
image storage options. Just remember to select the proper media setting on the
camera.
The number of storable pictures is shown on the status display when the camera
is turned on. When that number reaches zero, the camera beeps and the green
LED next to the optical viewfinder flashes. Olympus estimates that the 32MB
card can hold an average of 199 SQ images (640 pixels), 55 HQ images, 16 SHQ
images and four uncompressed TIFF images. The table below lists these image
capacities and the associated JPEG compression ratios.
|
|
|
|
| Uncompressed |
|
|
| Fine (SHQ) |
|
|
| Normal (HQ) |
|
|
| Basic (SQ, 1280) |
|
|
| Basic (SQ, 640) |
|
|
Neither the SmartMedia nor the CompactFlash card should ever be removed while
the camera is writing the image as this will damage the media. The cards can
be removed while the camera is on, anytime that the red media light isn't flashing
(next to the card slot). Both cards fit into their respective slots on the side
of the camera, protected by a hinged, plastic flap that snaps into place.
The entire SmartMedia card can be write protected by placing a write protection
sticker in the designated area on the card. Write protection stickers can only
be used once and must be clean to be effective. This keeps the card safe from
any alteration whatsoever. You can protect individual images while in Playback
mode by pressing the Protect button on a particular image. Once pressed, a lock
symbol appears in the status display panel and that image cannot be erased unless
the entire card is formatted. Individual image protection is not available when
the write protection sticker has been placed on the SmartMedia card.
Frames stored on the memory cards are assigned file numbers from 0001 to 9999.
Once 9999 is reached, the number of storable images on the LCD monitor changes
to zero and no more images can be saved to the card. (Until it is reformatted,
and the camera's counter reset.)
The Erase button allows you to erase individual images while in Playback mode.
All frames on a card can be erased through the Playback settings menu. Or, the
entire card can be erased via formatting (also done in the settings menu).
Video Out
The C-2500L comes with an NTSC video cable that lets you connect the camera
to your television set. Make sure both the camera and the TV are off when connecting.
Once connected, put the camera in Playback mode and all the playback options
are available to you. Olympus warns that various TVs may place the image off
center or put a black frame around the image which will record to video tape
or print on a video printer. We assume that the foreign models come with a PAL
video connector.
Power
The C-2500L runs off of four AA nickel metal hydride or NiCd batteries (rechargeable).
Manganese or lithium batteries may overheat and damage the camera, so Olympus
strongly recommends staying away from them. The C-2500L also takes one 3V lithium
battery (CR2025) that loads into a small slot beside the main battery compartment.
This keeps the internal calendar system running when the other batteries die
or are changed. Like most other digicams, battery life is precious and relatively
short. One battery-life plus on this model, however, is that the back LCD panel
cannot be used as a viewfinder. (It'd be largely superfluous, given the TTL
optics, although as noted earlier, we'd prefer to see it as an option.) This
greatly decreases the amount of drain on the batteries. An Olympus battery charger
and set of high-capacity NiMH cells comes packaged with the camera. (Kudos to
Olympus on this.)
The C-2500's
power consumption is as follows:|
|
|
| Capture mode w/o LCD |
|
| Capture, half-pressed w/o LCD |
520 mA(continuous) |
| Capture, half-pressed w/AF illuminator |
|
| Capture, half-pressed w/LCD RecInfo display |
|
| Memory Write (transient) |
|
| Flash Recharge (transient) |
|
| Image Playback |
|
| "Sleep" Mode |
|
(We couldn't measure "sleep" mode power, because our test setup uses
the external power connector, and the C-2500L appears to never sleep when connected
to an external power source.)
The Standby mode or Sleep function of the C-2500L kicks in when the camera is
inactive for a specified interval of time (set in the settings menu). Eventually,
the camera will automatically shut itself off
Download to the computer occurs via a standard RS-232 interface, although you'll
almost certainly want to use a card reader, given the large file sizes the C-2500L
delivers. Moving images via the serial port, we clocked the C-2500L with a transfer
time of 16.1 seconds for a file 159KB in size, a transfer rate of 9.9 KB/sec.
- This is faster than most digicams, and about as good as a serial port connection
will do. (On a PC: Mac serial ports will run up to twice as fast, if supported
by the camera itself.) Still, this means it would take over 3 minutes to transfer
a high-resolution, low-compression file, or over 50 minutes for a full 32-megabyte
memory card(!) By comparison, Olympus' USB-based SmartMedia card reader moves
data off cards at nearly a megabyte per second. (We clocked it at 40 seconds
for 30 megabytes of images.) If you value your time at all, you'll buy the card
reader immediately!
Included Software
|
Eventually, you'll want to download your captured images to your computer
for storage, manipulation, etc. Included with the camera is a standard RS-232C
PC serial cable and conversion connector for the Macintosh. A software CD, also
packaged with the camera, includes Adobe PhotoDeluxe 3.0 for Windows (95, 98
and NT 4.0), PhotoDeluxe 2.0 for Macintosh (OS 7.1 - 8x, no iMac), Quick Stitch
and Olympus Camedia Master
Camedia Master is the vehicle that transfers images from the camera to the computer.
It also lets you perform some very minor image manipulations, such as brightening
dark images and correcting (slightly) blurry ones. One very slick feature of
Camedia Master though, is its ability to correct for geometric distortion in
the lens (barrel or pincushion distortion). It can read the EXIF headers on
files from the C-2500L, determine the focal length used to capture the image,
and automatically correct for the distortion caused by the lens at that focal
length. To our knowledge, Olympus is the only camera manufacturer currently
offering such software-based distortion correction
Adobe PhotoDeluxe greatly increases your image manipulation options with effect
filters, etc. You can correct Red-Eye, rotate images, perform special effects
and a variety of other options. You can also set up images for greeting cards,
calendars and Internet usage.
Test Results
In keeping with our standard policy, our comments here are rather condensed,
summarizing our key findings: For a full commentary on each of the test images,
see the C-2500L's "pictures" page. (There's
a LOT of material in our commentary on this camera's pictures, given the high
level of interest we've had on it prior to this review.)
As with all Imaging Resource camera tests, we encourage you to let your own
eyes be the judge of how well the devices performed: Explore the images on the
pictures page, to see how well the C-2500L performed, and how its images compare
to other cameras you may be considering buying.
Overall, we found the C-2500L to be an incredible performer, producing arguably
the best/most accurate color and highest resolution of any camera we've tested
to date. Its large internal RAM buffer memory makes it very responsive in terms
of shot-to-shot cycle time. It's controls also have a great "feel"
and are logically laid out, also contributing to a general sense of responsiveness.
In the resolution test, the D-2500L tested out at a solid 800 lines per picture
height in the horizontal direction, and 700-750 in the vertical. When the inevitable
aliasing occurs at very high spatial frequencies, it's very minimal and unobtrusive
in the images. The lens shows some geometric distortion throughout its zoom
range, running from 1.6% barrel distortion at the wide angle end to 0.64% pincushion
distortion in telephoto. As noted in the review though, Olympus is unique among
digicam manufacturers in providing a software solution to correct for this geometric
distortion in situations where it might be bothersome (architectural shots or
others with straight lines close to the edge of the frame.) In our tests, the
correction worked perfectly, reducing distortion to zero at all focal lengths.
(We would like to see a batch-correction capability though.) Chromatic aberration
was slight, estimated at ~1 pixel (0.06% ) at wide angle, and zero at telephoto.
The through the lens (TTL) viewfinder is quite accurate, at 95% across the full
range of the zoom lens. Still, we miss the ability to use the LCD as a viewfinder,
and would like to see a 100% finder particularly on a camera so obviously aimed
at the high-end user.
In Macro mode, the C-2500L provides two different options: A standard macro
mode that permits use of the full zoom range of the lens, but provides a minimum
capture area of 3.54 x 4.43 inches (9.0 x 11.25 mm), at a working distance of
about 12 inches (0.3m). The "Super Macro" mode gets you to within
0..8 inches (2 cm) of the subject for extreme blow-ups, but at some cost in
lens distortion. (Much, but not all of which can be removed with the Camedia
Master software's distortion filter.) Super Macro takes you down to a minimum
area of only 1.48 x 1.85 inches (3.8 x 4.7 mm).
Image quality was exceptional overall: We've already remarked on the color accuracy
and resolution, but want to say a few words about sharpening, again due to comments
we've had prior to writing this review. There's been some discussion on the
internet about image noise in the C-2500L, as it relates to the in-camera sharpening
function, with several writers suggesting that one should ignore the in-camera
sharpening altogether in favor of using Photoshop(tm) or another image-editing
program for post-processing of the images. We have several observations on this:
1) People should certainly feel free to process their images any way they feel
works best for them. 2) It's been our observation that noise in the C-2500 images
has a higher frequency content, appearing as more sharply-defined "grains"
than larger "blotches" in other digicams. The noise may, as a result,
be made more evident by the sharpening processing used by the camera. 3) The
overall noise level appears to be very equivalent to other high-end digicams
we've tested: Lower on some color swatches, higher on others. 4) The unsharpened
("soft" mode) images from the C-2500L respond exceptionally well to
post-capture sharpening in Photoshop, above and beyond "noise" considerations.
What's all this mean' Just this: The 2500L produces very high-quality images,
with noise that looks more like film grain than that from other digicams, but
that is also more visually evident in the face of some sharpening processes.
Quite apart from issues of noise we agree with those who have said that pros
looking for the ultimate in image quality from a digicam would do well to use
the C-2500L in "soft" mode, and sharpen their images in Photoshop.
For the vast majority of users though, the "normal" images, straight
as they come from the camera will be very satisfying.
While it probably doesn't need to be said again, we were very impressed with
the C-2500L's picture quality.
Conclusion
Olympus has clearly "raised the bar" for performance in high-end digicams
with the C-2500L. The image quality is exceptional, the design strong and user-friendly,
and the range of application via the optional accessory lenses and the FL-40
dedicated flash unit excellent. It showed both the highest resolution and most
accurate color of any camera we've tested to date (October, 1999). The only
factor holding us back from a completely over-the-top, wildly unobjective enthusiasm
for the camera is its limitation to only two aperture settings. In practice
though, we didn't find ourselves nearly as constrained by that limitation as
we expected to be. Overall, a huge thumbs-up!
Reader Sample Images!
Do you have a Olympus C-2500L camera? If you'll post an album of your samples
on one of the photo-sharing services and email us at [email protected],
we'll list the album here for others to see!
- Elaine Pawelko's C-2500 Album (Here's Elaine's, where's yours??)
- Kirby Wallace's C-2500 Album
For More Info:
View the data sheet for the C-2500L
View the test images from the C-2500L
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