Olympus FE-300

Manual Control Options
As a strictly automatic point-and-shoot, the Olympus FE-300 doesn’t offer many manual controls. As expected, there isn’t aperture or shutter control, or control for manual focus or metering. The most "manual" option is the Program auto mode, which isn’t saying much for manual control freaks.

Focus
Autofocus (5.75)
The FE-300 uses contrast detection autofocus. Users can change the focus through the Focusing mode via the Camera menu. In Face Detect mode, the camera detects front-facing portraits for autofocus - occasionally. The face detection system is weak and often misses faces.

The camera represents the area of focus, or AF target mark, with a white bracket that moves around the screen except the edges of the frame, meaning focus areas are concentrated toward the center. In iESP mode, the camera autofocuses on the subject regardless of whether it is in the center of the frame. Spot focus uses the AF target.

Users can also adjust focus distance using the four-way controller marked by the flower icon, representing autofocus types. When the macro focus is set to Off, i.e. normal distance, the lens can focus from 23.6 inches to infinity in wide shooting or 23.6 inches to infinity in normal telephoto.

For closer objects, users can select Macro mode to focus on subjects at close range. Macro mode focuses from 11.8 inches to infinity in wide shooting or 19.7 inches to infinity in telephoto.

There is an additional close-range focus mode called Super Macro. Point-and-shoots commonly have trouble focusing on subjects within a few inches of the camera. The FE-300, however, enables the Super Macro mode to focus within 3.9 inches to infinity. The Super Macro mode does a sufficient job shooting short distance objects like wedding rings, but the zoom is fixed. The Super Macro mode also disables flash so subjects won’t be blown out.

Manual Focus (0.0)
The Olympus FE-300 is not capable of manual focus. Users are resigned to trusting the various automatic focus modes. The lack of manual focus is expected for an entry-level camera, but not one priced at nearly $300.

Exposure (7.0)
The FE-300 does a good job offering different ways for users to change exposure. Although there aren’t options for Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, or Manual, as expected for an entry-level point-and-shoot, the FE-300 offers exposure compensation in +/- 2 EV stops in 1/3-stop steps. Users can select the exposure directional on the four-way controller that will display a four-thumbnail screen of different EV stops, the Perfect Shot Preview for exposure. Users can also access this though the Shooting Guide menu, which is a round-about way of adjusting exposure. The Perfect Shot Preview is helpful for displaying the effects before having to apply them, although shooters who are used to the EV sliding scale might have trouble adjusting to the new exposure controls.

The FE-300 has a pseudo-exposure bracketing function. Exposure bracketing is possible, but only at reduced resolution (640 x 480 SQ2 resolution) through the Auction scene mode. The Auction mode takes three consecutive frames at different EV stops.

Metering (5.75)
The Olympus FE-300 uses an automatic Digital ESP system as the default metering. Most cameras include three types of metering: Evaluative, Center-Weighted, and Spot, to accommodate high contrast lighting. The FE-300 does not. Users can’t manually control metering, but they can adjust it to Face Detection AE when Face Detect AF is enabled.

White Balance (5.5)
When it comes to white balance, the FE-300 is a mix between its Stylus cousins and other FE-siblings. While many of the budget FE cameras do not have any white balance settings, the FE-300 offers a full range of seven presets: iESP2 Auto, Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten, and Fluorescent 1, 2, and 3.

Unfortunately, the FE-300 is not capable of Manual white balance, which is common in entry-level cameras. Users won’t be able to set custom white balance using a white card for a more accurate setting.

There are two ways of accessing the white balance, through the Camera menu or the Shooting Guide. Camera menu is the more direct way to access the function, selected by the menu button. White balance highlighted tabs overlay the live preview, which allows users to see the setting before applying it.

The other, less-direct route is through the Shooting Guide, geared toward beginners. Users must first set the mode dial to Guide, then "Shoot w/ effects preview," then hit the inappropriately named "Color Effects" tab, meaning white balance. Most cameras title black and white conversion (which the FE-300 does not have) as "Color Effects;" instead, the FE-300 calls white balance "Color Effects," which can be misleading. Users are better off accessing white balance through the Camera menu.

ISO (8.0)
The FE-300 is capable of the following ISO sensitivity settings: Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, and 3200 and 6400 equivalents. The Olympus FE-300 reduces resolution at high ISOs settings, a common tactic manufacturers use to glamorize the high sensitivity settings for seemingly improved low light shooting. At ISO 3200 and 6400, the camera automatically cuts resolution to a reduced SQ1 2048 x 1536 pixels. Full resolution is only possible up to ISO1600.

The FE-300 cap of ISO 6400 is less sensitive than the predecessor model, the FE-250, that could reach ISO 10,000 at a reduced SQ resolution. The ISO 10,000 sensitivity setting on the competing model isn’t all that useful; neither is the ISO 3200 and above settings on the FE-300. At those high ISO settings, the camera introduces noise that makes pictures look grainy. The FE-300, however, automatically applies internal noise reduction to scene preset images at half a second or longer shutter speeds.

Accessing ISO settings through the Camera menu is the most direct route. Like white balance, users can also adjust ISO setting via the beginners Shooting Guide, under the "Reduce Blur" tab, then "Increase ISO sensitivity."

ISO is adjustable in most settings except Auto shooting mode. The FE-300 offers a sufficient ISO range, but users should be wary of the high ISO 3200 and 6400 settings.

Shutter Speed (0.0)
Users cannot manually control shutter speed on the FE-300. Shutter speed is automatically set, depending on the Scene mode, for a duration of 1/1000 of a second to 1/2 second. In Night scene mode, shutter speed slows down to 4 seconds. Beyond half a second, the camera automatically applies noise reduction that smoothes over image detail to prevent grainy images.

Aperture (0.0)
Like shutter speed, users cannot manually control aperture. Aperture is automatically set, ranging from an open f/2.8 when zoomed out. When users zoom in, the aperture shrinks to f/4.7, like the FE-250 predecessor. Minimum aperture is f/13.