Olympus C-2000 Zoom

In fact, following the trend started by the CoolPix 950, if you choose to go with the SHQ setting, you don't lose much at all in terms of image quality. Look really close and you'll see compression artefacts, but these don't mar the overall picture quality in the way that affected the Fujifilm MX-2700 or Kodak's DC-240 (reviewed issue 56, p179). In either mode, the Olympus still can't match Canon's Pro 70 for sheer depth of detail and colour balance, but it's an extremely close-run thing when compared with the Nikon CoolPix 950. If anything, the Nikon edges it by a smidgen, with slightly smoother and fractionally crisper edges, but it's close enough not to make a discernible difference.

Once you've taken your photos, they can be transferred to your desktop PC or notebook using a standard serial connection coupled with Olympus' own TWAIN software, though this can be frustratingly slow, or you can go for the optional floppy disk adaptor. This method, which allows you to plug your SmartMedia card into a floppy disk-shaped unit that in turn can be read by a floppy drive, is much quicker but adds £60 to the price of the camera.

Ultimately, the C-2000 Zoom may not be quite as well featured as the CoolPix 950, or include as impressive a software bundle as Adobe Photoshop 5 LE, but at £638 it's a little cheaper. This, coupled with its superior ease of use and reliable image transfer software, just about sways the argument in favour of the Olympus C-2000 Zoom.

Author: Jonathan Bray