The 10X zoom lens adds some kick to an otherwise average 4-megapixel camera.Though it lacks the black accents of its sibling, the Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom passes as a nearly identical twin to the C-740 Ultra Zoom. At a slightly heftier 425 grams, equipped with its four AA nickel-metal-hydride batteries and media card, the C-750 delivers the same solid performance, broad feature set, and respectable image quality. Four key features differentiate the two: The C-750 supplies a slightly higher 4-megapixel resolution, includes a hotshoe for a TTL external flash, supports audio recording for movies, and ships with a remote control and a set of batteries with a charger. It bears the same 10X, 38mm-to-380mm zoom lens (in 35mm-equivalent terms) and offers all the same shooting, exposure, and metering options that make up the satisfyingly full feature set.
The C-750 also performs like its sibling, with a perceptible shutter lag that can approach as much as 4 seconds and typically takes 3 seconds from shot to shot. The flash requires slightly less time to recharge than the C-740's does, at least with rechargeable cells, and the batteries last as long, but the C-750 produces larger file sizes that bog down the burst speeds to a maximum of about 1.6 frames per second. It also suffers from the same, somewhat erratic zoom response.
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| Like its 3.2-megapixel twin, the C-750 produces sharp pictures with good shadow and highlight detail, as well as decent colour balance. | |
Though the C-750 has a slightly higher resolution than the C-740, it doesn't deliver better image quality, but the extra pixels let you crop in closer on some details. Test images from the two cameras look extremely similar on all counts, right down to the tendency toward in-camera over-sharpening that exacerbates the otherwise mild noise. And like the C-740, the C-750 offers overall image quality that's about average compared with that of other 4-megapixel models.
We think the C-750 is a solid choice if you want the long zoom. And it's probably a better deal than its twin--you don't pay a significant price premium, and you get the bundled batteries and remote. Think of the extra resolution as a windfall.
Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom
Company: Olympus
Price: ~AU$1,099
Distributor: Selected resellers
Phone: 1300 659 678
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I've owned a C-740 for almost 4 years and never noticed any "image noise-exacerbating in-camera sharpening". Typical uninformed review.