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Olympus Brio D-150 Olympus squeezes a 3x zoom lens into its slim, pocketable 1.3 megapixel "Brio" design. Select a topic Reference: Datasheet D150 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 D150 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Camera Modes & Menus :(Previous) | (Next): Video, Power, Software>> Page 10:Image Storage & Interface Review First Posted: 7/11/2001

Image Storage and Interface
The D-150 stores all images on a 3.3v SmartMedia card, and an 8MB card is supplied with the camera. Currently, you can upgrade to card sizes as large as 128MB. The SmartMedia slot on the camera's right side is protected by a hinged, plastic door. When the lens cover is fully opened, it covers up the SmartMedia door, making it impossible to remove the card when the camera is on. SmartMedia cards insert into the camera with the gold electrodes going in first, facing the back of the camera (a diagram on the inside of the door shows the process). To remove the card, you simply pull it out of the slot with your fingers.

The D-150 stores images in a compressed JPEG file format, with a variety of resolutions and quality settings available. Compression levels are Super High Quality (SHQ), High Quality (HQ), and Standard Quality (SQ). Both SHQ and HQ compression levels record images at 1,280 x 960-pixel resolution, while the SQ setting records images at the 640 x 480-pixel resolution.

The D-150 allows you to write-protect individual images from accidental erasure through the Playback menu. Entire SmartMedia cards can be write-protected by placing a write-protection sticker over a specified spot on the card. While individually protected images can still be erased by a card format operation, cards that are write-protected with a sticker are also protected against card formatting. Write-protection stickers can only be used once and must be clean to be effective (a set of stickers accompany the SmartMedia card).

The table below summarizes the compression ratios and number of images that can be stored on the included 8MB memory card with each size / quality combination.

Image Capacity vs Resolution/Quality 8MB Memory Card		Super High Quality	High Quality	Standard Quality
High Resolution (1280 x 960)	Images	8	24	N/A
	Approx. Compression	4:1	11:1	N/A
Standard Resolution (640 x 480)	Images	N/A	N/A	82
	Approx. Compression	N/A	N/A	9:1

The D-150 comes with Camedia Master 2.5, USB drivers, and cables for both Mac and Windows computers. The D-150's AutoConnect USB technology enables you to download images directly to PCs running the latest operating systems, including Windows 2000 / Me and Mac OS 8.6 or higher, without drivers or software installed. We clocked the D-150's transfer speed at 233 KBytes/sec on our PowerMac G4, a respectable if not stunning speed. The good news though, is that with a speedy USB connection built into the camera, you won't need to buy an external card reader. And, if your computer has a recent enough operating system (Windows 2000 or Me or Mac 8.6 or later), you won't even have to worry about separate software drivers: Just plug and go!

One of the first things any new digicam owner will need is a larger memory card for their camera: The cards shipped with the units by the manufacturers should really be considered only "starter" cards, you'll definitely want a higher capacity card immediately. - Probably at least a 32 megabyte card for a 1.3 or 2 megapixel camera, 64 megabytes or more for a 3, 4, or 5 megapixel one. (The nice thing about memory cards is you'll be able to use whatever you buy now with your next camera too, whenever you upgrade.) To help you shop for a good deal on memory cards that fit the D-150, we've put together a little memory locater, with links to our price-comparison engine: Just click on the "Memory Wizard" button above to go to the Olympus memory finder, select your camera model , and click the shopping cart icon next to the card size you're interested in. You'll see a list of matching entries from the price-comparison database. Pick a vendor & order away! (Pretty cool, huh?)