Overview
The Olympus FE-210 is a cheap and cheerful digital camera. It has a limited set of features. This helps to make the camera easy to use and I can see this camera appealing to someone who is looking for a digital camera that is as simple as possible. It has seven megapixels and a three times optical zoom lens.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
7
3x
2.5 inches
90 x 62.5 x 30.5mm
122g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
5cm
No
No
AA
xD
Image Quality
Outdoor shots show the FE-210 at its best. The three scenic shots are o.k. without being anything special. In all three shots I would like to have seen greater levels of sharpness. This is especially true in the second and third shots where the subject of the shots is further away. It is likely that if you are taking shots of anything from a distance the camera will struggle with focusing. The camera does cope with the glare of the sun and the amount of detail the camera is able to bring out in darker areas of each shot are roughly in line with expectations.
One further point that is noticeable is that there is a tendency for darker areas to intrude into the corners of these photos. This is caused by the lens being unable to allow enough light into the photo. This is especially noticeable in the second outdoor shot where the zoom is not being used.
The colours the camera produces is one area where I don't have a problem. They have a natural feel to them and do not overpower anyone who is looking at the photos. No single colour appears to dominate.
My outdoor portrait shot is probably my favourite test shot in this batch. Although it is a fairly standard result sharpness is at a satisfactory level. I am also happy with the colour of the shot, especially considering you do not have access to change the white balance settings in order to resolve any potential colour issues when shooting in the shade or on a cloudy day.
Stepping indoors into lower light give the FE-210 a real headache. Although the light for the indoor portrait shot was not perfect there was enough light to expect the camera to be able to focus properly. When the light gets really low as in my shot of beer bottles the camera has serious difficulties.
The macro shot is sharp, but as you can see the FE-210 has a problem with colour and adds a blue caste to the shot. This is unlikely to prove a problem if you are using the macro mode outdoors for nature shots, but if you are working under artificial lighting it is likely to be an issue.
As you do not have access to change ISO settings I am unable to run my normal tests for this.
Shutter Lag and Recycling Times
Shutter delay is a major issue. It took 1.73 seconds for me to take a single photo and 21.78 seconds to take five photos. Taking a photo with the flash on took 2.28 seconds and five photos took 27.58. This is certainly not a camera for taking photos of children at play, wildlife or indeed anything that may move. By the time the photo is actually captured the action will have moved elsewhere.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Features
The 3x optical zoom lens has a focal length equivalent to 38 - 114mm in 35mm format. The maximum aperture of the lens is f/3.1 (wide) - f/5.9 (tele). A 4x digital zoom is also available. For close up work the camera can focus from 5cm away from the subject.
For composing photos there is a 2.5" LCD screen made up of around 154,000 pixels.
A number of scene modes are available. By selecting a scene the camera is able to work out the type of shot you are taking and use the most appropriate settings. The scenes available are Sports, Indoor, Candle, Self portrait, Sunset, Fireworks, Behind Glass, Cuisine, Documents and Auction.
The flash unit works to a maximum distance of 3.3m. This falls to around 2.1m when the zoom lens is in use. Focusing modes are automatic, on, off and red eye reduction.
The few features you have access to include a self timer, exposure compensation (+/- 2 EV / 1/3 steps) and a panoramic function. To use the panoramic function you must use an Olympus brand memory card.
Shutter speeds are controlled automatically by the camera. These work in the range 1/2 to 1/2000 seconds, apart from in night mode where a shutter speed of up to four seconds can be used.
All the necessary cables and software to connect the camera to a television, compatible printer and computer are supplied in the box.
Movies can be captured at a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 pixels. The top recording speed is 15 frames per second. Zoom can be used during recording, but no sound is available. The duration of each movie is only limited by the capacity of the memory card.
Ease of Use
With such a cut down feature set you should have no problems using the camera. Zoom is controlled through a ring on the top of the camera, while flash can be set on and off by a button on the back. This camera has as small a number of menu options as I can remember seeing. There is also a short guide available offering tips on how to improve your photography.
Cost
The Olympus FE-210 really is one of the cheapest seven megapixel cameras you are likely to find. You can pick one up for around £90. Similar cameras are the Fuji Finepix A700 (£95), Nikon Coolpix L12 (£120) and the Panasonic DMC LS75 (£125).
Style
Over time I have noticed an improvement in the build quality of lower priced digital cameras. The FE-210 is no exception and it has a good feel in the hand. There is a raised area on the front of the camera to help you get a good grip of the camera when taking a photo. I would describe this as one of the more attractive entry level cameras. It has dimensions of 90 x 62.5 x 30.5 mm and weighs 122g.
Batteries
Two AA batteries are used to run the camera. In the past I have noticed a tendency for Olympus cameras to be heavier in battery usage than other brands. Therefore rechargeable batteries are an option you may wish to consider.
Memory Cards
Olympus have built just 9mb of storage into the FE-210. That is very little for a seven megapixel camera. I was only able to take three photos before the memory was full. Therefore you will need to pick up a memory card with the camera before you can even test it out. It is compatible with xD cards.
Click here to save money on xD cards..
Points I like:
Design
Ease of use
Where it is not so hot:
Indoor lowlight photos
Shutter delay
Minimal memory
Summary
Even taking the low price into account I cannot say the Olympus FE-210 is much of a bargain. Slow to take a snap, minimum built in memory, poor picture quality in lowlight. These are just some of the reasons why I think better value is to be found elsewhere.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Olympus FE-210 Review Olympus FE-210 Specification Olympus FE-210 Sample Images
Review Date
April 2007
