Olympus Reviews

I gave this a 4 star rating in my earlier review (appended), but unlike a USB powered device which draws its electricity from your PC, this reader relies on internal, watch-style batteries to operate. I have used the card sparingly, but twice it has required new cells. That's a pretty serious flaw when compared to USB readers like the Viking or SanDisk brands.
****************************************************************This FlashPath adapter allows you to use your 3.5" floppy drive (usually the A: drive) to view images from your SmartMedia cards. It is of course lots easier than any USB cable, and probably better than most card readers. However....I find this adapter reads slower than my SanDisk for MultiMediaCards. In addition, as it is shipped from Olympus, it can only handle 64 meg cards, and requires a download to allow it to read a 128 (or larger) meg card.

For any photographer without access to a PCMIA card adapter or Lap-top will find this adapter to be a blessing, as it keeps the work load off your digital camera via USB ports etc......not to mention the speed at which downloads can be executed!!!

Trying to figure out whether this is the cable you need?
Here's hoping the following excerpt from Olympus document entitled: "DOCUMENT NUMBER 2039 -- EXTERNAL FLASH OR STROBES NOT FIRING WITH OLYMPUS CAMERAS" may help you as it helped me!:

Olympus Cameral Models: C-2040/3000/3030/3040 Zoom, C-2100/C-700 UZ and E-100RS:

The above cameras utilize a 5-pin TTL connector for the external flash connection. The 5-pin TTL connector is designed to control the Olympus FL-40 dedicated flash unit (p/n 200596). To use the FL-40 with these cameras, the optional Olympus FL-CB01 cable (p/n 200 664) and FL-BK01 flash bracket (p/n 200 666) must be used.

The 5-pin TTL connector can also control a PC Sync flash or strobe system by using the optional FL-CB04 flash cable (p/n 200 661). Since this type of flash/strobe is non-dedicated, the photographer will need to manually match the flash output with the camera.

Overall, the unit functions well, but I wish the Olympus Web site or the outside of the package would give a better explanation of the characteristics and use of the cable. Here is such an explanation:

One end of this Olympus FL-CB04 TTL-PC cable is a proprietary socket (with five holes) which fits onto the five-pin external flash terminal on cameras such as the C-2000, C-3000, and C-4000 Zoom series. The other end is PC female to connect to studio strobes and other external electronic flashes. The female PC end looks like a donut in cross-section.

Do NOT get this cable confused with the FL-CB03 PC socket cable, whose PC end is male (i.e., has a central pin). I do not know what the CB03 is used for.

You can't use TTL (through-the-lens metering) with an external flash connected via the CB04. Instead, you need one of the following: (1) a flash meter, (2) a flash with a thyristor to adjust output automatically (such as the Vivitar 285HV), or (3) "experiments" ("bracketing") to determine the correct aperture for a given shot.

I ordered this cable to use with my olympus c-3000z camera, which has 5-pin syncro outlet. usually, most of SLR cameras and prosumer digital cameras have pc (cord) outlet. but, unfortunately, my olympus camera doesn't have it!!! (what a shame thing....! olympus!)
So there is no choice but to use this cord to use external flash.
(don't forget to buy flash bracket if you are using one of olympus 20X0, 30X0, 40X0 series cameras.)
as you know, this cable is expensive compared to pc cord. most of pc cord cables are about 5-10 dollar and they are easily found in many camera shops near your home.
this cord is coiled and tough enough to use at any conditions.
but it's not long enough to use long range off-camera flash shooting situation. so if you have a plan to use long range off-camera flash, you'd better buy "pc extension cord(female-male)."

p.s. dont forget this: this cable is only for olympus cameras and it has pc cord tip(male). if you wanna female tip, just buy FL-CB04!!