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Olympus Camedia C-60 Zoom Olympus packs a 6.1-megapixel CCD into an ultra-compact body, with a host of advanced features too. Select a topic Reference: Datasheet C60 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on C60 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests :(Previous) | (Next): Camera Modes & Menus>> Page 8:Operation & User Interface Review First Posted: 06/10/2004

Operation and User Interface

The C-60's user interface is similar to that of other recent Olympus C-series digicams, so it didn't take long for me to get familiar with the camera. Even for users new to Olympus, the menu layouts are quite straightforward with multi-functional controls. A handful of external control buttons change the camera's basic settings, and a Mode dial on the top panel switches capture modes quickly. When you do have to call up the LCD menu, a shortcut screen appears first, with quick links to the image quality, self-timer/remote, Mode Menu, and Monitor on/off settings. (You can also edit two of the shortcut selections through the Setup menu, to link to a variety of camera functions of your choice.) Once you get into the actual Record menu, options are organized by subject, accessed by a series of tabs down the left side of the screen. This layout lets you quickly skip to the options you need without scrolling through pages of menu items. In any of the manual exposure modes, aperture and/or shutter speed is adjusted via external controls, as is exposure compensation. Once you get the hang of things, the control layout is quite intuitive and efficient.

Control Enumeration


Zoom Lever: On top of the camera, right of the Shutter button, the Zoom Lever controls the optical zoom in all exposure modes, and the Digital Zoom when enabled through the Record menu. Very small, and reacting to slight movements with good speed, this little control proves that less is more.

In Playback mode, the lever switches between Index view, normal image display, and playback zoom.

Shutter Button: Located between the mode dial and zoom control, the Shutter button sets focus and exposure when pressed halfway and triggers the shutter when fully pressed.

Mode Dial: On the top panel, the Mode dial controls the camera's operating mode. Choices are Auto, Portrait, Night Scene, SCENE, Movie, My Mode, and Program / Aperture / Shutter Speed / Manual (P/A/S/M) modes.

Flash / Erase Button: Located to the right of the optical viewfinder on the rear panel, this button controls the Flash mode in all still capture modes. Pressing it cycles through Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill-in Flash, Flash Off, Slow Sync, and Slow Sync with Red-Eye Reduction modes.

In Playback mode, this button lets you erase the current image.

Spot / Macro / Protect Button: Directly to the right of the Flash / Erase button on the back panel is the Spot / Macro / Protect button. In all Record modes, this button cycles between normal metering (Center weighted), Spot metering, Macro (Closeup) mode, and Macro with Spot Metering modes.

In Playback mode, this button either write-protects the displayed image, or removes protection if it's already protected. Once protected, files cannot be erased or manipulated in any way, except through card formatting. (Note that reformatting the memory card erases all images, protected or not.)

Four-Way Arrow Pad and OK / Menu Button: Made up of four buttons arranged in a circle around a single "OK" button, the Arrow Pad controls many of the camera's operations. In all capture modes except Manual, the left and right arrow buttons increase or decrease the exposure compensation setting (provided the LCD monitor is active). In Aperture or Shutter Priority exposure modes, the up and down arrow buttons adjust the lens aperture or shutter speed settings, depending on which mode you've selected. In Manual mode, the up and down Arrows control shutter speed, while the left and right Arrows control aperture.

In Playback mode, the left and right Arrows move forward or backward through the pictures stored on the card, or scroll around portions of the expanded image in Zoom Playback mode.

In the LCD menu system, the Arrow buttons navigate through menu screens and select settings. The OK / Menu button in the center of the pad displays the settings menu in any camera mode, and also confirms menu selections.

Playback Button: Next to the top right corner of the LCD monitor, puts the camera in playback mode, calling up the most recently-captured image. Exit playback mode by pressing this button again, or half-pressing the shutter button. (Note that this button no longer turns the LCD on or off, as it did on the C-50: That function has now been moved to the shortcut menu.)

Pressing and holding this button when the camera is powered off turns it on and activates Playback mode.