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"Picky Details" for the Olympus D-230 digital camera
(Timing, Power, and Storage Info)

Timing
We measure both cycle times and shutter delay times, using a proprietary Imaging Resource test system. Here are the numbers we collected for the Olympus D-230:

Olympus D-230 Timings
Operation
Time (secs)
Notes
Power On -> First shot
2.26
Pretty fast.
Shutdown
0.65
Can be pocketed immediately (no lens to retract), this is the time to finish saving a large/fine file to the memory card. Very fast.
Play to Record, first shot
2.59
Time until first shot is captured. Pretty fast.
Record to play
4.76
Time to display a large/fine file after capture. Average to a bit slower than average.
Shutter lag, full autofocus
0.86
About average.
Shutter lag, prefocus
0.16
Time to capture, after half-pressing shutter button. Very fast.
Cycle Time, max/min resolution
2.4/8.5
2.2
First number is for large/fine files, first 4 shot, saved to buffer memory. Second number is time between shots after buffer is filled (fifth and subsequent shots). Last number is time for small/basic images. (Never seems to run out of buffer space for these small images.)

Overall, the D230 is a pretty fast camera, helped in its startup and shutdown times by not having a telescoping lens to extend or retract. Its shutter lag and shot to shot times are faster than average, thanks to a buffer memory that can hold four full-resolution shots before having to wait to write data to the memory card. Overall, a fairly fast little camera.

Power
The D230 uses two AA cells for its power source, with the shorter run times this generally implies. It's helped quite a bit though, by the fact that it consumes almost no power when the LCD screen is turned off. - You can confidently leave the camera powered on all day without worrying about draining your batteries. (As long as you leave the LCD off!) As always, we *strongly* recommend buying a set of high-capacity rechargeable NiMH AA cells and a good charger. The table below shows the D230's power consumption in various modes, and approximate run times for each, based on a pair of 1600 mAh NiMH cells:

Operating Mode
Power
(@3.4 volts)
Est. Minutes
(2 1600mAh AAs)
Capture Mode, w/LCD
780 mA
87
Capture Mode, no LCD
10 mA
(~4.5 days!)
Half-pressed shutter w/LCD
770 mA
88
Half-pressed w/o LCD
550 mA
136
Memory Write (transient)
950 mA
n/a
Flash Recharge (transient)
1520 mA
n/a
Image Playback
550 mA
123

 

Overall, not too bad for a 2-battery camera. Get a set of high-capacity NiMH batteries and a good charger and you'll be able to shoot for quite a while on one charge. (If you run the camera with the LCD off most of the time, you could conceivably shoot all day on one set of batteries.) Click here to read a review of our recommended battery charger.

Storage Capacity
The D230 stores its photos on SmartMedia memory cards, and a 16 MB card is included with the camera. (We strongly recommend buying at least another 16MB card, preferably a 32 MB one, to give yourself extra space for extended outings. - Heck, these days memory cards are so cheap, there's no reason not to get a 64 MB card, which could store 46 images at maximum size and quality!) The chart below shows how many images can be stored on the 16 MB card at each size/quality setting.

Image Capacity vs
Resolution/Quality
16MB Memory Card
Fine
Normal
Full Resolution 1600x1200 Images
(Avg size)		 11
1.4 MB
32
0.5 MB
Approx.
Compression 		4:1
12:1
XGA Resolution 1024x768 Images
(Avg size)
-
58
0.27 MB
Approx.
Compression
-
9:1
VGA Resolution 640x480
Images
(Avg size)
-
90
0.17 MB
Approx.
Compression
-
5:1

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