In summary
Sturdily built with a large LCD monitor, the Olympus Camedia AZ-1 combines some nice picture-taking facilities with superb picture sharing. Played-back photos and video clips look great on the large screen, which is bright and easy to view – even by several people at once. Only two controls adorn the back panel: the wide and tele rockers and the menu/OK button. The right side panel carries the on/off switch, still, movie and playback slider, and back/next toggle. A wheel accesses menu settings and the shutter button is elevated at one end. . . [more]
Full review
Sturdily built with a large LCD monitor, the Olympus Camedia AZ-1 combines some nice picture-taking facilities with superb picture sharing. Played-back photos and video clips look great on the large screen, which is bright and easy to view – even by several people at once. Only two controls adorn the back panel: the wide and tele rockers and the menu/OK button. The right side panel carries the on/off switch, still, movie and playback slider, and back/next toggle. A wheel accesses menu settings and the shutter button is elevated at one end. The lens is in the top corner and the battery/card compartment in the camera’s base. No viewfinder is provided. Twenty-two scene modes make shooting simple and users can group shots into albums for in-camera storage.
The test camera delivered well-exposed shots in most situations but highlight detail was lost in bright outdoor lighting. Colour saturation was moderate. The white balance performed well, despite having only four pre-sets. The maximum exposure is four-seconds but shots were relatively noise-free. The test camera was quick to power up and shut down. Capture lag averaged 0.7 seconds, reducing to 0.3 seconds with pre-focusing. The burst setting captured shots at 0.9 second intervals.
Strengths
- Sturdily constructed
- Large LCD screen makes sharing pictures easy
- Above average picture quality
- Supplied with docking station
Weaknesses
- No optical viewfinder
- Limited low light capabilities
- Average AF response times [BG05]
Specifications
Image sensor: 5.7 x 3.95mm CCD with 3,340,000 photosites (3.2 megapixels effective)
Lens: 5.8 17.4mm, f2.9-4.9 Olympus zoom lens (equivalent to 38-114mm lens in 35mm format)
Zoom ratio: 3x optical, 2.6x digital
Dimensions (wxhxd): 94 x 67 x 22mm
Weight: 160g (without battery & card)
Retailers
CamBuy
www.cambuy.com.au
Digital cameras, lenses and accessories with 100% genuine Australian manufacturer’s warranties.
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The largest speciality photographic retail chain in Australia.
Camera Pro
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CameraPro Pty Ltd
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Australian owned and run company based in Brisbane.
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Retailer of digital camera equipment and more.
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Camerastore.com.au
Camerastore.com.au
Ph: 1800 155 067
Camera-Warehouse
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Comprehensive range of digital cameras and accessories online (www.camera-warehouse.com.au) and an online print service (www.royalexpress.com.au).
Digital Camera Warehouse
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174 Canterbury Road 367 High Street
Canterbury Northcote
NSW 2193 VIC 3070
Ph: 1300 365 220
Electronics Warehouse
www.electronicswarehouse.com.au
1300 801 885
Australian retailer of Vapex rechargeable batteries offering factory direct prices and fast, free shipping Australia wide.
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Ted’s Cameras
1800 186 895
Big range of cameras and photographic products with stores in most states and online.
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