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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 <<Viewfinder :(Previous) | (Next): Exposure & Flash>> Page 5:Optics Review First Posted: 7/11/2001

Optics
The D-150's 3x, 5-15mm zoom lens is equivalent to a 38-114mm lens on a 35mm camera. The 3/8-inch telescoping lens is protected by the sliding plastic clamshell cover, which also serves as the camera's power switch. The all glass lens is made up of eight elements in seven groups, with aperture settings ranging from f/2.5-5 in wide-angle mode and f/4.3-9 in telephoto mode. Focal range is 1.6 feet (50cm) to infinity in Normal mode, and from 8 inches to 1.6 feet (20 to 50cm) in Macro mode. The D-150 employs a contrast-detection autofocus mechanism, determining focus from the subject in the center of the frame. Although there is no automatic focus lock, you can manually lock focus by pressing the shutter button halfway with your subject in the center of the frame, and then recompose the image while continuing to hold down the shutter button). A green LED lamp on the optical viewfinder eyepiece glows steadily when the camera has set focus and exposure, and is ready to take the shot. If the LED lamp blinks, the camera is having trouble setting focus, and you need to adjust the framing, lighting, or switch to Macro mode.

The D-150 also offers a 2x digital telephoto option, which is turned on in the Record menu and automatically engages when you exceed the optical zoom's maximum telephoto range. (Users should be aware that digital zoom merely crops and enlarges the center portion of the CCD, resulting in higher image noise and / or softer resolution in digitally enlarged images.) Since it doesn't reduce the pixel size of the image at all the D-150's digital zoom produces images with more artifacts and noise than cameras that just crop the image. - It's really "six of one, a half-dozen of the other" with most any "digital zoom" though, as they all directly trade off resolution for magnification.