Olympus CAMEDIA C 5050 Zoom 5.0 Megapixel

As a professional photographer and president of International Press Association, I take my photo equipment seriously. I have shot the early photos of Neil Diamond in the 60's and thousands of photos that have been published internationally. For 7 years of selling photo equipment and supplies on eBay, people always ask me what I shoot with.

Well I hate to admit to them that my first digital camera was the Olympus C-3030 which I past down to my son about 3 years ago when I upgraded to the Olympus C-5050. I have shot with this camera to produce all the eBay auction photos I have used in that time. I like the fact that I can set it up on manual and with the aid of a small pc/flash adapter that slips into the hot flash shoe I can hook the camera up to my professional studio flash.

You can see from my auctions how great this camera produces sharp and clean digital photos. The camera is built like a Sherman tank and I have dropped it more then once with no harm to the camera at all. The ergonomics couldn't be better. The camera is small enough to fit in the hand and your fingers will find the grip a natural and comfortable fit. One of the best features of the camera is the rear LCD screen which will pull out and rotate so you can use the camera for low angle shots by simply looking straight down at the extended 90 degree extended screen. Now did you ever want to take a shot in a crowd and hold the camera high above your head? Well with the 15 degree LCD screen in the down position you can.

I also love the fact that this camera accepts "AA" batteries. This means you can purchase rechargeables or even get some Alkalines when in a jam to power it. I was at a recent trade show and forgot to recharge my batteries. I went out to their newstand, bought 4 "AA" batteries and had enough juice to finish my assignment. Tell me how you can do that with some of the manufacturers batteries that come with all the new cameras.

Now if this isn't enough, lets talk about picture quality. The camera has a razor sharp very fast lens and is the only one I believe that came with an F1.8 lens. This means even in very low light situations you will get a shot without a ton of noise. Sure you can buy a newer camera, that you can shoot at 800 or even 1600 ASA, but the noise (we used to call it grain on film) will be worse then you can imagine.

The menu is easy to figure out and adjust and it will also shoot bursts of video too. The reason this camera has been a cult favorite and still demands more then the later models of this camera does is all the above and the fact that any one who dives and shoots underwater knows that this camera is the best. The Olympus company is well known for its support of underwater photography and have made underwater cases for their camera for many hundreds less then Ikelite and other housing companies. You can pick up a used underwater housing on eBay for the C-5050 for around $250 and the camera can go for up to $300 or more depending on condition. I have just put mine up for sale after spending $200 just 10 months ago to completely overhaul it and repair it after a fatal fall.

I had to keep asking myself, is it worth another $200 to repair and refurbish the camera or take the money and addd a couple of hundred to buy a later model. Well after looking around, I made the easy choice of having it factory refurbished. I can tell you it was. Get one of these if you can, it is an A+ that will last for years to come.

This digicam is a real sleeper of a digital camera. I have been using one for Ebay photography for 2 years and it does the job easily and effortlessly. Pluses for this digicam:
Ultra bright F 1.8 Zuiko Glass Zoom Lens
Takes AA NiMHy batteries
Compact Flash Type 1 & II And SmartMedia Memory Media compatible
Rugged Black Aluminum Body construction
Hot Shoe for External Olympus TTl (Through the lens) Flash Units
Peppy performance - Start-up, shot to shot and playback times are pretty fast.
Low light performance is excellent
Excellent White Balance, accurate auto focus and razor sharp images even at lower resolutions.
Bounce flash photography produces excellent results due to the TTL flash control capabilities of the internal electronics
support for RAW file format
Histogram built in is nice
Manual control flexibility is impressive
Major controls are easily accessed onthe camera with physical controls.
Camera is light-in weight but well-constructed
EXCELLENT MACRO LENS performance - perfect for tight close-ups of Ebay items.
Negatives:
Hard to find a low-mileage camera since they have been subjected to heavy usage in pro and semi-pro environments.
Expensive to repair-Olympus has some of the higheset repair rates in the industry.
Battsry life is short using AA alkalines
Optical zoom is only 3X
Small playback LCD screen
BOTTOM LINE: If you can find one for $250.00 or less on Ebay grab it. It will outperform most digicams today going for over $400.00 with a much better feature set to boot.

I am an avid photographer who bought a 3040 for business use when they first came out and has shot over 40,000 pictures with it. I then bought the 4040 for personal use and have shot thousands of pictures with it, and finally now upgraded to the 5050.

THE PROS: I really like having several of the new features, like the titling view screen, and the super macro mode. The new buttons take some getting use to, but they make quick adjustments pretty easy to do. I also was quite pleased that Olympus finally moved to Compact Flash and XD Picture card media in this model, since Smart Media is limited to 128 MB and has become so expensive. I am one of the people who really appreciates the AA battery capability, and even though I sometimes shoot hundreds of pictures a day, do not feel overwhelmed by the 1 or 2 battery changes I have to put up with to do it. The price of 1 spare lithium battery for a competing camera pays for several sets of NiMh AAs and a 30 min charger. Its nice to know that there is almost no place in the world where I can’t get fresh batteries and the model of battery I need will never become unreasonably expensive as time goes on, like the Smart Media Cards have already done. Its super fast lens lets it take great pictures in low light, and it really shines compared to most other cameras in large rooms. You can take reasonable flash picture across a church just with the cameras internal flash. I think its picture quality compares well with any of the other 5 MP cameras.

THE CONS: The camera takes very nice pictures, but unless you are using it in the super macro mode there is little difference between its pictures and the ones I get from my 4040. The jump from 4 to 5 MP is not impressive. Although this model is still considered an Olympus C model, it has several physical differences that make it significantly more fragile than the 3040 and 4040 model. The most obvious is the tilting screen which I am sure most people are quite aware of as soon as thy pick up the camera, but that screen doesn’t seem to have an unusual number of problems compared to competing cameras. However there is an almost hidden design flaw that I think is even more important. The picture mode knob on the upper right side of the camera frequently gets broken on the 5050. On the 3040 and 4040 models it was pretty recessed and as a result they rarely every got damaged. The one on the 5050 is much larger, is not recessed at all, and even has a little wing to make it easy to rotate that easily catches on almost anything it passes. As a result lots of them seem to be getting broken, judging by the number of broken display models in stores, and the ones I have seen on the Internet. When I bought my 5050 I knew it was not nearly as rugged as the 3040 and 4040 cameras so I will be much more careful with it than I needed to be with my older cameras. Despite the massive changes they made to the 5050 they still did not do anything about the lens cap. As with the all-prior models, the lens cap attaches to a tube that the lens extends out of, not to the end of the lens; so it jums the lense mechanism, and just as bad, is very prone to falling off even when you want it to stay on. I never leave the lens cover on except when I put it back in my case. Lastly the 5050 uses a bright red light to help it focus in low light, which upsets animals and can give you away. Previous models did pretty well without this birght light.

I have taken thousands of pictures of my children and scenery during the 3 1/2 years I have had it. The 1.8 lens is fast, and I have taken good pictures at night with no flash. I like the fact it uses AA batteries. I can get about 200-250 shots with a set of batteries.
Although I have had this camera for three plus years, I am still learning more of the features of this camera. Recently I learned I can take a "2 in 1" which means I can take a photo of a man, then take a photo of his wife, and the finished photo comes out with both in the photo, side-by-side. I can also take black and white and sepia, as well as brilliant color photos. The color balance is fantastic. I have no, absolutely no, negatives about this camera, altho if I were to add a feature I would go to 12 optical zoom.
This camera is ruggedly made and is extremely comfortable in your hand. It is made in Japan and the quality is very high.

I've owned this camera for over 5 years now, and have taken literally over 40,000 pictures with it (I just checked My Pictures on my harddrive). That's not counting the over 20 CD-Rs full of CDs I have stashed away. Needless to say the camera is pretty damn bulletproof. Unfortunately I destroyed it on a recent business trip so it's currently at Olympus being completely overhauled for $280 - that's right, I'd rather pay $300 to overhaul it than to buy a new camera - it's that good. I love the fact that it takes AA batteries. If you pair this amazing camera with some quality NIMH batteries and a charger, 512MB of memory or more (which gives me 1024 pictures at 1600x1200 resolution), you'll never run out of pictures. Not once have I ever been able to completely fill both of my 256 memory cards. I've dropped this camera plenty of times, and it never broke. The only thing that ever cracked was the small plastic lens in front of the flash, but that's obviously no big deal. The rear LCD is perfect, because it moves vertically, but it's not flimsy, so even if you bump it, it won't feel like you broke it off (like some of the other cameras that swivel more than up and down. I obviously can't compliment this camera enough - I swear I won't buy another camera, unless I have ridiculous amounts of cash to blow on absolutely nothing.

Great camera - I've owned mine for 3 to 4 years with no reliability problems. I sold it only because I need the money to upgrade to a digital slr. I love this camera! I am a serious hobbiest who shoots professionally on occasion. I used this camera for paying shoots several times. The f1.8 lens is tack sharp and probably the brightest lens I've seen in a camera like this. Its built like a tank with the metal alloy body. The AA batteries are a Godsend. I also like that it takes two memory cards simultaneously. When you fill up one you just press a button to switch to another. Wireless remote is an awesome feature as well. Tilting LCD too - like I said, Olympus really hit the nail on the head with this model and it is still a lot better IMO than most of the new stuff.

Nice camera with lots of features, great quality pictures and a bright f1.8 lens.....while it works !! I had the ccd fail after the warranty ran out (failed about 18 months). I did some research online to see about repair costs and found several people with the same problem with this camera....ccd failing around 14 months or so. I decided not to repair the unit if it was only going to last a year or two. I went with the Canon g6 and am happy with everything so far.

I've owned several Olympus digital cameras that I've been very happy with. The C5050 is similar in many ways to the C2020, which is also a great camera, but the C5050 has more than twice the resolution. The C5050 has every feature even a pro like me could want in a small package, but it can still be used much like a point and shoot; the power is there if you need it. I especially like the fact that it can handle three different digital card formats: Smartmedia (which I have zillions of), Compact Flash (which I can also use in my Nikon) and Xd (which are readily available and reasonable cost on Ebay). Thus, my investment in many Smartmedia cards for my C-2020 is not wasted. I always make up an external battery pack for my cameras so that they don't send me to the poorhouse butying AA batteries; I pay about a pound of additional weight penalty, but I never have to worry about running out of battery power. The movable LCD screen is great for certain situations, such as taking photos over your head, or for copying. The optics are first-rate. Like most cameras I've ever owned, the shutter is too touchy when trying to pre-focus a shot by pressing the button half way down; there should be a separate focus lock control for that. Trying to get the white balance under control has been very difficult with every digital camera I've owned; the manufacturers still haven't gotten that right. The C-5050 has a close-up mode which will get you down to about ten inches, and there's even a SUPER-closeup mode that will let you get within an inch of something, which is occasionally very handy. The battery compartment cover is awkward to close. It has both traditional viewfinder and LCD display, which is ESSENTIAL; the LCD is useless in bright sunlight. Treat the camera a bit gingerly; the lens moves in and out when turned on or off; I suspect it wouldn't take much for the mechanism to get damaged, and it's easy to forget to remove the lens cap, though I've not had any problems with the mechanism. The viewfinder can be focused to suit your eye; very nice. It can even take some video, though I haven't played with that yet. You can also attach a short audio clip to a photo, very useful for recording location, names, or whatever. The camera provides very good control over the built-in flash, and you can also attach an external flash to it. With an inexpensive adapter tube, it will accept accessory closeup and telephoto lenses, and most importantly, filters. Since it has a video output, it's nice to be able to put your photos up directly from the camera onto a TV screen wherever you are. Despite its few minor shortcomings, it's a great camera -- especially if you can get the C-5050 for a reasonable price.

Great camera, I take a lot of close up photographs of Walrus Ivory carvings by Eskimo carvers from St. Lawremce Island and sell them in my Ebay - Store Bering Sea Treasures. I get excellent white balance and focus with the camera. I have tried other cameras and really like the CAMEDIA.
Bering Sea Treasures

I am lost as to why there tons some Excellent reviews and a few poor ones.
I have owned this camera for 3 years now, I originally bought it for SCUBA Diving. I love this camera so much I have sold four different friends on it.
For those complaining about Noise, are you sure its not operator error? I have published numerous pictures from this camera, even in little known publications such as National Geographic.
As far as reliability goes, i have taken over 10,000 pictures with this camera, 2/3 in harsh conditions and its still operates perfectly!
I would recommend getting some IC3 rechargeable batteries from Radio Shack or Wal Mart, 15min to get a full charge on 2000mAh NI-MH batteries. The higher mAh gives me more time to play underwater w/o having to worry about batts dying. I can always get two full dives off of one set.
Being able to put 2 1g cards in the camera also lets me take every shot in SHQ and NEVER run out of memory.
I would (and have) recommend this camera for anybody, beginner to pro.

I bought this camera based upon nice things that I had read about it. I was not disappointed at all. While I am still learning about all this camera has to offer, I have taken some really nice photos with it. I even received some praise over the photos I have taken. I am pleased with the clarity, ease of use, and lens interchangeability. I like this camera better than the newer "flashier" models.

I love the macro pics I take. That is why I just bought another on ebay. I wore my old one out hauling it all over the world. I have never been very happy with pics I have taken indoors, other than macros, but landscapes are also great. There always seems to be something new to learn about it (even after 3 years) and when I don't get great pics, I assume I still have something more to learn.

I needed to upgrade to something that took a high resolution photo, the digital camera I'd been using was an AGFA ePhoto 1260 (which I still use for eBay). After some research I decided to get this one. One of the things I love most about it is that it takes 3 types of cards, Smart Media, Compact Flash, and X-D. I had several SM cards from the AGFA and it seemed like a waste to have to get rid of them.

It has tons of features, I haven't mastered them all. Need to sit down with the manual and really study them so I can get the most out of this.

It came with the remote (you need to set the camera to use the remote, missed that point at first), and you can get an adaptor to use it with the iGo Juice (for those of you using the Juice with your notebook).

I came of age, photographically speaking, shooting an Olympus OM-1 and an OM-2. So the point and shoot cameras that make all the decisions for you aren't much fun for me. Still, after going the SLR route in digital photography (Olympus (again!), I still wanted a small camera I could take with me virtually anywhere (no, it does not slip into your shirt pocket; you'll have to wait for the mini 4/3 system cameras for that), and which would allow me the manual and aperture priority exposure settings I prefer to use. I knew long ago that I loved the 5 megapixel C-5050Z after using a friend's. It has options usually present only in SLRs, and for much less money now that you can get it used; it's optics are superb; and -- proof being in the pudding -- it makes great pictures. Given the optical performance, the small sensor size should be of no concern if you are making normal size prints. 11x14 is easily in reach, and given what I see on the computer screen at 100%, much larger prints should be possible. Yes, there is a bit more noticeable noise on big prints, but, for goodness sake, you don't view a 16x20 print from inches away. For the serious photographer who does post-processing, the opportunity to shoot RAW with a small unit will be welcome. TIFF and several Jpeg options are available too. Shutter priority for action scenes, and aperture priority to control depth of field are godsends in a little camera. I'm set in my ways, so I don't use program mode or any of the multiple "scene" shots, although I'll be tempted to make little video clips (with sound!!) to send in emails. The flash allows slow synchronization effects along with the usual fill flash, auto, etc. The 1.8 maximum aperture (which Olympus changed to 2.8 with the "improved" update of this camera (the C-5060WZ) gives you a little more wiggle room for low light pictures where flash is not possible -- not allowed or where it would ruin the beauty of an available light image. If all one has ever used is a program mode point and shoot camera, there will be plenty to learn with this sweet little classic. For less than $200, you can get a good used one on ebay and start seriously learning the art and craft of photography -- including macro shots down to three inches -- and calculate your own manual exposures using what for many are the mysteries of f-stops and shutter speeds. Making the decisions yourself can become addictive, though. So if you still want to pursue the craft, you can spend the big bucks for a good SLR and lenses knowing already that you like and want the options they will provide you. Buying an SLR to leave on program mode with auto white balance and auto iso setting is a waste of money. You can fine tune white balance manually on the 5050Z. (Get made for digital lenses, though, if you upgrade; film lenses are simply not made to resolve an image onto a sensor. I love this camera, if you hadn't guessed, and even though I'm the happy owner of two Olympus SLRs (the underrated E-300 and the E-510), and want the flagship E-3, I intend to keep the 5050Z until it falls apart and no one can repair it. Since the build quality is excellent, I don't expect that will be anytime soon. Did I mention that cameras that produced good pictures 6 years ago, still produce good pictures, the megapixel wars notwithstanding.

If you're pondering whether or not to buy this camera, just do it. If you later decide you don't like all the options, just put it on program and auto everything.

Similar to the Olympus C-3040, this model has an excellent, fast lens and great manual features. Being able to use three different types of media cards is also a plus. The photos I have taken have been uniformly good. Like the C-3040 and others in this series, the camera is a convenient size, esp for large hands. It is too big for a shirt pocket, but it is big enough to hold steady. Having nothing but good experiences with this series of cameras, I bought the C-5050 for its higher resolution and versatility. The only negative I found was that the camera can only use xD cards up to 512 MB, a fact not often mentioned. All in all, I am quite pleased with the camera.

After 3+ years of owning this camera, I have decided to upgrade...... and YES, to another Olympus product. I have researched and read many different opinions about the performance of this model. Learning how to operate this camera in all of the different modes was very challenging and I suspect it may be for other people. I am a novice photographer and was fortunate to have a good friend suggest taking pictures in the "sports" mode. Needless to say, it was never changed to any other mode. However, if you are not experienced with digital photography, please be aware that what you view on your computer's (72dpi) monitor doesn't necessarily mean the quality will be the same in print. If you are not familiar with the editing process associated with digital photography or don't have the correct program to do use, chances are that you will not be satisfied with the final product either. Hence the greatness of digital photography and the ability to delete (not having to pay for the processing and developing fees associated with film cameras also has its benefits). It could very well be possible that any low-ratings may come from users that suspected that digital photography is easy. Photography is not just about the "pointing and shooting" and expecting everything to be perfect. In closing, you must take care of your equipment and keep it in good working order. If this means having it cleaned and checked out be a seasoned professional.... by all means do so. This camera has helped me to preserve many of my special moments in time. After all, is is a good investment. GREAT CAMERA!!!!!!

I bought this camera along with my km 7d brand new from good guys close out sale about a year 1/2 ago, km 7d was brand new in abox for 500.00 with kit lens, and 5050 was also bnib for 125.00.I am really impressed with how bright the lens is!( so far I think this is the camera with f 1.8 lens ever produced in it's class) the picture quality is excellent,built like a tank all magnesium/ metal body.upgrade so far was adding raynox 5241 lens adapter 52 skylight filter 52-58 adapter ring and sony vcl hd1758 teleconverter, so far this is the best upgrade that I ever did!

I bought my camera secondhand off ebay in late 2004, so it has seen considerable mileage. I take hundreds of shots, many of them macros as I enjoy looking at smaller subjects close-up. I also have a 5X telephoto lens that I can attach via an adapter ring when I want extra zoom capabilities. The image quality is remarkable; the C-5050 is made in Japan and its lens is superb. I recently entered a local gardening-club photo contest and out of seven photos I entered, I won four first places, one second, one third and the people's choice overall - done with this camera. I've had other photos featured in two categories on Webshots. I have numerous albums on Webshots, over 3000 photos in total, and almost all were taken with my C-5050. My personal poetry website is also well-illustrated with shots from this camera.

I find the battery life is impressive; it allows me to take dozens of shots (I can store 250 on my smart memory card) and upload them, without having the four batteries quit. I do have a backup set so they're always charged. I recommend this as an easy solution for those who argue that battery life doesn't please them.

My only gripe would be that the power on-off switch is right beside the settings adjustment dial, so it's possible to inadvertently turn off the power when making adjustments. This, however, is not a major drawback.

As a camera for an outdoors enthusiast who likes taking pics of scenic views, flowers and wildlife, I find the C-5050 an excellent choice for these purposes. It won't deliver stunning telephoto close-ups, or stop-action shots during sports events, but as an all-around, versatile and fairly easy to use camera, it's tough to beat.

I've recently added a C-8080 Olympus for more megapixels and a few added features, but it isn't intended to replace my older camera. The C-5050 has served me well and I will never part with it.

I am writing this review as a layman. I don’t have any real photography experience but I know what I like and what I don’t like. I also like gadgets.

After reading all of the review about this camera, I decided to purchase one for myself. The reviews were right with regards to the quality of pictures. I find them to superb. The 5.0 mp make a real difference. We recently went on a family trip and another family member brought their 3.2 mp camera. We took the same pictures and had those both developed on Ofoto. The ones taken by the 5060 blew away the 3.2mp. The clarity, contrast and sharpness were great on the 5060.

Now, onto the “gadgets” part of the review. I like the fact that I can use either an XD card and/or CF card. I mostly use the CF card and save the room on the XD card for panoramic shots as you can only do this on an XD card. For the regular person, I feel there are WAY too many choices for this camera. I personally like all of the choices but can see how the regular consumer may get frustrated with all of the features. This camera is certainly not your standard point and shoot. I like the option of special effects for the photos. I recently used the sepia feature and it looked very nice. I know many people discussed about the pictures being too sharp. I didn’t find that to be the case. I played with the different settings to see how they affect the pictures. Some were useful others had no real bearing on the quality of picture. I still have not gone through all of the features (as there are so many).

I did find the focus to a bit on the slow side and when I was in Shutter Priority mode, I had a hard time reducing the amount of light coming in. The action mode worked great. I snapped a picture of a roller coaster traveling at 72mph and it was crystal clear. The multi frame mode is a bit slower than I would have liked but still a nice feature nonetheless. The multi frame mode allows you to take several pictures in quick succession. I don’t know the details of the speed but I think a bit faster would have been nice.

The battery time was surprisingly good. I used the camera a full day (taking about 250 pictures) and it was still charged. I know the Olympus battery is quite expensive but found secondary market batteries at more reasonable prices (although I have not purchased on yet) to comment on the quality of the off-brand versions.

The display screen is very nice. There is virtually no delay when you move the camera around and the multi-positions it can placed in are very helpful. The clarity of the screen is good but outdoors it becomes a bit dim.

Overall, I really like this camera. The quality of the pictures, the feel of the body (which is solid – but has a decent weight to it) and the features are key reasons for me buying this camera. As time goes on, I will play with the other features and update this review.

July 12, 2005 Update - Well as much as I like the quality of the photos and the oodles of choices that this camera offers, I'm afraid I must lower it's rating. The control dial that allows you to select different modes has already been repaired once and is now on it's way to getting repaired again. I have always been a Nikon fan and decided to try something different. I guess I'll go back to Nikon. Sorry Olympus!

I originally purchased this camera because it was the closest I could get to an SLR in a point and shoot at the time. DSLRs were still ridiculously expensive, so I wasn't ready to make the leap to DSLRs, yet. I owned this camera for years, before I upgraded to a Canon 20D DSLR and sold it to a friend, who is still enjoying it. After I spent some time learning the menus and options, this camera was very easy and enjoyable to use. The features that I most enjoyed about this camera were the optical zoom and macro. One day I followed a grasshopper around for about 20 minutes and got a great shot when it jumped up on a rock and I was able to get a shot from below. If you do a Google search for Flickr grasshopper jgoldpac, you'll find it. For a point and shoot camera, this camera offers lots of flexibility and was fun to use.

I have owned this camera since 2003 and it has failed me miserably. I have attempted to take it on two major vacations where it has completely broken down. First time was the failure of the barrel to extend after a minor tumble off of an TSA inspection machine while packed in a padded case. This month the electronics failed on day 1 of European vacation. When it works it can take a fantastic image if you can survive the shutter lag time. Maybe I got the lemon in the bunch but this is the most unreliable camera I have ever owned.

I must say when I got the camera I loved it. But after about 6 months I started having little white lines run across the photos. I have come to find out that there is a service repair advisory out for this camera. Check out the Olympus website for more info. It is olympusamerica dot com and click product support link and then the "c series" link and then the "c-5050 zoom" link and you will get a more detailed description of what issues this camera has.

Bought my C5050 3 years ago used (from eBay). Very happy with the pictures. Has all the shooting modes you could ask for. Pictures are as good or better than my daughter's Canon. Viewfinder is invaluable as most of my pictures are taken outside in the sunlight.

Minor issues: ON/OFF switch easy to break (but Canon fixed it for $39), LCD is small by current standards, and is kind of a power hog (thank God for relatively cheap Ni-MH AA batteries).
Major pluses: Feels great in the hand. Auto focus is very accurate. Color and clarity is great. Low light pictures without flash possible, even hand held, with the fast 1.8 lens. Takes up to 2 GB SD card which is over 400 pictures in HQ mode (yields jpg file = 1.2-1.5 MB/picture).

Very happy with camera. Even as a 'gadget freak' I feel no need for new camera.