Home > Consumer Reviews > Olympus C-2100 2MP Digital Camera w/ 10x Optical Zoom

If you own fine 35mm and/or large-format cameras, and have toyed with the idea of trying digital, read on at your own risk. You may -- like me -- never pick up your Leica M4P or Canon F1 or Mamiya 645 systems again.

Let me tell you the only negative about this camera first: The color correction of the CCD under low tungsten illumination and fluorescent lighting resembles Ektachrome 400, circa 1970.

That's it. That's the only defect.

You're going to love this camera. Many reviewers wish for a 3.3 megapixel chip, vs. the 2.1 mp chip in this 2100. The recent introduction of cameras with the same image stabilized 10x lens/2.1 mp CCD system from Canon and Sony suggests some rethinking among the manufacturers of these cameras. Simply put, the ability to fill frames with image trumps the cameras with 3.3mp CCDs and smaller zoom ranges. To accommodate those 3.3 mp CCDs, one needs a larger buffer memory...which means a longer write-time...which means either a slower-shooting camera or a greater battery drain, or both, to match the frame-to-frame shooting capability of this lens/CCD/buffer combination. It also means your storage media demands will escalate dramaticaly, as will your needs for imaging media. Add the image stabilization feature, which has some kind of gyro motor running all the time, and you'd end up with unacceptable battery drain, if your had a 3.3 mp CCD.

This camera offers two displays -- one the traditional 1.8 inch "TV" display, and the other, an SLR-like eye-level display. At first, you'll be disappointed in the graininess of the eye-level display. And yet, you will be surprised at the speed with which you'll accommodate that.

The camera offers a 35mm lover's range of creative control, plus features you'd never dream of finding in an SLR or rangefinder. You can select the ASA of the CCD's sensitivity -- 100 to 400 ASA. You can select white balance, although it's not great under low-light-level tungsten or fluorescent, as noted. You can -- now get this -- choose black-and-white or...SEPIA toned imaging. The latter is a magnificent trip back to the 1950s and 60s.

But nothing matches this lens. It's the equivalent of a 38-380mm zoom lens. The image stabilization means that, if you carefully brace yourself, you will easily -- and I mean EASILY -- shoot 380mm hand-held shots at under 1/20th of a second. It's a razor-sharp lens.

The image compression algorithm in this camera works extremely well. The standard "HQ" mode generates images of around 400k size, which means you get a whopping 128 images on a 64mb Smartmedia card. You can switch to the SHQ mode and get 45 images on a 64mb card, but for most images, you can't see the difference in an 8x10 print. The write-to-buffer/write-to-Smartmedia time increases, limiting your frame-to-frame shooting speed.

If you half-depress the shutter release, locking the focus and exposure, you can capture great sports action shots. If you put the camera in a manual mode, you can shoot almost one shot a second in the HQ mode.

Flash reach is astounding. I have easily shot perfectly exposed images in dark rooms at 30+ feet. Recycle time can be iffy -- I minimize it with a Digipower external battery pack that plugs into the AC adapter jack -- but the flash mode seems to generate more data, which takes more time to write to the buffer and then to the Smartmedia, which slows the shot-to-shot time.

You can get through about 150 frames with a single charged set of 4 NiMH 1600ma batteries -- I can't imagine going anywhere with fewer than a single well-charged extra set. The camera will kill a fresh set of alkaline AAs in about 10-12 shots -- the deep drain of a digital camera is totally incompatible with this kind of service.

The camera is light, well-balanced. Its controls fall under the fingers neatly. Viewfinder controls work well, but I could argue that controls for the manual focusing could be better placed under the left fingers, rather than under the right eye, forcing you to focus with the right thumb.

I purchased a C-2040 for my 14-year-old daughter's middle school graduation, and with those two cameras, our family is now fully digital.

Stop looking for a new digital camera -- you've found it.

You will be tempted to use the different controls and shooting modes. The iESP ("P") setting works so well, for most shooting, you'll leave it there.

The only kind of shooting you might wish for a 3.3 mp CCD is for scenics -- digital cameras don't handle fine detail as well as 35mm film. I'd prefer a metal camera to a plastic one, like the the $2000 Olympus E-10. But I tried that camera, and it's S-L-O-W by comparison to the C-2100, and lacks both the zoom range and the imaging stabilizing features of the C-2100.

For frame-filling portraits, there simply isn't a better camera.

I consider my self an amateur photograher. I enjoy the simplicity of point and shoot but get frustrated with the limitations this imposes. The C2100 does great in point and shoot mode, but lets you manualy control some or all of the exposure settings. Manual focus worked well in taking picutres of fish below the surface. If you want you can specify a standard ISO value. All exposure settings are displayed in the view finder or LCD and stored with your exposure so you can compare and tweek until the shot is perfect. Even the flash brightness is adjustable. I was surprised on how many features this camera has and how many were user adjustable. The movie mode runs at 15 frames per second so it's a little jerky and the built microphone leaves a little to be desired. It points off to the left side of the camera instead of forward (there is an optional microphone port). You can also record 4 second sound bytes with each still shot (a good way to keep brief notes). The camera has an action shot mode which did a good job in freezing birds in flight. However setting up the camera for specific shots can be a little time consuming when you're first learning (I missed more than several shots at first). If your're out for action shots you'll have to plan and setup ahead of your shot and there is a delay between "click" and "shutter". You can reduce time between still shots by turning autofocus on continously (shortens battery life). The drive mode will do sequential shots. The time between shots is 0.5 to 0.67 seconds depending on resolution. If you plan to use the movie mode or high resolution shots I would recommend getting a 64mb card (holds 128 exposures 1600x1200 in standard jpeg format). I was able to get about 80 exposures on one charge of the rechargable batteries that came with the camera (this included zooming and reviewing shots on the LCD). The camera can drive a video out but the TV picture isn't a crisp as your PC monitor. The camera comes with USB and Serial ports but only a cable for USB. Downloading 60mb worth of pictures takes a long time over serial port. The only complaint I had with this camera was that occasionaly (sun to dark shadow shots) the view through the viewfinder was to dark to properly frame the shot. Adjusting the view finder brightness didn't help. Overall I'm very pleased with this camera.

The C-2100 is said to be based on the C-2000/C2020 which have been praised for taking brilliant images. Yet the camera works and operates like the latest C-3000/C-3030 series with additional features like audio/video recording, fast continuous shootings, continuous digital zoom, fast USB downloads, etc. Plus the camera has unique features of its own such as TTL (through the lens) LCD viewfinder, 27x continuous zoom (10x optical + 2.7x digital), optical image stabilization, more dedicated button adjustments (so you don't have to roll through the menus), exposure lock button, full optical and digital zoom in movie mode, etc.

The image stablization works effectively along the zoom range and I was able to take sharp-focus pictures at 27x zoom without the aid of a tripod (remember I am an amateur and my hands aren't as steady as the pros'). It's a lot of fun taking this camera around shooting nature, buildings, sports, or just those innoncent people who are minding their own business from half a block away!

The C-2100 uses 4 ordinary AA batteries so should your rechargable batteries (which is included with a charger) die you can always grab those AA alkalines at a convenient store. The camera usually can run half a day (on and off) using the rechargable batteries during my outdoor shooting trips.

To me, this camera is a lot of fun to use, and it provides excellent pictures too. I am satisfied, almost. I only wish Olympus simplify the menu system, put on a manual focus ring on the lens, include a lens tether and a carrying case.

The description above covers the waterfront on this outstanding digital camera. Some of the features that make it my idea of the best buy are:

1. An important feature to me is single-lens-reflex (SLR) viewing, in addition to the LCD viewer. For me, I've been composing pictures for decades through SLR viewers with the camera to my eye. I don't like holding a camera out and looking at a tiny LCD image. I can hold this Olympus steadier in the old conventional way and get faster, more accurate composition. For me, the LCD screen is for RE-viewing, not for viewing while shooting.

2. Hefty 2.11 megapixel image. Double my old Sony (which I thought was just fine), and likely to capture everything I will need for the professional work I do. 8" X 10" printouts are beautiful.

3. USB port connection. Absolutely essential. Serial port is way too slow. If your computer was made in the last four of five years it'll have a USB port.

4. Must those of us who have grown up with f-stops and film speeds unlearn all that? Not with this camera. It has the same familiar settings, including ISO film equivalencies of 100, 200, and 400 - it just converts what we understand to what the camera understands.

5. Exposure of 1/800 to 16 seconds in manual mode. That will cover any possible range of shooting I'll ever encounter.

6. Outstanding and almost instantaneous autofocus. When you need to shoot you can't be waiting even a half-second (like some popular digitals make you do) for the camera to get a fix.

7. Incredible 10x optical zoom, equal to a 38mm wide-angle to 380mm telephoto - I'll not need more than that range, ever.

8. Image stabilization. An excellent feature, especially for those quick shots, for long-range telephoto hand-held shots and those in low light that need longer shutter-open time.

9. Lightweight, about 21 ounces. And very well balanced, considering the great zoom lens.

Consider getting the 64-meg Smartmedia memory card described at left --($). 8 megs will be sure to cramp your photo capacity. The whole thing: less than (#). That's not peanuts, but this is the most digital camera you'll find for anywhere near the money AND for the widest range of practical use. Perfect for photogs from novices to pros and you won't be craving to trade up anytime in the foreseeable future. You could easily spend ($) and not get beyond the practical features of this camera, and that price won't even get some of the critical features found here.

After ordering your camera, go to ..., who wrote the Product Description at the top of this page, and sign up for their newsletter on digital photography. This stuff is different from shooting film (all on the plus side), and there are some things to learn if you really want to get the most out of this incredible technology.

I purchased this camera about 6 months ago, but wanted to wait until I had real experience with it to review it. I am 95% thrilled with this product!

Before I purchased I completed a very detailed feature/benefit analysis of this and four other advanced amateur products, including those made by Sony and Nikon, all within the same price range at the time. I was looking a camera with excellent picture quality, SLR-like image control (shutter priority, aperture priority, etc.), a powerful optical zoom lens, and a small footprint (as small as possible). Obviously with these requirements, there were some compromises - for example, this camera is larger than those with 3x optical zoom lenses, but among the 10x lenses at the time, it was the smallest. I decided on this camera because it had the best score on average of all my requirements, and because every single independent review that I read was excellent.

For advanced amateurs, the camera is excellent, with different shutter priority, aperture priority, bulb, fully manual and fully automatic. You can bracket exposure, flash intensity - hold the shutter button down and it will take 3 or 5 rapid shots of the same subject with different settings - then you can view them and delete the ones that you don't want. For beginners, the camera might be a bit overkill, but it has a fully automatic mode, which makes it hard to take a bad picture - even in almost total darkness, believe it or not! (When dark, the camera emits a red light that's used to focus.)

Olympus was one of the first companies to release the 128MB SmartMedia card, too, and it works flawlessly with the camera - and with my MP3 player - allowing me to store both music and photos on the came card - and use it interchangeably. There's no special formatting required, and the card retains the "special feature" (panoramic photos) that Olympus added to the card. (Just don't format the card or it will be lost!). The 128MB card and the included 8MB card were all I needed for a 10-day Caribbean cruise during which I took about 500 pictures.

Originally I thought that 2.1 megapixels might not be enough where there are higher resolution cameras available. But I rarely even use the highest resolution of this camera. Normally I use the second highest (1280x960), which combined with an online photo service like ofoto.com (or probably shutterfly or Yahoo) produces exceptional, vivid prints up to 5x7. I use the highest resolution when I want to print 8x10's.

The software with the camera allows you to "instant fix" your prints, too. This feature automatically balances the brightness and contrast. On bright days, photos taken with this camera usually don't even need to be fixed. But for some shots, this feature really brings the image to life. In one example, I took a picture of a skunk in my backyard at night in manual mode with the shutter set way too fast. When I viewed the shot on my screen it looked completely black. I ran it though "instant fix" and the image of the skunk was suddenly plain to see - though it looked like a black and white shot, I couldn't believe the detail that came from what I thought was a lost image!

On the down side: The camera has frozen on me a couple of times for no apparent reason. A couple of times I've needed to remove the batteries to get the camera to reset properly. This doesn't happen often enough to make it too much of a bother, though. Also, the viewfinder is digital (not optical), so it's still difficult to get a good focus sometimes. (When manually focusing, the image in the viewfinder doubles in size, which makes it a bit easier, but still it's not as easy as an SLR.) Also, I wish there was a focus ring on the lens like on SLRs - the hardware interface for focusing and aperture setting takes some getting used to. Automatic focus works very well, though.

The camera came with four high-capacity batteries and a charger. You'll want to get an extra set of batteries, too. Though the camera uses batteries slower than I expected, it always seems to run out when you least expect it. Unfortunately the camera doesn't give much warning when it's about to run out of juice. The charge indicator will go from "fully charged" to "empty" and blinking in a matter of minutes.

If you're an advanced amateur who likes exceptional picture quality and exposure control, plus lots of other cool features (too many to list), then you'll love this camera. When I studied these cameras, it was the best there was without taking the step up to true digital SLRs. If you're a novice, you'll find many features you don't use or don't need. You'll still like the fully automatic mode, though. And if you don't use the zoom a lot, you'll find the camera more bulky that your typical point-and-shoot. (The zoom, by the way, is exceptional - 10x optical with 2.6x digital - a total of 26x zoom, it's like having a telescope on your camera!)

I hope this review helps you in your decision!