Since the C-740UZ offers numerous features, the menus tend to be quite
long. To simplify things, the C-740UZ has the standard Olympus Shortcut
screens to speed up access to the most commonly used parts of the menu.
Three of the options presented by the Shortcut screen can be customized
in the recording mode so that they access other points in the camera's
complete menu (the Mode Menu), and in addition, four My Mode
sets of preferences can be memorized. In combination, both these systems
make changing shooting settings faster than they would if the entire menu
had to be navigated to locate a specific option.
As mentioned in the Characteristics section of the review, the
Mode Menu is also used to reach the Setup sub-menu. The
Setup menu also contains options that cover:
All
Reset:
On or Off. This option selects whether or not the camera will return
to the settings in use before it was turned off. Off is the default,
and if left to this setting the camera will return to factory defaults
every time it is powered up.
Language:
a choice of 4 interface languages are provided (English, French German
and Spanish).
PW
ON/OFF Setup: Off, 1, or 2. Decides whether the Olympus logo animation
will be displayed on the screen when the power is turned On or Off
(option 1), or whether a selected photo will be shown (option 2),
or Off.
Rec
View: On or Off. Briefly presents a photo after capture.
Sleep:
Sets the delay time before the camera turns off automatically (30
seconds, 1, 3, 5 or 10 minutes).
My
Mode Setup: selects and sets the My Mode configuration. Options
are Current, Reset, or Custom 1, 2, 3, or 4.
File
Name: Auto (series file numbering), or Reset, the camera restarts
numbering files from 1 every time the card is formatted, or emptied
of images.
Pixel
Mapping: a self-diagnostic test of the camera to identify possibly
defective pixels on the CCD and omit them from the image data.
LCD
Brightness: Increase or Decrease the backlight intensity.
Time/Date:
Sets the internal clock.
m
or ft: selects metres or feet for the distance units of the manual
focus mode.
Video
Out: To select the video output for NTSC or PAL televisions.
Short
Cut: assigns functions to 3 of the 4 options on the shortcut menu.
Custom
Button: assigns an alternate function to the AE Lock button.
Sound:
On or Off. Controls camera beeps during operation.
Index
Display: decides whether 4, 9 or 16 thumbnail images will be displayed
on the screen in Playback when the zoom button is pressed to the W
side. (This option is only available in the Setup menu of the Playback
mode.)
The
C-740UZ comes with a complete manual, but in PDF (Adobe Acrobat) format.
The manual is very comprehensive — almost 200 pages — and
covers every function of the C-740UZ. Still, some explanations are quite
brief, and for users unfamiliar with Olympus cameras, the manual will
require a careful read.
At the end of the manual, a short guide is provided on how to connect
the camera to a computer, and the installation of the drivers, when
necessary.
Software
A
single disc is included with the C-740UZ, Olympus Camedia Master
4.1.
Camedia Master is a multi-function program that can handle retrieving
the photos from the camera, or organizing them and printing them. Camedia
Master can also be used to create index prints, calendars, postcards,
album pages and create panoramas with photos that have been captured
using the panoramic function of the C-740UZ.
The
Edit function opens up another window to work on the image, and loads
it. Photos can then be adjusted in a number of ways, ranging from cropping
and resizing to adding superimposed templates and text.
Other options can show the shooting data, or rotate photos, if desired.
Moreover, filters can be used to adjust brightness and contrast, gamma,
colour balance, hue and saturation, sharpness or blur.
Yet other tools include automatic red-eye reduction, and changing the
image's tone to sepia or black and white.
The supplied version of Camedia Master can be upgraded to the Pro
version at a modest cost on Olympus Web sites, which then supplies the
user with a new serial number to unlock all the features of the software.
In addition, the CD contains Apple's QuickTime to view the videos recorded
with the C-740UZ.
