Manual Control Options
The Olympus D series is meant for point-and-shoot buyers who don’t want to hassle with manual adjustments. The D-630 follows in this line with all automatic settings and no manual adjustments except for the exposure compensation and ISO rating.
Auto Focus
The auto focus operates with a through-the-lens contrast detection system. The Olympus D-630 can focus as close as 4 inches in macro mode and 19.7 inches in the normal shooting mode. The pre-production model at the Photo Marketing Association Trade Show had some trouble focusing and didn’t tolerate the slightest jarring motion.
Manual Focus
There is no manual focus mode available on the Olympus D-630, forcing users to rely on the camera’s AF system.
Exposure
There is a Programmed Auto exposure mode on the Olympus D-640. Most settings on this camera are controlled automatically, however, the exposure compensation can be adjusted manually in the standard +/-2 EV range, moving in 1/3 stop steps.
White Balance
When scrolling through white balance options in the menu, users can see a real-time image of the lighting on the image they are viewing. This helps users select the correct mode, which can be set to one of the following: Automatic, Sunlight, Overcast, Tungsten, and Fluorescent.
ISO
The ISO rating can be manually adjusted on the Olympus D-630 through the Camera menu. The ISO can be automatically adjusted or manually set to 64, 100, 200, or 320 ISO ratings. Most compact digital cameras have a range that reaches 400, so the 320 setting will likely sell the user short on low light capability as well as forcing slower shutter speeds. However, most compact digital cameras that utterly lack manual options also generally omit any manual adjustment for ISO and have a limited ISO range that sometimes doesn’t reach 200.
Shutter Speed
The shutter speed is automatically adjusted from 1/2-1/1000th of a second in most modes. The night scene mode is the only exception: shutter speeds slow to 2 seconds to let in more light when it becomes imperative.
Aperture
The 3x optical zoom lens on the D-630 has an aperture range from f/2.8-f/4.8, which is not entirely impressive, nor can it be adjusted manually. This slow lens will lead to longer durations of the shutter and increase the need for a tripod unless shooting in direct sunlight – not very practical for a portable point-and-shoot.
