C 8080 Widezoom

[Whitetip]

Just when I'm getting used to the c5050 + pt015 , along comes a mega 8 million pixel masterpiece from Oly ( or at least so reputed . )
Anyway , this model is still very much in its infancy and even prices are difficult to come by here in the UK .
Therefore question is , anyone in these hallowed forums tried one yet ? Is it as hot as its touted ? I'm particularly drawn by the 5 times zoom and the very slight shutter release lag . Also , with regards to the Oly dedicated underwater casing , how does it deal with the c8080 pop up flash ? Or do you have to use the extra flash gun and its underwater casing ?
Technology sure is running ahead in leaps and bounds .
My c5050 is only a couple of years old , does a sterling job both above and below water and I am devastated to discover that this model is now discontinued by the company . Not only that , it appears to have lost more than half its value in that period of time , which does make me wonder about the sanity of keeping up with all these tech advances .
Caveat Emptor I say , and unleash the criticisms ( or plaudits even ) of this piece of Kit .
Any input gratefully received

 

[gfisher4792]

No experience, but does anyone really need 8MP (which is the majority of the price, I believe), if all they want are 4x6 prints? Professionals photogs aside, it seems the Oly 5050 is still a good piece of kit for most everybody. But if you have the cash, more power to you.

 

[gfisher4792]

BTW, a quick search on Yahoo Shopping came up with a range of US$649 - $1500.

 

[Waterbase]

I'm seriously considering buying the 8080. Since I don't own an underwater setup yet, I figure I should get the latest stuff available. The camera seems good, and gets good reviews on the internet, both from specialised websites and users -all based on land usage though. The Olympus uw case (pt-023) that should be available by mid June does have some issues though, as it needs some free room for the pop-up flash. Yuzo's site is not very enthousiastic about it (to say the least), but the comments seem to focus on the size of the case. I don't mind that so much. Ikelite is producing as case too, but without room for the flash, so you would need (Ikelite!) strobes if you need any extra light.

See http://www.scubaboard.com/t48576.html for more details and discussions.

 

[caveseeker7]

The main advantage I see for UW photography with the 8080, and the 5060 for that matter, is the wide angle portion of the lens. As for the image size, consumer 8MP still don't deliver the quality of 6MP or 8MP pro SLRs, likely due to the size of the imager as well as the lenses.
If 5 MP isn't enough for the prints you need or want get Altimara's Genuine Fractals and learn how to use it.
I've seen enlargements from 3MP cameras that are very impressive using Altimara's algorithm.

 

[ReyeR]

I got to play with one recently. If you don't mind the size, esp. of the housing, and you are in the market for a new camera then I think you can't go wrong with it. The zoom is very responsive, it now makes my C5050 feel like a snail. The autofocus/shutter lag/hunting is still there in low light conditions, so if you're looking for DSLR responsiveness you'll be disappointed. RAW files are slow. How well the wide angle adaptor will work is still ambiguous as it's not clear if Olympus has learnt from their last disaster with the C5060 wide angle flat port. The PT-023 has a space on the top to accomodate the pop-up flash.

Here's a link to some of my comments:
http://www.scubaboard.com/showpost.php?p=590139&postcount=41

 

[fpoole]

I haven't heard anything "REALLY" outstanding on it, nothing to upgrade from a 5050 if you're fine with the way it shoots...
The Size is a negative along with the CCD?, second hand comments, are that it's more of a rush to get 8mpix out on the market than it was to bring out a "Better, Higher Quality" camera... in other words, the 5050 (5060) is probably the camera of choice for most.
Footnote:
Keep in mind when you get these "UW Setups" that you're chained to the specific camera.... when the camera goes out of production you might consider getting a back up in case of flooding AND they can't repair NOR replace it... most of the stuff becomes a fancy door stop.. Housing, synch cords etc...
I'm not seeing the 5050 nor the D100 out in the magazines so guessing they are retiring?? just a WAG on my part...