Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom4.0 megapixels, a sharp 10x zoom lens, tons of features, and an affordable price!<<Video, Power, Software :(Previous) | (Next): Reference: Datasheet>> Page 12:Test Results & ConclusionReview 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
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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.
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