The Olympus FE-210 is a very simple, starter digital camera. It is available for well under £100. In fact this is one of the cheapest current digital cameras from any of the known brands. The FE-210 is a seven megapixel camera with a three times zoom lens.
As well as price the other main attraction of this camera is ease of use. When it comes to features the FE-210 really is a simplistic model. Many features that you normally see even on this type of camera have been discarded. The upside of this is that you are left with one of the easiest cameras you are likely to find.
The plastic body feels quite solid and build quality is good for a camera in this price bracket.
One area where cheaper cameras sometimes make compromises is with the size of the LCD screen. This is not the case with the FE-210 as Olympus have still included a large 2.5" LCD screen. Not only is this a help when you are composing a shot, it also helps to make it easier to read the menu options.
In my tests I found the camera to be quite battery hungry. I have found this with a number of cheaper Olympus cameras when compared to rival brands. In fact sometimes I can take a set of batteries that no longer work in Olympus cameras and still be able to use them in cameras made by other companies. Therefore if you are considering buying this camera I would suggest investing in a set of good quality rechargeable batteries. Not only will this help to minimise running costs you also get longer running times from a set of rechargeable batteries than you do from standard alkaline ones. The FE-210 is compatible with AA batteries.
The FE-210 is quite lightweight. It weighs 122g. It is on the large side for fitting into a pocket. The camera is 30mm wide. It does have a useful grip for taking hold of when taking a shot. This helps to keep the camera steady and so contributes to controlling camera shake.
Another compromise concerns the size of the built in storage. There are only a lowly nine megabytes of memory built in. If you are taking seven megapixel photos or shooting movie footage then the internal memory will be full in no time. The camera is compatible with xD memory cards. It is advisable to include the cost of a high capacity card in your budget.
