Olympus D-490 2.1MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

After much research & returning a Canon model (too confusing to use) I decided on this one based on a review in PC magazine! This is a great camera, easy to use & download pictures. Flipping thru modes is a breeze, not complicated at all. I enjoy action photography and this freezes people in motion. This camera literally froze snow flakes in the air! I have a Canon 35MM that takes 5 frames per second and it has never caught snow flakes in mid air! The D-490 is great on batteries, even tho I use the display all the time. Very efficient. I've used this camera quite a bit in the past month and have yet to replace the two batteries (Olympus Camedia CR-V3). Even tho is is not USB, I had no trouble downloading the pictures to my computer with the D-SUB 9 pin connector. I'd read that it can take forever if you don't have the USB interface, but with a pentium II, 500mhz, 32ram... I had no problem getting my pictures loaded in about a minute or two. I'm still getting the USB card reader, since is supposed to load faster! The print quality with the software that came with the camera is incredible. This camera will never compete with $1,000. 35MM setup for resolution, but for what I use it for, it is a five star value at Amazon's price! This camera will pay for itself in about 6 months with the savings on film and developing! My next purchase is the printer that Olympus makes for digital cameras. I had fun with the quicktime movie mode, even without sound, it's a fun extra. The LCD display is easy to read, altho on a sharp angle, is harder to see. Great for taking those candid shots... no one realizes you are using the camera!The only negative thing I can say about it is the way it turns on & off. You have to be careful how you close the cover, because if it hits the extended lens, it won't close altho you can hear the motor trying to. Cannot be too good for the motor.

This is my first digital camera and I am very very happy with it. Having the 3X optical zoom was a major factor in buying it, as most of the 2 MP competitors have lower optical zoom and rely more on the digital zoom. (The digital zoom works well too but my understanding is that you don't gain any resolution on your subject, only size.) Comparing to the other similar cameras, in retrospect it looks like Fuji and HP offer cameras with similar features at lower cost; but I cannot tell you whether they provide worse pictures or not. This one (490Z) has many good flash, exposure and focus modes as well as an easy point and shoot default. The QuickTime movie capability attracted me but in reality I have no use for it. I suppose it would be good if you have a web site and want to put 10-second QuickTime movies of your cat up on it or something. The camera is also a little bigger than I would prefer- it doesn't fit into my shirt pocket for example- I believe Fuji's comparable is smaller. Again, I cannot vouch for Fuji's or HP's quality- Olympus might be worth the extra cost, I don't know. Also, be aware that this camera does not include an AC adapter or a recharger or a USB reader....though they have a free USB reader offer by mail at the moment (January 2001).

I bought the D-490 in December 2000 and am very impressed with the camera so far. I'm always amazed at the clearity and sharpness of the photos I take. When I print them out, they look like regular 35mm photos, as long as I don't blow them up too big. This is my first digital camera, and I love being able to email photos so easily to friends and family. They have told me how remarkably clear the photos I send them are. In fact, one friend was so impressed, he bought a D-490 too. Batteries last a long time in this camera which is nice, some cameras can really eat up the batteries, but this one suprises me. I must take like a hundred photos in between battery changes. The only down side to this camera is that sometimes the photos are a little dark, but this is easily remedied with some photo enhancing software. I may be able to change the exposure setting on the camera to lighten it up a bit, but haven't played with that yet. The downloading hardware that comes with the camera is way to slow, so just go buy a USB reader and you'll be set.

I am truly enjoying my first digital camera, the Olympus D490-Zoom. What a great little camera! I was able to take photos right out of the box without spending a lot of time reading the manual. The pictures are fantastic! I haven't experienced the massive battery drain reported in other reviews but maybe I haven't used it long enough. I use the HQ setting the most and they turn out fabulous, even printing in 8x10.The downside(s): It takes FOREVER to download the photos to the computer using the serial interface. I am anxiously waiting for my USB reader. Also, the sliding lens cover is a little tricky-if you close it too far it can hang up the lens when it's trying to retract, which can't be good for the motor. Also, the lens cover is a little "sticky" to slide, not as smooth as you'd want. The lift-up flash (not automatic) is a little inconvenient, but I'm used to it now and it's not a real problem. I mostly take pictures of my pets, so red-eye (actually, green-eye) is always present with the flash and has to be edited out. There is a red-eye reduction feature, but the dogs won't cooperate! It works well with people, however.On my printer, DeskJet 720C, I have to use the highest quality print feature so the photos don't come out fuzzy. But at the right setting they are perfect.Just be sure to get the USB reader. I was 35 years old when I bought this camera just before Christmas 2000 and have since turned 50 waiting for the pictures to download.All the downsides aside, I definitely recommend this camera.