The C-700's 10X zoom
lens, once deployed, changes its focal length internally, keeping all
the optical movements inside. With the lens extended, the length of the
lens barrel increases by 2.3 cm (7/8
inch).
A 1/2.7 inch CCD is used to capture images at a maximum size of 1600
x 1200 pixels. Rated at 100 ISO,
the sensitivity of the sensor can be pushed up to 800 ISO, or be left
on Auto.
The 10X zoom lens, 5.9 to 59mm is composed of 10 elements in 7 groups,
and is the equivalent
of a 38mm~380mm in 35mm. A 2.7 X digital zoom can be turned on, augmenting
the lens' power to the equivalent of a 1000mm lens, but this at the expense
of the picture quality. Optically, the lens has a starting aperture of
f2.8
at its widest angle, and f3.5
at the 59mm position. Its transit from one extreme to the other takes
approximately 3 seconds.
The C-700 can be
manually focused by pressing the OK button (in the middle of
the Jog dial) for more than a second, and then selecting MF on
the LCD screen or in the viewfinder with the Jog Dial's right arrow.
Focusing is then done using the up/down arrow of the Jog Dial while
referring to a distance scale on the right of the screen. Even though
the C-700UZ automatically magnifies the central portion of the frame
to help focusing, with the electronic viewfinder, ascertaining sharpness
remains difficult.
For still images, 4 sizes are available, selectable from what has evolved
into a somewhat confusing system of uncompressed and compressed formats:
1600
x 1200 (TIFF, JPEG SHQ, or JPEG HQ)
1280
x 960 (TIFF, or
JPEG SQ)
1024
x 768 (TIFF, or
JPEG SQ)
640
x 480 (TIFF, or
JPEG SQ)
All image sizes
can be recorded in either a standard TIFF
format (no compression), or in JPEG.
At the highest resolution, the least compressed quality is SHQ, followed
by HQ, while the greatest compression is applied using the SQ image quality.
More complex
measurements can be made using the spot meter and the Multi-Metering
function, once this option has been enabled in the menu. Multi-Metering
allows the storage of exposure information for up to 8 selected points
of the subject about to be photographed. Each reading is taken by pressing
the AEL (Auto Exposure Lock) button, and are then combined as an average
to determine the exposure settings. While time-consuming, in some cases
the system is quite valuable.
By pressing the Drive button, the C-700 is able to record burst
of photos (Sequential
Shooting), at a frame
rate of 1.2 frames per second when the camera is set to focus only at
the first frame. An Autofocus Sequential mode is also available, but the
frame rate is reduced by the fact that the camera refocuses each shot.
In the Sequential mode the C-700 can capture approximately 3 frames before
stopping as its buffer memory gets full. It then stores the photos in
the memory card.
The same Drive button used for sequential shooting also offers
an Auto Bracketing
function. Bracketing can be done over 3 or 5 frames and
a range of ±1EV in 0.3EV increments. White Balance and focus are
locked at the first frame.
The Mode Dial of the C-700UZ offers 9 Program modes and a Playback position:
Auto
Mode: is for fully automatic simple shots. Some features are
not available and the only flash mode is Auto Flash.
Landscape
Mode: Uses the smallest possible aperture to ensure both foreground
and background are in focus.
Sports
Mode: is for capturing fast-moving action (such as a sports
scene or moving vehicles) without blurring. The camera automatically
selects the widest aperture and fastest shutter speed.
Portrait
Mode: is to capture an in-focus subject against a blurred background.
This mode favours a larger aperture.
Program
Mode: automatically sets the aperture and shutter speed. Other
functions, such as flash modes and sequential modes, can be adjusted
manually.
A/S/M
Mode:A (aperture priority) allows setting the aperture
while the camera sets the shutter speed. An aperture range of f2.8
to f8 is available.
S (shutter priority) allows setting the shutter speed while
the camera sets the aperture. A shutter speed range from 1/2 sec.
to 1/1000 sec is possible.
M (manual exposure) allows setting both the aperture and
shutter speed. This mode allows the use of an extended shutter speed
range: 16 seconds to 1/1000 sec.
Movie
Mode: provides two frame sizes, both at 15 frames per second:
(HQ) 320 x 240 and (SQ) 160 x 120. Using
an 8MB memory card, approximately 15 seconds can be recorded in
HQ mode with sound, and 16 seconds without sound. While in SQ format,
approximately 70 seconds can be recorded without sound and 62 seconds
with sound. The optical zoom remains functional if the sound is
turned off, and the digital zoom can be used if the sound is turned
on. Focusing and exposure are maintained continuously.
Playback:
for both still and movies.
The
menu offers a shortcut system to by-pass the tedious process of having
to go through all the options to find the one required. The system presents
itself as can be seen at left, and allows an immediate access to user-selected
sections of the menu. Of the four items visible at left, 3 can be selected
by the user to provide a quick access to frequently used sections, and
only the Mode Menu is fixed. Items that can be selected as shortcuts include:
ISO; Digital Zoom; White Balance; A/S/M modes; Full time AF; Sharpness;
Slow Synchro; Panorama Mode; Contrast; Auto Bracketing; Multi-Metering,
Sound Recording, Exposure Compensation; White Balance Compensation; and
of course, Resolution.
The
shortcut system is quite valuable in the case of the C-700UZ as the camera
offers a mind-numbing number of functions and options — just about
every aspect of the camera can be controlled in one way or another. Starting
with the Camera section, the menu provides the following options:
ISO
Setting:
Auto, or 100, 200, 400, 800 ISO;
A/S/M
dial position preselection: can be set to any one of the 3 modes;
Flash
Exposure compensation: (±2EV);
Slow
Synchro Flash: (1st or 2nd curtain);
Exposure
Bracketing: (as mentioned above);
Multi-metering:
On/Off (requires Spot metering);
Digital
Zoom: On/Off;
Full
time AF: On/Off;
Sound:
On/Off (can be added as an annotation to a still image, or turned
when in Movie mode;
Panorama:
only accessible when an Olympus Brand SmartMedia card is used and
in Program mode;
Function:
for creating special images such as Black and White, Sepia, White
Board (white/black), Black Board (black/white).
The second
main section of the menu, Picture, controls specific recording
conditions:
Resolution:
(as mentioned above);
White
Balance: Auto, User Selected; Pre-sets (Sun, Cloud, Incandescent
and Fluorescent);
White
Balance Compensation: can be increased towards red or blue;
Sharpness:
Hard, Normal, Soft;
Contrast:
High, Low, Normal.
A
page of the menu, Card (not shown here), is dedicated to a single
function: formatting
the SmartMedia card.
The last section of the menu is Setup, another section that also
contains a fair number of settings affecting the camera's defaults:
All
Reset: a bit confusing, this function controls what settings will
be retained after the camera is turned off. By default the camera
returns to a medium (HQ) image quality unless this option is set to
off purposefully;
Info:
On/Off, decides whether or not the shooting data will be displayed
as an overlay in Playback;
Beeps:
Camera beeps, On or Off;
Rec
View: On/Off, shows a just captured image for a few seconds post
capture;
Sleep:
Sets the delay time before the camera automatically turns off (up
to 10 minutes);
File
Name: Auto or Reset;
LCD
Brightness: Increase or decrease;
Time/Date:
Sets the internal clock;
Measurement
Unit: metres or feet;
Battery
Save: On/Off, reduces power consumption;
Short
Cut settings: (as mentioned above);
Custom
Button: assigns a user selected function to the AEL button.
The
Camedia C-700UZ is sold with an 8MB SmartMedia card housed behind a hinged,
hard plastic door on the right of the camera. Equipped with the 8MB card,
the C-700 offers a fairly limited recording capacity. In TIFF format,
the uncompressed mode, the C-700 will capture 1 photo at 1600 x 1200;
2 photos at 1280 x 960; 3 photos at 1024 x 768; and 8 images at 640 x
480. Using JPEG compression, the camera will record 7 photos at its highest
resolution and least compression (SHQ) and 16 at the strongest (HQ). If
the image size is reduced to the smallest resolution, 640 x 480, then
the 8MB card will store between 33 and 82 images depending on the compression
applied. Since the C-700 is compatible with all the current 3.3V SmartMedia
cards, including 128MB, a card with greater capacity should be considered
a necessity.
All
the connections of the C-700, with the exception of the external flash
jack, are behind a door on the left side of the camera. At the top is
a DC connection for an adapter that provides 6.5 Volts with a positive
centre pin.
Below is an Audio/Video out jack, (mono) to connect the C-700UZ to a television.
The signal, NTSC or PAL, is dependent on the point of purchase of the
camera, NTSC in North America and Japan, PAL for Europe.
Last
is a USB connection to transfer images to a computer. The C-700UZ is equipped
with Auto-Connect USB, meaning that a Windows 2000, Windows ME, or Mac
OS 9.0~9.1 user simply plugs the camera into the USB port of the computer
and it is instantly recognized. The memory card of the camera shows up
as a removable hard disk and is easily accessed. Everything is automatic
and, best of all, it works!
