Olympus FE-370 Digital Camera Review

In a nutshell the FE-370 is a snapshot camera with a bit of extra zoom. It compares well against other similar cameras and offers good value for money.

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom) I think this is a good start. The FE-370 is not the most expensive pocket camera out there, but it produces a bright shot with well balanced colours. Sharpness is good too with only a relatively small amount of crispness lost as you hit the edges of the shot. Detail lost to the inevitable sun glare at this time of year is in line with my expectations.	Outdoor 2 (No Zoom) With the lens zoomed all the way out to its widest angle the FE-370 makes another fair effort. Parts of this scene are very distant, but for the most part the amount of detail is good. As long as your expectations are not too high you should be able to take some pleasing landscape snapshots.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom) This is another solid effort. Focusing slides a little on the right hand side of the shot as the scene becomes more distant, but this stays well within acceptable bounds. This is another photo where I like the colours and brightness of the shot.	Outdoor 4 (Building) My final outdoor test confirms that the FE-370 is one of the better cameras in its class when it comes to sharpness. I would give the camera 8 out of 10 for focusing.
Outdoor Portrait There is plenty of colour in this shot. The overall impression is quite pleasing. This is another example where focusing is good, with face detection being used to increase sharpness around the eyes, nose and mouth.	Indoor Portrait with Flash Olympus digital cameras have a tendency to create greater shadows that any other brand of camera I test. Therefore a bit of extra care can be needed when lining up your shot. .This photo is very well lit and the lighting is also well balanced across the photo.
Indoor Portrait without Flash This photo was taken with window light and the flash was not used. Again I like the colours and there is a natural feel to them.	Colours I have been impressed with the colours throughout all my tests. In many cases they have a natural look to them.
Macro If you are looking to take great macro shots then I would suggest a more expensive camera. The FE-370 does well enough though and if you are after a camera that can handle the occasional close up snapshot then this one should be able to cope.

ISO 400 and ISO 1600 - My higher ISO test shots are inline with expectations. Noise shows in the darker areas before you reach ISO 400. At 1600 a lot of the picture quality has gone.

Overall - The FE-370 does more or less exactly what it sets out to do. It handles most photo opportunities and ranks well when compared to other cameras with a similar specification and price tag.

Shutter Lag and Recycling Times - There are no real issues with shutter lag. A single photo tool 0.33 seconds and five photos clocked 9.83 seconds. With flash times were 0.43 seconds for a single photo and 11.82 seconds for five. To turn the FE-370 on and take the first picture took 3.83 seconds.

Style - This camera has a simple design. To be honest it is quite plain, but then it is rare to find super stylish cameras in this price range. It will squeeze into a large pocket.

Dimensions - 94.7 x 56.7 x 25.3mm

Weight - 128g

Batteries - Lithium ion. Olympus supplies both a battery and charger with the FE-370.

Memory Cards - 48 megabytes of memory has been built into the FE-370. This is enough for around 24 shots. It is also compatible with both xD and micro SD memory cards.

Ease of Use Rating - Excellent. You should not have many problems finding your way around the menu system.

Points I Like - Ease of use - picture quality compared to other cameras in its class.

Where it Could Improve - Not a great deal

Alternatives - An alternative digital camera offering similar quality, size and price tag is the Sony DSC W170 The DSC W170 offers a wide angle lens.

David Tymon's verdict - I have few complaints about the Olympus FE-370. If you are looking for a reasonably priced, compact digital camera this one is well worth considering.

David Tymon works with Cameras.co.uk


The Olympus FE-370 costs around £129 and is available from Warehouse Express here:

Olympus FE-370