3. Handling, Strength, Build

The sturdy but light build of the C-8080 makes a good impression. It is very good to handle, and its stability and overall comfort withstand the effects of time very well. This is partly due to the matt black and rough surface, both of which give it a very convincing professional look. Though it comes across as a no-nonsense camera, it has to be said that it is short on elegance (though this is a matter of taste). The huge lens on front spoils its overall appearance and you get the unpleasant feeling that it is wobbly. Compactness is not its strong point either, even though it doesn't take up that much room. For the rest, maneuvering it is a tricky operation.

Quite frankly, we reckon its navigation system is a failure. You have to choose between buttons (either the joypad at the back or an ordinary button) and the jog dial, and even though there is an icon to tell you how on the screen, it's still puzzling. Adjusting white balance is a dreadful business and gets to you in the end. Of course, things improve after a while, but the fact remains that the C-8080 is inconvenient and disconcerting.

On the "attitude" side, Olympus has made an odd choice. Although the C-8080 is definitely a prosumer camera, it works more like a digital compact. Zooming is done by using two buttons at the back (using the thumbs) and manual focus by a control at the back as well. So you find you can't use the zoom lens and adjust the focus at the same time. This is what happens on most digital compacts, and you wonder why the heck Olympus didn't think to put the zoom control ring directly on the lens shaft. Very strange.

A final word on the LCD screen at the back. This can be pulled out and tilted to about 70°. Why not? The Canon system is better, as the screen can rotate in all directions, but you can't honestly criticize Olympus for trying to match it. It's better than nothing.

With practice, the C-8080 gets easier to use, but when you see the tremendous photos it produces, you have trouble understanding the manufacturer's choice of ergonomics. Still, this choice will be liked by some and hated by others and we make no claims to objectivity.