With some updating in terms of the
colours used in the menus, the interface Olympus has devised
for the C-7000 is broadly similar to those of its other digital
cameras. The camera settings are superimposed on the monitor's
image, and are readily understandable. For the menus, most options
are identified with text, and only a handful have an descriptive
icon.
The menu itself is accessed through a Shortcut screen, and
by selecting 'Mode Menu', one of the four choices it presents. While this
system is clearly a time-saver when any of the three other shortcuts are
required, just as often the desired setting is buried within one of the
menu's pages, and the net effect of the shortcut screen is to add an extra
step.
The Setup menu is even more remote as it is accessed via the fourth
tab and can only be reached by moving down the list. The Setup menu contains
basic settings for the C-7000 and the way it operates. It also contains
one option to reconfigure two of the shortcut screen's choices to something
else:
All Reset: On or Off. Controls whether or not the camera resets
to its defaults when powered off.
Language: selects the interface language (English, French,
Spanish, Portuguese).
Power On Setup: to decide if an image is displayed
and a sound played when the camera is powered up.
Power Off Setup: to decide if an image is displayed
and a sound played when the camera is turned off.
Rec View: On or Off. Decides if the image is displayed
immediately after capture.
Screen Setup (Playback only): to select an image
to use for power on and power off.
Volume: serves to adjust the sound volume in 5 increments
or Off.
Beep: sets the volume for the cameras' beeps (High,
Low, or Off).
Shutter Sound: to select either of two sounds for
the shutter and the volume (High, Low, or Off).
My Mode Setup: allows saving sets of camera settings
to any of 4 memory positions so they can be recalled when
the Mode dial is turned to .
File Name: Reset or Auto. Decides how image files
are named.
Pixel Mapping: allows the camera to check and adjust
the CCD and image processing functions. This function should
be used once a year or so.
Screen Brightness: to adjust the brightness of the
LCD monitor.
Date and Time: set the time and date on the camera
and select the way they are displayed.
Measurement Unit: selects meters or feet as the
measurement unit when manually focusing the lens.
Video Out: determines whether the camera produces
an NTSC or PAL signal.
AF Illuminator: On or Off. Decides whether or not
the AF assistance light comes on automatically when the ambient
light is too low for the focus to operate without it.
Short Cut: allows changing 2 of the recording mode
shortcuts that are presented on the screen when the Menu/OK
button is pressed. (Mode Menu and Monitor Off/On cannot
be changed.)
Custom Button: allows reprogramming the button
so that it will have a different function in the capture
mode.
Index display: decides how many thumbnails are shown
per screen when the zoom button is pushed towards in
Playback (4, 9 or 16).
Slideshow Setup: determines the way one image replaces
another during a slideshow: Normal, Slide, Fader, or Zoom.
The camera is retailed with a thin printed manual, and a more
extensive PDF manual on a CD. The PDF manual is well-designed
and interlinked so that page numbers identified in the index
or other summary sections are linked properly to the relevant
sections.
Software
The Olympus C-7000 is supplied
with 2 CDs: one containing the Manual mentioned above; the
other provides the Olympus Master version 1.0 with versions
for both Windows and Macintosh, and ImageMixer VCD DVD2 for
Olympus 2.0. The enclosed version of Olympus Master is a "light" version,
and the full version of the software can be purchased from
Olympus via their web site for $19.99 US.
Olympus Master starts by opening a window from which
tasks can be selected, such as browsing images, or printing,
or printing online.
Olympus Master offers multiple
functions. The program can be used to create image archives,
either on a hard disk or by burning them onto a CD-R; print images
at home, including the creation of album pages, calendars and
post cards; assemble series of photos into panoramas; post them
to a web site; or even prepare them for e-mailing.
The image browser portion of Olympus
Master presents images as thumbnails on the right side of the
screen with the folders on the left, making it simple to visualize
images from one folder or another. Moreover, the size of the
thumbnails can be modified and the properties of images can be
shown, including a histogram for any selected image.
Olympus Master also serves to
read RAW images. Images can be edited for contrast, brightness,
exposure compensation, sharpness, white balance, and saturation.
Edited photos can then be saved as JPEG or TIFF, with or without
the inclusion of the EXIF data, which records the date and time
at which the image was captured in addition to the camera settings.
As noted above, the installation
of Olympus Master also installs ImageMixer VCD DVD2, a
program that serves to create and burn CDs and DVDs. However,
users are in for a surprise when they try to launch the program
from the icon it places on their desktop: the program only works
if the full version of Olympus Master is purchased...
Compare Prices for Olympus Camedia C-7000 Battery (Hi-Capacity Battery)
Interface & Software
.
button
so that it will have a different function in the capture
mode.
in
Playback (4, 9 or 16).
