Olympus FE-300

 

Model Design / Appearance (6.75)
The Olympus FE-300 fits the mold for trendy digital cameras. The point-and-shoot has a tiny, flat body with an exterior made from a metal plate mixed with a plastic backing. It’s not the most expensive-looking camera. Its small stature is the most eye-catching feature of the camera’s design.

Size / Portability (7.0)
At 3.7 x 2.2 x 0.87 inches, the camera is small enough to sneak into a concert in your pocket. Weighing only 4.1 ounces without memory card or battery, the camera is certainly lightweight enough to be strapped to the wrist for long periods of time. The ports are sealed well enough so users can confidently shove the camera in their purse or pocket. Portability is definitely one of the FE-300’s strong suits.

Handling Ability (5.0)
Handling is nothing to brag about on the Olympus FE-300. The camera suffers from the curse of tiny, flat point-and-shoots that are often difficult to handle because there is, simply said, so little to handle. The slippery camera body lacks texture for extra grip, although the front includes a relief-like band for added support. Because the camera is so light, users can use their left hand to further stabilize the body. The right hand often gets in the way of proper flash usage, since the index finger and middle finger tend to block the assist beam and flash unit.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (7.0)
The control layout of the FE-300 is nearly identical to the rest of the current Olympus FE line, characterized by modest-sized geometric shapes in an overall uniform design. While aesthetically pleasing, the button control panel could be improved.

The multi-selector employs a square four-way controller instead of the circular one commonly used by other manufacturers. The four-way controller is a single button piece, rather than four separate controls. Without those spaces in between the four directions, users with larger fingers might misstep and accidentally push the wrong button control for Exposure, Focus, Drive, or Flash.

Some controls could also gain some size, particularly the record button and the playback button, which are disproportionately small when compared to the other controls.

The mode dial is sufficiently sized and positioned by the right thumb for easy switching between shooting modes.

The major drawback to the controls is the poor positioning of the shutter and zoom lever, which leaves a gap between the button and the edge of the camera body. Shutter buttons are traditionally flush with the edge so users won’t have to stretch their fingers to shoot. In addition, when users zoom in and out, they may find their fingers block the flash and assist lamp because the zoom lever is pushed too far toward the center. 

Olympus elected to prioritize form over function; the button controls weren’t thought out for usability. Even a few minor changes, such as increasing the playback button size or moving the shutter a centimeter over, would greatly improve the user shooting experience.

Menu (7.0)
Navigating though the menu system of the Olympus FE-300 is like trying to win all the gold coins in Super Mario Brothers – possible but at times irritating. While the menu system is attention-grabbing, with eye-popping colors and multiple routes, the menus – and there are many of them - are complete eye assaults on the shooter. There are simply too many choices and submenus to dig through.

When users select the menu button, the screen draws up multiple choices in a cross-like layout: Image Quality at the top, Camera menu at the center, Setup on the right, Reset on the left, Scene on the bottom, and an oddly placed Silent mode in the right bottom corner. 

Image quality options are easy to navigate through, since the pixel resolution is spelled out for the user.  

Image Quality
SHQ	4000 x 3000
HQ	4000 x 3000
SQ1	2048 x 1536
SQ2	640 x 480
16:9	1920 x 1080

Camera Menu
White Balance	Auto, Sunny Day, Cloudy Day, Tungsten, Fluorescent lamp 1, Fluorescent lamp 2, Fluorescent lamp 3
ISO	Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400
Fine Zoom	Off, On
Audio	Off, On
Panorama	Left to Right, Right to Left, Top to Bottom, Bottom to Top.
AF Mode	Face Detect, iESP, Spot

Set Up
Format	Yes, No
Backup	Yes, No
Language	English, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Pixel Mapping	Start
Shooting Mode/ Play Mode	Yes, No
Monitor Brightness	Normal, Bright
Beep	Off, Low, High
Volume (camera warning)	Off, Low, High
Shutter Sound	Off, Low, High
Volume (Playback)	(Five levels)
Date/Time	Set Date, Time, YMD Order
Video Out	NTSC, PAL
Power Save	Off, On

Silent Mode
Silent Mode	Off, On

Reset
Reset	Yes, No