Tom,
I just bought the Olympus C4040 after doing a fair amount of research.
It was a toss up with the Canon G2. The Nikon was not available and do
was not in the running. Besides there are a lot of unhappy digital Nikon
Coolpix users out there if you search the newsgroups. Here's what I
found:
Olympus C4040 Pro's
- Very fast lens
- Light and easy to handle (one hand operation is no problem)
- Automatic routine to map out bad pixels in the ccd
- Fast shooting due to large memory buffer
- Takes 4 AA batteries NiMH or regular alkaline. Great in a pinch.
Olympus C4040 Con's
- Some chromatic aberration (I have not seen it, but there on some
online reviews of early models)
- Smart Media (ok a 128 MB is about $60 which will hold 32 4MB images.
They are small enough that carrying 1 or 2 extras would be barely
noticeable in your bag, so I'm not sure how much of an issue this is.
Certainly much smaller and lighter than the extra rolls of film we all
carry around!)
- Fixed screen
- Not enough function buttons for one tough access to functions. Some
functions you have to go to the menu system. You can map a button to
your favorite function though.)
Canon G2 Pro's
- Lot's of button controls
- Swivel screen much like the ones on a camcorder. Very useful but it
adds to the size & weight
- Compact Flash memory
- Standard flash hot shoe on top
Canon G2 Con's
- Does not render diagonal lines very well - can be jaggy in some
instances
- Heavier and less ergonomic than the Olympus (one hand operation only
for the brave)
- Has a proprietary battery
- No bad pixel mapping - must be sent back to the factory for repair
I have not had a lot of time to use the Olympus yet as it is waiting for
me under the Christmas tree. Both cameras are available for $750 from
reputable dealers - you should not pay any more than that for either of
them. Also I have seen the Olympus in the mid six hundred's on some
websites for a US Warranty model. I'll update you after Christmas when I
start using it more.
Good luck on the new job and move!
Mike V. <><
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:owner-olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Scales
Sent: Saturday, December 22, 2001 10:48 PM
To: olympus@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [OM] OT - Digital P&S decision -- I'll be driven from the group
OK, here's the challenge. I love the E-20, but....
(isn't there always a but)
It's pretty darn big. So, I want to supplement it with the digital
equivalent of a Point and Shoot.
Several look nice. I'm leaning towards on of:
Olympus C4040 -- $799 -- in stock
Canon G2 -- $823 -- out of stock
Nikon 5000 -- $945 -- out of stock
The pricing and availability are from online stores I trust. Cheaper at
stores I don't trust :)
All are roughly the same size. The the Canon and Olympus are
4megapixel, and Nikon is 5megapixel.
As you all know, I'm a believer in pixel count, but even beyond that,
the Nikon and the Canon use CompactFlash, which I own a ton of, while
the Olympus uses SmartMedia, which I own one measley 32mb card.
So, I'm leaning towards, gasp, the Nikon.
Thoughts, comments, ideas, suggestions welcome.
Tom
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