The C-8080 is intended to fill the void needed for professionals who can’t carry their dSLR with them, or for those who need something that can produce high-quality shots with a smaller price tag. If you’re in the market for a prosumer digital camera that does everything you could hope it would, there’s a good chance you’ll find the Olympus C-8080.
Below is a review of the C-8080, and information about relevant features, image quality, and any issues and problems you should be aware of.
Body
The body of this camera is as small as possible for the features and lens, and is small enough to carry around the neck or clipped to a belt. At the same time, it is hefty and solid feeling, and fits comfortably in the hand for whenever you need it.
The camera is black, and has a right-side rubber hand grip. The lens takes up the majority of the front of the camera, and a pop-up flash is located above the lens. The back is equipped with a digital viewfinder and LCD display, and the navigation and other control buttons are located on the right side of the LCD.
Features
This camera has all the features a professional, hobbyist, or those with high demands could want, and it lives up to it’s claims in all features.
The C-8080 features an eight megapixels sensor, built in flash, 5x optical zoom and 3x digital zoom, which gives you a total of 15x zoom. While it can’t shoot RAW, it can shoot TIFF, which is lossless while preserving storage space. It has auto focus and can shoot videos in Quicktime format at VGA resolution.
The maximum photo resolution is 3264 x 2448, which is more than high enough to make a good 8″ x 10″ high quality print.
Image Quality
The images are good, with sharp lines and low noise at lower ISO ranges (64 – 200). They can get deep blacks and accurate colors.
Cons
There is noticeable noise at higher ISOs, especially once you enter the 400 range. This could be eased by keeping the ISO lower and increasing the exposure, but it is still not ideal. If you primarily do day time shots, then you won’t notice the problem. If, on the other hand, you enjoy nightshots, sunsets, and indoor shots, then you might want to look elsewhere.
Conclusion
This camera has a nice set of features and a good, high quality lens. The flash is big enough to light up a room nicely, and will be needed to help counter act the noise at higher ISOs. If you primarily shoot in the lower ISO range, then this camera is definitely a good possibility for you.
By: Blair Mathis