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Olympus Camedia D-40 Zoom

Super-compact 4 megapixel model takes great pictures!

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Page 2:Executive Overview

Review First Posted: 10/8/2001

Executive Overview
The 4-megapixel Camedia D-40 Zoom is the smallest 4-megapixel digital camera to date (October 2001). Measuring just 3.4 x 2.7 x 1.6 inches (87 x 68.5 x 43.5mm) and weighing only 9 ounces (250 grams) with the batteries and SmartMedia card installed, the D-40 is only slightly larger than the D-370, Olympus' very compact 1.3-megapixel point-and-shoot model. Its compact size and sliding lens cover design make the D-40 very portable and easy to carry around, fitting easily into just about any shirt pocket or purse. Its sophisticated exposure system provides a wide variety of shooting options, from a fully automatic point-and-shoot mode for novice photographers, to five manual, user customized modes for more advanced users, and five programmed scene modes optimized for specific shooting situations. In addition to flexible exposure, the D-40Z also features Olympus's new Enhanced Color Management technology, which is designed to produce better skin tones in portraits, brighter blues and greens in landscapes, and lower noise levels in long exposures.

The D-40Z features a real-image optical viewfinder and 1.5-inch TFT color LCD monitor, with 114,000-pixels, for image composition. A black autoexposure cross-hair target in the center of the viewfinder aids in framing shots. The LCD monitor provides a slightly larger and (notably) more accurate view of the subject area, and features both limited and expanded information displays. A sliding clamshell lens cover protects the 7.25 - 20.3mm 2.8x aspherical glass zoom lens (equivalent to a 35 - 98mm lens on a 35mm camera), the viewfinder window, and built-in flash, plus it also serves as a power switch, turning the camera on when it's opened and shutting it down when it's closed. Focus ranges from 31 inches (0.8 meters) to infinity in normal shooting mode and 3.9 inches (0.1 meters) to infinity in Manual focus mode. When the Macro mode is engaged, focus ranges from 3.9 to 31 inches (0.1 - 0.8 meters) at the wide-angle setting and from 9.8 to 31 inches (0.25 - 0.8 meters) at the maximum telephoto. In addition to the 2.8x optical zoom, images can be enlarged up to 2.5x with the Digital Zoom, depending on the image resolution size. (Users should be aware that digital zoom is not the same as optical zoom, since the digital zoom is merely cropping and enlarging the center portion of the CCD. As a result, digitally enlarged images often result in higher image noise and/or softer resolution.)

When the LCD monitor is engaged in any shooting mode, it by default displays detailed exposure information, with the current exposure mode, f/stop setting, shutter speed, and exposure compensation listed across the top of the monitor (a nice feature not found on all digicams) and the number of images available in the current resolution setting, a memory gauge showing the amount of space left in its buffer memory (a help in fast-paced shooting conditions), and an MF icon when Manual Focus is engaged, at the bottom of the monitor. Additional information is displayed temporarily when operating the camera's buttons or Mode dial, indicating ISO, quality setting, resolution, and function icons when engaged (i.e.: flash, macro, self-timer, etc.). A distance display shows focus distance in feet or meters when using the Manual Focus option, as well as a separate Zoom bar that shows the camera's 2.5x optical zoom in operation, and the Digital Zoom progress, when you zoom past the optical telephoto limit.

Unlike lower-end, point-and-shoot Olympus digicams, the D-40 Zoom offers a great deal of exposure control, including Spot and Digital ESP metering modes, and Program (P), Aperture Priority (A), Shutter Speed Priority (S), and Manual (M) exposure modes. Spot metering takes the exposure reading from the very center of the image frame, while Digital ESP metering (the default mode) takes readings from throughout the image frame and averages them to determine the best possible exposure. Program mode controls both aperture and shutter speed, with exposure times as long as 16 seconds. Aperture and Shutter Priority modes give you control over aperture or shutter speed, while the camera chooses the best corresponding settings. Apertures range from f/2.8 to f/8.0 at wide-angle and from f/4.8 to f/8.0 at maximum telephoto, adjustable in one-third steps, while shutter speeds range from 1/1,000 to 1/2 second in Auto mode (4 seconds in Night Scene mode). The Manual exposure mode provides the same aperture range, but with shutter speeds as long as 16 seconds. Light sensitivity or ISO options include: Auto, 100, 200, and 400 settings, and Exposure Compensation can be used to adjust image brightness from +2 to -2 exposure values (EV) in one-third-step increments.

In addition to its Program and Manual exposure modes, the D-40 Zoom offers an Auto mode and five preset Scene modes -- Portrait, Landscape-Portrait, Landscape-Scene, Night Scene, and Self-Portrait -- all accessed as individual settings on the camera's Mode Dial. In Auto mode, the camera controls all exposure settings, allowing the user to adjust only the Flash and Record (Quality) settings. In Portrait mode, the camera uses a smaller aperture setting to decrease the depth of field, capturing the subject in sharp focus in front of a blurred background. Landscape-Portrait uses a smaller aperture setting to increase the depth of field, so both the foreground subject and background are in sharp focus, sets the flash on Fill-In mode, and optimizes colors for skin tones. Landscape-Scene mode focuses on distant subjects, such as trees or mountains, so they remain clear. It also sets up the color balance to enhance blues and greens. Night Scene mode is optimized for nighttime shooting, using a slow shutter speed to take in as much ambient light as possible and activating the Noise Reduction mode to reduce artifacts commonly found in long exposures. Self-portrait shooting allows you to handhold the camera while aiming it toward your face. Focus is automatically fixed on you (the shooter) and color is optimized for skin tones. In all Scene modes, exposure settings are limited to the basics -- Quality, Exposure Compensation, and Flash -- depending on the subject.

A new feature on the D-40 Zoom is the "My Image" exposure mode, marked on the Mode dial by a small graphic with the word "My" in the center. The My Image Shooting mode allows users to program their own default settings by choosing from a full set of menu options, including available exposure settings, and automatically saving them to memory for the next time they return to the My Image setting, even after powering off the camera. This is a great feature for more advanced photographers who want to create their own shooting environment without having to go back and reset menu items every time they turn on the camera.

The D-40Z also offers many more advanced user controls, including Auto, Preset, and One-Touch White Balance options (with a White Balance Correction function for minor color adjustments); Contrast, Sharpness, and Color Saturation adjustments; Sequential (Continuous) and AF Sequential shooting captures multiple images at up to 3.3 frames per second; automatic Exposure Bracketing enables you to take three images at three different exposure options; and a Function sub-menu option allows you to capture images in black and white or sepia tone (with additional White Board and Black Board settings for capturing text). The camera also incorporates several new features, including an advanced Noise Reduction System, which compares similar images and uses that information to minimize background noise (even in low-light conditions and long exposures); an Optimum Image Enlargement Mode that boosts resolution to 3,200 x 2,400 pixels -- creating a file size large enough for 16 x 20-inch prints; and a redesigned Menu Navigational System, introduced this year in the Camedia D-510 and C700 models (2001).

The D-40 Zoom's Movie mode records QuickTime movies with or without sound, for as long as the SmartMedia card has available memory space, in either SQ (160 x 120 pixels) or HQ (320 x 240 pixels) modes. Four-second sound clips can be recorded to accompany still images, either during image capture, or later during image playback. A Panorama mode allows you to take up to 10 formatted shots for merging with Camedia's Panorama Stitch software in the computer (an Olympus brand SmartMedia card is required to capture the images). There's also a 12-second self-timer option for self-portraits, and an infrared (IR) remote controller with a three-second shutter delay.

The camera's internal flash offers seven operating modes. Four options are selectable via the external Flash / Erase button: Flash Off, Auto-Flash, Fill-in Flash, and Red-Eye Reduction. Three options are accessed through the Mode menu: Slow Synchro 1, Slow Synchro 2, and Slow Synchro 1 with Redeye Reduction. Slow Synchro flash uses a combination of flash and a slow shutter speed to balance the background with the foreground subject in low-light or nighttime shooting. Slow Synchro 1 fires the flash at the beginning of the exposure and Slow Synchro 2 fires at the end. The D-40Z's flash power extends from 2.6 to 9.8 feet (0.8 to 3 meters) in wide-angle mode and from 9.8 to 5.9 feet (0.25 to 1.8 meters) in telephoto mode. Using the Mode menu, you can increase or decrease the internal flash power from -2 to +2 EV in one-third-step increments through the Shooting menu.

The D-40Z's image file sizes include: 2,272 x 1,704; 2,048 x 1,536; 1,600 x 1,200; 1,280 x 960; 1,024 x 76; and 640 x 480 pixels in normal mode, and 3,200 x 2,400; 2,816 x 2,112; and 2,560 x 1,920 pixels when using the Optimum Image Enlargement function. Image quality options include two JPEG compression ratios (2.8:1 and 8:1), plus an uncompressed TIFF format.

The Olympus D-40 Zoom ships with a 16MB SmartMedia memory card for image storage (larger capacity cards are available separately). You can connect the camera directly to your computer via a high-speed Auto USB interface to download images (requiring no USB driver on recent computer models), and if you want a larger viewfinder (or image playback) display, Olympus has provided a video output cable for connection to a television set (which works nicely with the included remote control). Software shipped with the unit includes Olympus' Camedia Master utility package, which provides minor organization and editing tools, in addition to a panorama "stitching" application. Apple QuickTime and USB drivers for Macintosh and Windows are also supplied.

Power is provided by one CR-V3 Lithium battery pack or two standard AA alkaline batteries (alkaline, lithium, NiMH, or NiCd . An optional AC adapter is available as a separate accessory, which can significantly extend battery life if you're doing a lot of downloads on the computer or working in a studio environment.

The new Camedia D-40 Zoom offers exceptional creative control, great low-light capabilities, and large file sizes for maximum print output. Combine this with first-rate image quality, and you have what we think will be another extremely popular digicam in the Camedia line.


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