The FE-140 is part of a series of
cameras that Olympus refers to as Easy
& Fun, designed for point 'n' shooters.
The FE-140 offers a 6-megapixel resolution, a 3X optical zoom,
and a 2.5-inch monitor that also serves as a viewfinder.
The ease of use of this camera
series translates into a design that has a limited number
of external controls, and labels them clearly so as to avoid
any potential confusion.
On top of the camera, the controls can be separated into
two groups.
On the right is the Power Switch followed by the two-stage
shutter release and the zoom control, all of
which are clustered so as to be easily accessible with the
index finger.
As is so often the case with compact
cameras, the zoom control also selects how images are displayed
when the camera is in playback mode. The wide angle side (W)
makes it possible to review images in index format ,
presenting either 4, 9, 16, or 25 images per screen or in
a calendar mode that shows images according to their capture
date; while the telephoto side (T) allows zooming into
part of an image up to 8X.
The second group is on the top left side and consists of
a row of four round buttons, each identified by a coloured
icon that indicates the mode in which the button is used:
On the left, two of the buttons
are slightly larger:
Controls the Playback
mode, and can be used to turn on the camera directly in
Playback mode when held pressed for more than two seconds,
which avoids having the lens extend. It can also be used
to turn off the camera.
Serves to return to the capture
mode when the camera is in playback. Unlike the Playback
button, this button cannot be used to turn on the camera.
While the two smaller buttons serve to:
The Print button serves
to tag images that will be printed. And, once the camera
connected to a PictBridge compatible printer, can
be used to start printing.
The Delete button
allows erasing unwanted images while the camera is set
to the Playback mode.
All the other external controls of the FE-140 are on the
back of the camera, organized on the right side of the monitor.
The FE-140 is equipped with a 2.5-inch LCD monitor
composed of 110,000 pixels and has no optical viewfinder.
At the top is the 10-position
Mode Dial. Each of the positions corresponds to a capture
mode. As noted at the outset, the FE-140 is designed to be
simple to operate, and as such, once the image mode is selected,
there is little other adjustment possible:
Takes charge off all capture
parameters, leaving the user in charge of selecting the
image size, and of whether or not to use the digital zoom.
The next five modes: Portrait,
Landscape, Portrait + Landscape, Night
Scene and Sport, all set the camera to the
best settings for the subject to be photographed.
The Blur Reduction
mode captures the image using as high a shutter speed
as possible to avoid camera shake affecting the image.
To this end, the camera can increase sensitivity up to
800 ISO.
The SCN position is
the access to the 14 Scene modes. The selection
of the specific mode is made in an illustrated menu
that presents a short description of the mode, accompanied
by a typical photo. The modes available are:
Night + Portrait
Indoor
Candle
Self Portrait
Available Light
Sunset
Fireworks
Museum
Behind Glass
Cuisine
Documents
Auction
Beach
Snow
Movie serves
to capture silent video clips at a frame
size of either: 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 pixels. During
recording, focus, white balance and exposure are adjusted
as the recording progresses, while the zoom position is
locked at the first frame. A 4X digital zoom can be enabled,
and the recording length is only limited by the available
memory space.
To further simplify using
the camera, the GUIDE mode presents typical situations
in a text format. Selecting one of these as the one that
describes the shooting situation, for example shooting
a backlit subject, the camera then adjusts the flash to
fire the flash, adding fill-light so as to capture an
optimal exposure.
A group of buttons is arranged below
the Mode Dial. Two of these are aligned vertically on the left
and have the following functions:
Calls up the camera menu
that corresponds to the mode in use. (See the Characteristics
section of the review for more detail about the options
contained in the various menus).
Serves to modify the information
superimposed on the monitor when the camera is set to
either a capture mode or the Playback mode. It can also
be used to display a short text explanation of a selected
menu option when a menu is on-screen.
In capture mode, the default
display shows the current capture mode, the exposure compensation
setting if any, the state of the battery's charge, the size
and image quality, the remaining number of images that can
be captured, the memory type in use (internal or xD card),
the flash mode, and the auto focus brackets.
Pressing the DISP. once clears the info off the screen
with the exception of the AF brackets.
In playback mode, the default display
shows the state of the battery, the memory in use, the date
and time at which the image was captured, the image file's name,
and the number of photos captured. Pressing the DISP.
button once adds the image size and quality, and exposure compensation
if any was used. A second press of the button clears off all
information superimposed on the image.
The last external control of
the FE-140 is called the Arrow Pad. It is composed
of 5 buttons, four of which are directional controls arranged
in a circle, while an oval button at the centre serves to
confirm selections made in the menus.
The Arrow Pad not only serves to navigate the menus and review
images in playback, but each of its arrows also controls an
additional function:
The up arrow controls
the Exposure Compensation, which offers a compensation
range of ±2 EV in 1/3 EV increments.
The right arrow controls
the Flash mode: Auto, Red-eye Reduction (achieved
with pre-flashes), Forced On, or Forced Off.
The down arrow controls
the Self-Timer, offering a 10-second delay before
the shutter is released.
And the left arrow
serves to select either of the two macro modes the FE-140
offers:
Standard Macro mode allows the camera to
focus on a subject that is 10 cm (3.9 inches) when
the zoom is at the wide angle end, and 60 cm (23.6
inches) at the telephoto end.
Super Macro mode locks the zoom at the wide
angle end, and allows the camera to focus on a subject
that is 5 cm (2 inches) from the front element of
the lens.
The FE-140 is intentionally a very simple and easy camera
to use. It has few external controls, few settings, and even
the way the modes are selected is straightforwar; the design
philosophy of the FE-140 tries to make the camera as user-friendly
as possible. Similarly, the large 2.5-inch monitor makes it
easy to frame shots, and it is only under direct light that
it becomes a bit difficult to decipher.
Compare Prices for Olympus FE-140 Digital Camera Battery (B-162)
Ergonomics
,
presenting either 4, 9, 16, or 25 images per screen or in
a calendar mode that shows images according to their capture
date; while the telephoto side (T) allows zooming into
part of an image up to 8X.
