Digital Camera Home > Digital Camera Reviews > Olympus Digital Cameras > Olympus Camedia D-40 Zoom

Olympus Camedia D-40 Zoom

Super-compact 4 megapixel model takes great pictures!

<<Operation & User Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Image Storage & Interface>>

Page 9:Camera Modes & Menus

Review First Posted: 10/8/2001

Camera Mode Menus

Auto Shooting Mode
The Auto shooting mode maintains full control over all exposure settings except Flash, Resolution, and Quality. When you press the Menu / OK button, it brings up only a Top menu with three Shortcut sub-menus: -- Resolution, Clock set, and Format -- it does not include a shooting Mode menu.

  • Record (Quality) Mode: Sets the camera's image quality to SHQ (Super High Quality) 2,288 x 1,712; HQ (High Quality) 2,272 x 1,704; SQ1 (Standard Quality 1), 1,280 x 960-pixel resolution; and SQ2 (Standard Quality 2) 640 x 480.
  • Date and Time: Sets the camera's internal calendar and clock.
  • Card setup: Formats the SmartMedia card, erasing all images, even the write-protected or Locked images.

Manual (A / S / M), Program, and My Image Shooting Modes
The D-40 has four Manual shooting modes: Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual (A / S /M), which are all accessed via one position on the Mode dial, and My Image mode which is indicated by the "My" icon on the Mode dial. These Manual modes allow you to adjust all camera settings, including aperture, shutter speed, and expanded Quality options. The My Image mode allows you to save custom settings as default values for any time you turn on the camera and select that mode. The Camera's Program mode (P) provides the same exposure adjustments as the Manual modes, with the exception of aperture and shutter speed settings, which are selected by the camera's exposure system. When the camera is in one of these five Shooting modes, pressing the Menu / OK button brings up the Shooting Top Menu. Three of the top menu items are Short Cuts to user-specified menu options. The fourth menu option is the Mode Menu, which brings up the following sub-menus (individual items may be unavailable in some modes):

  • Quality: Sets the camera's image quality to Uncompressed TIFF: 2,272 x 1,704-, 2,048 x 1,536-, 1,600 x 1,200-, 1,280 x 960-, 1,024 x 768-, or 640 x 480-pixel resolution; SHQ (Super High Quality) 2,288 x 1,712- or (Enlarge Image) 3,200 x 2,400-pixel resolution; HQ (High Quality) 2,272 x 1,704- or (Enlarge Image) 3,200 x 2,400-pixel resolution; SQ1 (Standard Quality) 2,048 x 1,536-, 1,600 x 1,200-, or 1,280 x 960-pixel resolution, High or Normal compression ratio; SQ2 (Standard Quality 2) 1,024 x 768- and 640 x 480-pixel resolution, High or Normal compression ratio.
  • Remote Self-Timer: Turns the camera's remote infrared self-timer to On or Off.
  • White Balance (WB): Sets the camera's white balance to Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent, or Fluorescent), or Manual options.

  • Mode Menu
    • Camera:
      • Remote Self-Timer: Sets self-timer or remote control shooting.
      • Drive: Sets the camera's capture mode to Single, Sequential, Sequential Auto Focus, or Auto Bracketing.
      • ISO: Sets the camera's ISO sensitivity to Auto, 100, 200 or 400.
      • A / S / M: Sets the camera's exposure mode to Aperture-Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual. (Not available in Program mode)
      • Flash Intensity (+/-): Adjusts the flash intensity from -2 to +2 EV in one-third-step increments.

      • Slow Synchro: Selects between Slow Synchro 1, Slow Synchro with Redeye Reduction, and Slow Synchro 2.
      • Noise Reduction: When turned on, this function reduces the background noise in long exposures.
      • Digital Zoom: Turns the Digital Zoom function On or Off.
      • Full-time AF: Sets the camera's autofocus mechanism to operate continuously (On) or only when the Shutter button is halfway pressed (Off).
      • Sound: Allows approximately four seconds of sound recording to be attached to still images.

      • Panorama: Activates the Panorama shooting mode. (Available for Olympus brand SmartMedia cards only.)
      • Function: Allows you to select between Black-and-White, Sepia, White Board, and Black Board exposure options.

    • Picture:
      • Quality: Sets the camera's image quality to Uncompressed TIFF: 2,272 x 1,704-, 2,048 x 1,536-, 1,600 x 1,200-, 1,280 x 960-, 1,024 x 768-, or 640 x 480-pixel resolution; SHQ (Super High Quality) 2,288 x 1,712- or (Enlarge Size) 3,200 x 2,400-pixel resolution; HQ (High Quality) 2,272 x 1,704- or (Enlarge Size) 3,200 x 2,400-pixel resolution; SQ1 (Standard Quality) 2,048 x 1,536-, 1,600 x 1,200-, or 1,280 x 960-pixel resolution, High or Normal compression ratio; SQ2 (Standard Quality 2) 1,024 x 768- or 640 x 480-pixel resolution.
      • White Balance (WB): Sets the camera's white balance to Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent, or Fluorescent), or Manual white setting options.
      • White Balance Adjustment: Enables you to adjust the Blue and Red levels from +3 to -3.
      • Sharpness: Sets the picture sharpness from +5 to -5.
      • Contrast: Sets the picture contrast from +5 to -5.

      • Saturation: Sets the color saturation from +5 to -5.

    • Card:
      • Card setup: Formats the SmartMedia card, erasing all images, even the write-protected or Locked images.

    • Set Up:
      • All Reset: Resets the camera to its default settings when you turn it off.
      • Beep Sound: Turns the camera's beep sound to Off, Low, or High.
      • Shutter Sound: Offers two shutter sounds with High or Low settings, or Off.
      • PW On Setup: Allows you to choose the screen image and sound for startup.
      • PW Off Setup: Allows you to choose the screen image and sound for shutdown.

      • Rec View: Turns Rec View On or Off. Rec View displays the most recently recorded image while it is being written to the SmartMedia card.
      • Custom: Enables you to set up your own camera default settings which will be saved to My Camera mode. You can choose Current, which makes all current settings the default; Reset, which resets all settings to the camera's default settings, or Custom, which lets you adjust each setting via an on-screen menu.
      • Sleep: Sets the camera to automatically turn off at 30 seconds or 1, 3, 5, or 10 minutes.
      • File Name: Lets you choose between Auto or Name Reset for recording file names.
      • Pixel Mapping: Initiates automatic pixel mapping.

      • Monitor Adjustment: Adjusts monitor brightness using an on-screen scale.
      • Date and Time: Sets the camera's internal calendar and clock.
      • Meters / Feet: Sets the distance measurement to feet or meters.
      • Short Cut: Enables you to set the three short cut arrows to whatever menu items you want them to represent.

Scene Shooting Modes
The D-40 offers five Program Scene modes for taking specific types of images (each with its own Mode dial setting): Portrait, Landscape-Portrait, Landscape Scene, Night Scene, and Self-portrait These modes have an abbreviated menu selection that does not include the Picture sub-menus or the full complement of Camera sub-menu settings that are available in Manual and Program modes. The following menu and sub-menu options are available. (Since the menu entries here are the same as those described above, we won't repeat the menu screen shots.):

  • Record (Quality) Mode: Sets the camera's image quality to SHQ (Super High Quality) 2,288 x 1,712; HQ (High Quality) 2,272 x 1,704; SQ1 (Standard Quality 1), 1,280 x 960-pixel resolution; and SQ2 (Standard Quality 2) 640 x 480.
  • Date and Time: Sets the camera's internal calendar and clock.
  • Digital Zoom: Turns the Digital Zoom function on or off.

    Mode Menu

    • Camera:
      • Drive: Sets the camera's capture mode to Single, Continuous, Continuous Auto Focus, and Auto Bracketing.
      • Slow Synchro: Selects between Slow Synchro 1, Slow Synchro with Redeye Reduction, and Slow Synchro 2.
      • Sound: Turns the camera's sound recorder On or Off.
      • Panorama: Activates the Panorama shooting mode. (Available in Program mode only.)
      • Function: Allows you to select between Black-and-White, Sepia, White Board, and Black Board exposure options.
    • Card:
      • Card setup: Formats the SmartMedia card, erasing all images, even the write-protected or Locked images.
    • Set Up:
      • All Reset: Resets the camera to its default settings.
      • Beep Sound: Turns the camera's beep sound to Off, Low, or High.
      • Shutter Sound: Offers two shutter sounds with High or Low settings, or Off.
      • PW On Setup: Allows you to choose the screen image and sound for startup.
      • PW Off Setup: Allows you to choose the screen image and sound for shutdown.
      • Pixel Mapping: Initiates automatic pixel mapping.
      • Monitor Adjustment: Adjusts monitor brightness using an on-screen scale.
      • Date and Time: Sets the camera's internal calendar and clock.

Movie Mode
Accessed by turning the Mode dial to the movie camera symbol, Movie mode allows you to capture movies with or without sound for as long as the SmartMedia card allows. Shutter speed is automatically set from 1/10,000 to 1/30 second, depending on light levels. When the camera is in this mode, pressing the Menu / OK button brings up the Movie Top Menu, which consists of three Short Cuts to specific menu options (Quality, Sound, and WB) and the Mode Menu.

  • Record (Quality) Mode: Selects between two quality levels: High (320 x 240 pixels) and Standard Quality (160 x 120 pixels).
  • Sound: Turns the Movie sound recording On or Off.
  • White Balance (WB): Sets the camera's white balance to Auto, Preset (Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent, or Fluorescent), or Manual white setting options.
  • Mode Menu: Brings up three sub-menus for setting various camera controls, including:
    • Camera:
      • Remote Self-Timer: Sets self-timer or remote control shooting.
      • ISO: Sets the camera's ISO sensitivity to Auto, 100, 200 or 400.
      • Digital Zoom: Turns the Digital Zoom function On or Off.
      • Full-time AF: Sets the camera's autofocus mechanism to operate continuously (On) or only when the Shutter button is halfway pressed (Off).
      • Function: Allows you to select between Black-and-White, Sepia, White Board, and Black Board exposure options.
    • Card setup: Formats the SmartMedia card, erasing all images, even the write-protected or Locked images.
    • Set Up:
      • All Reset: Resets the camera to its default settings when you turn it off.
      • Beep Sound: Turns the camera's beep sound On or Off.
      • Shutter Sound: Offers two shutter sounds with High or Low settings, or Off.
      • PW On Setup: Allows you to choose the screen image and sound for startup.
      • PW Off Setup: Allows you to choose the screen image and sound for shutdown.
      • Pixel Mapping: Initiates automatic pixel mapping.
      • Monitor Adjustment: Adjusts monitor brightness using an on-screen scale.
      • Date and Time: Sets the camera's internal calendar and clock.

Playback Mode
Playback Mode is available by turning to the green Playback symbol on the camera's Mode dial, or by depressing the display button twice in any Shooting mode. The Playback Top Menu has three options, which differ slightly between Shooting (Record) playback and Movie playback:

Shooting Playback:

  • Info: Changes the amount of exposure information that is displayed with each recorded image. Maximum information includes battery power, image quality, resolution, shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation, white balance, ISO, and file number. Minimum information includes only the frame number, battery power, and quality setting. Movie files display only the file number until you select the Movie Playback option.
  • Slide Show: Sets up the camera to run an automatic slide show playback of all single-frame recorded images.
  • Print Order: Marks the currently displayed image or all images for printing on a DPOF-compatible device.
  • Mode Menu: Brings up three Playback sub-menus, with options largely familiar from the record-mode menu system):
    • Sound: Activates the sound recording option, which allows you to record a sound byte with the image file. This is not available in the Movie Playback menu.
    • Card:
      • Card Setup: Allows you to erase all images on the SmartMedia card, except write-protected files, or format the SmartMedia card, erasing all images, even the write-protected or Locked images.
    • Setup:
      • All Reset: Resets the camera to its default settings when you turn it off.
      • Volume: Adjusts the camera's speaker volume.
      • Beep Sound: Turns the camera's beep sound to Off, Low, or High.
      • PW On Setup: Allows you to choose the screen image and sound for startup.
      • PW Off Setup: Allows you to choose the screen image and sound for shutdown.
      • Screen Setup: Turns the PW on or off.
      • Monitor Adjustment: Adjusts monitor brightness.
      • Date and Time: Sets the camera's internal calendar and clock.
      • Index Display: Allows you to set the index display to 4, 9, or 16 frames.

Movie Playback:

  • Info: As in normal Playback, this option selects the amount of image information shown on the screen with the file. Initially, the information is very limited, with only the Movie icon and the frame or file number. Exposure information is displayed only briefly when a movie playback begins.
  • Movie Play: This replaces the Play option in the Playback mode's top menu:
    • Movie Play: Plays the movie currently displayed on the LCD monitor.
      • Frame by Frame: Sets up manual movie playback in which you can scroll through the movie with the left and right arrow buttons.
      • Exit: Takes you out of the Movie Play function.
    • Index: Brings up an index of individual frames from the movie. By pressing the right and left arrow buttons, you can continue the frame-by-frame playback of each individual frame.
    • Edit: Allows you to scroll through the movie and clip frames off the beginning and end of the file.
  • Mode Menu:
    • Card Setup: Allows you to erase all images on the SmartMedia card, except write-protected files, or format the SmartMedia card, erasing all images, even the write-protected or Locked images.
    • Setup:
      • All Reset: Resets the camera to its default settings when you turn it off.
      • Volume: Adjusts the camera's speaker volume.
      • Beep Sound: Turns the camera's beep sound to Off, Low, or High.
      • PW On Setup: Allows you to choose the screen image and sound for startup.
      • PW Off Setup: Allows you to choose the screen image and sound for shutdown.
      • Screen Setup: Turns the PW on or off.
      • Monitor Adjustment: Adjusts monitor brightness.
      • Date and Time: Sets the camera's internal calendar and clock.
      • Index Display: Allows you to set the index display to 4, 9, or 16 frames.


Reader Comments! --> Visit our discussion forum for the Olympus Camedia D-40 Zoom!



<<Operation & User Interface | Image Storage & Interface>>

Follow Imaging Resource: