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I need an expert advice about buying a new olympus digicam

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Danny Showlove

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Hi, everyone.
I will appreciate any experts help you can provide.
My name is Daniel, and I finally want to fulfill a small dream of mine and
buy a digital camera. I studied the market and after long hours of surfing
the net, I was left with 2 beautiful choiches:
Olympus c-3020z and Olympus c-3040z. My biggest problem is to
choose between those two. I know that both the cameras are
3.3 megapixel and the main diferrences is that the c-3040 has a lens
of up to 106 mm while the c-3020 is up to 96 mm. Also, the c-3040
records video with sound while the c-3020 records without.
My question is to the experts:
1. How significant are those differences I mentioned in choosing my
camera?
2. Image quality - Which camera produces the greatest image quality -
c-3020 or c-3040?
3. I read that Olympus c-3030 has been discontinued. How is this camera
in comparison with the c-3020 and the c-3040? Is it worth looking for
the c-3030 (new or used)?
I will appreciate your help. My parents will leave soon the the US for a
month and I have to know what to choose in 1.5 weeks from now.
Thank you all very much.

Daniel Showlove
Technical Support Engineer
BOL
([email protected])
 
hi Danny,
did i see u post the same Q in the ugend site or was it someone else?

anyway, one big difference that u seem to ignore is the fact that the 3040 lens is faster, meaning it has a wider minimum aperture, enabeling u to shoot in lower light then the 3020, and it might have some effects on the AF speed as well.

did u check this cameras urself? if not i suggest u'll walk down to a big camera shop and have a "hands on". i considered a nikon 885 until i tried it and found the shutter lag totaly unacceptable. better find out this kind of things before u put some 600$ on a camera...
enjoy!
avian
Danny Showlove said:
Hi, everyone.
I will appreciate any experts help you can provide.
My name is Daniel, and I finally want to fulfill a small dream of
mine and
buy a digital camera. I studied the market and after long hours of
surfing
the net, I was left with 2 beautiful choiches:
Olympus c-3020z and Olympus c-3040z. My biggest problem is to
choose between those two. I know that both the cameras are
3.3 megapixel and the main diferrences is that the c-3040 has a lens
of up to 106 mm while the c-3020 is up to 96 mm. Also, the c-3040
records video with sound while the c-3020 records without.
My question is to the experts:
1. How significant are those differences I mentioned in choosing my
camera?
2. Image quality - Which camera produces the greatest image quality -
c-3020 or c-3040?
3. I read that Olympus c-3030 has been discontinued. How is this
camera
in comparison with the c-3020 and the c-3040? Is it worth looking for
the c-3030 (new or used)?
I will appreciate your help. My parents will leave soon the the US
for a
month and I have to know what to choose in 1.5 weeks from now.
Thank you all very much.

Daniel Showlove
Technical Support Engineer
BOL
([email protected])
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, avian.
Well, I live in Israel and here all this area of digital photography is not
developed and there are hardly big shops to go to (you're probably
from USA, yes?). How about the Image quality? You did not
adress this subject. What is your experience in digital photography
by the way? waiting for your reply.
avian said:
Danny Showlove said:
Hi, everyone.
I will appreciate any experts help you can provide.
My name is Daniel, and I finally want to fulfill a small dream of
mine and
buy a digital camera. I studied the market and after long hours of
surfing
the net, I was left with 2 beautiful choiches:
Olympus c-3020z and Olympus c-3040z. My biggest problem is to
choose between those two. I know that both the cameras are
3.3 megapixel and the main diferrences is that the c-3040 has a lens
of up to 106 mm while the c-3020 is up to 96 mm. Also, the c-3040
records video with sound while the c-3020 records without.
My question is to the experts:
1. How significant are those differences I mentioned in choosing my
camera?
2. Image quality - Which camera produces the greatest image quality -
c-3020 or c-3040?
3. I read that Olympus c-3030 has been discontinued. How is this
camera
in comparison with the c-3020 and the c-3040? Is it worth looking for
the c-3030 (new or used)?
I will appreciate your help. My parents will leave soon the the US
for a
month and I have to know what to choose in 1.5 weeks from now.
Thank you all very much.

Daniel Showlove
Technical Support Engineer
BOL
([email protected])
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Hi, L1.
I want to take pictures of my kids especially. Also, I like to photograph
flowers and bugs from very close. That's in general. I will see furthermore.
Why? Is that important when choosing a camera?
L1 said:
What kind of pictures do you think you'll be taking?
Click to expand...
 
Danny,

First, I must come clean, I'm no expert. I went through the digicam buying experience about 4 months ago, but I've been having a lot of fun with it since I got it. We chose a 4040, mostly b/c my husband thought he'd like some large prints (and with the 4 mp, you can get photo quality 11 x 14s). As it turns out, for us, we use a digicam very differently than we used our regular cam, and we rarely print our shots (even on our own printer, which is decent). So, it turns out the 4 mp was a waste of money, and we should have put that money into a better lens with more zoom. Mostly what we do with the pictures is slide shows on our computer and we're looking into a DVD player so we can have tv slide shows. So one of the first pieces of advice I'd give you is to decide what you will do with the pictures you get. If you end up not printing many photos, like us, you would probably be fine with a 2 mp camera (bonus, they're cheaper!).

I asked about what kinds of pictures you'd be taking, b/c some people (but not all) are happier with landscapes at higher mp resolution. Also, for macros and candid photos, I think more zoom would likely be more helpful than more mp. If you decide to go this way, you might look at the 2100 or the C700.

BTW, I agree with Avian's comments above. I believe the 3040 and 4040 have the same lens and I get great low light shots with the 4040. It has been very helpful for all those touristy things we do where you can't use flash. Many people we were with weren't able to get decent pics, but ours were really good (after the noise was cleaned up a little).

Hope this helps. Probably the best advice I can give is to not sweat the small stuff too much. No camera is perfect. Plus, the variation in picture quality from one camera to the next probably has a lot more to do with the photographer than the camera!

L1
Danny Showlove said:
L1 said:
What kind of pictures do you think you'll be taking?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Dear L1 (what is your real name, BTW?),
Thanks a lot for your detailed answer. I saw a c-4040 at a friend of mine.

It's nice, though all the C series looks the same. I not planning to print the photos. I think it's a waste of paper and ink especially. It looks much nicer on the computer. Are you happy with your c-4040? Do you use it also for video shooting? Have you ever seen the c-3020? It's a new model and looks nice. What's the main use of your camera? Kids shooting? Nature?
Flowers? I'm interesed. Are you from USA, by the way?

Danny.
L1 said:
First, I must come clean, I'm no expert. I went through the
digicam buying experience about 4 months ago, but I've been having
a lot of fun with it since I got it. We chose a 4040, mostly b/c
my husband thought he'd like some large prints (and with the 4 mp,
you can get photo quality 11 x 14s). As it turns out, for us, we
use a digicam very differently than we used our regular cam, and we
rarely print our shots (even on our own printer, which is decent).
So, it turns out the 4 mp was a waste of money, and we should have
put that money into a better lens with more zoom. Mostly what we
do with the pictures is slide shows on our computer and we're
looking into a DVD player so we can have tv slide shows. So one of
the first pieces of advice I'd give you is to decide what you will
do with the pictures you get. If you end up not printing many
photos, like us, you would probably be fine with a 2 mp camera
(bonus, they're cheaper!).

I asked about what kinds of pictures you'd be taking, b/c some
people (but not all) are happier with landscapes at higher mp
resolution. Also, for macros and candid photos, I think more zoom
would likely be more helpful than more mp. If you decide to go
this way, you might look at the 2100 or the C700.

BTW, I agree with Avian's comments above. I believe the 3040 and
4040 have the same lens and I get great low light shots with the
4040. It has been very helpful for all those touristy things we
do where you can't use flash. Many people we were with weren't
able to get decent pics, but ours were really good (after the noise
was cleaned up a little).

Hope this helps. Probably the best advice I can give is to not
sweat the small stuff too much. No camera is perfect. Plus, the
variation in picture quality from one camera to the next probably
has a lot more to do with the photographer than the camera!

L1
Danny Showlove said:
L1 said:
What kind of pictures do you think you'll be taking?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Danny,

Overall, I like the 4040. Easy to use, even for a neophyte, but with enough manual features that I am continually expanding my knowledge. Love the fast lens which has helped me get many pics in lowlight that I probably wouldn't have gotten with some other cameras. The advantage of the extra pixels for me is that I can crop my often imperfectly framed shots and still have enough pixels for a good display. Downsides are that you need an adapter if you want to place a protective lens over the camera lens (many compact cameras have this disadvantage). Also, unexpectedly feel limited by only 3X zoom; I think b/c there's no "penalty" for trying a shot and missing, I'm trying a lot more things with the 4040 than I did with my film camera (which had 3x zoom and seemed fine). So, now I wish I could get closer to things to see what I could get (both for macros and nature shots). I anticipated using the 4040 for landscapes, architecture and vacation pics and I've been satisfied with its performance in these areas, but now feel limited when I want to branch out more. Never tried the video shooting (and wonder if I ever will!).

Wish I could help more, but I've never used or seen the cameras you're considering.

Laura (from US)
Danny Showlove said:
Danny.
L1 said:
First, I must come clean, I'm no expert. I went through the
digicam buying experience about 4 months ago, but I've been having
a lot of fun with it since I got it. We chose a 4040, mostly b/c
my husband thought he'd like some large prints (and with the 4 mp,
you can get photo quality 11 x 14s). As it turns out, for us, we
use a digicam very differently than we used our regular cam, and we
rarely print our shots (even on our own printer, which is decent).
So, it turns out the 4 mp was a waste of money, and we should have
put that money into a better lens with more zoom. Mostly what we
do with the pictures is slide shows on our computer and we're
looking into a DVD player so we can have tv slide shows. So one of
the first pieces of advice I'd give you is to decide what you will
do with the pictures you get. If you end up not printing many
photos, like us, you would probably be fine with a 2 mp camera
(bonus, they're cheaper!).

I asked about what kinds of pictures you'd be taking, b/c some
people (but not all) are happier with landscapes at higher mp
resolution. Also, for macros and candid photos, I think more zoom
would likely be more helpful than more mp. If you decide to go
this way, you might look at the 2100 or the C700.

BTW, I agree with Avian's comments above. I believe the 3040 and
4040 have the same lens and I get great low light shots with the
4040. It has been very helpful for all those touristy things we
do where you can't use flash. Many people we were with weren't
able to get decent pics, but ours were really good (after the noise
was cleaned up a little).

Hope this helps. Probably the best advice I can give is to not
sweat the small stuff too much. No camera is perfect. Plus, the
variation in picture quality from one camera to the next probably
has a lot more to do with the photographer than the camera!

L1
Danny Showlove said:
L1 said:
What kind of pictures do you think you'll be taking?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Hi, Laura.

Thanks for the info. I even didn't know that the c-2100 exists untill you told me. I've checked it out and it seems to be a blast(!) camera.

I still wish I could see and feel one in my hands before my parents are going to the states but there is no such camera in Israel still. Not from what I checked. You know, I would be very much happy to recieve a sample photo of yourself taken with your digital camera. It would be nice to see whom I'm talking to. My E-mail is: [email protected]
Please do send me a photo. Promise to send you one back.
BTW, I'm 31, a technical support engineer in the biggest telephony

company in Israel, a professional jazz pianist in my free time and lately a fanatic (on the paper) of digital photography.
Waiting to hear from you.

Daniel.
L1 said:
Overall, I like the 4040. Easy to use, even for a neophyte, but
with enough manual features that I am continually expanding my
knowledge. Love the fast lens which has helped me get many pics in
lowlight that I probably wouldn't have gotten with some other
cameras. The advantage of the extra pixels for me is that I can
crop my often imperfectly framed shots and still have enough pixels
for a good display. Downsides are that you need an adapter if you
want to place a protective lens over the camera lens (many compact
cameras have this disadvantage). Also, unexpectedly feel limited
by only 3X zoom; I think b/c there's no "penalty" for trying a shot
and missing, I'm trying a lot more things with the 4040 than I did
with my film camera (which had 3x zoom and seemed fine). So, now I
wish I could get closer to things to see what I could get (both for
macros and nature shots). I anticipated using the 4040 for
landscapes, architecture and vacation pics and I've been satisfied
with its performance in these areas, but now feel limited when I
want to branch out more. Never tried the video shooting (and
wonder if I ever will!).

Wish I could help more, but I've never used or seen the cameras
you're considering.

Laura (from US)
Danny Showlove said:
Danny.
L1 said:
First, I must come clean, I'm no expert. I went through the
digicam buying experience about 4 months ago, but I've been having
a lot of fun with it since I got it. We chose a 4040, mostly b/c
my husband thought he'd like some large prints (and with the 4 mp,
you can get photo quality 11 x 14s). As it turns out, for us, we
use a digicam very differently than we used our regular cam, and we
rarely print our shots (even on our own printer, which is decent).
So, it turns out the 4 mp was a waste of money, and we should have
put that money into a better lens with more zoom. Mostly what we
do with the pictures is slide shows on our computer and we're
looking into a DVD player so we can have tv slide shows. So one of
the first pieces of advice I'd give you is to decide what you will
do with the pictures you get. If you end up not printing many
photos, like us, you would probably be fine with a 2 mp camera
(bonus, they're cheaper!).

I asked about what kinds of pictures you'd be taking, b/c some
people (but not all) are happier with landscapes at higher mp
resolution. Also, for macros and candid photos, I think more zoom
would likely be more helpful than more mp. If you decide to go
this way, you might look at the 2100 or the C700.

BTW, I agree with Avian's comments above. I believe the 3040 and
4040 have the same lens and I get great low light shots with the
4040. It has been very helpful for all those touristy things we
do where you can't use flash. Many people we were with weren't
able to get decent pics, but ours were really good (after the noise
was cleaned up a little).

Hope this helps. Probably the best advice I can give is to not
sweat the small stuff too much. No camera is perfect. Plus, the
variation in picture quality from one camera to the next probably
has a lot more to do with the photographer than the camera!

L1
Danny Showlove said:
L1 said:
What kind of pictures do you think you'll be taking?
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Hi Daniel,

I own a C3000Z, and love it. I'd say that if you're not planning on getting prints much, a 4mp camera is overkill, and maybe even 3mps. With that in mind, a camera like a C700 might be a good choice for you. It's really small (The C2100 is twice the weight of the C3040) and less bulky. The C2100 is a great camera as well. If you're not that interested in zoom, you might even be able to find a C2040 which is 2mps with 3X. Regardless, they all take great shots. Some people say 10X zoom is overkill, some say 3mp and up is overkill. It's all about what kind of pictures you'll be taking, and what you want to do with them.

As for shooting bugs up close, you can get great shots with the 3040 or 3020 with a cheap macro lens.

Take a look at my gallery to give you some idea what you can capture. They're not the best pics I've seen, but you'll get an idea of what you can get. Look at the insects gallery, the plants and flowers gallery, and the people gallery. Those were the subjects you said you were most interested in.

http://www.pbase.com/gdguide

Again, regardless of what camera you buy (within the ones you've mentioned and heard about from Olympus), you'll be getting a great camera.

B A H
Danny Showlove said:
Hi, everyone.
I will appreciate any experts help you can provide.
My name is Daniel, and I finally want to fulfill a small dream of
mine and
buy a digital camera. I studied the market and after long hours of
surfing
the net, I was left with 2 beautiful choiches:
Olympus c-3020z and Olympus c-3040z. My biggest problem is to
choose between those two. I know that both the cameras are
3.3 megapixel and the main diferrences is that the c-3040 has a lens
of up to 106 mm while the c-3020 is up to 96 mm. Also, the c-3040
records video with sound while the c-3020 records without.
My question is to the experts:
1. How significant are those differences I mentioned in choosing my
camera?
2. Image quality - Which camera produces the greatest image quality -
c-3020 or c-3040?
3. I read that Olympus c-3030 has been discontinued. How is this
camera
in comparison with the c-3020 and the c-3040? Is it worth looking for
the c-3030 (new or used)?
I will appreciate your help. My parents will leave soon the the US
for a
month and I have to know what to choose in 1.5 weeks from now.
Thank you all very much.

Daniel Showlove
Technical Support Engineer
BOL
([email protected])
Click to expand...
-- http://www.pbase.com/gdguidehttp://adigitaldreamer.com
 
hi!

u can try ugend in tel aviv or photo schwartz in jerusalem, i think they have cameras on display.

as u might have gussed i am from israel, jerusalem to be precise. i own a c2100, which is no longer imported to israel. it is a very good camera - great zoom, image stablizer and sharpness. it's larger then most digicams, but i like it. it's only weak point is it's only 2mp, but that was enough for a decent 6x8 (15x20 cm). and should be more then enough if u r not going to print.
if u'd like we can arrange a meeting and u can try my camera out.
email me at [email protected]
Danny Showlove said:
avian said:
Danny Showlove said:
Hi, everyone.
I will appreciate any experts help you can provide.
My name is Daniel, and I finally want to fulfill a small dream of
mine and
buy a digital camera. I studied the market and after long hours of
surfing
the net, I was left with 2 beautiful choiches:
Olympus c-3020z and Olympus c-3040z. My biggest problem is to
choose between those two. I know that both the cameras are
3.3 megapixel and the main diferrences is that the c-3040 has a lens
of up to 106 mm while the c-3020 is up to 96 mm. Also, the c-3040
records video with sound while the c-3020 records without.
My question is to the experts:
1. How significant are those differences I mentioned in choosing my
camera?
2. Image quality - Which camera produces the greatest image quality -
c-3020 or c-3040?
3. I read that Olympus c-3030 has been discontinued. How is this
camera
in comparison with the c-3020 and the c-3040? Is it worth looking for
the c-3030 (new or used)?
I will appreciate your help. My parents will leave soon the the US
for a
month and I have to know what to choose in 1.5 weeks from now.
Thank you all very much.

Daniel Showlove
Technical Support Engineer
BOL
([email protected])
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
B A H said:
Hi Daniel,

I own a C3000Z, and love it. I'd say that if you're not planning on
getting prints much, a 4mp camera is overkill, and maybe even 3mps.
With that in mind, a camera like a C700 might be a good choice for
you. It's really small (The C2100 is twice the weight of the C3040)
and less bulky. The C2100 is a great camera as well. If you're not
that interested in zoom, you might even be able to find a C2040
which is 2mps with 3X. Regardless, they all take great shots. Some
people say 10X zoom is overkill, some say 3mp and up is overkill.
It's all about what kind of pictures you'll be taking, and what you
want to do with them.

As for shooting bugs up close, you can get great shots with the
3040 or 3020 with a cheap macro lens.

Take a look at my gallery to give you some idea what you can
capture. They're not the best pics I've seen, but you'll get an
idea of what you can get. Look at the insects gallery, the plants
and flowers gallery, and the people gallery. Those were the
subjects you said you were most interested in.

http://www.pbase.com/gdguide

Again, regardless of what camera you buy (within the ones you've
mentioned and heard about from Olympus), you'll be getting a great
camera.

B A H
Click to expand...
I really enjoyed your galleries. Very nice work.
--C-2100, C-700Thanks for letting me hang around and ride the ponies.
 
As a 3020 owner, I'll throw in my $0.02. The 3040 has a larger bufffer, a faster lens, sound, a flash attachment, and an infrared port. That translates to more pictures in a quick sequence, better low light, sound, more flash options, and the ability to trip the camera from a remote location.

The 3020 has a much lower price tag (

In short, the 3020 is (IMHO) more of an "advanced beginner's" camera; it can be used by a complete novice, and it can grow.

The 3040 is much the same, although it's able to grow farther; It's a bit more advanced, and has more expandability.

On the other hand, I threw the money I saved by going with the 3020 into a tripod, batteries, adapter tube, close up lens, polarizer, etc. :)

--John--C3020z; http://www.pbase.com/grat
 
The 3040 is a more full-featured camera with a faster lens, 1.8. One major consideration for me would be having a flash cable input. The 3040 has one, the other doesn't. If you never want to use an external flash, I guess the 3020 is OK. It doesn't have a remote, I don't think you can hook it up to the TV to see your photos, which I don't happen to do. The flash input and the lens are the biggies in my opinion. -- http://www.pbase.com/julivalley/galleries21oo , B-3oo3o4oJuli
 
Hi Danny,

Glad some more experience people (who actually have used the 3020/3040) are giving you some advice.

I don't have any pictures of myself yet, but your request for pictures did prompt me to add to my meager pbase account. I've added 3 categories: kitties (the closet I could come to kid pictures), Madrid (all low light photos taken at ISO 400 without flash), and Ronda landscapes. I'm definitely not posting these for their artistic value, more to give you an idea what the camera can do in my inexperienced hands. I don't have any close ups yet; I'm working on it!

The link is (I think, I'm really just learning how to do this!): http://www.pbase.com/l1/root

Have fun buying and trying your camera!

Laura
 
Thanks HG. I appreciate it. : )

B A H
HG said:
B A H said:
Hi Daniel,

I own a C3000Z, and love it. I'd say that if you're not planning on
getting prints much, a 4mp camera is overkill, and maybe even 3mps.
With that in mind, a camera like a C700 might be a good choice for
you. It's really small (The C2100 is twice the weight of the C3040)
and less bulky. The C2100 is a great camera as well. If you're not
that interested in zoom, you might even be able to find a C2040
which is 2mps with 3X. Regardless, they all take great shots. Some
people say 10X zoom is overkill, some say 3mp and up is overkill.
It's all about what kind of pictures you'll be taking, and what you
want to do with them.

As for shooting bugs up close, you can get great shots with the
3040 or 3020 with a cheap macro lens.

Take a look at my gallery to give you some idea what you can
capture. They're not the best pics I've seen, but you'll get an
idea of what you can get. Look at the insects gallery, the plants
and flowers gallery, and the people gallery. Those were the
subjects you said you were most interested in.

http://www.pbase.com/gdguide

Again, regardless of what camera you buy (within the ones you've
mentioned and heard about from Olympus), you'll be getting a great
camera.

B A H
Click to expand...
I really enjoyed your galleries. Very nice work.

--
C-2100, C-700

Thanks for letting me hang around and ride the ponies.
Click to expand...
-- http://www.pbase.com/gdguidehttp://adigitaldreamer.com
 
I agree with most of the comments already made about the attributes of the various Olympus camera. I happen to have a C3020 and Juli mentioned most of the differences between it and the C3040.

Please remember, you get what you pay for and the reason the 3020 costs less is because it simply does not offer all of the things mentioned that are on the 3040. For many of us the C3020 is a great performing camera.

Look at my gallery (address below) and you can see some of the things I have done with it. I particularly enjoy the close up shots of flowers.
Good luck on your decision.

Martin-- http://www.pbase.com/mrd pbase supporterC-3020 Tiffen MegaPlus 2X
 
Hi, B A H.
Thanks a lot for your responce and the great work on your site.
It's realy breathtaking. Good job you did overthere!
Are all the photos were taken with the Olympus c-2100?
Tell me - if I'm not planning to print a lot of photos but just store
it on the computer, the c-2100 should be a great choice.
Even better then the c-3020 and the c-3040. Yes?
I will appreciate your oppinion.
Thanks, Daniel.
B A H said:
I own a C3000Z, and love it. I'd say that if you're not planning on
getting prints much, a 4mp camera is overkill, and maybe even 3mps.
With that in mind, a camera like a C700 might be a good choice for
you. It's really small (The C2100 is twice the weight of the C3040)
and less bulky. The C2100 is a great camera as well. If you're not
that interested in zoom, you might even be able to find a C2040
which is 2mps with 3X. Regardless, they all take great shots. Some
people say 10X zoom is overkill, some say 3mp and up is overkill.
It's all about what kind of pictures you'll be taking, and what you
want to do with them.

As for shooting bugs up close, you can get great shots with the
3040 or 3020 with a cheap macro lens.

Take a look at my gallery to give you some idea what you can
capture. They're not the best pics I've seen, but you'll get an
idea of what you can get. Look at the insects gallery, the plants
and flowers gallery, and the people gallery. Those were the
subjects you said you were most interested in.

http://www.pbase.com/gdguide

Again, regardless of what camera you buy (within the ones you've
mentioned and heard about from Olympus), you'll be getting a great
camera.

B A H
Danny Showlove said:
Hi, everyone.
I will appreciate any experts help you can provide.
My name is Daniel, and I finally want to fulfill a small dream of
mine and
buy a digital camera. I studied the market and after long hours of
surfing
the net, I was left with 2 beautiful choiches:
Olympus c-3020z and Olympus c-3040z. My biggest problem is to
choose between those two. I know that both the cameras are
3.3 megapixel and the main diferrences is that the c-3040 has a lens
of up to 106 mm while the c-3020 is up to 96 mm. Also, the c-3040
records video with sound while the c-3020 records without.
My question is to the experts:
1. How significant are those differences I mentioned in choosing my
camera?
2. Image quality - Which camera produces the greatest image quality -
c-3020 or c-3040?
3. I read that Olympus c-3030 has been discontinued. How is this
camera
in comparison with the c-3020 and the c-3040? Is it worth looking for
the c-3030 (new or used)?
I will appreciate your help. My parents will leave soon the the US
for a
month and I have to know what to choose in 1.5 weeks from now.
Thank you all very much.

Daniel Showlove
Technical Support Engineer
BOL
([email protected])
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/gdguide
http://adigitaldreamer.com
Click to expand...
 
Hi Daniel. I actually used a C3000Z for all shots, which is the older brother to the 3020. In terms of image quality, there is very little difference. The only place where the C2100 drops off in image quality a bit is for some full 10X zoom shots where there is a bright background. Then there can be some discoloration around edges (purples and greens pop up a bit more), but the C3020 or C3000 can't even get this great zoom range. The C3020 has this problem a bit as well, although it's not really a big issue.

If you're doing mostly screen work, then 2mp should be just fine for what you're doing. I'm more into prints and that kind of thing, so I prefer 3mps. So which 2mp Olympus camera is best? If you want great zoom in a small package, get the C700.

If you want great zoom in a bigger package but can take sharper pictures in lower light shots, the UZI C2100 is great. Many swear by their 2100s, and I think it's pretty well founded. If you get a C2100 as well, there are so many users on this forum that have one, that you'll instantly have a huge tech support forum where many users can help you.

If you want to print more of your photos, it might be best to think of getting a C3040, 3020, or a 4040. For me, I'll stick to my C3000Z until I drop it in the ocean or have it run over by a car. I love it. Can it be improved? Well sure it can. Does it do the trick for me though? Yes. Do I personally need 10X? Mostly not. Some times I'd love it, but for the most part I haven't needed it.

B A H
Danny Showlove said:
B A H said:
I own a C3000Z, and love it. I'd say that if you're not planning on
getting prints much, a 4mp camera is overkill, and maybe even 3mps.
With that in mind, a camera like a C700 might be a good choice for
you. It's really small (The C2100 is twice the weight of the C3040)
and less bulky. The C2100 is a great camera as well. If you're not
that interested in zoom, you might even be able to find a C2040
which is 2mps with 3X. Regardless, they all take great shots. Some
people say 10X zoom is overkill, some say 3mp and up is overkill.
It's all about what kind of pictures you'll be taking, and what you
want to do with them.

As for shooting bugs up close, you can get great shots with the
3040 or 3020 with a cheap macro lens.

Take a look at my gallery to give you some idea what you can
capture. They're not the best pics I've seen, but you'll get an
idea of what you can get. Look at the insects gallery, the plants
and flowers gallery, and the people gallery. Those were the
subjects you said you were most interested in.

http://www.pbase.com/gdguide

Again, regardless of what camera you buy (within the ones you've
mentioned and heard about from Olympus), you'll be getting a great
camera.

B A H
Danny Showlove said:
Hi, everyone.
I will appreciate any experts help you can provide.
My name is Daniel, and I finally want to fulfill a small dream of
mine and
buy a digital camera. I studied the market and after long hours of
surfing
the net, I was left with 2 beautiful choiches:
Olympus c-3020z and Olympus c-3040z. My biggest problem is to
choose between those two. I know that both the cameras are
3.3 megapixel and the main diferrences is that the c-3040 has a lens
of up to 106 mm while the c-3020 is up to 96 mm. Also, the c-3040
records video with sound while the c-3020 records without.
My question is to the experts:
1. How significant are those differences I mentioned in choosing my
camera?
2. Image quality - Which camera produces the greatest image quality -
c-3020 or c-3040?
3. I read that Olympus c-3030 has been discontinued. How is this
camera
in comparison with the c-3020 and the c-3040? Is it worth looking for
the c-3030 (new or used)?
I will appreciate your help. My parents will leave soon the the US
for a
month and I have to know what to choose in 1.5 weeks from now.
Thank you all very much.

Daniel Showlove
Technical Support Engineer
BOL
([email protected])
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/gdguide
http://adigitaldreamer.com
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
-- http://www.pbase.com/gdguidehttp://adigitaldreamer.com
 
The 2100 is a great camera, I have one. I also have a 3030. The prints made at 8x10 with both cameras look pretty close, not a big difference at all. I use my 2100 now and the 3030 has been sitting pretty much. I will go in little spurts and use the 3030 occasionally, but 99% of the time I am happy with my 2100. If you are getting a new camera, I would go for the 2100. The 10x zoom will let you get shots that you cannot get with the 3x zoom. The IS and EVF also add to the functionality of this camera. If I HAD to give up either my 3030 or 2100, I would keep the 2100.
Danny Showlove said:
B A H said:
I own a C3000Z, and love it. I'd say that if you're not planning on
getting prints much, a 4mp camera is overkill, and maybe even 3mps.
With that in mind, a camera like a C700 might be a good choice for
you. It's really small (The C2100 is twice the weight of the C3040)
and less bulky. The C2100 is a great camera as well. If you're not
that interested in zoom, you might even be able to find a C2040
which is 2mps with 3X. Regardless, they all take great shots. Some
people say 10X zoom is overkill, some say 3mp and up is overkill.
It's all about what kind of pictures you'll be taking, and what you
want to do with them.

As for shooting bugs up close, you can get great shots with the
3040 or 3020 with a cheap macro lens.

Take a look at my gallery to give you some idea what you can
capture. They're not the best pics I've seen, but you'll get an
idea of what you can get. Look at the insects gallery, the plants
and flowers gallery, and the people gallery. Those were the
subjects you said you were most interested in.

http://www.pbase.com/gdguide

Again, regardless of what camera you buy (within the ones you've
mentioned and heard about from Olympus), you'll be getting a great
camera.

B A H
Danny Showlove said:
Hi, everyone.
I will appreciate any experts help you can provide.
My name is Daniel, and I finally want to fulfill a small dream of
mine and
buy a digital camera. I studied the market and after long hours of
surfing
the net, I was left with 2 beautiful choiches:
Olympus c-3020z and Olympus c-3040z. My biggest problem is to
choose between those two. I know that both the cameras are
3.3 megapixel and the main diferrences is that the c-3040 has a lens
of up to 106 mm while the c-3020 is up to 96 mm. Also, the c-3040
records video with sound while the c-3020 records without.
My question is to the experts:
1. How significant are those differences I mentioned in choosing my
camera?
2. Image quality - Which camera produces the greatest image quality -
c-3020 or c-3040?
3. I read that Olympus c-3030 has been discontinued. How is this
camera
in comparison with the c-3020 and the c-3040? Is it worth looking for
the c-3030 (new or used)?
I will appreciate your help. My parents will leave soon the the US
for a
month and I have to know what to choose in 1.5 weeks from now.
Thank you all very much.

Daniel Showlove
Technical Support Engineer
BOL
([email protected])
Click to expand...
--
http://www.pbase.com/gdguide
http://adigitaldreamer.com
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
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