OLYMPUS Camedia C-370 review

Verdict:

Review Date: 18 Feb 2005

Price when reviewed: inc VAT`

Our Rating 3 stars out of 5

Review
Specs

Olympus's 3.2-megapixel C-370 is at the upper price limit for an entry-level camera.

Its chunky looks and silver finish won't endear it to the style conscious, but it feels reassuringly solid and well constructed. Its curves make it comfortable to hold and all the main controls are at your fingertips.

Moving around the camera's settings is pretty straightforward. All the controls are clearly labelled and the menu system is well laid out. The Reset function is particularly welcome for users who are inexperienced in digital photography. With no optical viewfinder you have to rely on the 1.5" LCD screen to frame your pictures. This means you can't conserve battery power by shutting down the screen as it's essential to the camera's operation. When the C-370 goes into standby mode, the lens doesn't retract automatically, which seems a peculiar oversight.

Up front is a 3x optical zoom lens. In bright conditions the C-370 performs well. Its output tends toward lively, saturated colours and sharp contrast without too much unwanted noise. Exposure is accurate for a budget camera, and there is quick access to Exposure Value (EV) compensation in case it gets it wrong.

However, under artificial or low light the C-370 struggles to find the correct white balance, and a yellow colour cast appears on most pictures. There is no manual white balance control, so there is little you can do to overcome the problem. Unfortunately, Olympus supplies only basic image management software, so you can't even fix the colour in post processing.

Most novice digital camera users are likely to take a large proportion of their photos indoors using the flash. If the C-370 could cope better with adverse light conditions it would be an excellent entry-level camera. As it is, it's a good buy only if used primarily outside.

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