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Olympus C-5050 Zoom Their 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. Select a topic Reference: Datasheet C5050 Photo Gallery! C5050 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 C5050 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: 01/09/2003

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-5050 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-5050 Zoom's images compare to other cameras you may be considering.

• Color: The C-5050 Zoom produced really excellent color throughout my testing. I found it to be both pleasing and accurate, sometimes a tough combination. Color was hue-accurate and properly saturated, whether the camera was dealing with pastel tones or highly saturated ones. (I did feel that it slightly oversaturated strong additive primaries (intense red, green, and blue shades) though.) Skin tones in particular seemed just right, neither over- or undersaturated, and with no undesirable color cast. White balance was very good under virtually all light sources, eventhe very difficult household incandescent lighting of my "indoor portrait" test.
  
  
• Exposure: The C-5050's metering system seemed to be pretty accurate. As usual, it underexposed the very high-key outdoor portrait shot, but a little positive exposure compensation fixed that. It also underexposed the indoor portrait shot a fair bit, both with and without flash, this time requiring a fair amount of positive exposure compensation to achieve a good exposure. It tended to produce slightly contrasty photos, particularly under harsh full-sun lighting, although a menu option to adjust the contrast helps quite a bit with this. On my "Davebox" test, the C-5050 had no trouble distinguishing the subtle pastel tones on the Q60 target, while still holding good detail in the deep shadows. Overall, a very good performance, although I would have liked to have seen more accurate exposures on the indoor portrait test, and I'd prefer the camera's default contrast to be a little lower.
  
  
• Resolution/Sharpness: The C-5050 Zoom did an excellent job on the "laboratory" resolution test chart, thanks in part to its 5.0-megapixel CCD. It started showing artifacts in the test patterns at resolutions as low as 800 lines, but I found "strong detail" out to at least 1,200 lines vertically, and as high as 1,200 lines in the horizontal direction. "Extinction" of the target patterns didn't occur until about 1,600 lines.
  
  Closeups: The C-5050 Zoom performed well in the macro category, capturing a minimum area of 2.86 x 2.14 inches (73 x 54 millimeters) in the normal macro mode. In "Super Macro" mode, it did quite a bit better, with a minimum capture area of only 1.29 x 0.97 inches (33 x 25 mm). Resolution is very high in both modes, with strong detail in the dollar bill, coins and brooch. The images are surprisingly sharp in the corners, something I don't commonly see in the digicams I test. An excellent performance. The one weak point is that the C-5050 Zoom's flash has trouble with the macro shooting distance, overexposing the shot.
  
  
• Night Shots: The C-5050 Zoom's full manual exposure control, variable ISO settings, and maximum exposure time of 16 seconds give the camera an edge in the low-light shooting category. The camera produced clear, bright, usable images down to the 1/16 foot-candle (0.67 lux) limit of my test, with good color at all four ISO settings. At ISO 64, the 1/16 foot-candle image is a bit dim, but still usable. Additionally, the camera's AF assist light did an excellent job aiding focus, even at the lowest light level. The 5050's noise reduction system was also very effective at eliminating "hot pixel" noise from even long time-exposures.
  
  
• Viewfinder Accuracy: The C-5050 Zoom's optical viewfinder is just a little tight, showing 86 percent frame accuracy at wide angle, and about 87 percent at telephoto. This is quite typical among digicams I test, but I'd really like to see more accurate optical viewfinders, particularly on higher-end models like the 5050. The LCD monitor is close to 100 percent accuracy, though the final image is shifted up and to the right very slightly. The LCD monitor is thus quite accurate, but I'd really like to see a more accurate optical finder - Particularly given that the C-5050 has such excellent(!) battery life with the LCD turned off.
  
  
• Optical Distortion: Optical distortion on the C-5050 Zoom is high at the wide-angle end, where I measured an approximate 1.0 percent barrel distortion. The telephoto end fared much better, as I measured a 0.1 percent pincushion distortion. Chromatic aberration is moderately high, showing about seven or eight pixels of coloration on either side of the target lines, with fairly bright color. (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.) Its images were quite sharp corner to corner though, with only a little softening in the corners.
  
  
• Battery Life: The C-5050 showed very good battery life, with a runtime of roughly 2 1/2 hours in its worst power-drain mode, and literally days with the LCD screen turned off. (My numbers are based on NiMH batteries with a *true* capacity of 1600 mAh.) Very impressive!
  
  

Conclusion

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The C-5050 Zoom is an impressive addition to Olympus' excellent and perennially popular Camedia digital camera line. Olympus really went back to the drawing board on the user interface, and to my mind, the enhancements they've made are well worth the effort. While I'd like to see the "virtual dial" interface operate a little more quickly, the controls using this are very clear and easy to understand, and the user interface overall is very fast and friendly to use. The camera has fast cycle times, and produces excellent color and sharp images. It also offers the very fine-grained control over color, contrast and white balance that I liked in the 4040 and other recent Olympus Camedia models. I really like the addition of a standard hot shoe, providing a convenient connection for studio and generic third-party flash units, while retaining full control when the 5050 is used with the dedicated Olympus FL-40 strobe. The inclusion of a focus-assist light is a definite plus too, a feature I hope we see in more Olympus Camedia models going forward. As do most Olympus cameras, the 5050 also shows very good battery life, particularly when the LCD display is turned off. The only complaints I had about the camera were areas in which I felt it was "only average," namely chromatic aberration and shutter lag. Neither is terrible, as there are plenty of cameras out there that do worse, it's just that the 5050 is such a strong product in virtually every other aspect, it would have been nice to see a really stellar performance in these areas as well. Overall though, the C-5050 Zoom is to my mind Olympus' best camera yet, and a great deal as well, with its introductory price of just under $800. Highly recommended, this one's a winner!