Olympus C-2100 Ultra Zoom $399.97 @ CompUSA Online

[alyosha]

So I bought that dinosaur and it takes great pictures. All I care about. I did think that I could use my 2x telephoto from tiffen , which is natively 49mm, however it is clear it wont fit without a special tube converter, also heard that it messes up stabilization and focusing- sold it.
Anybody knows how to get an Olympus external flash? They are way too expensive from Olympus site- cost about 300 bucks.

 

[SupaCh1nk]

did anyone save the $399 web page by any chance? please let me know!

 

[dman]

Just in case someone is interested, Minolta S404 @ Amazon, 4MP 4x Optical Zoom, $494 w/ 128MB CF No Rebates, Shipped.

 

[aceman817]

alright my pms are on now. anyways, the Olympus TCON-300 3x Tele-Extension Lens used with a tube adapter is a fantastic choice. it is quite large though. look at item #1359828759 for a fantastic deal. i've delt with this seller several times and he is fantastic. the only problem with the wide angle lense in particular is that u get a little fringing on the edges at full wide angle (nothing that can't be fixed with photoshop) and the flash created a dark spot on the lower left corner of the photo because the lense blocks it. try using the slow flash option as it works best to prevent this. other than that the lenses are fantastic and are a sure bet if you plan on entering a photo contest.

--AL

 

[aceman817]

alyosha,

the FL-40 flash can be found on ebay for like $299 instead of $499 on the olympus web site. keep in mind that you will need a flash bracket and cable for your camera.

 

[unclebud]

"olympus could (and probably should) take all of the features of the c-2100 and make a 3mp of 4mp model that is smaller with an TTL OPTICAL viewfinder. their first attempts of the c-700 and c-720 where not too successful if you ask me."
agree, but doubt it. this recession has made manufacturers drop their msrp, but in the process causing them to make the new models more CHEAP (in features), not necessarily cheaper
who knows what the future holds though...

 

[aceman817]

yea who knows what the future holds. i still consider olympus to be the premier manufacturer of digital cameras though. far better than nikon, canon, or sony.

 

[alyosha]

Ok, after a bit of research found that Olympus will work with an externa l non-Olympus flash (read Sunpak 383) if you get a FL-CB04 cable (roughly 30 bucks), and use an external flash bracket. Anybody got any leads on decently priced Sunpak 383 and a bracket?

 

[aceman817]

check item #1360290835 on ebay. seems like a good price but i'm gonna use my camera a little more and see if i really need and external flash after all.

 

[chibimike]

I am considering buying this as a high zoom digicam to supplement my Canon G2.
I love the G2, but 10x zoom is not an option.
If you plan to do alot of full zoom pictures, it makes more sense to go for this 2MP camera at 10x optical than to use a higher MP camera with a lower optical zoom. You will be getting more pixels of data on your target with the 10x optical. This is only true with full zoom of course.


mike

 

[JoeNiner]

I got this camera for about $400 last december after rebates and price matching, and I love it. The viewfinder is not good for shooting in the dark, but with the low light assist led on it is easy to aim and the camera takes great shots in very low light. I can't imagine using a 10x camera without the image stabilization, the c-700 simply would not have worked for me fully zoomed in. I recommend getting extra NiMH batteries, this will eat them up.

 

[Vernor]

Originally posted by: chibimike
I am considering buying this as a high zoom digicam to supplement my Canon G2.
I love the G2, but 10x zoom is not an option.
If you plan to do alot of full zoom pictures, it makes more sense to go for this 2MP camera at 10x optical than to use a higher MP camera with a lower optical zoom. You will be getting more pixels of data on your target with the 10x optical. This is only true with full zoom of course.


mike

A teleconverter on a G2 will give you 6x.

 

[greg]

The camera is great, but it is really long in the tooth. It has been out nearly 2 years. That said, I owned it for over a year and loved it. NOthing comes close at this price.

 

[greg]

>>i still consider olympus to be the premier manufacturer of digital cameras though. far better than nikon, canon, or sony.

Good for you, keep that enthusiasm and blind loyalty despite what the many review sites say. Only a true loyalist could ignore the Nikon D series and the Great success Canon has with their cameras...SONY? Please, all they have is great lenses and image quality...

In the past 3 years I have owned over 25 digicams, nearly all the popular models, becuase I sold them for a living at one point...among other things (God Bless V.A. and Mercata). There is no premier camera maker. They all make decent models, some excellent. I am dissapointed that Olympus makes a 4MP model with SM, a stupid stupid move that has soured many potential buyers, me included.

 

[jasonja]

Aceman, The TCON-300 better be nice... that lens costs near $500!!! I only spent $300 for my 3040z so spending that kind of money is crazy for a lens. I found a lens that is in the final stages of development that looks like it will be a nice option and will most likely sell under $200 and is 5x to 6x Zoom. You can check out the prototype photos on a Canon and a Olympus 2020 Link! I've been in contact with Tom (the site's owner) and within the next few weeks he should have an idea of availabilty and price. His current lens is the CrstalVue 8X sharpshooter, it's an awesome lens for Nikon and some Olympus's (mainly the D series) but doesn't work well on the C-x0x0 series.

 

[aceman817]

greg,

i too have owned over fourteen cameras from every manufacturer under the sun. nikon, canon, sony, olympus, minolta, fuji, and more. they all have pluses and minuses in every aspect, but olympus still continues to be the best manufacturer ALL AROUND in my opinion. where else are you going to find 10x and 8x optical zoom models in the prosumer market without additional lenses? as far as smartmedia is concerned, i do not see why everyone is putting it down. besides the fact that it doesn't come above 128mb, it is generally faster than CF and has fewer problems. i have heard several stories where friends would lose their pics on CF for no unexplained reason. a 512mb CF card or more is rediculous too. i keep four 128mb cards and never have a problem.

 

[unclebud]

not riduculous if the cam is usb capable -- just drag and drop, etc. without the worry of dust and smoke getting into the internals of the cam or on the contacts
i worry about wearing the contacts off of the sm also...
just imope
my canon is nice and small, plus i burn everything to disk, and 2.1 is good for viewing pics on the tv (haven't done yet) it's the trip cam, in spite of the 4800 and 3000. but the d-100 (lightness and cheapness -- $37.87) has given me pause, only digital zoom, but it's lighter, thinner, and faster, plus uses less batteries (2AA or one crv3)...
apples and oranges
but good debate definitely

 

[Sneezer]

I think every mfr. is going to have their strengths and weaknesses. Personally, I find Sony's lower end cameras to be somewhat inferior to their competitors, but they have been steadily improving since they first entered the market. Their high end cameras, on the other hand, are quite good, and I salute Sony for trying different storage mediums on their cameras, such as the floppy and CDR. I have always admired Canon, and use Canon exclusively for my 35mm SLR cameras, and have never had a complaint. Their digicams, IMHO, tend to be innovative with a good mix of features for the money, and they pioneered the ultra small digicam with the digital elph series, which I still like. Nikon has always had good lenses and well sorted CCD software, and have always been highly regarded. I have never liked their camera design though, as I am more of a traditionalist, and swivel lenses and the like do nothing but annoy me in everyday use. With the exception of Olympus' reliance on SM, I always felt they made some of the best low to mid level cameras out there. Especially their P&S cameras, which have consistently out-performed their competition in just about everything. As far as the 2100 is concerned, for the price it is an excellent value. My limited experience with it as been very good. The lens is very good, one of the best I have run across on a digicam, and the pictures turn out amazing. Far better than I expected. One other thing to consider is the IS during low light shots. It does allow you to take some low light shots without the need for a tripod, which comes in quite handy on vacations, etc.