No doubt here that a camera with a 10X optical zoom lens is great, particularly
if the lens can capture sharp and aberration-free photos, as is the
case with the C-750UZ.
The ability to zoom in from a significant distance, and capture a clearer
or more detailed view is very useful. In the image at right, the city
of Osoyoos B.C. can be seen in the far distance. The photo is captured
at the wide angle position of the lens from halfway up Anarchist Mountain.
Aperture: f2.8, shutter speed 1/400 sec., 50 ISO.
Aperture: f3.7, shutter speed 1/250 sec., 50 ISO.
Zoomed in to the maximum, the camera can capture a photo that is so detailed
that individual homes can be seen. (This zoom photo captures the small
rectangle shown in the image above).
Just like other
cameras in this UZ series, the maximum 10X magnification of the lens is
best used when there is plenty of light if the shot is going to be hand-held.
In the case of these photos, captured
in the late afternoon, and under a patch of cloud, the zoom shot is at
the limit of what can be captured without camera shake
if a tripod isn't used.
Indeed,
this is the one aspect of the C-750UZ that has to be kept in mind. At
full magnification, the picture starts to jiggle around in the viewfinder,
even when the camera is steadily hand held, and a reasonably high shutter
speed is necessary to avoid camera shake in the photo.
At the full power of the zoom, there should be plenty of light falling
on the subject to shoot hand held. Otherwise, it is advisable to steady
the camera by setting down on something or using a tripod.
This
aside, when compared to previous UZ cameras, the C-750UZ greatly benefits
from the use of LD glass, which produces a sharp and well contrasted
image.
Indeed, the C-750UZ has very few shortcomings. It has all the priority
modes necessary to satisfy an enthusiast, and an abundance of features
that provide a great deal of control over the image.
For the
user, the only aspect of the C-750UZ that takes a bit of getting used
to, just as it does with other comparable cameras, is the EVF finder.
Although the EVF provides 180,000 pixels, not the highest resolution available
for an EVF, but one that is comparable to other high-end cameras such
as the Sony F717 and the Nikon 5700, the image it produces is still not
as detailed as one could wish.
However,
since the C-750UZ has a reliable AF system, the lack of precision provided
by the EVF recedes in view of the sharp images the camera captures.
Overall,
the C-750UZ is the most advanced UZ camera that Olympus has produced to
date. Like others before it, the C-750UZ would have benefited from a stabilizer
— a device that dampens some of the camera shake that becomes amplified
when the zoom is at its longest focal length — but obviously, that
inclusion would have required a higher price.
