FE-3010 MAGN DIGICAM 12MP 3X OP ZOOM 2.7 LCD HIGH review

Sample photos:
Olympus FE-3010

Considering its price tag, photo quality from the FE-3010 is good, but on an overall scale they're fairly mediocre and the 12-megapixel resolution is really a waste. The positive aspects are accurate, natural-looking color and solid white balance performance. Everything we shot--in the lab and in real-world testing--looked soft regardless of ISO, though. Fine detail wasn't very good, but the detail that is available remains decent up to ISO 800. I can't recommend this camera for action photography, low-light shooting, or for making prints larger than 5x7 inches. Small prints and photo sharing on the Web are about it, making it an inexpensive option for Facebook and the like.

The Olympus FE-3010 is one of many cameras available that has a design and spec sheet above its price point and might leave you feeling duped once you start using it. Honestly, though, its picture quality is indicative of its class--and in some respects better than the competition--leaving its pokey performance as the big deal breaker.

Shooting speed (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Time to first shot

Typical shot-to-shot time (flash)

Typical shot-to-shot time

Shutter lag (dim)

Shutter lag (typical)

Kodak EasyShare M1093 IS

2.8 

1.4 

1.2 

1 

0.5 

Canon PowerShot A480

1.8 

5.6 

2.7 

0.6 

0.6 

Nikon Coolpix S220

2.2 

3.3 

3 

1.3 

0.8 

Pentax Optio E70

2.4 

4.2 

3.3 

1.2 

0.6 

Olympus FE-3010

2.5 

8.7 

7.3 

1.2 

0.9 

Typical continuous-shooting speed (in frames per second)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

Typical continuous-shooting speed

Kodak EasyShare M1093 IS

2 

Nikon Coolpix S220

1.3 

Canon PowerShot A480

0.6 

Pentax Optio E70

0.6 

Olympus FE-3010
N/A

Find out more about how we test digital cameras.