Olympus C-2

The Olympus Camedia C-2, also known as the D-230 Brio, is a surprisingly good camera considering that it was launched way back in 2001. Although a little on the chunky side, the design still looks quite good today, and the sliding lens-cover/power switch works very well. There's no optical zoom, but the f/2.8 lens seems well made, giving bright images with attractive colour that are sharp in all but the extreme corners of the picture. For a 2mp camera it's really quite impressive. Others have reported poor battery life, but with high-capacity NiMH rechargeables it's acceptable, if not fantastic.

As well as white-balance and exposure-compensation settings, you can alter sharpness and contrast, and there's even a limited burst mode. There are a few drawbacks to be aware of, though. Firstly, the C-2 uses SmartMedia memory cards, which are increasingly scarce and expensive - a 16MB card will give about 32 pictures on the second-highest (HQ) setting. Also, the camera is fairly noisy in operation, with a very noticeable stuttering sound as the autofocus operates. Finally, as usual for 2001, videos are low-res, low-fps and silent.

The C-2 has aged quite well: unlike some of its contemporaries it is not embarrassing to use in 2009. As a simple snapshot camera, or one to take on outings where you don't want to risk something more expensive, it should do a good job.

Olympus C-2 has great image and video quality, video playback, even with 2 megapixels it's better than most 5mp cameras with the anti blur effects and so on. Great for outdoor or indoor shots and great for action shots. Overall a great little camera, better than some of the new ones coming out despite it's lack of megapixels.

The Olympus C-2 camera is amazing. For the price you pay, you get quality pictures in a nice small compact camera. This camera will not let you down. The only negative thing about this camera is its batteries. It takes a lot of batteries, so you should get yourself at least 4 rechargable batteries.

The Olympus C2 digital camera is excellent value for money. Offering 2.0 megapixel resolution at an affordable price, I found this camera to be very easy to use while offering superb picture quality. The resolution is more than most people will need, while it offers a range of quality modes for the user to choose from. The C2 allows for exposure compensation, white balance under incandescent or fluorescent light, a 5x digital zoom, sequential drive, and short video capability amongst many other things. It does however have a prodigious craving for alkaline batteries, so rechargeable NiMh batteries are a must. Do a deal with your retail salesperson. Try to negotiate to get an extended warranty as well as a 64 or 128MB Flash-SmartMedia card for the best price possible.

I am an enthusiastic and quite knowledgeable photographer used to using SLRs but bought the C2 as a way to improve my overall technique. Very recently, friends asked me to shoot their wedding and I took the Olympus along 'just in case'. Unfortunately I jabbed my thumb through the shutter of my SLR when changing film and, petrified, had to shoot all the formal photos with the C2! Whilst the results aren't quite up to the expectations of a good SLR the shots were absolutely superb! Excellent focus, good colour, crisp motion pictures, the overall quality was faultless. I cannot recommend this camera highly enough. Partner it with cheap memory cards from Internetcamerasdirect.co.uk and rechargeable batteries from Eurobatteries.com and you're onto a winner!

GOT AN OLYMPUS C2 DIGITAL CAMERA A FEW WEEKS AGO, VERY PLEASED WITH IT..THE MONITOR ON THE BACK IS GOOD AND CLEAR..SINCE THEN I GOT THE C-700UZOOM WHICH IS VERY GOOD AS WELL..BUT I STILL WANT TO HOLD ONTO THE C2..THE CLOSE UP MODE ON THE C2 IS TOP CLASS AS IS THE C-700UZ...I AM FINDING IT VERY HARD TO DECIDE WHICH ONE IS THE BETTER ALL ROUNDER..MAYBE THE C700UZ BECAUSE OF ITS 38MM-380MM ZOOM...ANYWAY THE C2IS GREAT VALUE FOR MONEY AND HAS SOME GREAT FEATURES..YOU WONT BE DISAPPOINTED...

RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES A MUST ON THE OLYMPUS C2 DIGITAL CAMERA.

I took quite a while to check out the digital cameras below £175 and this Olympus C2 was my choice. It's a great camera with loads of features and the photos look good. The batteries are a major pain and so you'll need to get Ni-Mh rechargeables for it at the same time. Other than that, shop around as I bought it at Currys for £150 and it's also on sale at Argos for £250!

The Olympus C2 is an excellent compact digital camera!

I have had the Olympus C2 digital camera for a week, it is great. Compact great design you do not mind taking it out with you no space is hardly taken up on your person. Get yourself a charger.