Olympus FE-20

The FE series from Olympus focuses on slim design, ease of use, and competitive pricing.  While at the basic end of the line, the FE-20 nonetheless offers 8.0 megapixels of resolution and 3x optical plus 4x digital zoom in a compact 3/4" thick body (0.85" including the lens collar).  17 shooting modes and in-camera help make capturing challenging subjects easy even for beginners.  While effective, this model's Digital Image Stabilization ("DIS") amounts to little more than automatic ISO control and fast shutter speeds (contrast this with the built-in gyro sensor and Digital Image Stabilization Edit of the FE-320 and FE-340, or the sensor-shift Dual Image Stabilization of the FE-370).  More impressive is the camera's ability to recognize and track faces, adjusting focus and optimizing exposure for the best possible "people pictures."  The FE-20 is no slouch in the video realm either, capturing 15 or 30 fps at either 320 x 240 or 640 x 480 resolution.

Where to Buy

Olympus FE-20 3
MSRP $129.99
Release date January, 2008
Brand Olympus
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Pros & Cons25
Reviews4
Details
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Competitors8
Comments
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Pros & Cons

ProSCORE
3 reviews
52
negative
mixed
positive
1 positive
1 mixed
1 negative

[i] How is the ProSCORE calculated?

show me!

Pros:
Do you agree?
•
affordable price
+3agreedisagree

•
nice size preview screen that makes it easy to see your shot
+3agreedisagree

•
facial recognition
+2agreedisagree

•
pictures can be blown up to poster size and still remain sharp
+2agreedisagree

•
performed well in snap shooting on total auto setting
+2agreedisagree

•
microSD support
+2agreedisagree

•
size of the camera is convenient
+1agreedisagree

•
slim and compact design
+1agreedisagree

•
in-camera help guides
+1agreedisagree

•
long lasting rechargeable battery
0agreedisagree

Cons:
Do you agree?
•
3x optical zoom
+2agreedisagree

•
poor video recording resolution
+2agreedisagree

•
limited image stabilization
+1agreedisagree

•
basic point and shoot
+1agreedisagree

•
the video does not put out sound
+1agreedisagree

•
there is a delay in going back to watch your pics
+1agreedisagree

•
I have to keep going back to manual to undo features because there are way too many options.
+1agreedisagree

•
camera won't set panorama mode
+1agreedisagree

•
instructions are vague and confusing
+1agreedisagree

•
2.5" screen
+1agreedisagree

•
feels cheap
+1agreedisagree

•
unattractive design
+1agreedisagree

•
Does not shoot in RAW format.
+1agreedisagree

•
Does not perform auto bracketing to allow for HDR Photo's.
+1agreedisagree

•
Does not allow you to expand Auction Mode from 640x480
+1agreedisagree


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Details

Features

  • 8.0 megapixel CCD sensor -- up to 3264 x 2448 resolution
  • 3x optical zoom (36 -- 108 mm equivalent)
  • Slim 3/4" body
  • 2.5" display
  • Digital Image Stabilization
  • Face recognition
  • 13 scene modes
  • 1/2000 sec. -- 1/2 sec. shutter speed (up to 4 sec. in Sunset mode)
  • 30 and 15 fps video capture
  • Sensitivity to ISO 1000
  • Supports xD-Picture Card natively; microSD memory with MASD-1 adapter
  • Uses LI-42B Li-ion Battery
  • Charger, USB cable, A/V cable, wrist strap, MASD-1 adapter, Olympus Master 2 Software included

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This report was started October 14, 2008 at 2:20 pm by Rick Rae
with the last edit occurring August 19, 2009 at 8:17 am by Andrew Dansby
This page has been viewed 2177 times, with 68 edits by 6 contributors.
See the full report history »

Buy It

Competitors

Kodak EasyShare M340

Kodak EasyShare M340

MSRP  $149.95    Released  November, 2008
Pros
  • affordable price
  • respectable quality photos
  • easy to use
Cons
  • 3x optical zoom
  • no viewfinder
  • screen is useless in bright sunlight
ProSCORE
3 reviews
58
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Olympus FE-20   vs. vote Kodak EasyShare M340  
Samsung S760

Samsung S760

MSRP  $120.00    Released  December, 2007
Pros
  • affordable price
  • operates on affordable and easy to find AA batteries
  • available in black, silver, blue, and pink
Cons
  • 3x optical zoom
  • basic point and shoot
  • uses AA batteries (not a dedicated battery pack)
ProSCORE
1 review
56
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Olympus FE-20   vs. vote Samsung S760  
Kodak EasyShare C913

Kodak EasyShare C913

MSRP  $99.95    Released  November, 2008
Pros
  • affordable price
  • utilizes easy to find, affordable, and capacious SD/SDHC flash storage
  • uses easy to find / rechargable AA batteries
Cons
  • feels a little lightweight / flimsy
  • a very basic point and shoot
  • extremely basic image stabilization
ProSCORE
1 review
55
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Olympus FE-20   vs. vote Kodak EasyShare C913  
Canon PowerShot A470

Canon PowerShot A470

MSRP  $129.99    Released  January, 2008

The Canon PowerShot A470 is a low-priced digital camera from the PowerShot series and is available in a variety of different colours. It comes equipped with a 7 megapixel CCD and 3.4x optical zoom. As with other models in the PowerShot Series, the A470 is built with Face Detection technology to capture accurate colours...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Olympus FE-20   vs. vote Canon PowerShot A470  
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S730

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S730

MSRP  $129.98    Released  January, 2008

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S730 is a budget-priced digital compact camera. It features a 7.2-megapixel Super HAD CCD and 3x optical zoom (along with Sony's Smart Zoom feature and five-point auto-focus). The DSC-S730 has a 2.4-inch LCD display and a High Sensitivity Mode (ISO 1250). Aside from 22MB of built-in, internal memory, the Cyber-shot DSC-S730...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Olympus FE-20   vs. vote Sony Cyber-shot DSC-S730  
Kodak EasyShare M1063

Kodak EasyShare M1063

MSRP  $129.95    Released  November, 2008

The Kodak EasyShare M1063 is a mid-grade compact digital camera with a 10.3 MP resolution for high-quality prints up to 30” x 40”. It features a 3X optical zoom Aspheric Lens that also allows for 5x digital zoom for even larger pictures. In addition, the M1063 supports high-definition image capture in 16:9 format, as...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Olympus FE-20   vs. vote Kodak EasyShare M1063  
Kodak EasyShare C1013

Kodak EasyShare C1013

MSRP  $129.95    Released  November, 2008

The Kodak EasyShare C1013 is a light and compact digital camera with a 10.3 MP resolution for high-quality prints up to 30” x 40”. It features a 3X Optical Aspheric Zoom Lens designed for taking close shots without losing picture quality. In addition to capturing JPEG/EXIF images, the EasyShare C1013 also supports QuickTime motion...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Olympus FE-20   vs. vote Kodak EasyShare C1013  
Fujifilm FinePix J10

Fujifilm FinePix J10

MSRP  $129.95    Released  May, 2008

The Fujifilm FinePix J10 is a budget point-and-shoot camera. Users can select from several scene modes, but no other options are offered to further customize image settings. Features such as face detection and true image stabilization, found in mid- to high-end digital compacts, are not offered by the J10. Digital image stabilization mode senses...

ProSCORE
0 reviews
N/A
Vote! (0 votes)
vote Olympus FE-20   vs. vote Fujifilm FinePix J10  

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Comments

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Reviews

Sort by: Most helpful  •  Newest  •  Most positive

vsaxena911

avatar
May 18, 2009
ProSCORE
50
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
5 cons
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Pros

  • nice size preview screen that makes it easy to see your shot
  • pictures can be blown up to poster size and still remain sharp
  • performed well in snap shooting on total auto setting
  • size of the camera is convenient
  • long lasting rechargeable battery

Cons

  • the video does not put out sound
  • there is a delay in going back to watch your pics
  • I have to keep going back to manual to undo features because there are way too many options.
  • camera won't set panorama mode
  • instructions are vague and confusing

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

ralli

avatar
May 29, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
55
negative
mixed
positive
6 pros
5 cons

Pros

  • affordable price
  • nice size preview screen that makes it easy to see your shot
  • facial recognition
  • microSD support
  • slim and compact design
  • in-camera help guides

Cons

  • 3x optical zoom
  • poor video recording resolution
  • 2.5" screen
  • feels cheap
  • unattractive design

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Andrew Dansby

avatar
August 19, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
62
negative
mixed
positive
5 pros
3 cons

Pros

  • affordable price
  • nice size preview screen that makes it easy to see your shot
  • pictures can be blown up to poster size and still remain sharp
  • performed well in snap shooting on total auto setting
  • microSD support

Cons

  • Does not shoot in RAW format.
  • Does not perform auto bracketing to allow for HDR Photo's.
  • Does not allow you to expand Auction Mode from 640x480

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

Yale

avatar
May 11, 2009
approved
reviewer
ProSCORE
33
negative
mixed
positive
2 pros
4 cons

Pros

  • affordable price
  • facial recognition

Cons

  • 3x optical zoom
  • poor video recording resolution
  • limited image stabilization
  • basic point and shoot

Did you find this review helpful?
Yes
 / 
No

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This product is also known as:

FE, 20, FE20