Jump to a part
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Introduction
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01.Testing / Performance
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02.Physical Tour
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03.Components
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04.Design / Layout
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05.Modes
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06.Control Options
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07.Image Parameters
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08.Connectivity / Extras
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09.Overall Impressions
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10.Conclusion
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11.Comments
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Olympus FE-200
First Impressions Review
Previous: Page 3
ComponentsNext: Page 5
Modes
Shooting Menu
Panorama
For panorama shooting display and mode (requires the use of a memory card)
Reset
yes, no
Image Quality
SHQ 2816 x 2112, HQ 2816 x 2112, SQ1 2048 x 1536, SQ2 640 x 480
Setup
opens the setup menu structure
Exposure Compensation
+/- 2 EV adjustable scale in 1/3 and 1/4 increments (increment based on scale position)
Model Design/Appearance
While not a visually stunning design, the Olympus FE-200 gets the job done. This camera isn’t going to stun a crowd of friends or turn heads at the bar but what it lacks in aesthetic creativity it makes up in a straightforward shooting interface and a simple menu system. The camera is a basic rectangular cube and does have a slight rounding edge between the top and front face of the camera and readers may notice a small curve inward at the top of the right and left sides. Polished silver highlights can be found on all but the back and bottom faces of the camera. The minimal external controls, clean lines, un-cluttered exterior and all metal camera frame would indicate both durability and longevity for photographers not interested in dropping a couple hundred dollars every year.
Size/Portability
While certainly not as large as a DSLR, the Olympus FE-200 is still a hefty piece of machinery and one that isn’t going to easily pop into a pants pocket. It could fit into a large coat pocket but the best and safest bet for most photographers will be to purchase a carrying case for this model. The camera weighs 5.4 oz without a battery and when the battery is inserted the total weight jumps to a substantial 7.9 oz. In addition to the overall weight of the camera, the frame itself isn’t small and although there aren’t protrusions the camera still measures 3.9 inches in width, 2.4 inches in height and 1.1 inches in depth (with lens retracted). A wrist strap eyelet is located on the edge between the top and right-side of the camera body and will provide photographers with a short term transportation option.
Handling Ability
With only a small horizontal ridge bisecting the front face of the camera the Olympus FE-200 isn’t a great candidate in the handling ability category. Shooting two-handed wasn’t an issue and it shouldn’t be for a point-and-shoot camera, but when switching to one-handed shooting, it was harder to handle the camera because of its chunky weight and size.
Control Button/Dial Positioning/SizeThe external controls on the Olympus FE-200 are large and overall well placed for easy and concise access during shooting. The only major concern that arose when using this camera was the embossed labels used for the four-way control and the power button. The embossing was hard to read in low light and often it was just easier to poke randomly in the hopes that the proper option could be found without going to find a bright light. Other than this, the controls have been limited in number to the essential minimum and their size and placement allows for room even with larger fingers. With so much room on the back of the camera left open, it’s somewhat surprising that the mode dial wasn’t made slightly larger. In this incarnation the mode labels on the dial seem cramped and a bit undersized in comparison to the amount of room given to other controls like the four-way control or the menu mode. While it doesn’t impede adjustment physically it is a bit visually cluttered on a camera that seems to have been designed to eliminate this common problem for digital cameras.
Menu
The menus that come with the Olympus FE-200 are in a word, simple. They have few choices to be confused and feature both large icons and sizeable text labels that should almost eliminate any chance of being confused, regardless of skill level.
The shooting menu for the Olympus FE-200 is accessed by pressing the menu button located beside the lower right corner of the LCD screen on the back of the camera body. The shooting menu displays six sub-menu options when opened and users can scan between these icon/text sub-menu choices by pressing the arrows on the four-way control.
The playback menu system can be entered by first switching the camera to the playback mode. The playback menu has more options than the shooting mode menu system but even with eight sub-menu options the system is still easy to move through and comprehend. The playback menu uses the same icon/text system of the shooting menu and novice photographers shouldn’t be confused by the options listed here.
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Playback Menu
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Rotate
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0 degrees, + 90 degrees, -90 degrees
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Resize
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640 x 480, 320 x 240
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Print Order
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Allows the user to save printing data with the image on memory card
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Protect
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off, on
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Slide-show
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immediately opens a slide-show of all images, scanned at a default speed
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Setup
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opens the setup menu structure
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Erase
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select image, all erase
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Silent Mode
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off, on
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The final menu to be flushed out will be the setup menu, which uses a more traditional text-based interface to aid photographers in making adjustments to image and camera parameters. This menu, although visually different from playback and shooting mode menus, is not as intuitive as the other menus. Adding to the incoherency of some sub-setting menus will be the utter lack of documentation of said features in both the basic manual and the .pdf user manual included on CD-ROM.
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Setup Menu
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Memory Format
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yes, no
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Backup
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copies images from internal memory to memory card
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Language
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English, French, Spanish, Portuguese
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Pixel Mapping
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off, on (checks and adjusts the CCD and image processing functions
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Shooting/Playback
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This allows the power to be turned on by pressing the playback or shooting mode buttons
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LCD Monitor Levels
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bright, normal
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Beep
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off, low, high
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Camera Volume (self-timer warning)
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off, low, high
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Shutter Volume
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off, low, high
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Volume
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adjusts volume during playback
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Microphone
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on, off
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Date, Time
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YYYYMMDD TT:TT Y/M/D
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Video Out
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NTSC, PAL
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AF Illumination
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off, on
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Ease of Use
This camera definitely excels in the ease of use category with a simple image-based menu structure, a heavily promoted preset shooting mode and few manual controls to confuse novice users. The preset shooting modes are accompanied with full text descriptions of their function as well as a color image example of a scene where the setting could be engaged. Although definitely geared for ease of use, the Olympus FE-200 isn’t able to provide its users with a comfortable transition out of auto modes into manual control settings. Direct printing was a simple process to engage and transferring images to computer for editing and sorting was also accomplished without any strain or stress. The exterior controls are well sized and minimal and will allow for users to move between options without needing a magnifying glass.
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