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Olympus C-720 Ultra Zoom Olympus packs an 8x zoom lens into an amazingly small body, for an amazingly low price. Select a topic Reference: Datasheet C720 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 C720 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: 7/1/2002

Operation and User Interface
The C-720'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 the interface, the menu layouts are quite straightforward. Because the EVF is active at all times, and displays the same information as the larger LCD monitor, you can quickly verify basic camera settings while aligning a shot, without having to activate the larger LCD display. A handful of external control buttons change the camera's basic settings, and a Mode dial on top of the changes capture modes quickly. The AE Lock button can be customized to activate a number of settings, another potential time saver during shooting. When you do have to call up the LCD menu, a shortcut screen appears first, with quick links to the image quality, white balance, and ISO settings. (You can also edit the shortcuts through the Setup menu.) Once you get into the actual Record menu, options are organized by subject, accessed by a series of tabs along the left side of the screen. This layout lets you quickly skip to the options you need without sifting through pages of menu items. In any of the manual exposure modes, aperture and/or shutter speed is adjusted externally, as is exposure compensation. Once you get the hang of things, control layout is quite intuitive and efficient.

Control Enumeration


Mode Dial: On the top of the camera is the Mode Dial, which controls the camera's operating mode. Choices are Playback, Auto, Landscape/Portrait, Sports, Portrait, Program / Aperture / Shutter Speed / Manual (P/A/S/M), My Mode, and Movie modes.

Zoom Lever: On top of the camera, in front of the Mode Dial, the Zoom Lever controls the optical zoom in all exposure modes, and the Digital Zoom when enabled through the Record menu.

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

Shutter Button: Located in the center of the Zoom control, the Shutter button sets focus and exposure settings when pressed halfway and triggers the shutter when fully pressed.

Flash / Protect Button: Located on the top, right portion of the camera's back 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, Night Scene, and Night Scene with Red-Eye Reduction modes.

In Playback mode, this button marks the displayed image for write-protection, or removes protection. Once protected, files cannot be erased or manipulated in any way, except through card formatting.

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

In Playback mode, this button calls up the Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) print settings menu, which lets you tag the current image, or all of the images on the card, for printing on a DPOF-compatible output device. Once the image is selected, you can set the number of copies, whether or not to print the date and time stamp on the photo, and print a cropped area of the image.

Drive / Erase Button: Adjacent to the viewfinder eyepiece, on the right side, this button controls the camera's drive setting in all still capture modes (that is, all capture modes except Movie), cycling through Single-Frame Shooting, Sequential Shooting, AF Sequential Shooting, Self-Timer, and Auto Exposure Bracketing modes.

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

Diopter Adjustment Dial: To the right of the viewfinder eyepiece, this dial adjusts the electronic viewfinder (EVF) to accommodate eyeglass wearers.

Power Button: Directly above the top right corner of the LCD monitor, this red button turns the camera on and off.

AE Lock / Custom / Rotation Button: To the right of the Power button, this button locks the exposure setting in any record mode. Through the Setup menu, it can be customized to control any other menu function.

In Playback mode, this button rotates the image display clockwise in increments of 90 degrees.

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.

Display Button: Diagonal from the lower left corner of the LCD monitor, this button turns the LCD monitor on or off. If pressed twice in quick succession, it displays the Quick View function, which calls up the previously captured image on the screen. A third press returns the LCD to its normal display.