Home > Consumer Reviews > Olympus C-750 4MP Digital Camera w/ 10x Optical Zoom

the ultra-zoom c-750 camera is an upgrade to the c-740. the most notable improvements include higher resolution (4MP vs 3MP), hot shoe, sound recording support, and remote control support. finally the c-750 has an all metal body while the c-740 has a mix of metal and plastic.

pros:
- 10x optical zoom - this is the main selling point of this camera (make sure you get a tripod or monopod to hold the camera steady at 10x, though).
- 4MP resolution.
- good image quality.
- allows a great deal of manual control, including the ability to fine-tune white balance.
- external flash hot shoe.
- support for add-on lenses.
- customizable buttons and menus.
- ability to store four sets of individual settings.
- bright 1.5" LCD display (smaller size than competition, though).
- has an electronic view finder allows you to see what the CCD sees.
- adjustable AF area, plus manual and automatic focus modes.
- auto bracketing, sequence, AF sequence, and hi-sequence capture modes.
- allows contrast, saturation, and sharpness image adjustments.
- ability to save low resolution movies directly to the xD card.
- supports TIFF format.
- included remote control.
- non-proprietary AA batteries used. this means replacement batteries are as close as the nearest convenience store (i recommend rechargeables though).
- compact for a 10x zoom camera: 4.2 x 2.6 x 2.8", 10.4oz.

cons:
- purple fringing noticeable.
- noise levels higher than expected.
- some barrel distortion at wide-angle.
- hair-trigger power button.
- electronic viewfinder difficult to view in low light.
- slowest shutter speeds only available in full manual mode.
- does not support RAW format.
- so-so battery life.
- no AF assist lamp, making autofocus difficult in low ambient light.
- the supplied 16MB xD card is inadequate. be prepared to shell out a few more bucks for more memory.
- add even more to buy more rechargeable batteries; you may also want to invest in a faster charger, the included charger is SLOW.

the c-750 is very easy to use and can be used as a point and shoot or as a full manual camera. the noisier than expected images at higher ISO settings and the lack of an AF assist light are areas for improvement. all in all, a solid camera at a good price. if you want to save some money and can live with 1MP less resolution and no hot shoe, you can also go with the c-740.

i hope this helps you with your buying decision. peace.

My first digital camera came after weeks of excrutiating research -- and so far I love it. I was moving from a very good 35mm Nikon SLR and so had a solid set of expectations. My criteria for a camera were
- compactness (a major gripe against my SLR)
- ample zoom to campture kids' candid moments without intruding
- unlimited movie capability - with sound
- support for "normal" (read: AA) batteries
- Support for external flash
- accurate color reproduction
- Cost ($300 - $400)

On all these counts, the C-750 is a winner. I did not really need the 4MPixel capability and was actually leaning toward the Fuji S5000. However, picture quality and manual configurability tipped the scales towards this slightly more expensive camera.

Although the factory presets will work fine in most situations, I would recommend taking the time to familiarize yourself with its features (on the extensive manual). Even without the gadgetry of a professional photographer you can easily compensate for unwanted artifacts (such as shadows) or poor color reproduction due to lighting.

There is a perceptible shutter-lag: The time between pressing the shutter trigger and the actual picture being taken; you can however, minimize this by pressing the trigger down half-way to compose you picture. Where I can see this being a problem would be if you are trying to capture those fleeting "Kodak momemnts".

The charger that ships with the camera takes a good 8-9 hours to charge 4 batteries. I would recommend that you purchase a smart-charging NiMH battery charger -- these are faster to charge and have auto shut-off features.

In comparing cameras based on movie capability make sure that the only limit is the memory capacity -- there are some (not the C-750) that impose a time limit.

Finally, if you are like me and this is your first foray into the digital world your expenses don't end with the camera: as I mentioned you need a good charger, a spare set of NiMH batteries, a good carrying case, maybe an upgrade from the photographic software that ships with the camera....

This is my first digital camera and I am very pleased with the quality of the camera and the pictures. I reviewed several digital cameras and finally decided on the C750 because of Olympus' reputation for quality lens and clear pictures. The results did not disappoint. The 10x zoom is a nice "bonus" feature not commonly found on digital cameras.

This camera comes ready to shoot straight out of the box in auto mode and yet has many manual features for those who prefer greater control. As an amateur photographer, the manual feature is a great way for me to learn without having to wait to see how the pictures will come out.

There are several negatives, but mostly minor ones. The C750 is a bit heavy for its size. The camera does not come with a carrying bag and because of its size, the bags that Amazon recommends are too small. The lens cover is not automatic, it has to be manually removed prior to taking pictures. The view screen freezes briefly when a picture is taken, which makes it difficult to follow the subject in an action shot. Olympus uses the xD picture card which is more expensive than other memory cards. Finally, the C750 does not have image stablization so a tripod is needed for clear zoom shots.

Overall, the Olympus C750 is a very well built camera that takes great pictures and is one of the best value/quality digital camera in the 4MP class.

I was comtemplating on waiting for the Canon Powershot A80 but really wanted the 10x zoom so i went ahead and bought the Olympus C-750 instead. The main reason i bought it was the zoom and its usage of AA batteries. I also bought a 512mb xD card by Fuji which works great and holds somewhere around 180 pics at top rez. I dont really use the Camedia software but instead use ACDSee v6 which I am more familiar with, and didnt want to learn new software. I think i will be buying a help guide to learn how to use all the manual features in this cam, as there are many. The digital view finder is nice as long as its not a very dark environment (I have been told that an optical viewfinder on a 10x zoom is not feasible and would result in a very expensive camera). The only things I wish could be different would be the inclusion of a printed reference manual, and if there gonna make this camera only use the expensive xD memory they should at least make it so panoramic mode would be accessible on third party xD memory (if you want to use the panoramic you have to buy "Olympus" brand xD memory). Olympus also wants you to send em more money to upgrade their bundled Camedia software to "pro" which is pretty shady in my opinion. If they would bundle the "Pro" version of the software, and take the restriction off the third party xD memory, this camera would easy get 5 stars.

After months of research I finally settled on Olympus as the manufacturer. It took me another few weeks to settle on the 750UZ. I think the October issue of PC Magazine kind of settled things for me. It was the Best digital camera $500 or more and was even better than the 5 Megapixels compared to it. Easy to use and even better- terrific pictures. Set the mode to Auto and take your pictures its as easy as that or for the more adventurous there are manual settings to muck with. The one insignificant problem that I had was with the manual. It comes on CD and you need Adobe Acrobat to read it. Other than that it was a wise choice. I am extremely happy with this camera, it ROCKS! Advice - get either a 128mb or 256mb xDcard. They hold tons of pictures. Also when using the 10X zoom its easier to hold it steady with a Tri or Mono - pod.