Olympus C-2020 Zoom

Opinion: I have used a C2020Z for over a year now, mostly for studio portraiture of friends and relatives. Whilst A4 blow-up prints are a bit ambitious, 8x6 is achievable photo quality when viewed from normal viewing distance. After all, what normal person examines the print quality through a loupe? I have also used the camera for some landscape work and the panoramic facility is good. I have not noticed any fringing/CA that has been commented upon in later models (e.g. 5050, 730 etc). Whilst I have written more cons than pros, I do like this little machine and will not be updating to a 5050 just yet.

Opinion: As a sports photographer, this camera is useless unless the action is with 35 feet. Zooming to 2.5X or 3.0X gives uncrisp photos, regardless if the subject is moving or not. To add to the frustration, the delayed action when you press the shutter to when the flash actually goes off is a mystery. You have to hold the shutter down a good second and a half before to get the right photo. This camera is easy to use, but for a paper that relies on action, it's useless. I have found that using fresh batteries straight off the charger gives you better photos, but only after 10 or 15 shots. You want to make sure you have fresh batteries. The movie option is useless.
I've also had troubles getting a plug-in flash to work with this camera.
If I could sell this thing or trade-in for a better camera to suit my needs, I would. Convincing a regional manager of small-daily papers (5,000 circulation) to use better digital equipment is about as useless as taking quality photos with this camera. They seem to think that action photos are a thing of the past.

Opinion: I USE IN MY STUDIO, IT IS VERY GOOD IN STUDIO PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY

Opinion: Great pictures...but flimsy construction. The lens is especially lightweight
and froze in an open position after a slight hit. Since it was past
warranty, Olympus fixed it for an arm and a leg. Now the mode control
doesn't work...just stopped working for no reason at all. This was my
first experience with Olympus...and my last. Considering I spent almost
$600 for the camera, it has proven to be a poor value.

Opinion: It is my second digicam after another Olympus (the 2000-Z). The digital zoom is useless at more than 1,5x because the loss of quality is too big. Closing the battery dpt. is difficult and doing it when it is cold and you are in the open is a task! Battery life though is good

Opinion: I am a shooting pro who uses a Nikon D1X on a regular basis but this is the one I carry around when I'm not working. Controls are simple and the quality is more than adequate for printing 8x10's. It's a bit slow on loading TIF images to the card but that's to be expected. One bit of advice...buy the filter adapter and put on a UV filter. That protects the lens and the lens retraction system from getting dirt inside. My only gripe...I wish it used CF type 2 cards....I don't like smartmedia, (too flimsy).

Opinion: This was my first (and still is my only) digital camera, so perhaps I was expecting too much after using film cameras for 30 years; some of its shortcomings are those of consumer digicams in general. I tried taking equestrian pictures, but due to slow shutter response I kept getting the wrong end of the horse; don't buy a digicam for action shots. I considered getting the telephoto and wide-angle lenses, but they're just too weird compared to an SLR. I think the only thing that will satisfy me is a Nikon D1!

Opinion: After owning a Fuji MX1200 for a year, I was looking for a replacement. At least 2MP and a zoom lens. The new Fuji 2600z looked good, until I was offered a C2020z for £200!

I can't believe the image quality. Poorly lit shots even come out crisp. The manual focus is well implemented and works impressively well.

Opinion: I have had my 2020 for two years and I'm very happy with it. It
is my 2nd digital, the first was an Olympus D-360. The
camera is easy to use once you get accustomed to the menu
settings. Since my 2020 is 2-years old I am thinking of getting
a C-4040z to replace it. However, each time I use the 2020 I
question the decision to upgrade since I get such great
photos, but it is time for higher resolution and a faster lens.