The
second of 2 Ultra Zoom cameras recently released by Olympus (C-740UZ
is the other), the C-750UZ offers a similar 10X optical zoom, but
adds a greater resolution than the C-740UZ, and more features.
As with the C-740UZ, the C-750UZ has ED (Extra low Dispersion) glass,
which improves the image quality by minimizing chromatic aberrations.
The
exterior surfaces of the C-750UZ are made of metal and plastic. Front
and back, a metal covering is employed, including the lens barrel from
which the lens extends, while the rest is made of silvered plastic. The
mix produces a sharp-looking camera with a brushed aluminium part around
the LCD screen.
Both
the C-740UZ and the C-750US have a generally similar look, but with some
notable differences. The C-750UZ is equipped to record sound — the
microphone is to the right of the lens in the image above — and
also provides a hot shoe with a protective cover for the contacts.
The hot shoe can accommodate third party flash units, but provides fully
dedicated contacts for Olympus flash units FL-20 and FL-40.
Just
as with most compact cameras equipped with long zooms, the C-750UZ is
equipped with an electronic viewfinder (EVF) with a diopter correction.
Similar to the viewfinders employed on camcorders, the EVF allows a through-the-lens
(TTL) view, but has a limited ability to reproduce a sharp image. In this
case, the EVF is a 0.44 inch TFT colour LCD display with 180,000 pixels.
While the image it yields is not nearly as crisp as what can be had with
a purely optical system, it can be used to see the camera menus in addition
to simply showing the precise content of the frame.
The controls configuration on the top right of the C-750UZ offers the
zoom control, the shutter release and the Mode Dial. The zoom control,
a ring around the shutter release, moves the zoom lens to the wide angle
position when pushed towards the left, and wide angle when pulled to the
right. In Playback, the control allows zooming into an image using the
Telephoto side, or showing an Index screen (thumbnails) with the Wide
angle side, whether the image is being shown on the LCD monitor, or on
the EVF.
The Mode Dial provides 12 positions, including the Playback mode. The
Olympus C-750UZ offers Program, Priority and Manual modes, plus a group
of 6 Scene modes. On the Mode Dial, the most advanced shooting modes are
provided by:
Program:
the camera controls aperture and shutter, but the user has access
to all other settings.
Aperture
Priority: user sets the
aperture and the camera sets the shutter speed.
Shutter
Priority: user sets the
shutter speed and the camera matches it to an aperture.
Manual
Mode: full control over
all aspects of the camera.
The 6 Scene modes are represented by:
Portrait:
uses a wide aperture to blur the background behind the subject slightly
and is most effective when the zoom is used.
Night
Scene:
designed for night photos. Uses a low shutter speed (the camera
should be stabilized on a tripod).
Sports:
Makes use of a fast shutter speed to stop action.
Self
Portrait:
allows the camera to be pointed back towards the photographer. The
lens is automatically set to the widest angle.
Landscape-Portrait:
enhances blues and greens and uses an aperture that will maintain
both foreground and background in focus.
Landscape:
also enhances blues and greens and uses a small aperture to maximize
the depth of field.
Three more
recording modes complete the choices offered to the user:
Auto:
the simplest shooting mode. Few controls are available, and the
camera handles everything.
My
Mode: allows
saving complete groups of preferred settings. 4 sets can be memorized,
and any one of these can be recalled by setting the Mode Dial to
this position.
Movie
Mode:
records video clips that can last as long as there is space on the
memory card. This is yet another area where the C-750UZ provides
additional options over the 3-megapixel C-740UZ. Movies can be recorded
with sound, in which case a digital zoom is available; or without
sound, which leaves the optical zoom functional. The Movie mode
provides its own menu options, including the possibility of choosing
the ISO sensitivity of the camera, which by default is set to 400
ISO, and the white balance.
Last, the
icon indicates the Playback mode.
All other external controls on the C-750UZ are arranged in the same places
as those of the C-740UZ, but with the addition of a Remote Control function
(the remote control unit is included with the camera in North America),
which is assigned to the Self-timer button.
Most of the controls offer a dual function, one for the Recording
mode, and one in Playback, identified by a coloured icon:
Self
Timer 12 second delay; and Remote Control.
Single
frame Delete in Playback, or in the Quick View mode.
Macro
Mode or Spot Metering, or Macro mode and Spot metering
combined. Note that the Macro Mode called up with this button is
not the same as the Super Macro mode called up through the
menu.
Presents
the Print Order screen in Playback so that photos can be
selected for later printing on DPOF printers, or by a service.
Flash
Modes: Auto, Auto with red-eye reduction, Forced on, Slow Sync
(front or rear curtain, or front curtain with red-eye reduction),
Forced off is assumed when the flash is left closed.
In
Playback, the button serves to Protect (Lock) frames against
deletion.
One
of the more obvious differences between the exterior of the C-750UZ and
the C-740UZ is the use of a metal skin for the C-750UZ, and most notably,
of a rather elegant brushed metal trim around the 1.5 inch, 114,000 pixel
LCD monitor. Otherwise, the controls are the same, and are arranged in
the same places.
On the right side, four directional buttons allow for menu navigation
and are called, as a group, the Arrow Pad. In addition, these buttons
also serve to set the exposure compensation, or select apertures and shutter
speeds in the Priority and Manual shooting modes.
At the centre of the Arrow Pad, a round button labelled OK is used
to call
up the menu and confirm selections. Like most other controls, it also
has a secondary function. When pressed and held in for more about 2 seconds
in the recording modes and when the LCD monitor is on, it displays the
Manual focus mode option on the monitor.
The remaining buttons serve for:
By
default, AEL (Auto Exposure Lock) is to lock a metered exposure.
The AEL button can be used either with the digital ESP metering,
locking the reading; or if Multi-metering is enabled, can be used
to memorize up to 8 points, one at a time, in a scene to be photographed.
The readings are then combined by the camera to set the proper exposure.
Moreover,
this button can also be re-programmed from its default AEL function
to any one of 15 other possible functions. Using the menu, it can
be assigned to activate AF Lock, or immediately call up specific
options such as Drive mode, ISO, Shooting mode, A/S/M, Slow flash
synch, Noise Reduction, Digital Zoom, Full time AF, AF mode, Super
Macro mode.
In
Playback the AEL button serves to Rotate an image
displayed on the screen by 90° increments.
Finally,
the lowest button to the right of the LCD screen controls the LCD screen:
Acts
as a toggle switch between the EVF and the LCD monitor
in the recording modes; and, when pressed twice in rapid succession,
starts the Quick View mode. The Quick View mode avoids having
to turn the Mode Dial to the Playback position to see an image that
has just been captured.
Besides
having a greater resolution and being a touch more luxurious in appearance
than the C-740UZ, the C-750UZ offers more functions, and in turn a little
extra flexibility for the user. The ergonomic design may be similar,
but these additional features clearly place the C-750UZ as the top of
the Olympus line of 10X zoom cameras.
icon indicates the Playback mode.
