The
C-740UZ has a 1/2.5 inch, 3.34 million pixel CCD, of which 3.2 million
are used to capture the image. The CCD's sensitivity starts at the equivalent
of 100 ISO, but
can be increased to 200 or 400 ISO. By default the sensitivity is set
to Auto (100 to 400 ISO) for all shooting modes with the exception of
the A/S/M modes where the default is 100 ISO.
The zoom lens of the C-740UZ is a 10X Olympus zoom lens with a focal length
of 6.3 to 63mm, equivalent
to a 38mm to 380mm on a 35mm film camera. The lens is composed
of 11 elements in 7 groups and is made of ED (Extra-low Dispersion)
glass to minimize chromatic aberrations and improve both colour and sharpness.
Starting at an aperture of f2.8
in wide angle and f3.7 at the maximum telephoto, the lens provides apertures
down to f8; while the shutter speeds cover from 16 seconds to 1/1000 sec.
A
3X digital
zoom can further increase the optical magnification of the lens for
a combined total of 30X, but the picture quality degrades quickly. The
digital zoom is by default set to the off position, thus, if desired,
this option must be activated in the camera menu.
The
image formats offered on the C-740UZ are similar to those available with
the earlier C-730UZ. Both JPEG
compressed formats and an uncompressed TIFF
format are offered, in addition to an interpolated
image size of 3200 x 2400 pixels offered only with JPEG images.
The image formats are organized into 5 groups:
Format
Resolutions
Compression
TIFF
2048
x 1536
2048 x 1360 [an image size proportional to prints.]
1600 x 1200
1280 x 960
1024 x 768
640 x 480
None
SHQ
2048
x 1536
2048 x 1360
3200 x 2400 [interpolated]
Low
HQ
2048
x 1536
2048 x 1360
3200 x 2400 [interpolated]
Normal
SQ1
1600
x 1200
1280 x 960
Low
or Normal
SQ2
1024
x 768
640 x 480
Low
or Normal
Beyond being equipped
with a host of resolutions and formats, the C-740UZ offers numerous additional
functions. With still images, the C-740UZ shooting modes cover a broad
range, encompassing complete Priority modes — shutter or aperture
priority — to a Manual mode, a Program mode, an Auto mode, and 6
scene modes. Similarly, a complete range of options are provided for many
aspects of the camera.
With metering, 3 modes are available:
Digital
ESP metering, a form of averaging,
and the default.
Spot
metering, which bases the exposure on a small centre point in the
frame, and which is selected by the centre button on the back of the
camera above the LCD monitor.
Multi-metering
which allows metering (using the spot meter) up to 8 different points
in the frame, and combining them to establish the exposure reading
specific to the situation. Multi-metering is available in all but
the manual shooting mode, and the reading can be memorized if desired.
Focus can also be controlled in a variety of ways. Autofocusing can be
set to use iESP, a system that detects the focus point from anywhere
in the screen automatically, or Spot, which selects the focus point
from an area with the AF target marks shown on the screen.
In addition, the Spot focus area can be selected from any of 9 points
on the screen through a menu option, and thereby set to a point other
than the centre. Moreover, autofocusing can be set to be either Continuous,
or Single. When set to Continuous the C-740UZ adjusts the focus
constantly, while when set to Single the camera only focuses when the
shutter release is pressed halfway.
Finally, the C-740UZ also offers a Manual Focus mode that is activated
by pressing, and holding, the OK button for more than 2 seconds.
The Manual focus mode displays a distance scale on the left edge of the
LCD monitor, from which the focus distance can be selected.
Photos can also be captured one at a time, or in a series:
Single
frame Shooting: the normal shooting mode for the C-740UZ.
Sequential
Shooting: 11 sequential frames at a maximum speed of approximately
1.4 frames/second in HQ mode. Focus, exposure and white balance
are set and locked with the first frame.
High
Speed Sequential Shooting: approximately 3 frames at a maximum
speed of approximately 2 frames per second. The speed varies according
to the resolution and compression setting.
AF
Sequential Shooting: focus is locked for each frame. The AF
sequential shooting speed is slower than normal sequential shooting.
Auto
Bracketing: exposure bracketing over 3 or 5 frames, depending
on the image size selected, and with a range of ±2EV in 0.3EV
increments. Focus and white balance are set and locked at the first
frame.
The C-740UZ can also record video clips without sound. Two frame sizes
are available: 320 x 240 and 160 x 120. Both frame sizes record movies
at 15 frames per second, and recording can last as long as there is space
on the memory card. When recording, the optical zoom remains useable,
and the camera adjusts both focus and exposure as the recording progresses.
Most of the advanced functions of the C-740UZ are selected in the menus.
As is the case with other Olympus cameras, pressing the Menu button first
displays a Shortcut screen.
The Shortcut screen is a direct access to those parts of the menu that
are most commonly required. As this may vary from user to user, 3 of the
shortcuts — except for the Mode Menu access — can be
configured to suit individual needs.
The default settings for the shortcut screen provide access to the Drive
Mode using the up arrow; Resolution and Compression settings with the
left arrow; the White Balance with the down arrow. The Mode Menu, the
C-740UZ's complete menu, is fixed.
The
Mode Menu of the C-740UZ consists of 4 sections: Camera,
Picture, Card, and Setup. An extensive menu is available
in all modes except the Auto mode, but some options can
show as greyed-out in some shooting modes if they are not applicable to
the mode. (The options contained in the Setup menu are covered
in the Interface and Software section of this review).
In the first section, Camera, the Mode menu provides settings for:
Drive:
is used to select any of the sequential shooting modes (see above).
ISO:
selects the sensitivity setting of the C-740UZ. Either 100, 200, 400
or Auto ISO.
A/S/M:
used to select Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority or Manual Mode.
The selected mode is then the current mode when the dial is set to
the A/S/M position.
My
Mode: to select and set any of 4 sets of shooting preferences
(present only in the menu when the Mode Dial is set to My Mode).
Flash
Compensation: allows adjusting the flash output by ±2EV
in 0.3EV increments.
Slow
(flash synchronization): 3 settings are available, Slow 1 (front
curtain), Slow 2 (rear curtain), Slow 1 with Red-eye reduction.
Noise
Reduction: On or Off. When set to On, after a long exposure the
C-740UZ captures a second exposure of the same length without opening
the shutter. The noise captured during the second exposure is used
to identify the noise in the first, and eliminate it.
Multi
Metering: On or Off. Used to meter up to 8 separate points of
a scene to be photographed.
Digital
Zoom:
On or Off. Controls the 3X digital zoom function.
Full
Time AF: On or Off. When On, the camera continuously focuses as
the subject changes.
AF
Mode: iESP, a wide area focus system, or Spot which uses the centre
of the frame exclusively.
Super
Macro Mode: allows the camera to come as close as 3 cm (1.36 inches)
to the subject. The mode sets the lens to a specific position, and
prevents zooming.
Panorama:
only accessible when an Olympus Brand xD card is used. The camera
displays guidelines on the screen to help overlap each succeeding
image, and ensure that a seamless panoramic image can be assembled
with software later.
2
in 1: Combines two pictures taken in succession and stores them
as a single picture, as a side-by-side montage.
Function:
provides options for recording images in Black and White, Sepia, or
as White Board (black letters on a white background) or Black Board
(white letters on black background).
AF
Area: allows changing the location of the Spot AF area.
Info:
adds additional overlaid information (Recording and Playback
modes) in the viewfinder, or on the LCD screen.
Histogram:
displays a histogram, also overlaid on the screen, showing the distribution
of brightness and contrast. Applicable to both Recording and
Playback modes.
The
second part of the Mode menu is called Picture. It provides settings
for:
Resolution:
to select the image size and quality. See the table above for a complete
list of the available options.
White
Balance: Auto, Presets which provide for Sun, Cloud, Incandescent,
Fluorescent 1 (daylight), Fluorescent 2 (warm), Fluorescent 3 (cool
white); and One-Touch which is used to set the white balance according
to the ambient light (see animation below).
White
Balance adjustment: allows fine tuning the white balance over
a range of ±7 increments, increasing colours towards red or
blue.
Sharpness:
to adjust image sharpness over ±5 increments.
Contrast:
increase or decrease contrast over ±5 increments.
Saturation:
to increase or decrease saturation over ±5 increments.
The third
section is entitled Card and deals with the memory card. In the
recording mode only 1 option is available:
Card
Setup: Format.
In
the Playback mode the Card section provides an additional
option:
Card
Setup: All Erase, or Format.
As mentioned above, the fourth part "Set" is
the Setup menu and its options are covered in the Interface and Software
section of this review.
When the C-740UZ is set to the Auto shooting mode, a limited menu
is available and is presented only as Shortcuts. Four options are offered:
Drive, Resolution and Compression,
Time and Datesetting and Card for formatting
the memory card.
The Playback mode also provides a Shortcut screen, but with this one the
shortcuts it provides cannot be reconfigured:
Slide
show: starts a slide show of the images on the card.
Info:
turns On or Off the additional information overlay.
Histogram:
On or Off. Presents a thumbnail of the image along with its histogram
Mode
Menu: presents a shorter version of the full Mode Menu available
in the recording modes.
The
Playback's Mode Menu is composed of 3 sections when the camera is playing
back a still image:
The
first section is labeled Edit. The Edit section consists of 2 options.
The first serves to resize an image down to either 640 x 480 or 320 x
240. The resized image is then saved as a new photo.
The second option is to crop an image, and save the cropped section
at the same image size as the original.
The next two parts of the menu concern the memory card (Card), and the
Setup menu which contains a couple of options specific to the Playback
mode.
(See the Interface and Software section of the review.)
The
C-740UZ is exclusively compatible with xD-Picture Cards. xD Picture
Cards offer capacities from 16MB to 256 MB; and cards up to 512MB are
expected by late 2003.
The card is inserted in a slot on the right side of the camera, and ejected
by pressing on its edge. A solid curved plastic door seals the compartment.
A 16MB card is included with the C-740UZ, allowing the camera to store:
Image
TIFF
SHQ
HQ
SQ1
(High)
SQ1
(Normal)
SQ2
(High)
SQ2
(Normal)
Resolution
JPEG
3200
x 2400
-
2
8
-
-
-
-
2048
x 1536
1
8
20
-
-
-
-
2048
x 1360
1
8
22
-
-
-
-
1600
x 1200
2
-
-
11
32
-
-
1280
x 960
4
-
-
17
49
-
-
1024
x 768
6
-
-
-
-
26
76
640
x 480
16
-
-
-
-
66
165
Videos
Resolution
16
MB
HQ
320
x 240 (15 i/s)
48
seconds
SQ
160
x 120 (15 i/s)
211
seconds
All the external
connections for the C-740UZ are housed on the left side of the camera,
and covered by a hard plastic door.
The first one
at the top (yellow) is the video jack. The output signal for the video
can be set to either NTSC or PAL using an option in the Setup menu.
Next
is the USB (1.1) port. With Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP,
or Mac OS 9.0, Mac OS 9.1 and Mac OS X, the installation of a USB driver
isn't required. Simply plugging in the camera allows it to be recognized
as a Mass Storage device.
Last, is the DC-IN jack to connect the C-740UZ to an accessory power adapter.
The
C-740UZ is sold with 2 CR-V3 non-rechargeable Lithium batteries (shown
at left). The camera can also be powered using 4 AA-size batteries, or
by 4 Ni-MH rechargeable batteries.
