In 1996 the photographic world changed as I started selling digital cameras and Epsom Photo Printers. When I finally acquired a digital camera in 2004 it was the Olympus Camedia C750 10x Zoom with 4 megapixel and a heap of auto, programmes, and manual settings (shutter, aperture & manual) and with the Epsom Printer the cost of film processing disappeared with the savings made between processing and ink and paper costs made photography affordable again.
The Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom is the latest in a long line of long-zoom digicams from Olympus. While the long-zoom market is getting more crowded these days, Olympus really pioneered it with their excellent C-2100, and still retains a commanding position, with their C-740 and C-750 models. The Olympus C-750 Ultra-Zoom sports a four megapixel CCD and a full 10x zoom lens, along with a range of features tailored to "enthusiast" users looking for full exposure control and compatibility with external flash units.
In most respects, the C-750 Ultra Zoom is nearly identical to the earlier C-730 model. It's about the same size and weight, and has the same zoom ratio and manual controls (such as adjustable AF area, long exposure times, and scene modes). The main difference between the two models is the 750's larger CCD, as well as a higher maximum ISO setting (now extending to ISO 800), and an external flash hot shoe. Continuing Olympus' stated intent of standardizing on the new xD-Picture Card memory format, the C-750 accepts only xD cards for image storage, whereas the previous C-730 accepted both xD-Picture Cards and SmartMedia cards. The C-750 also carries forward the well-received "My Camera" menu, which lets users custom-configure a broad range of settings to meet specific needs, as well as the full range of exposure options. All in all, an impressive, full-blown "enthusiast" camera with an unusually long-ratio zoom lens included in the bargain.
High Points
4.0-megapixel CCD delivering image resolutions as high as 3,200 x 2,400 pixels (interpolated). 1.5-inch, color LCD display and 0.44-inch electronic viewfinder (EVF). Olympus 10x Zoom, 6.3-63mm aspherical glass lens (equivalent to a 38-380mm lens on a 35mm camera). 4x Digital Zoom. Adjustable AF Area, plus manual and automatic focus modes. Shutter speeds from 1/1,000 to 16 seconds for still images. Auto, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, and Manual exposure modes, plus six Scene modes. Spot or Digital ESP metering systems, plus a Multi-Metering option. Auto Bracketing, Sequence, AF Sequence, and Hi Sequence capture modes. Adjustable White Balance with eight settings, including a manual adjustment. Variable ISO setting, with ISO equivalents from 100 to 400. Contrast, Saturation, and Sharpness image adjustments. Built-in pop-up flash with six operating modes. External flash hot shoe. QuickTime Movie mode (with sound). Panorama and "2 in 1" capture modes. "My" mode for saving customized settings. JPEG and uncompressed TIFF file formats. Images saved on xD-Picture Card (16MB xD-Picture Card included). USB cable for fast connection to a computer. (USB auto-connect for driverless connection to Windows Me, XP and 2000, and Mac OS 8.6 or greater.) A/V cable for connection to a television set. Optional remote control. Software CD with Olympus' Camedia Master utility software (includes QuickTime and USB drivers). DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compatibility and print settings. Power from two CR-V3 battery packs or four AA batteries (AC adapter optional).
After 8 years of fantastic service from the C-750 I was getting the urge for DSLR photography. I started looking at all the models and the pricing and was looking at the Nikon D3100 & D5100 models. Unbeknown to me my better half had been listening and watching my research and my 2012 christmas present was the D5100 kit with the 18-55mm & 55-300mm lens and Nikon satchel camera bag.
Over the following years I have acquired a Nikon 50mm f1.8, the Nikon SB700 flash, Lowepro Pro Runner 350 AW Backpack, Beike Bk-777C Carbon Fibre Travel Folded Tripod With Ball Head Monopod and the Sigma Lens 150-500mm f/5-6.3 APO DG OS HSM lens.
With all these items allows me to cover most situations from weddings, nature to sports with the one camera bag that I can take anywhere.
I enjoy doing the occasional wedding and taking action shots of sporting events, the unpredictability of the wildlife of Western Australia
The arrival of the D5100 appears to signal the completion of Nikons refresh of its non-pro DSLR lineup. Its feature set and pricing mean that it sits very comfortably between the beginner-friendly D3100 and the high-end D7000 - it's clearly aimed to attract the attention of enthusiast photographers without cannibalizing sales of is sister models. A camera maker can judge the success of its market positioning by seeing how many people are wondering 'which model is right for me?' on discussion forums - and we think a D3100/D5100/D7000 progression would minimize such doubts. The official line is that the D90 maintains its position in the range, but both its naming and overlap with other models suggest that its role is now more one of historical interest than future significance.
The D5100 has a very similar 16.2MP CMOS sensor to the excellent one seen in the D7000 but, understandably, loses out on that camera's high-end build and feature-set. So there's no wireless flash control, magnesium alloy build or 39-point AF system but the underlying image quality is all but identical.
As has become standard for a Nikon at this price point, the D5100 offers a single control dial, pentamirror viewfinder and no built-in autofocus motor. However, it gains 1080p video capability (at 30, 25 or 24fps), saved using the efficient H.264/AVC codec, and a 920,000 dot fully articulated LCD panel to help shoot it. These are both significant gains over its predecessor the D5000, and the improvements extend to the D5100 having smaller, neater construction and a more conventional side-mounted hinge for that LCD.
These changes resolve two rather awkward aspects of Nikon's existing lineup: if the D5100 and D7000 end up being neighboring models it will avoid the inelegant overlap that existed between the D5000 and D90. It also ensures a more elegant appearance to the models themselves (the D5000 was many things, but pretty wasn't one of them).
Although the D5100 is listed as having an Expeed 2 processor, it's worth remembering that Nikon doesn't use this naming system to denote any specific components, so the actual chunks of silicon and capabilities aren't necessarily the same as those in the D3100 or D7000. However, in addition to a similarly specced 16.2MP sensor, the D5100 offers the same ISO settings as its big brother - extending up to an equivalent of ISO 25,600. It also inherits 14-bit Raw shooting - one of the factors that helps give the D7000 its impressive dynamic range - which is something Nikon used to offer only on its more expensive models.