Product Description

If there are three things that characterise the Olympus FE-230 they are style, ease of use and a great price. Measuring just 16.5 mm thick, this supermodel?s slim stainless metal body cuts a great figure wherever it?s taken. Its easy operation and 7.1 Megapixel CCD makes capturing first rate photos a cinch. A large and roomy 6.4cm LCD screen means that framing shots is effortless and viewing results an absolute pleasure. The FE-230 makes a big impact thanks to a diminutive slim-line stainless metal body that?s just 16.5mm thick. Image quality is second to none thanks to the TruePic TURBO image processor and 7.1 Megapixel resolution. Proving that its beauty is more than skin deep, a 3x zoom lens and a big 6.4cm LCD screen allow users frame their shots with ease, and makes viewing results a joy too. Handling the FE-230 is genuinely intuitive, with the camera incorporating a ?one button, one function? design principle. A mode dial lets users conveniently choose between the camera?s eight different shooting programmes, which include High ISO Setting mode with ISO 1250, Super Macro and Movie recording with sound. Ideal for happy snappers, 18 preset scene modes are on board to make easy work of familiar photo situations. These include special Underwater modes which (when used with the optional Underwater Case PT-038) give the freedom to take fun shots up to 40m below the water?s surface.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9519 in Consumer Electronics
• Brand: Olympus
• Model: FE-230
• Released on: 2007-01-30
• Dimensions: 21.65" h x 35.83" w x 6.69" l, 1.55 pounds
• Display size: 2.5

Features

• 7.1 Megapixels3x optical zoom2.5 LCD screen20 MB Internal memory plus xD-Picture Card slotCombined A/V & USB outputMovie recording with sound up to card capacitySupplied with Olympus Master software + LI-42B lithium ion battery2 years warra

Manufacturer's Description

Easy, stylish and ultra-slim

If there are three things that characterise the Olympus FE-230 they are style, ease of use and a great price. Measuring just 16.5 mm thick, this supermodel’s slim stainless metal body cuts a great figure wherever it’s taken. With its easy operation and 7.1 Megapixel CCD, capturing first rate photos is a cinch. A large and roomy 6.4cm LCD screen means that framing shots is effortless and viewing results is an absolute pleasure.

The FE-230 makes a big impact thanks to a diminutive slim-line stainless metal body that’s just 16.5mm thick. Image quality is second to none thanks to the TruePic TURBO image processor and 7.1 Megapixel resolution. Proving that its beauty is more than skin deep, a 3x zoom lens and a big 6.4cm LCD screen allow users frame their shots with ease, and makes viewing results a joy too.

Benefits

Cuts a great figure wherever it's taken

Go compact without compromising quality. The FE-230 makes a big impact with its slim-line stainless metal body that’s just 16.5mm thin.Compact and stylish there is no longer any need to miss a beautiful sunrise, the 16.5mm thick FE-230 can fit in your bag without the bulk and weight of traditional cameras, while the 3X zoom lens offers you a versatility that enables you to capture a wide range of subjects from landscaped wildlife through to close-ups of a single stem. Framing and viewing is easy with the large 2.5'' LCD screen so its ideal for Snapshooters.

Easy Operation with One Button, One Function

The FE-230 is a well priced for a camera that not only looks good but is also designed for ease of use. This consumer friendly camera comes with the very popular ‘one button, one function’ that will have some people breathing a sigh of relief. Your essential, everyday functions are now accessible via this nifty single button. So whether you want to share your pictures on the 2.5'' LCD, capture a fleeting moment or quickly erase something it is all just one click away. Handling is genuinely intuitive!

Built in Guide Function

With so many factors to consider in different environments, we can be at the mercy of our surroundings. Whether it’s the time of day, light quality, wind or subject matter - choosing the right settings for your photograph can make or break a shot and feel time intensive. With this camera you can take a back seat and use one of the 18 preset scene modes on board to make easy work of familiar photo situations. Scroll quickly and easily through the mode dial to select one of the programs. Even beginners can achieve great results when shooting in a variety of familiar situations thanks to the scene modes, such as Fireworks or Self Portraits.

Let the camera take control

A mode dial lets users conveniently choose between the cameras eight different shooting programs, which include High ISO Setting mode with ISO 1250, Super Macro and Movie recording with sound. Ideal for happy snappers. These include special Underwater modes which (when used with the optional Underwater Case PT-038) give the freedom to take fun shots up to 40m below the water’s surface.

Its all about good memories

An xD-Picture Card slot and the internal memory make for plenty of storage space, so the photo shoot can continue as long as you wish. And, the Olympus Master software included with the camera means that editing and archiving pictures on the computer is refreshingly uncomplicated. High Image quality is guaranteed thanks to the TruePic TURBO image processor and a resolution of 7.1 Megapixels.

Key features

• 7.1 Megapixels
• 3x optical zoom (equiv. to 38-114mm on a 35mm model), 1:3.1-5.9
• 6.4cm / 2.5'' LCD
• Stainless metal body
• 18 scene modes (including Underwater Wide and Macro)
• High ISO setting (ISO 1250)
• Movie recording function (30 fps, VGA) with sound up to card capacity
• 16.5mm slim stainless metal body
• 'One button, one function' design principle
• Supplied with Olympus Master Software and LI-42B lithium ion battery
• Multi-language menu with 25 languages
• Underwater case (40m) PT-038 optionally available

 

Ultra stylish, ultra slim. This camera is an absolute joy to use.

 

Box Contents


• Olympus FE-230 Digital Camera
  
• Handstrap
  
• Instruction Manual
  
• Warranty Card
  
• Li-42B Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Battery
  
• Li-40C Charger
  
• Olympus Master 2.0 Software
  
• CB-AVC5 Video Cable
  
• CB-USB7 USB Cable

Customer Reviews

Beautiful little camera - shame it can't take pictures !
Shame - Shame - Shame !!!
I've used Olympus cameras for the past 30 years and up and till now have been pleased with each one I've owned but unfortunately this is not the case here.

The camera is a bit of a babe magnet - it certainly doesn't scare the girls away by causing unsightly bulges in your trousers and when it's turned on only about 2 inches sticks out - the girls go "ooh" & "aah" & "isn't it little" then quickly strike a pose as it starts flashing in their direction.

The design of the camera is well thought out - it is sleek and stylish with drop-dead gorgeous looks. The zoom control is around the shutter release which is a lot nicer & more intuitive to use than the rocker switches found on the back of most compact cameras. The LCD screen is a good size and fairly easy to see in bright sunlight - certainly easier than the screens on my E-1 & E-510. The operating buttons on the rear are logically placed and though you have minimal manual control of the exposure provide quick access to settings such as flash & macro.

Although not supplied with a memory card it has 20MB on-board which is far more useful than a 16-32MB card which normally gets included with compacts only to be disgarded & lost once a 'proper' sized card is purchased. The kit includes a wrist strap, battery charger, USB & video cables and Olympus Master 2 software - everything you need to get the pics from the camera to your PC or TV. The separate battery charger is welcome as some cameras require the batteries to be charged in the camera which means the camera is out of action until the charging is complete. With a separate charger and a spare battery you need never be waiting for the camera to complete a charging cycle.

I purchased this little beauty as I wanted something small enough to carry with me at all times and that would provide better quality images than my 5 megapixel camera phone. Unfortunately - VERY unfortunately I found that images from my camera phone (at the wide end) were of much better quality . Images from the FE-230 tended to be washed out and soft - actually more often than not they were blurry - switching to anti shake mode only ups the ISO so introduces noise and rarely did it cure the blurriness which I suspect was caused by the camera failing to focus correctly. At the wide end the barrel distortion was horrendous and corner sharpness was non-existant at both ends of the scale. If I shot anything dark against a bright background I would be guaranteed to see the dreaded purple fringing and on top of all that the auto white balance was a joke.

I quickly swapped the FE-230 for an Olympus MJU 790 and the difference is like night and day - the 790 is bit larger and heavier and its bulge in the trousers certainly scares the girls a little more but they come running back when they see the lovely pics I've taken of them - something I couldn't do with the FE-230.

Very poor picture quality despite Olympus brand
This camera looks and feels great - I can't fault the styling and the features. However, I am extremely disappointed by the picture quality. The sad fact is that this camera does not capture what you see. Colours are washed out and not representative of "the real thing". I discovered this when taking a few pics of a lovely pinky-orange sunset. When I got the picture onto my computer I was saddened to see the depth of the colours had been completely discarded by the camera. Also, there is no sharpness to the images captured, they all look poorly focussed and blurry, especially when you inspect them closely on a computer monitor. It seems that jpeg compression cannot be disabled for shots taken with this camera, so perhaps the jpeg compression is to blame for this lack of definition in the shots. Overall - very disappointing. I can't recommend this camera. There is far better to be found, even at this low price point.

Exceptional Quality
I've had this camera for several months now and I have been hugely impressed by it. Considering the low price the image quality is exceptional, it also records very good quality videos for a compact camera. There are a few minor problems; its difficult to know the amount of battery life remaining until its about to run out. The use of XD cards is a bit annoying as hardly any other products use them. These are both negligible however as the quality of the pictures and the build of the camera are wonderful and are above what you would expect for what is quite a cheap camera.