Great - fantastic - must have!

Author's Rating:

Pros: Clean, versatile, good mid-range alternative to more expensive dSLR kit

Cons: Would have liked faster rapid-shot storage, and 6x minimum stabilized zoom.

The Bottom Line: 
While long discontinued, it's something of a gem, if one uses it to advantage, and understands its limitations.

Author's Review
It's been a few years since I've contributed to epinions. I thought I should make a note about this particular camera. It's long since discontinued. And I'm on my second or third C5050, and still use it all the time, as we're approaching the end of 2005. It's a good alternative to dSLR, which would be the next logical step up if one doesn't mind the relative bulkiness or expense of the dSLR kit, and the good quality 'big-glass' lenses. On the other hand, if used properly, the dSLR photos won't look as 'dirty' as the Oly raw, prior to any Photoshop cleaning.

The C4040, a camera with a disposable plastic feel, nevertheless produce very nice photos, particularly in very low light. But the C5050, while not so good at the latter, provided a nice magnesium body, and not only a camera 'raw' format (for the C5050, Oly uses the file extension - .ORF) but CF compatibility. I never had CF compatibility problems with the C5050. And I've been using the C5050, now, for about three years. Like the C4040, it only has a 3x zoom. It lags more modern digicams, in that.

It doesn't use the longer-lasting and expensive battery packs, either. But it will use standard alky batteries in a pinch, as the other won't. I tend to charge 2400mAh, which tend to really hold a charge, even with extensive use of the LCD, or sitting unused for a few days. And the C5050 is convenient in that the LCD pivots out both low and high, which you might occasionally need.

As for elements and diving, etc., there is the Oly PT-015 hard case, which can be had for almost nothing, now, and which seems even better built than the camera, which is saying something. Still, some divers complain that any hard shell that uses seals, can unexpectedly leak. And so they often recommend bags, such as you'll see in B & H catalog. You can also see, there, 'rain shields' or weather protectors.

While it does produce a bit of digital noise in the photos, programs like Neat Image can be used to selectively remove the noise, even if not in one try. And the range is aided, in any digital camera, by downloading the 'raw' image, the sensor dump, rather than a processed TIFF or reduced JPG. So the potential for stunning photos is had in this 5MP camera, which is now long since discontinued and should be available for under $300 on ebay (one would hope, at some point).

Those raw files are about 7Meg, for this 5MP camera, compared with what you're adding in size to go to a 8MP or higher camera, in late 2005. It reduces the number of photos for a particular CF sized card. But for many, it might just not be an issue, and the higher res is all they want, for enlargement detail, or potential close cropping. They may even feel they can get away with jpg with the higher res sensors. And again, Neat Image could deal with any noise, at any resolution. But 5MP generally does the job. And I do find, even with a 3Mhz P-4, that I have to batch convert copies of the raw into jpg, using Irfanview, because using Irfanview to read the raw/.orf directly takes more than a few seconds. So I have a jpg directory of the same images, which are stored as .orf in another directory.

The camera can shoot video, of course, with sound. But it can also shoot rapid raw/.orf. The complaint I have with that is that it is inconsistent in how many photos it captures in rapid succession. And at most it's generally only four, with a slightly longer pause than I'd like, inbetween. But it's still very useful. One sets the raw, first. And then one goes to the top camera tab on the menu and selects multi-shot. And it'll shoot those raw/.orf, 7Meg each. And obviously the quality would be far superior to trying to cut out bits shot in video mode. And, of course, you can't use flash - just the light that's there or that you throw on the subject.

While it can only get so close for macro shots, a lens can be attached for some pro-quality macros. It implies that one has outfitted the C5050 with the extension tube, from whatever maker. And a good 'always-open' Minolta 1:1.2 MD film 50mm lens (old lens, long discontinued itself) can be reversed with a reversing/coupling ring, a 52mm-55mm. Even better would be a 'quick-rigged' wrap with velcro that clamps the Minolta right against UV protective lens on your extension tube (or even remove that and butt the Minolta right up near the C5050 lens, itself, to remove most all vignetting, though exposing the C5050 lens). Then you need bounce light, or slave flashes, or one of the Oly external flash units, or just another rigged item, a tube, to 'throw' the light from the built-in flash right over the top of the lens. But the results can be phenomenal. There are many options, and great macro potential.

One of the best internal settings is the back-off 'macro' setting, which puts the lens in the 'optimal' position. It's perfect for close, but not too close, a shot, and gives great results from edge to edge. Great for flowers.

Again, one might prefer to use the built-in .orf/raw setting. That gives about 64 photos for a 512M CF card. I tend to use the manual setting, therefore. In a pinch, one might try the shutter-priority mode, if one thinks the shot will otherwise just get/fly away.

Downloading the CF is just a matter of using the computer's USB multi-card reader. Take the card out of the camera, and put it in the computer's front of the box reader. Even with my first 460z, I never used the Olympus software. Never even installed it.

I have had cameras go out of adjustment. But that was for dropping the darned thing. That can happen. The colors would bleed (like a misadjusted print job). Don't drop the camera. Another was a camera which didn't save half of the stored settings whenever batteries were changed. So I would have to quickly pull up the menus and reset a few things after changing batteries. Other than that, it's a heck of solid performing camera. It is reasonably small. Fits in a little Tek/Tamrac one pocket case, with room for filters, and macro stuff, and step rings, etc.

I recommend this camera, to say the least.