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Still a very fun and capable camera

Started Nov 2, 2014 | User reviews thread
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(unknown member) Forum Pro • Posts: 15,724
Still a very fun and capable camera
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So for day one with the C7070, I'm impressed. I really really like the size of the camera, its medium sized, large enough to give great comfort on the hand but small enough to easily carry all day and fit into a jacket pocket.

Fit and finish are fantastic, start up is pretty quick for a 10 year old digicam actually, no complaints at all really.

The sensor is definitely good enough to offer ISO up to 1600, 800 would have been *fair*, ISO 400 is way too safe. The same sensor that was in the Sony V3, which I find to be very good for photography even by today's standards, is showing even better noise control than what Sony did with the V3 (and Canon did with the G6) in the raw files. Pretty impressive.

Soon as I picked it up I smiled, I knew it would be a fun older camera to use and a full day of shooting has confirmed this (since I review so many cameras, I know a camera I'll like almost immediately upon using it). It is very comfortable and spacious enough to afford a plethora of well placed controls that work very well. Nice.

The menu is a lot less confusing than the menu system Oly uses today. I'd like to see Oly bring back the Camedia line, a new C camera would be great with today's optical technology and sensor tech working for it. A camera the size of the C7070 could afford a much better optical finder (or top notch evf), and wider range lens (say 24-135mm f/1.8-2.8 for example).

Why do this? Well because the form factor is very much rangefinderesque, and I find it to be a very pleasing design externally. Designed to be practical first. There are some brilliant design decisions going into this camera from its day and its quite lovely to use even next to my very top notch cameras. That says something!

It has this special quality that some of the cameras came with released during the 2003-2005 era that is hard to convey in words. It's charming, extremely comfortable to hold and operate, functional, and well designed. It's IQ is definitely print worthy and the Jpegs come out fantastic out of camera with lots of user control (a real NR off for example!). Raw files look really good for a 2005 tech camera. Optically, the lens is very good, with barrel distortion being the only real standout of its weaknesses at wide angle, yet most wide angle lenses exhibit this so its far from a deal breaker.

The battery is huge and affords really good battery life I'm sure. I love the metal housing around the lens and that the lens has filter threads for filters or axillary lenses. The optical finder is functional and at least has a center AF bracket guide (most compacts these days that still have optical finders do not have anything to show you the AF point or any other information...).

There are plenty of customizable features to get the camera set up how you wish, and plenty of enthusiast features in the camera too (wireless remote, bulb mode, raw/Jpeg recording, customizable buttons, etc...). I recommend using a CF card unless you have a spare XD card lying around, if you do the camera has a panorama feature that will work with that kind of card too.

If you harken for an older camera (got a retro bug much?) grab up the C-7070, it won't disappoint. The sensor is better than the C-8080's, and it's a more compact camera to boot. Not saying it's a better camera than the C8080, but its got it's own set of charm going for it that makes it an equally interesting camera, and one you can still make excellent looking 13x19" prints with.

Carl

http://www.photographic-central.blogspot.com (Gear reviews)
http://www.carlgarrard.blogspot.com/ (Best work compilation)
Also formerly AlphaMountWorld.com (Now off the web)

Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom
7 megapixels • 1.8 screen • 27 – 110 mm (4.1×)
Announced: Jan 5, 2005
cgarrard's score
4.5
Average community score
4.6
bad for good for
Kids / pets
okay
Action / sports
acceptable
Landscapes / scenery
good
Portraits
good
Low light (without flash)
acceptable
Flash photography (social)
good
Studio / still life
great
= community average
Nikon 1 V3 Olympus C-7070 Wide Zoom Panasonic Lumix DMC-G6
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