The Olympus FE-280 is a small, snapshot camera. It has 8 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens. At a shade under 20mm wide it fits easily into a pocket. The FE-280 is also one of the most lightweight cameras around. Its body is made of stainless steel and it is available in four different colours.
Image Quality Olympus FE-280 test shots
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
Looking at the test shots there are common themes that run through a number of the photos taken with the FE-280.
Starting with the first outdoor scenic photo, this is a bright shot and I like the balance the colours have. Sharpness is roughly inline with other similarly priced digital cameras, although there is a tendency for the focusing to drift towards the edges.
Sun glare is not handled especially well. This leads to a loss of detail on the boats in the shot. Some of the blue lines also have a purple tinge to them. This is something common to many Olympus cameras.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
Moving on to my test where the lens is completely zoomed out I can see the loss of sharpness towards the edges as in the first outdoor shot. This problem is more of an issue with this camera than with many others. In fairness some allowances need to be made when taking the price of the camera into account.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
Once again the loss of sharpness as you move towards the edge of the photo is noticeable. The balance of the colours is a plus point in this photo.
Outdoor Portrait
If this photo had been a shade brighter then I would have been delighted with it. As it is I really like the colours. The skin tones in particular are spot on. Using face detection helps the photo and with the subject being closer focusing is much better.
Indoor Portrait with Flash
This is another photo where the FE-280 does well. The flash level the camera uses is right for the conditions. This helps to retain colour in the shot. As with the outdoor portrait focusing is sharper than in my more distant outdoor tests. No red eye showed up in my test.
Indoor Portrait without Flash
Here the FE-280 manages to outperform many other cameras. Darker areas cause a slight problem, but this is a brighter effort than many cameras manage and detail levels are impressive.
Colours
I have been pleased by the colours in all my test shots. No colour stands out and overpowers others. The balance between the colours has always been good and there is a natural feel to the photos.
Macro
The FE-280 produced a bright and clear macro shot. The camera should be able to take acceptable macro shots in most situations.
ISO 400
Inevitably noise creeps into the shot as you increase the ISO setting. Even so I think this camera handles the lighting better than many others. This helps it to retain extra detail that other cameras lose.
ISO 1600
Even at ISO 1600 the FE-280 performs better than other cameras have managed. Not surprisingly there is a loss of detail at this setting, but colours remain relatively true.
Overall
My tests place the FE-280 somewhere in the middle rank. It is not really a camera for producing stunning scenes at distance, but it should cope well with general snapshots and portraiture.
Shutter Lag
A single photo took 0.47 seconds, with five photos taking 9.86 seconds. These are slightly longer than I would like to see. Turning on the flash increased the lag times. A single photo took 1.08 seconds. Five photos took 13.36 seconds. These are more average times.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: Very slim and lightweight. In many respects the FE-280 is a typically rectangular model, although it does have rounded edges. It is available in silver, blue, black and red.
Dimensions: 91.8 x 55.7 x 19.1 mm
Weight: 108g
Batteries: Lithium ion. Olympus supplies a battery and charger as standard.
Memory cards: A generous 48mb of memory has been built into the camera. I was able to take 31 photos before the memory was full. The camera is also compatible with xD memory cards.
Click here to save money on xD cards.
Ease of use rating: Good. A simple set of features make this a straightforward, snapshot camera. The menu system could be better designed in my opinion, but the key controls are at your fingertips.
Points I like:
Simple design - lightweight
Where it could improve:
Photos could be sharper
Alternatives
The best value pocket camera I am currently aware of is the Canon IXUS 70. Another good option is the Fuji Finepix F50 FD.
Verdict:
Without being anything extra special the Olympus FE-280 does the job it sets out to do. It is more at home with closer photo opportunities rather than sweeping, scenic shots. You should have little problem getting to know the camera.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Olympus FE-280 Summary |
| Description: | 8 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom |
| Ease of Use: | 8 |
| Features: | 7 |
| Colour: | 8 |
| Macro: | 8 |
| Indoors: | 8 |
| Value for Money: | 8 |
| Style: | 8 |
| Movie Mode: | 8 |
| Image Quality: | 7 |
| Build Quality: | 8 |
| Total: | 78 |
| Verdict: | A pretty standard pocket camera. Image quality falls somewhere midrange. It scores well for easy of use and is one of the most lightweight cameras on the market. It looks good without being a style icon and is available in a selection of colours. The FE-280 is also one of the cheapest pocket models around. |
| Review Date: | January 2008 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Features |
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