Olympus FE-240

The Olympus FE-240 comes housed in a metal casing and is just 17.4mm thick. It comes with Super Macro Mode, 15 scene modes, ISO of up to 1000, internal memory of 20 megabytes and 'one button, one function' design.

Olympus FE-240 News Release

The 5x zoom Olympus FE-240

With the new FE-240, Olympus has successfully packed extraordinary magnification power into a surprisingly compact camera body. A 5x zoom lens enables users to close-in dramatically on the action from afar. Yet, despite having to incorporate this high-performance lens, the slim and stylish metal body – available in either silver or black – easily slips into any pocket. A straightforward “one button, one function” design and a big 6.4cm LCD screen make using the FE-240 a pleasure – and a 7.1 Megapixel CCD means that the photos are brilliant too! The Olympus FE-240 will be available in UK camera shops from February 2007 with an estimated price of £180. For further information call 0800 0720070 or visit www.olympus.co.uk.

The FE-240 has a lot to boast about – a 5x zoom lens (equiv. to 38-190mm on a 35mm camera) matched with 7.1 Megapixel resolution, all housed in a metal body that, at just 17.6mm thick, is so slim that the camera is the perfect constant companion for those who demand power, compactness and quality.

Like all FE series cameras, this model is wonderfully easy to use due to its “one button, one function” design. Even beginners can achieve great results when shooting in a variety of familiar situations thanks to 15 special scene modes, such as Fireworks or Self Portraits. All main functions are conveniently controlled using a mode dial that allows users to choose quickly between eight different programmes including a High ISO Setting mode with ISO 1000 and Movies with sound.

A slot for optional xD-Picture Cards complements the internal memory, allowing virtually limitless recording capacity. Finally, the Olympus Master software included with the camera makes editing and archiving pictures on the computer a cinch.
The Olympus FE-240 – main features:

* 7.1 Megapixels in a stylish metal body available in silver or black
* 5x optical zoom (equiv. to 38-190mm on a 35mm model), 1:3.3-5.0
* 6.4cm/2.5” LCD
* “One button, one function” design principle
* Super Macro mode from 3cm
* TruePic TURBO
* 15 scene modes (e.g. Cuisine, Fireworks, Self Portrait)
* High ISO Setting mode (ISO 1000)
* Internal memory plus xD-Picture Card slot
* Movie recording with sound up to card capacity
* Supplied with Olympus Master software + LI-42B lithium ion battery
* Multi-language menu with 25 languages

Olympus FE-240 Reviews

CNET has a review of the Olympus FE-240 and writes, "Though its performance was disappointing, the FE-240's images were actually quite nice. Colors were accurate and neutral--even indoors, a tricky thing to accomplish with a camera's automatic white balance. Fine details came through clearly, and we saw very little lens distortion. ... Despite the Olympus FE-240's sluggish performance and almost complete lack of manual settings, it's still a pretty good camera for new users. If you simply want to take decent photos and don't want to fiddle around with a lot of menus and buttons, it's a acceptable choice. Its price may seem a bit high for such a simple camera, but its photos look good, it's easy to use, and it's small enough to take almost anywhere."

CNET has a review of the Olympus FE-240 and writes, "Despite the Olympus FE-240's sluggish performance and almost complete lack of manual settings, it's still a pretty good camera for new users. If you simply want to take decent photos and don't want to fiddle around with a lot of menus and buttons, it's an acceptable choice. Its price may seem a bit high for such a simple camera, but its photos look good, it's easy to use, and it's small enough to take almost anywhere."

Steve's Digicams has a review of the Olympus FE-240 and writes, "Though the FE-240 is not our first pick in the ultra-compact class, due to its "only OK" image quality and "slower than most" shooting performance. I was happy to see that this model showed better performance than past Olympus models. With a generous 5x optical zoom lens, loads of easy to use exposure modes, high-quality 2.5-inch LCD, durable exterior, and a price tag of US$249 or less, I feel it still rates a "good value" for a camera in this class."

Cameras.co.uk has a review of the Olympus FE-240 and writes, "There is nothing I like more than a good, sharp photographs. Unfortunately the level of sharpness in my outdoor scenic photos is well below par. There is nothing particularly different or difficult about the three outdoor photos I take. The first one zooms in, but not to the full extent of the zoom, the second one uses no zoom and the third one full zoom. Therefore I expect better levels of sharpness than I can see with the FE-240. ... A longer zoom lens and a pocket sized design are great ideas. However I was very disappointed with the Olympus FE-240. Looking back over my tests I cannot remember being less impressed by any other camera for a while. Sorry Olympus, but this camera just does not work for me."

Digital Camera Review has a review of the Olympus FE-240 and writes, "If you have your eye on a new Olympus FE model and have a bit more to spend than you would on the FE-230, I would point you towards the FE-240, with its 5x optical zoom. They’re essentially identical cameras, except for the lens. While camera speed is not amazing and LCD is not always great outdoors, the camera takes solid, pleasing images. If you’re also looking for an affordable, slim camera with a 5x optical zoom, the FE-240 also fits the bill."