Olympus Reviews

I bought 3 Canon A70 recently from amazon. I also bought an olympus B-70su 2100mah battery charger from another site, What I don't understand is that only one camera accepts the Olympus Battery, The others told me to Change the Battery Packs. I understand Olympus states that only Olympus products are to be used with the Olympus battery. But a battery is supposed to be universally accepted. 2100 mah is a lot of power. specially if you scuba dive and dont want to change the battery on the boat while you're still dripping.

Rayovac has a one hour charger with 4 independeent charge circuits (can cahrge unqually used batteries or uneven capacities without over/under charging some of theM)) for the same price as this (w/ batteries). GP has 2000mah batteries. These batteriees are 1700mah. Acessories that I've had interest in that has olympus brand is 50% more expensive than generic brands of the same quality. Olympus has great cameras. Buy the accesories from another brand, cheapeer, higher quality. Oh yeah this is a dumb charger also. That means batteries get overcharged and that substantially reduces their life. You can buy rapid (4-5 hrs charge time), dumb chargers for [$$$]

While I don't own this charger, the college I teach at has an Olympus camera that came with it. It's quite small, works well, and is a pretty good deal considering it comes with a set of batteries.

Most of the negative comments I've seen here are due to the fact many people don't understand the qualities of NiMH batteries. These batteries work well in devices that draw a lot of power, but don't work well in all devices. They lose about one percent of their charge daily, so I wouldn't use them in a flashlight unless you plan on recharging them at least once a month whether you use them or not.

NiMH batteries are only 1.2 volts, but that's not a problem in most devices since they hold that 1.2 voltage till they die. An alkaline battery drops slowly from 1.5 volts, and continues to drop slowly till it dies. Problem is, while a NiMH battery can hold a steady 1.2 volts for a long time, it drops in voltage very quickly when it does die. That means if your device has a low battery indicator, it may give you little warning. However, most digital cameras are setup to use NiMH batteries, and their battery indicator is adjusted for this.

Also, a NiMH battery must be recycled a few times before it works at full capacity. I put a brand new charged battery in an MP3 player and it ran for less than 2 hours. On the second charge it ran for over 7 hours.

So, why not five stars? There are better batteries and chargers on the market. The newer AA batteries are rated at 2000 mAh, and there are faster, better, "smarter" chargers on the market (MAHA, Rayovac, etc.)that can charge both AA and AAA batteries. Still, I've had good luck with this compact charger and the batteries, and recommend it. I also know for a fact the school has abused the heck out of both the charger and batteries and they are still working fine.

By the way, make sure and get a second set of batteries for your camera. When you come across Elvis, the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot all having a picnic, I guarantee you the batteries in your camera will be dead.

This charger accepts any input voltage from 100-240 V, so it operates anywhere in the world. There may be others out there that can do this also, but I have not found any. Even the exterior packaging on these chargers do not list the line voltage.
I have taken the charger with me throughout the world and it works flawlessly. Unlike some of the universal chargers for camcorders which tend to overheat and undercharge batteries when operated on 240V, this one works fine. It is not as fast as some of the "smart chargers", but you should always carry an extra set of batteries with you when you are out for the day anyway.
The only reason I did not give if 5 stars is that the design is not super compact. The line cable unplugs, but takes extra space in your luggage.

It lost one star is mainly due to the high price.

If you are a heavy user of AA-size rechargeable batteries (both NiMH & NiCd), I suggest you get both Olympus B-40SU and Maha MH-C204F charger. Yeap ... 2 chargers. They work GREAT as partners and one cannot replace the other !!

Let me explain why ...

- B-40SU cannot re-condition the batteries. MH-C204F can. NiCd needs that every once in a while.

- B-40SU cannot be used in a car. MH-C204F can.

- MH-C204F has to charge batteries in pairs. B-40SU can charge 1, 2, 3 or 4 batteries. Very flexible. This is important for FRS users. My Motorola TalkAbout FRS uses 3 AA. You can always try to find a spare battery somewhere to make up a pair. But it is not advisable to rapid charge batteries in different capacity states.

- B-40SU works worldwide. MH-C204F needs different power supply.

- B-40SU does not seem to charge NiCd properly (at least my unit doesn't). MH-C204F charges both NiCd & NiMH well.

I found my twin charger setup works great.

But if you are a light rechargeable battery user and only use 2 (e.g. Kodak DX3500) or 4 (e.g. Olympus C-3xxx) NiMH AA for your digital camera, this unit may be a bit too pricey. There are better alternatives out there.

Now on to the batteries. The batteries coming with my B-40SU are rated at 1600mAh. This 'used to be' considered high capacity but now 1700 and 1800mAh are available. However, I do not believe they will make a significant difference in real life use since even 1600mAh lasts quite a long time for my digital camera use. You will have to pay a premium for those 1800mAh. I have used other brands of NiMH batteries in B-40SU and it works just fine.

This is by far the most compact and convenient set that I have found for international travel.

Although quick-charge might be important to some, I run an Olympus 3040 all day and into the night on the stock Olympus Batterys so I usually recharge overnight.

I also own a set of Friwo 1800 mAh batteries and they do last about a day longer per charge (shooting approx. a hundred 2048x1024 shots and at least two mpegs/day with the 3040 screen on). While it is nice that the 1800s can shoot for almost twice the 1600s without recharge, the 1600s are adequate for a whole day. I would actually recommend having two sets of rechargables and there's nothing wrong with the 1600s for the first set, especially since you save a lot of money compared to the 1800s. My Olympus charger set came bundled with my camera but I think four AA 1800s alone cost me a little more than the 1600s with the charger.

So, the Olympus 1600 mAh have been perfectly adequate as a first set for me and I love the light weight and small profile of the charger. I also like the fact that the charger can be locked away while it's charging (since it has a cord) or at least hidden from view. I also have a fast recharger with warning lights, "trickle" safety technology, etc. but it's big, heavy and doesn't have a cord.

Light weight and small size matters to me when I travel, probably more than technical details like warning lights and trying to extend the hypothetical long-term life of my batteries. Also, avoid chargers that plug directly into an outlet. They usually hang loosely on the wall from poorly fitted plug adaptors, have LEDs that light-up an entire room at night, and they are impossible to secure while charging. When I left my fancy wall-trickle charger running overnight in a hostel, I invariably found someone would be woken by the LEDs and remove the charger from the plug. This was an unpleasant experience for all.

Just for comparison, I found that regular disposables, even "ultra" and special camera batteries, will not make it through a whole day unless I purposefully conserve energy. For example if I take two or three mpeg on the 3040 with a few screen shots and maybe use the flash a couple times, I have to load a new set of disposable AAs. Actually, only two of the four really get drained. But even so, this was very inconvenient and the hassle of swapping batteries cost me enough opportunities that I never again would use disposables unless desparate. To be fair, the Olympus Lithium disposables lasted a whole week under heavy strain. They're great for a real pinch or remote locations, but more expensive per shot and less convenient than the NiMH rechargables, especially on long trips.

NOTE! You must keep a set of batteries in the camera to keep your camera settings even when it's off, so it's handy to have two sets of four. Before I had two sets of rechargables I used four "dead" disposables to keep the camera alive overnight. In addition, a second set of rechargables is a good idea for when you just can't charge your favorite set any more.

I have been using my Olympus charger for over three years. I travel and need a dual voltage recharger. This is just about the only dual voltage charger out there - you need a convertor for most. Convertors tend to be heavy and also tend to fail at very awkward times and blow things up when they do so. An especially nice feature is that there is a cord that you use for plugging onto the wall. The reason this is so nice is that other chargers that plug directly into the wall rarely stay plugged in or won't plug in when the wall socket is recessed which is so common overseas. This problem is compounded when a plug adapter is used - the weight of the recharger and batteries pulls it right out of the adapter/wall. I have had to prop them up with books and coffee cups to keep things plugged in. The cord eliminates all of this. I would not trade this charger for anything.

I enjoy taking lots of pictures, but I have had nothing but frustration after buying this camera. I kept thinking the batteries were dead, and the camera would freeze up and not perform any longer. I cannot tell you how many missed birthday, anniversary, and Christmas pictures since this camera came into my life. What a dog!

This camera is loud and slow. The zoom is slow and jerky. Flash recycle is slow. Bulky
To utilize flash off and landscape mode, you have to use your left hand to hold the button in place while taking the actual picture.
No LCD, no other flash options, red-eye is always on, delay between hitting shutter button and snapping of the picture.
The lens cover, which slides over to the right when camera is on, is in just a spot that if you hold the cam a certain way, your fingers can scoot it over, thereby shutting the cam off in the middle of trying to take a picture.
The tele and wideangle buttons arent easy to feel...you have to look at the camera to be sure you arent hitting the shutter button.
Film rewind is auto, but only after you push the button to set it rewinding. It doesnt automatically pre-wind film to picture 1.
I have a Minolta Freedom Action Zoom 60 (for the past 7 yrs, its kinda outta commission right now, but after having this Olympus, thinking Im going to spend the money to get the Minolta fixed).....WAAAAAAAAAAY better camera. Offers more options, the camera does all the work for you by the touch of buttons. Flash is quick to recharge, zoom is fast, fluid, and quiet....what novel ideas!

This camera is really a mixed bag. I hate absolutely everything about it: too noisy, zoom too slow, unimpressive viewfinder, etc. But even as bad as this camera is, I took some really amazing pictures with it. You know the saying: It is a poor workman who blames his tools...

I'm not saying that those who got bad pictures with it don't know how to take photos but I have to admit that out of the several hundreds of photos I took with it, only a few were really bad, and it's mostly because the setting was too dark (I mostly take outdoor photography and sunsets).

I'm definitely looking for a new camera because this one is just too clunky, noisy, slow and butt ugly. But it has served me well for a couple of years now and I'm happy with my photos, so in the end, that's what counts.

2 1/2 stars.

the AA batteries go out with one roll on average.. this is such a disadvantage...i also have an Olympus Stylus 70 mm and it takes much better pictures...it is clearear by a longshot... don't invest in this camera ... pay up a little for picutres you'll treasure for a lifetime..

This product is of moderate capabilities. It's a comfortable fit for beginners and intermediates alike. I wouldn't recommend using this camera for other purposed than pictures on vacation.

When using the recommended film (400), this camera takes excellent pictures. It is also lightweight and simple to use. However, i changed batteries 3 times in a 3 week period when i took 9 rolls of 24. I think that is a little excessive. If you are willing to keep spare batteries in your case, then go ahead and buy this great camera.

I got this as a gift and I have to say that it is amazing. I didn't even really need to look at the directions, VERY EASY! This camera ia very light, and compact and can fit into also anything, even a small tiny purse! It figures 6 different flash types so you can cut out on "devil eyes" and lack of background in the night shots. Very nice! And if you take pictures like me and have your fingers in front of the lens, there's almost no way to do this with this camera. Another plus in my book!

This camera is great!

I have always heard good things about the Olympus brand so I assumed when I bought this camera that I would be happy with it. Three weeks after purchasing it the zoom quit working. I called the Olympus customer service but I found then very unhelpful. I brought it back to the store and exchanged it for a new one of the exact same model. I immediatly put batteries in and tried it out but this one was broke too with the same problem! So, two cameras in a row were broke, one after three weeks, one already when I purchased it. I finally took it back to the store and exchanged it for a different brand of camera. I'm not impressed with this camera!

Sara

I recieved this camera for Christmas, and have had the opportunity to use it in diverse situations. Consistent with my experience with Olympus products, it is easy to use and takes sharp, well exposed pictures. Olympus is known for making sharp lenses, even in lower priced cameras, and this one doesn't dissapoint. It is bigger than many other point and shoot cameras, but I prefer having something a little bigger. There have been some complaints about the date imprinting, I also don't like it, but it can be turned off. Read the instruction manual, it's not hard to do.
The only compliant I have is that the lens is quite slow. With ISO 100 film, the flash comes on in all but the brightest sunlight. ISO 400 film is recommended. However, this problem goes with the territory in point and shoots with zoom lenses, and to fix it would greatly increase the size, weight and cost of the camera.
The exposure system is accurate, the only problem I had was in Death Valley, taking a picture at Badwater, all the white salt fooled the exposure system into underexposing the picture, but it was still well within the exposure latitude of the film.
I haven't replaced the original battery in this camera, which is even more impressive in that I took the battery out of another camera which broke. Point and shoots eat batteries for breakfast, this one seems to do quite well in the battery life department. ...
In short, if you're looking for a zoom lens point and shoot, prefer something on the larger size, ... you can't go wrong with this camera. Good features, great pictures, and Olympus quality.

I purchased this camera because I wanted a small camera to take with me on rainy days or when I did not want to carry around my Pentax P3 or my Nikon FG-20 and various lens. I was skeptical about how well this camera would meet my diserning eye, but I thought for the price, and that it had been refurbished, it was worth a try. My husband and I went to Harper's Ferry for our honeymoon and spent 2 days taking pictures by the two rivers and of the church. Because of the heat, I opted to leave my good cameras behind and just take this little Olympus, knowing this would be a once in a life time opportunity and that camera needed to do well! When we got the prints back, and it really makes a difference where you get your photos developed!, the quality and clarity of the photos were excellent. I really do enjoy having a small camera so I able to relax and enjoy the hike and also trust that my photos will be clear and sharp. I am pleased with the one that I have purchased.

hi, i bought this camera. about 6months ago..

liked the rugged durable style,but is kinda big and bulky.

plus doesn"t have that many fatures.. so i took it back

and bought kodak advantix c-800 zoom..

at last. a small light weight aps camera with every feature u can think possible

sorry..accura view

i bought this camera about a month ago.. and i liked the style..
but you cant go by that.. it jamed a couple of times..
didnt take all that great of pictures..
and didnt have all the features my new camer has.
like infinityfocus mode,spot focus,portrait,nightview,continus,
and three picture sizes..

the olympus.. accura view.. is one of the best film cameras.
i"ve owed yet!
i bout this camera because of all the nice features..
like the illuminated view finder has a in foucus and out
correction mark.. and ready flash that lighs when the flash is ready
its a nice camera.. don.p