Digital Camera Home > Digital Camera Reviews > Olympus Digital Cameras > Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom

Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom 4.0 megapixels, a sharp 10x zoom lens, tons of features, and an affordable price! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet C-750 Photo Gallery! C-750 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 C-750 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Video, Power, Software :(Previous) | (Next): Reference: Datasheet>> Page 12:Test Results & Conclusion Review First Posted: 03/02/2003, updated 10/17/03

Test Results
In keeping with my standard test policy, the comments given here summarize only my key findings. For a full commentary on each of the test images, see the C-750 Ultra Zoom's "pictures" page.

As with all Imaging Resource product tests, I encourage you to let your own eyes be the judge of how well the camera performed. Explore the images on the pictures page, to see how C-750 Ultra Zoom's images compare to other cameras you may be considering.

• Color: The C-750 Ultra Zoom produced very good color throughout my testing, with accurate hue and appropriate saturation in virtually all cases. Skin tones were very good to excellent, neither over- or undersaturated. It even did a very good job with the tough blue flowers of the outdoor portrait, with only hints of purple in them, faithfully representing the original subject very well. White balance performance is good good, with all of the relevant white balance settings (auto, incandescent and manual) producing good results in the difficult indoor portrait test, although I felt that the prototype unit actually did a slightly better job with white balance than did the production model. A really excellent performance overall.
  
  
• Exposure: The C-750 Ultra Zoom's metering system had a tendency to underexpose the studio shots just a little, though exposure was well within acceptable limits in all cases. The very high-key outdoor portrait resulted in high contrast with a limited midtone range, even though I dialed the contrast down two notches. (In hindsight, I should have used the lowest contrast setting, but I didn't have time to repeat these shots). As is the case with most cameras I test, the 750 also required quite a bit of positive exposure compensation on both the outdoor and indoor portrait tests. Dynamic range seems quite good: On my "Davebox" test, the C-750 Ultra Zoom had no trouble distinguishing the subtle pastel tones on the Q60 target, while still holding moderate detail in the deep shadows, and the camera did quite well on the far-field house shot as well. I'd like the camera's default contrast to be a bit lower, but the available contrast adjustment helps greatly in this area.
  
  
• Resolution/Sharpness: The C-750 Ultra Zoom performed well on the "laboratory" resolution test chart. It started showing artifacts in the test patterns at resolutions as low as 800 lines per picture height, in both horizontal and vertical directions. I found "strong detail" out to at least 1,050 lines horizontally, and perhaps 1,000 lines vertically. "Extinction" of the target patterns occurred around 1,150 lines.
  
  
• Closeups: The C-750 Ultra Zoom performed very well in the macro category, capturing minimum area of 3.33 x 2.49 inches (85 x 63 millimeters) in normal Macro mode. In Super Macro mode, the camera captured a much smaller image area at 1.60 x 1.19 inches (41 x 30 millimeters). Resolution was excellent in both shots, though the dollar bill, coins, and brooch were quite soft in the Super Macro shot. (I perhaps should have had the camera just a tad further back from the subject.) The C-750 Ultra Zoom's flash throttles down for the macro area, though the long lens creates a shadow in the lower left area of the frame.
  
  
• Night Shots: With full manual exposure control and a maximum exposure time of 16 seconds, the C-750 Ultra Zoom is well-equipped to handle quite dark shooting conditions. In my testing, the camera produced clear, bright, usable images down to the 1/16 foot-candle (0.67 lux) test limit, at all three ISO settings. Color was slightly warm, particularly in the dimmer shots. At ISO 100, the 1/16 foot-candle image was just slightly underexposed, but still bright enough for use. The C-750 Ultra Zoom's Noise Reduction system did a good job of keeping "hot pixel" noise in check, but random noise levels are higher than average across the board, and rather objectionable at ISO 400. Overall, image noise seems to be a weak point of the C-750.
  
  
• Viewfinder Accuracy: The C-750 Ultra Zoom's LCD monitor and electronic "optical" viewfinder (EVF) showed good frame accuracy, showing approximately 95 percent of the frame at wide angle and telephoto lens settings. Given that I like LCD monitors to be as close to 100 percent accuracy as possible, the C-750 Ultra Zoom's LCD monitor has just a little room for improvement.
  
  
• Optical Distortion: Optical distortion on the C-750 Ultra Zoom is a good bit lower than average at the wide-angle end, where I measured an approximate 0.4 percent barrel distortion. The telephoto end fared even better, as I measured a 0.2 percent barrel distortion. Chromatic aberration is fairly low at wide angle, with 5-6 pixels of very light color showing around the target elements, but more evident at the telephoto end of the lens' focal length range. (This distortion is visible as a very slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.) The only other distortion noticeable was some softness in the corners of the images, most common along the left side of the frame, and strongest in the Super Macro shot.
  
  
• Battery Life: The C-750 UltraZoom's battery life is surprisingly good, much better than I'd normally expect from a camera using an electronic viewfinder. (Since EVFs are always on when the camera is being used, battery life is usually worse than it would be for cameras with optical viewfinders.) Worst-case battery life with standard 1600 mAh NiMH cells should be around 3 hours. (I still strongly recommend purchasing at least a couple of sets of rechargeable AA batteries and a good charger to accompany them though.)

Conclusion

Free Photo Lessons

Learn how to take stunning photos with simple pro lighting tips, in our free Photo School area!

Olympus' Camedia line of digicams are consistently among the most flexible and fully-featured of the cameras I've reviewed. The C-750 Ultra Zoom certainly doesn't disappoint in this area, picking up where the popular C-730 Ultra Zoom left off. The C-750 Ultra Zoom offers the same long 10x optical zoom, this time with a larger, 4.0-megapixel CCD and the benefit of an external flash hot shoe. It also continues the flexible exposure control, useful preset Scene modes, and creative image adjustment tools. Image resolution is high enough for sharp 8x10 prints, even with moderate cropping. With its varying levels of exposure control, the C-750 meets the needs of both enthusiasts and novices alike. Now that I've tested a full production model, I'm very impressed with the 750's color, and the sharpness of its images. (The 750's lens shows much less distortion than I commonly find in long-zoom lenses.) The one limitation of the 750 seems to be image noise at high ISO settings, although noise at lower ISO will certainly be acceptable for most users. - Apart from that, it's very hard to find anything significant to complain about. If you're interested in long-zoom digital photography, the C-750 definitely deserves strong consideration. If you like the 750's features but don't need its 4.0-megapixel resolution, external flash shoe or audio recording capabilities, check out the C-740 Ultra Zoom to save yourself some money.