Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I recently damaged my Nikon S6 digital camera while on vacation and wanted to have another to continue taking easy spontaneous shots for the remainder of my vacation. I looked at several Olympus models along with a Casio, Lumix, and a new Sony with stereo recording capability. All were in the 8-12 MP range and small compact size. I spent a couple of hours trying different features, focusing, still or moving conditions, and lighting and decided on the new FE-5010.
I charged the battery and "briefly" scanned the operational manual. I personally want to have a camera that is easy to navigate without having to constantly review the manual and the FE-5010 was exactly that... easy!
I have taken over two hundred photos with it during my remaining three days of vacation. Outdoors, indoors, with and without flash, a video of approximately (5) minutes in length, and almost all of the photo modes, (i.e. PHOTO, iA, SCN in several conditions, PORTRAIT,and SMILE).
In my experimentation of the different modes when I had the chance I took a couple of the same picture in a different mode so I could evaluate which were best for most of my shooting. I found the most valuable settings for me were "P", "iA", "SCN-Sport" "SCN-Landscape", and "SCN-INDOORS" with "P" being the most predominant. This was determined by me because most of the shots I had been taking in "iA" mode were automatically being set to "P". I assumed that if the "iA" mode thought that was best for most pictures it would be the best general setting for me as well and when in "iA" mode some feature changes I might want to make were not available to me but in "P" mode I could change the flash or other settings at will, that clinched it.
I often used zoom as well as a few at Super zoom (digital). I found that zoom in SCN-Sport was best for long shots of people because of the clarity when zooming for a closer view AFTER the shot was taken... it was excellent! The Super Zoom photos were as expected, (less than perfect) but if you didn't have to crop the original it was good enough to clearly see what the intended subject was.
The SCN-Sunset mode also took excellent shots with varying reflections from the ocean along with capturing the clouds and hues of the sky.
Three downsides were there was no histogram, which I have used with other cameras and liked, no "burst" mode which I have also liked on other cameras, and the reading time to send the photo to the XD media card. In bright light the shot-to-shot was very acceptable but in limited or low light it took the picture quickly but slow to send to memory thus had to wait before taking the next shot.
With no flash this camera was way ahead of my Nikon S6... simply excellent!
As noted by the purchase, none of these were a deal breaker because the other cameras I evaluated had many more deficiencies in one way or another.
The bottom line for me is when coupling the multitude of features, the clarity of the photos, the ease of use, and the price under $200.00, I had no hesitancy in recommending this model to a couple of friends looking to purchase a compact digital. My advise to anyone interested in purchasing a new compact is that they should compare any other they are reviewing to this one before making a decision.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus FE-5010 12MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7-inch LCD (Black)
Get superior image quality with a high-resolution 12-megapixel CCD. Make poster-size prints or even crop without sacrificing detail. With 60% more magnification than 3xyou can get closer to the action with this ultra-compact precision-crafted Olympus lens. The 2.7" High-Resolution LCD lets you easily shoot and share your images with friends and family. In addition to xD-Picture Card compatibility the FE-5010 comes with an adapter for a microSD memory card an emerging electronic storage media for mobile phones PDAs and HDTVs. Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization combined with High ISO sensitivity and fast shutter speeds lets you capture crisp clear images even if the subject is moving. Automatically identifies the scene you?re shooting and adjusts the settings to optimize results. Tracks up to 16 faces and automatically focuses and optimizes exposures for sharp brilliant portrait pictures. Detects a smile on your subject?s face and automatically fires off three consecutive shots to ensure you capture that perfect smile. Corrects shooting mistakes instantly by lightening shadows and removing red-eye right in the camera no computer or software necessary. Capture and share your fondest memories in full motion on the big screen or on the web using VGA Movie with Sound. Easily upload your VGA movies with sound to YouTube? and share them with the world using OLYMPUS Master? 2.0 Software. Always get the best shot with easy-to-use Shooting Modes. The preset scene modes optimize your camera's settings for sharp brilliant photos. Modes include Sunset Night Scene Beach and Snow Self Portrait and many more. High ISO lets you minimize blurry images caused by movement and capture clearer brighter images in low light. Learn as you go. The In-Camera Help Guides provide a brief description of camera settings and features conveniently displayed on the LCD at the push of a button. Developed for the professional Digital SLR the TruPic III Image Processor d
