Dakota

Olympus C-7000- attachment disorder

I almost forgot to announce the arrival of a new baby - an Olympus C-7000 . I am having a very difficult time bonding with it. This is the third camera the stork has dropped in my lap in the past month. I gave back a Nikon 8800 for its bulk and lens cap, and a Canon Powershot S70, (which would have been my next logical choice since I'm using an S40 now) for it's complete inability to focus near or far .

There is a possibility that the Olympus C-7000 wll work for me. Ostensibly it is quite a sophisticated instrument. I really wouldn't know, because I can't figure out how to use the damn thing. The paper "manual" looks substantial, but is, unfortunately, written in twelve languages, with three pages of instruction per language. Those three pages get you to the point of using the on/off button. For whatever you might like to know subsequently, and believe me, that is everything, you must go to the Advanced Manual, which is made available on CD, for heavens sake. How the hell are you supposed to haul around a CD with you as a reference. I suppose you can print out all 198 pages onto 8x10 sheets of paper and lug the dissertation-sized, three pound manuscript with you. But then, why buy a teeny tiny camera in the first place? Paper manuscripts crumple all too easily in the abyss of a purse anyway, even if you can unearth a staple big enough to hold the whole thing together.

I decided to call Olympus in India to find out if there was something a little more practical available to the consumer. I was told by my representative that they do print out the manual from the CD as a customer service for a mere $10. It's bit more compact than the one you can print out yourself, since there are four pages per 8x10 sheet of sleazy paper. "Is it bound?" I inquired. "No, but it IS stapled." Those big staples are such a selling point.

As I honed my sarcastic edge and whined more shrilly, (taking out my intense frustration on the oppressed, which I try not to do) I was told that it would simply be too costly to provide a printed Advanced Manual. TOO COSTLY!!!!! We are talking about a $500 piece of equipment here.

Maybe they wouldn't have to print ALL 198 pages in ALL twelve languages. An English version would be a good start. Maybe they could have it printed in bulk in India for a pittance, since they're already outsourcing .

Do not expect to see any photos taken with my unfathomable C-7000 anytime soon. As far as I'm concerned, it came without adequate operating instructions, , and requires an eidetic memory to master its intricacies. As you know, I do not have one of these, and, combined with a split second attention span, I am looking forward to months of frustration.

And I'm probably not finished complaining either. My best fantasy is that I will receive a letter from the public relations department of Olympus, who has happened upon my blog via google, thanking me for my constructive criticism and asking me for my real name and address so that they can send me a complimentary, waterproof, laminated, compact, bound Advanced Manual which they developed at my suggestion. NOW I'm finished. I await it's arrival with eager anticipation .

Photo note: A quick and artless shot to give you an idea of the size of this baby

Posted by Dakota at December 3, 2004 04:13 PM