The Web Gal: Digital Cameras!

April 1998 - When I bought the D320-L, the price had just dropped to $599!   I loved that D320 camera, but since then, Olympus has improved the series even more.

In Feb 1999, I replaced my D320-L with their D400-Z, a zoom model! Its GREAT!

It was virtually the same size as the D320 when closed, but the D400-Z takes sharper pictures, stores them faster, and has the Zoom lens which is a very nice feature. It's also better equipped - it included an 8 Meg Smartcard and the Fastpath adapter!

UPDATE - Sept 23, 1999 ... I've upgraded yet again - this time I came home with the
C-2000 Z --- Its another Olympus Digital zoom camera but in a slightly diffferent configuration, and with higher image capabilities - in its highest setting it can take 1600x1200 images! The C-2000Z camera is slightly taller and narrower than the D400/450 series, but the controls are MUCH easier to operate.

Whichever model you get, I recommend some basic additions to make it more useful.

Any camera with a video display is going to EAT batteries.
Go to Radio Shack and buy 2 sets (4 each) of AA Nickel-Metal Halide batteries.
The batteries are 4 for $20 and the Metal-Halide Recharger (#23-406) is about $16
They are rechargeable, and will save you a tone of money over buying use-once Alkalines.
Having a second set of batteries already charged is essential if you run low in the field!
I paid a total of $56 for the recharger and the 2 sets of 4 AA batteries in Feb 1998,
and I replaced the batteries in 2001 when I felt they were starting to have a short charged-time. So I bought another 2 sets of 4 (8 batteries) - as I recall they were about $30-34 that time. Not bad - considering I hadn't bought any throwaway batteries since!

Get an Olympus FlashPath adapter for your SmartCard!
With this, you take the SmartCard out of the camera, slip it into a slot in the adapter,
then stick the adapter in your floppy drive and read it just like a 3.5" floppy.
You can even delete the images from the card once they're copied to your PC.
Its lots faster than the serial cable that's provide with the camera.
It works great for Win95 & Win98, and Win-NT4 as well.
The FlashPath adapter is NOT included with the C-2000Z,
(it was with the D400Z), but its a VERY worthwhile accessory to have!

I do recommend getting a second "spare" SmartCard, (the little memory card) just so you can keep shooting pictures if you are in the field and fill your regular Smartcard up.   As of 2001, I bought a 32 meg Smartcard for about $80 - but they are cheaper now.   The D400 and C2000Z come with an 8 Meg card which holds 120+ low res or about 30+ hi res images (or 15 SQ hi res images with the C200Z).   SmartCards are also available in 16 and 32 Megs which can holds double or 4X times that many pictures, all in the same format.   Once you shoot pictures, you can dump them to your hard drive and clear the SmartCard after each photo session. (they're reusable)  
An 8 Meg SmartCard goes for around $40-50 - but there's better deals occasionally.

I bought a nice little Leather camera case (with a pocket for the extra batteries)
from Walmart for $15 bucks ... the Olympus D320-L accessory kit was about $50-70 online, and only gave you a 4 Meg flashcard with a lighter-duty camera case. ($15 is real cheap!). But as the C-2000Z is shaped differently, I can't use that case for it!

I bought my Olympus Digital Cameras from the local Best Buys store - and I bought the extended warrantee - that's something I feel is real important on such an expensive electronic gadget.
And as of 2/99, the extended warrantee just paid for itself!
The D320 fell out of my purse Sunday and the case cracked - the battery holder wouldn't stay closed. I took it back to Best Buys, and, as they don't sell the D320 there anymore, they let me upgrade to the D400-Z for $209 - the difference in price between what I paid for the 320 a year ago, and the current price of the D400! That's like using it free for a year and trading it in!

If you'd like to see some of the pictures I've taken with these "digicams",
pop by my Photos Index page.

-= )-(eather =-

I've just bought a refurbed Olympus D-40 Zoom 4 MegaPixel (4 MP) camera from ebay. I've really enjoyed having the digital cameras over the last 5 years - but - the C2000 was just big enough that it was awkward to carry it around - I missed the smaller size of the D320 and 400 cameras - but I DON'T miss the 1 MP resolution. The D-40 is truly pocket sized - its tiny! Check out the review at Steve's Digital Camera site!