Techmati

La Crosse RS-900 / BC-900

Olympus C-7070z - 7.1 Megapixel Digital Camera

Here is a short review of the Olympus C-7070. Being the happy owner of a C-5050 i did not hesitate in recommending the 7070 to a client who wanted a great camera with a flash hot shoe. Olympus do have great design and quality control although their interface is a little quirky but who's isn't.

Above you can see the 7070. It is a lot taller than the 5050. It appears a little heavier but the grip is improved many times over. Exceptionally ergonomic and there is also a more defined area for the thumb to rest than on the 5050. This is the problem with many compact cameras, they do not have the weight or the grip for comfortable and stable one handed shooting. The fingers are always comfortable on this camera, for others the ergonomics appear to be an afterthought.

Above you can see the front of the camera and the new lens which is one of the great new features of the camera. Several review sites have already complained about the lens cap which does not clip on the outer lens housing but has a sponge lining which makes it rest there. The concern of Olympus is i think that when the lens extends with the lens cap on it can strain the lens motors. So in this configuration the motors push off the lens cap if this happens accidentally. In that respect, nobody can be happy, if the lens cap is secured well you risk damage to the motors, if it is loose then people complain that it can fall off. Nobody can win. Actually i see a hack cos Olympus kindly made the lens accept polariser or other filters directly on the lens part which moves. This was not possible with the 5050 series and required a long adapter, So you could put a polariser and then an aftermarket lens cap for the polariser and then problem solved. That would be great.

Above you can see the lens extended. The motors appear to be much nicer than the 5050 series especially the function of the zoom. The zoom control though is rather small indeed smaller than the 5050 and feels a bit crappy although the function is improved. You just cannot win.

Here is the rear of the camera with the rather familiar controls. The keypad for selecting the menus felt a bit cheaper than the 5050 but nothing really to complain about. The mode dial has a more high quality movement. You can see that the LCD is closed. This is a great feature, the LCD can be covered to protect it and then you can swing it up to take photographs which is a much more ergonomic position to be in when you consider how you are holding the camera. It also swivels around to take those difficult photographs. The action is an excellent improvement over the 5050.

Here is the LCD at vertical. The screen automatically adjusts at this position so the picture is not inverted. It is very comfortable to use the camera in this position.

Above you can see the controls and flash hot shoe. It is not that different to the 5050 at all.

Well, this was not intended to be a detailed review like some of the photo sites. I just think that if you are in the market for a serious but not too expensive camera you should have a try at the 7070.

Cost : 599 euro from photoway

Olympus C-7070z

A great series which continues to impress and evolve.

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