I'm contemplating on buying a digicam (for the first time ever). After few weeks of evaluating and reading, my attention is well focused on Oly 2000Z. I'm quite impressed with the review as well as the reader's feedback.

Lately, I noticed that Oly have come up with 2020Z. The 2020 is said to be something like 2000 but minus a few bugs (e.g. better shutter location, ISO settings during manual mode is now resolved, increased in smart media capacity plus others that I'm not very sure of). It also said to come with video? function.

My questions are :-

1. When the 2020 will be launched world wide and what's the price is going to be like?

2. Are the new upgrades & available features on 2020 worth waiting?

3. Kodak DC280 is a runner up in my list. How do you compare the DC280 to 2000Z when comes to action photography? and buying values?

Lastly, I like your review on photographic images produced by individual digicam. However and apart from still objects, I'm hoping if you could include your review on fast moving images such as motor racing etc.

-- Khairil Anuar (khairil_anuar@hotmail.com), October 26, 1999

Answers

Oly's been mum on any plans to bring the C-2020 to the US, but it would be hard to imagine them not doing so. The major feature (IMHO) is the full-manual mode, which would drastically improve performance when using external strobes in dimly-lit environments. (Right now, the C- 2000 will go to a very long shutter speed when you set it to aperture priority for use with an external strobe, which may not be what you wanted.) My memory is a bit rusty, but I don't believe the DC280 has a shutter-priority metering mode, which would be very helpful for action shooting. Also, the C-2000 lets you boost effective ISO to 400 (at the cost of increased noise), which could really help get to higher shutter speeds. Thanks for the kudos - the problem for us doing a "motion" test image would be getting it consistent, and dealing with the hassle. We can't really do it in the studio, as the amount of light needed to duplicate sunlight is truly astonishing, and beyond our lighting equipment. Indoors or out, there's the issue of what would make a meaningful test target. (Blades on a household fan?) As it is, the current suite of tests is *so* time consuming that we're loathe to add yet more to our platter...

-- Dave Etchells (web@imaging-resource.com), October 28, 1999.

The 280 has less zoom, no ability to take external flash, no aperture or shutter priority, no lens thread, no remote control, no uncompressed format. The oly has all of these. The lens on the kodak is a lot slower.

-- benoit (foo@bar.com), October 28, 1999.