Olympus D-545 Zoom

I am liking the Olympus D-545 Zoom digital camera more and more...

I WRONGLY stated that settings always revert back to default when you switch off. This feature can in fact be cancelled. I was originally cheesed off as the picture quality kept reverting from SHQ to Default HQ (compressed) - but hold-on... the compressed images are actually pretty good. Differences in HQ & SHQ are subtle, and SHQ probably doesn't warrant the 3x file size of HQ. I printed 2 identical outdoor test shots 2-to-a-page on Kodak A4 'everyday' (cheap!) photo paper on my half-decent i905D photo-printer, one each on HQ & SHQ settings. The SHQ pic was overall slightly brighter. The HQ pic had slightly more contrast and so appeared sharper, although this also meant that some detail was lost in shadowy and very bright areas. However, you needed to give the shots a good stare in good light to see these differences, and the average happy snapper would probably PREFER the sharper pic! So, I completely take back what I said about HQ being the default setting - considering the high cost of XD memory cards, and that 6"x4" will be the likely output format for the novice user, this setting is probably a fair choice. Furthermore, the reset-everything-on-switch-on may also actually be handy for the novice; if they go to take a pic of their breakfast, only to find their camera still set to 'sunset' from the the night before, their cornflakes will come out glowing!

The main beauty of this camera is it's user-friendliness; when pressing buttons and moving the mode dial, a window appears to explain exactly what that setting does. It really is a perfect combination of being simplicity itself to use, but at the same time producing high-quality shots.

The scene modes don't just set exposure & aperture settings, some also 'enhance' the colour balance. For example, 'candlelight' and 'sunset' cast a strong orange hue. 'Landscape' accentuates blues & greens. Anyone remember the gaudy 70's style postcards with ultra-colourful skies etc.? A backward step for realism, but rich, colourful pictures may appeal to new users. A bit like frozen ready-meals with too much sugar & salt appealing to a non-cook (Kerry Katona?) . Other scene modes such as fireworks, snow, portrait and through-glass are far more practical and work well.

I have read about portrait shots being out-of-focus, and seen examples of these poor shots posted on review pages. I have not experienced this at all. Soft sometimes, but not badly out-of-focus.

Low light focusing and red-eye are both a bit iffy. Pretty standard with this type of camera.

Rechargeable AA batteries are a necessity and my 2300ma Nimh's last ages and cost next to nothing (both to buy and charge).

Flash shots are OK, although probably better using the SHQ setting considering the obvious light/dark areas apparent in flash pics. There is no Slow Synchro flash setting as such, instead it is found under 'night+portrait' directly from the mode dial. No probs.

The exposure compensation (which can easily be described simply as 'brightness' control) is accessible directly from a dedicated button, with no menu-delving required, and the LCD screen adjusts the image brightness in real-time - excellent! Unfortunately, the white balance isn't as easily accessible, although the auto WB is pretty good and definitely a strength of this model, especially for indoor shots where it can be critical. I had to dispose of my Canon Ixus 400 as it was incapable of taking a normal-looking shot under artificial light. I much prefer indoor shots WITHOUT flash wherever possible. A tripod and catatonic subjects help achieve this; lower ISO settings further improve the results - unfortunately this camera has NO ISO CONTROL WHATSOEVER, which is a bit disappointing. It won't even tell you on the 'info' display what the ISO of a picture was - it is just not mentioned anywhere. Oh well.

I got used to using the LCD to frame shots instead of a viewfinder, it soon became natural. Beginners seem to go straight to this anyway - even when given the choice.

Not having sound on the videos is a major flaw. I would have dispensed with the video option altogether. I've noticed very similar specced models in the current Olympus range which do have sound. If this is important to you then go for one of those. Also, you can't plug this one into a telly, which can be an impressive feature when available.

Otherwise, if you want a VERY EASY TO USE camera which takes perfectly good shots and introduces the most nervous of new users to applying exposure compensation, I would recommend this wholeheartedly.

Plus, as this is now an old model, you should be able to pick it up VERY CHEAPLY which is obviously a bonus (my ex-display D-545 came with 128Mb XD card and was still under £50)!

Sorry, but I couldn't wait (I've only received the Olympus D-545 Zoom digital camera today) these are just my first impressions..

There is a huge difference in file size between HQ & SHQ settings (both 2288x1712); SHQ takes 3 times as much memory. Literally!

However, visually, the difference seems quite subtle. SHQ pics are slightly brighter but also softer. Subtle colours and shading are picked-up better with the higher setting. However, as the HQ setting seems to up the sharpness/contrast to compensate, despite being overall less bright, at first glance the smaller file can seem to be the clearest.

Oddly, the camera ALWAYS defaults to HQ when you switch on, and you have to switch to SHQ setting every time you want to use it, which is really annoying and, frankly, will never get done by the average happy snapper.

Having said that, for the snapper that the camera is aimed at, HQ would probably be fine.

Having said THAT, I find that (IMHO) some (HQ) shots could do with +.03 exposure. When I show my sister how to use the camera I will definitely tell her that 'exposure' simply means brightness, and that she should try to remember to adjust it accordingly.

Barrelling is there (obviously), but not too bad.

Ease of use is excellent. This is a really user-friendly camera. Numerous scene selections make this a versatile point-and-shoot camera.

Sorry, but I haven't been able to try the colour balance for indoor non-flash shots yet.

So far it seems a superb camera for beginners/auto exposure fans. Not worrying about the settings should allow them to concentrate on the REALLY important things: 1) Composition 2) Having fun!

The Olympus D-545 is a very decent camera for the price I paid. The outdoor images were very sharp with good color saturation and clarity. Comparible to the Nikon 5700 and Canon SD400 cameras I have also owned.

There are a lot of operation modes and scene selections that make this an easy point and shoot camera. The indoor pictures with flash were good and I'm still on the same set of NiMH 1900 batteries after about 50 shots (mixed with flash and no flash) and the battery indicators are still at full.

The buttons are well placed and are easy to understand without opening the manual. Connecting up to my computer was a breeze with the USB ports. This camera is a good first camera for the person who wants a point and shoot camera.