Olympus C-5050 ZoomTheir best camera yet? - Olympus introduces a top-of-the-line five-megapixel model with noise reduction technology, optimum image enlargement, an improved interface, and support for three memory formats.<<Camera Modes & Menus :(Previous) | (Next): Video, Power, Software>> Page 10:Image Storage & InterfaceReview First Posted: 01/09/2003 |
Image Storage and Interface
The C-5050 Zoom saves images to either 3V (3.3V) SmartMedia memory cards, CompactFlash
Type I or II cards, or xD-Picture Cards. The memory card compartment features
slots accommodating all three card types. CompactFlash cards have a slot to
themselves, while xD and SmartMedia cards share a slot. You can have either
an xD or SmartMedia card in the camera at the same time as a CompactFlash card,
but the xD/SmartMedia choice is either/or - You can't have both at once. A 32MB
xD-Picture Card comes with the camera, and upgrades are currently available
up to the 128MB size, with 256MB xD cards slated to appear in January or February
of 2003. The CF / xD / SM button on the camera's rear panel selects which memory
card to use, and the camera's playback menu lets you copy images between cards.
Of the three formats, SmartMedia is the only card that can be write-protected
on its own, using a write-protection sticker, although it has to be said that
the write-protect stickers used by the SmartMedia format are less than 100%
reliable. The C-5050 Zoom does offer individual image protection via the Metering
/ Protect button, but as usual this won't protect against erasure due to card
reformatting. It must also be noted that the camera's Panorama function is only
available when an Olympus-brand xD-Picture Card or SmartMedia card is in use,
a policy that I've long questioned the wisdom of.
The C-5050 Zoom can store images in RAW, uncompressed TIFF, and compressed JPEG file formats. The TIFF setting can be assigned to any one of seven resolutions through the camera's Mode Setup menu. JPEG compression levels include Super High Quality (SHQ), High Quality (HQ), and Standard Quality (SQ1 & SQ2). The myriad size options can be assigned to the camera's TIFF, SHQ, HQ, SQ1, and SQ2 quality levels via the Shooting menu, as shown in the table below. (Green table cells indicate image size options that can be assigned to each named quality setting.) Whatever image size/quality options are assigned to the five named quality settings can be quickly selected either by the "shortcut button" (see the earlier description of the user interface) or via the record setup menu. RAW format is only available for full-resolution images.
|
Size Options |
(Interpolated) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
The table below shows all the available size/quality options (there ought to be enough here to satisfy anyone), the number of each that can be stored on the included 32MB memory card, and the amount of image compression employed for each.
|
Resolution/Quality 32MB Memory Card |
(TIFF) |
|
|
|
| Enlarge Size 3,200 x 2,400 |
Images (Avg size) |
N/A | 6 5,333KB |
16 2,000KB |
| Approx. Compression |
N/A | 4:1 | 12:1 | |
| Full Resolution 2,560 x 1,920 |
Images (Avg size) |
2 14.7MB |
8 4,000KB |
26 1,231KB |
| Approx. Compression |
1:1 | 5:1 | 15:1 | |
| 2,288 x 1,712 pixels |
Images (Avg size) |
2 11.8MB |
11 2,909KB |
32 1,000KB |
| Approx. Compression |
1:1 | 4:1 | 12:1 | |
| 2,048 x 1,536 pixels |
Images (Avg size) |
3 9.4MB |
14 2,286KB |
40 800KB |
| Approx. Compression |
1:1 | 4:1 | 12:1 | |
| 1,600 x 1,200 pixels |
Images (Avg size) |
5 5.8MB |
22 1,455KB |
64 500KB |
| Approx. Compression |
1:1 | 4:1 | 12:1 | |
| 1,280 x 960 pixels |
Images (Avg size) |
3.7MB |
941KB |
323KB |
| Approx. Compression |
|
|
|
|
|
pixels |
Images (Avg size) |
2.7MB |
604KB |
209KB |
| Approx. Compression |
|
|
|
|
|
pixels |
Images (Avg size) |
0.9MB |
242KB |
97KB |
| Approx. Compression |
|
|
|
|
The C-5050 Zoom comes with interface software and cables for both Macintosh
and Windows computers. It employs a USB Auto-Connect interface for high-speed
computer connection. Like all of Olympus' most recent digicams, the C-5050 is
a USB "storage class" device. This means it can connect directly to
Mac OS Version 9.0 or later (including OS 10.1 - also OS8.6, if it includes
factory-installed USB Mass Storage support 1.3.5), or Windows ME, 2000, or XP
computers, without separate driver software. For Windows 98 or 98SE, you'll
need to load driver software to make the connection. Storage-class ("Auto-Connect"
in Olympus' parlance) connections are generally faster than device-class ones,
and the 5050 Zoom is among the fastest cameras I've yet tested. I clocked it
at 633 KBytes/second on my slightly aging G4 Power Mac, running Mac OS 9.1,
and at 759 KB/s on my new 2.4 GHz Sony VAIO desktop.
RAW
data files can be edited in-camera and saved as JPEGs. This is convenient
for quick processing, but the small size and uncertain tonal and color characteristics
of the 5050's LCD screen make it difficult to judge the impact of any image
adjustments you might make. Still, you can adjust white balance, sharpness,
saturation, etc. in-camera, without having to download the file first, which
makes it easier to print RAW files from the camera to a DPOF device.
Lost Images? - Download this image-recovery program so you'll have it
when you need it...
Since we're talking about memory and image storage, this would be a good time
to mention the following: I get a ton of email from readers who've lost photos
due to a corrupted memory card. It's tragic when it happens, there are few
things more precious than photo memories. Corrupted memory cards can happen
with any card type and any camera manufacturer, nobody's immune. "Stuff
happens," as they say. A surprising number of "lost" images
can be recovered with an inexpensive, easy to use piece of software though.
Given the amount of email I've gotten on the topic, I now include this paragraph
in all my digicam reviews. The program you need is called PhotoRescue, by
DataRescue SA. Read our review of it if you'd like, but download the program now,
so you'll have it. It doesn't cost a penny until you need it, and even then
it's only $29, with a money back guarantee. So download PhotoRescue for
Windows or PhotoRescue for
Mac while you're thinking of it. (While you're at it, download the
PDF manual and quickstart
guide as well.) Stash the file in a safe place and it'll be there when you
need it. Trust me, needing this is not a matter of if, but when...
PhotoRescue is about the best and easiest tool for recovering digital
photos I've seen. (Disclosure: IR gets a small commission from sales of
the product, but I'd highly recommend the program even if we didn't.)
OK, now back to our regularly scheduled review...
Follow Imaging Resource: