Olympus D-320L


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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
by Allyn Fratkin, with help from Larry Granger, Steve Maller, Tom Lane, Darrell Walker, Richard Kershenbaum, Giuseppe Brandizzi and others on rec.photo.digital.

Last update: May 7, 2003

  1. I bought a used D-320L, how can I get a manual, cable, software, etc.?
  2. Where can I get a D-320L and how much will it cost?
  3. Olympus 16MB SmartMedia upgrade is over.
  4. My thoughts on the 16MB SmartMedia issue
  5. Free FlashPath adapter offer is over.
  6. Panorama software available now.
  7. What is the D-340L and is the D-320L obsolete?
  8. What are the D-320L Specifications?
  9. What are the System Requirements?
  10. What accessories are included?
  11. Is the resolution real or interpolated?
  12. Is the CCD "progressive scan"?
  13. Batteries:
    1. What are the best choices?
    2. How long do they last?
  14. SmartMedia RAM cards:
    1. How many images can I save on a card?
    2. Do I have to use Olympus brand SmartMedia cards?
    3. Where can I get SmartMedia cards?
    4. How do I know what to buy?
    5. What sizes can I use?
    6. Can they be write protected?
    7. What does SSFDC mean?
  15. Image downloading and uploading:
    1. How do I download images from the camera to my computer?
    2. What are the best settings to download images?
    3. What is the download speed?
    4. How can I set the download directory?
    5. I'm having trouble downloading to my Macintosh.
    6. Can I upload photos back to the camera?
    7. When should I use the TWAIN driver?
    8. How can I get more useful filenames?
    9. Where can I get FlashPath drivers for Macintosh?
    10. Where can I get FlashPath drivers for Windows NT?
    11. Where can I get FlashPath drivers for Windows 98?
    12. Where can I get FlashPath drivers for Windows 3.1?
  16. AC adapter/power supply:
    1. What are the specs for the AC power supply?
    2. Should I buy an AC power supply?
  17. How does the Video Out feature work?
  18. Can I change the video to PAL output?
  19. How does the Panorama feature work?
  20. When will the Panorama software be available?
  21. What information does the camera save with each image?
  22. What is the Macro Focus Distance?
  23. What are the Flash modes?
  24. Can I protect my photos from accidental erasure?
  25. I'm having trouble getting the "erase all" function to work?
  26. How do I turn off that infernal beeping?
  27. How can I clean the color LCD screen?
  28. What is the wiring diagram of the serial connector?
  29. What are the white spots appearing on my pictures?
  30. Can I use a D-320L for video conferencing?
  31. What is the difference between the D-320L and the D-220L?
  32. What is the difference between the D-320L and the C-820L?
  33. My question wasn't answered. Where do I go for more information?

  1. I bought a used D-320L, how can I get a manual, cable, software, etc.?

    Here is a link to the D-320L Instruction Manual in pdf form. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required).

    If the above link doesn't work, start at the Olympus America web site, go to the Digital Camera Section, and then look in the Support section for Brochures & Manuals.

    Items frequently needing replacements are available from Amazon:

    Olympus Emporium (direct sales from Olympus) has these and many other products (e.g., printed instruction manuals) available at high prices.

    Most D-320L cameras only take 8MB Smartmedia cards and these are no longer available at retail. Your best bet is probably eBay, where 8MB cards seem to be in the $5-$9 price range (plus shipping). Search for "8mb smartmedia" on eBay now.

    If you need replacement software, Olympus has downloads for Windows and Macintosh. Click on the name of your operating system to go to the downloads page.

    If the above software links don't work, start at the Olympus America web site, go to the Digital Camera Section, and then look in the Support section for Software Downloads.

    Other accessories you might want to consider from Amazon:

    For any other questions, I suggest you contact Technical Support from Olympus America.

  2. Where can I get a D-320L and how much will it cost?

    The D-320L is long obsolete.

    There are typically several available at any given time on eBay. Some are refurbished and others are simply "used". The prices seem to be in the range of $50-$100. Search for "D-320L" on eBay now.

    When buying a used or refurbished D-320L, be sure to ask whether it has received the 16MB upgrade (allows use of 16MB SmartMedia cards) if that feature is important to you. Most used cameras have probably not had the upgrade.

    The original price of the D-320L was $699. After several $100 price drops, the price was $399 by the time it was discontinued.

  3. Olympus 16MB SmartMedia upgrade is over.

    Olympus announced an upgrade program for D-320L (and D-500L and D-600L) owners that provides compatibility with the new 16MB SmartMedia cards.

    The upgrade was $49.95 for D-320L owners and ran from October 1, 1998 through December 31, 2002.

    Bravo to Olympus for finding a way to work around Toshiba's midstream SmartMedia specification change and provide compatibility to first generation SmartMedia cameras.

    While I don't personally feel an extreme need for 16MB compatibility (I don't plan on sending my camera in for upgrade), I am very impressed at how Olympus has handled this issue and stood by their customers. They could have easily said "tough luck" to older camera owners and just kept their eye on the future. But they went "the extra mile" and made everyone happy.

  4. My thoughts on the 16MB SmartMedia issue

    There has been a heated discussion on rec.photo.digital regarding a recent announcement by Olympus that the new 16MB SmartMedia cards are not backward compatible with the available cameras (D-220L, D-320L, D-500L, D-600L).

    I honestly don't understand why some folks are just so worked up about this issue and are sure Olympus "did it on purpose". (not a quote, I'm just trying to paraphrase). A reason to never buy another Olympus? Come on. All of the other cameras that used SmartMedia are similarly afflicted.

    Sure, I had hoped to use larger SmartMedia cards in my D-320L. But I was never certain that larger cards would work or not since the manual didn't promise anything and I was careful to note that on this site. Besides, I can typically store 50+ HQ1 images on an 8MB card. That really isn't too restrictive.

    I have to believe that rendering early SmartMedia devices incompatible was the last thing that Toshiba wanted to do but that there was some compelling technical issue that forced their hand. So instead of abandoning SmartMedia altogether they made a hard (unpopular) decision and went forward.

    The only bad guy here is Toshiba for changing the SmartMedia specification after devices were already in the field. I don't see how Olympus can be blamed for this.

  5. Free FlashPath adapter offer is over.

    The offer of a free FlashPath adapter with the purchase of a D-320L ($99 value) ended on December 31, 1998.

    Click here for the mail-in coupon.

    This offer is available in the United States and Canada. The FlashPath adapter will be sent by mail.

  6. Panorama software available now.

    The panorama stitching software is finally available. Olympus has decided to supply QuickStitch from Enroute. Apparently Olympus decided to trash their version that was to be integrated with the utility software. QuickStitch is a standalone stitching program.

    I had hoped that users would have received the new CD automatically from Olympus but so far this has not been the case. To obtain the software, go to the Olympus feedback page, explain that you'd like the software and they will mail it to you. Be sure to include your postal address.

    My quick review of QuickStitch is that it is limited in that it can only create panoramas up to six images wide (but it can also stitch up to 6 images in the vertical direction to make a 6x6 square). The stitching function itself works fine when it can correctly identify the overlap points and stitch the images correctly but it just as often fails completely. And since it has no way to hand-tweak the overlap, you're often left with a useless pile of wasted images that can't be turned into panoramas.

  7. What is the D-340L and is the D-320L obsolete?

    On March 18, 1998, Olympus announced the D-340L. The D-340L is similar to the D-320L and D-220L but has:

    • 1280x960 resolution in HQ and SHQ (SQ mode is 640x480)
    • 2x digital zoom, using LCD display as viewfinder
    • 4MB SmartMedia card included
    • macro focus as close as 4 inches
    • sequence mode to take up to ten images in half-second intervals
    • internal memory to recover for the next shot "up to 3 times faster"

    For more information on the D-340L, see Olympus D-340L or the Press Release.

  8. What are the D-320L Specifications?

    See the Specifications page.

  9. What are the System Requirements?

    Taken from the D-320L box:

    Windows IBM PC/AT compatible

    • Win 3.1, 95, NT 4.0
    • CD-ROM Drive required
    • 16 MB RAM or greater required
    • 45 MB minimum available HD space
    • Standard RS-232 Interface (D-SUB 9-pin connector) (see below)
    • Monitor with 256 colors; 640x480 screen res.

    Macintosh

    • 68040 CPU or later
    • MacOS 7.x or later
    • CD-ROM Drive required
    • 16 MB RAM or greater required
    • 45 MB minimum available HD space
    • Macintosh standard serial port
    • Monitor with 256 colors; 640x480 screen res.

    The available serial port requirement for PC compatibles is often difficult to meet since most computers have two serial ports and one is typically used for a modem and the other is often used for a serial mouse, leaving none free.

    Clint Hastings sent me email with the recommendation that users use COM1 for the Olympus camera, connect their mouse to COM2, and configure their (internal) modem as COM3. The limitation of this setup is that since COM1 and COM3 share an IRQ they can not be used simultaneously. So no surfing the web while downloading images!

    Another possibilty is switching from a serial mouse to a PS/2 mouse if your hardware is capable. Mice are not too expensive, and this would free up a serial port that could then be dedicated to digital camera uploads. This is a more convenient solution, but it is only an option if your PC has a PS/2 mouse port. A PS/2 port is a small round connector. Your PC keyboard either uses a PS/2 port or the larger (also round) AT connector. You would need a PS/2 port specifically for the mouse.

  10. What accessories are included?

    • 2MB SmartMedia card
    • 4 AA alkaline batteries
    • PC cable
    • Mac adapter cable
    • Video cable
    • Strap
    • Olympus Utility software (missing panorama feature)
    • Adobe PhotoDeluxe 2.0 software
    • Trial Edition of Inmedia Sights & Sounds software
    • Canada only: AC adapter

  11. Is the resolution real or interpolated?

    Real. The CCD size is listed as 810,000 pixels. This is larger than the 786,432 pixels needed for 1024x768 resolution.

    This means the brightness of each pixel is not interpolated. However, digital cameras under about $5000 interpolate the color. That is, each individual pixel of the CCD can only record one of red, green, or blue. To generate an R, G, and B value for each pixel, the missing value is interpolated ("guessed") from nearby pixels. This interpolation can sometimes lead to color fringing near high-contrast edges.

  12. Is the CCD "progressive scan"?

    Not on the D-320L. A progressive scan CCD reads (scans) the image data from top to bottom in one pass. Interlaced (the opposite of progressive) CCD units read an interlaced image in two passes, similar to the way a TV displays an image.

  13. Batteries:
    1. What are the best choices?

      Lithium for disposables or NiMH for rechargeables, probably.

      Note that lithium batteries are very expensive, around $9-$15 for a set of four, but also last a really long time. (Tip: Home Depot carries lithium AA batteries for $4.17 for a two-pack, making a set of four just $8.34. Wal-Mart charges $4.97 for a two-pack, making a set of four just $9.94).

      NiMH batteries are supposed to be better than NiCd batteries for rechargeables. Olympus sells NiMH batteries for the D-320L.

      The bad news is that NiMH batteries are rumored to suffer from rapid loss of charge when not being used (I've heard 3-5% loss per day). NiCd batteries lose charge much more slowly (< 1% / day).

      Tip: if you decide to use NiCd batteries, try to get the new longer life ones. CostCo sometimes sells a set of four Panasonic 1100 mAh batteries with charger for $15. Older NiCd batteries hold only about half that charge, 650 mAh.

    2. How long do they last?

      Not long enough! We went through two sets of alkalines the first day we had the camera.

      For rechargeable batteries, NiMH (nickel metal hydride) are supposed to be better than NiCd.

      Darrell Walker sent me email to report his findings with a set of "High Capacity" NiCd batteries from Radio Shack (about $14 without charger). On a single charge, Darrell was able to "take ~60 photos, probably 20 of those with flash, download all of them, view most of them on the LCD, [with] 3 sessions of viewing them on TV (~10 min). I also took about 10 of them using the LCD as a viewfinder (macro mode)."

      For non-rechargeable batteries, lithium is the clear choice. My wife and I bought a set of Eveready lithium batteries ($15 at a mall camera store) and installed them in our camera on October 10, 1997. They finally ran out on November 21, 1997 but then revived enough to take about five more shots with flash a day later. The final results: 230+ images taken, more than half of those with flash, and most of them downloaded from the camera on battery power. We also used the LCD screen extensively for image review, typically reviewing each image right after taking it, and even did a short video out test. Even considering the price, lithium batteries are so convenient, we've taken to using them almost exclusively.

      Tip: if you use alkalines, save the batteries after you remove them from the camera. They still have a lot of life left and can be used in other devices.

  14. SmartMedia RAM cards:
    1. How many images can I save on a card?

      The minimum number of images that can be stored is shown below (according to the instruction manual). In practice, the actual number is higher (e.g., 36 SQ images on a 2MB card instead of 30). The number varies according to the compressibility of the images already taken.

      2 MB4 MB8 MB
      SQ3060120
      HQ1102040
      HQ24816

    2. Do I have to use Olympus brand SmartMedia cards?

      No. All brands of SmartMedia cards work in the D-320L. There is no reason to use Olympus brand cards other than brand loyalty.

    3. Where can I get SmartMedia cards?

      Some local retailers may have them in stock. CNET Shopper, a price monitoring service, has a list of mail-order internet retailers with good prices for the Simple Technology, Microtech International, and Viking Components 8MB cards.

      Ritz Camera stores (nationwide locations) stock the 8MB cards.

    4. How do I know what to buy?

      SmartMedia cards come in two voltages, 3.3v and 5v. Olympus cameras take only the 3.3v model. Be careful not to purchase 5v cards or cards larger than 8MB; they will not work. (If you send your camera to Olympus for the 16MB Smartmedia card upgrade, then you can buy 16MB cards).

    5. What sizes can I use?

      SmartMedia cards in 2MB, 4MB and 8MB sizes work fine. 16MB and larger SmartMedia cards will not work in the D-320L or any other Olympus camera released prior to the D-340L unless it has been sent in to Olympus for the upgrade.

    6. Can they be write protected?

      Yes. Olympus SmartMedia cards comes with a sheet of write protect stickers. These stickers look like self-stick circles of aluminum foil that are affixed to the top of the SmartMedia card. The stickers can be used only once.

    7. What does SSFDC mean?

      SSFDC, or Solid State Floppy Disk Card, was the original name for SmartMedia (before the name SmartMedia was thought up). See the SSFDC web site and the Toshiba SmartMedia System Description for more info.

  15. Image downloading and uploading:
    1. How do I download images from the camera to my computer?

      The cheapest (but not the fastest) method to get the images into the PC is simply to connect the camera to an available serial port on the PC (the required cable is included with the camera).

      There are three additional options: a PCMCIA card adapter (~$50) (PCMCIA cards are the thin cards that laptops use), a floppy disk adapter called "FlashPath" (~$80), and an external SmartMedia reader box that connects to either your PC's parallel port or USB port (~$50). See a photo of the FujiFilm floppy adapter or read more about FlashPath from Fischer, the company that makes it.

      The SmartMedia card slips into the PCMCIA adapter which is then inserted in a PCMCIA slot on a laptop computer. For a desktop PC, you would have to purchase and install a PCMCIA slot (extra cost). Your desktop PC also needs an ISA slot and two available IRQ settings, one for the PCMCIA slot and one for the PCMCIA card. The SmartMedia card is accessed like a removable hard drive at memory transfer speeds (only a few seconds to copy each image to your hard disk). When the PCMCIA adapter with SmartMedia card is inserted into the PCMCIA slot, a new hard drive (drive letter) appears in Windows Explorer. The files are copied from the SmartMedia card simply by dragging and dropping onto the hard disk. The PCMCIA adapter is by far the quickest way to transfer files from SmartMedia cards.

      The FlashPath floppy adapter works similarly: the SmartMedia card slides into an adapter shaped like a 3.5" floppy disk which can then be read just like a floppy disk on any computer with a floppy drive (after loading special software drivers). The FlashPath adapter is read/write and can be used as a multi-megabyte "floppy disk". Although the transfer speed is similar to an actual floppy disk, it is still faster than using the serial cable for image download. Drivers for Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 are usually included with the SmartMedia adapter. For other operating systems, it is usually necessary to download the drivers from the Internet (see below).

      The external SmartMedia reader is a small box with a SmartMedia slot that sits in front of your computer and connects via cable to the parallel port on the back of your PC. A similar model is available that connects to a USB port (probably requires Windows98). The parallel model has a "pass-through" cable connector so that you may also connect your printer. For both models, drivers must be loaded on your PC. Typically these external readers act similarly to the PCMCIA adapter: when the SmartMedia card is inserted into the reader, a new drive letter appears in Windows Explorer. If you have other pass-through devices already connected to your parallel port, you may not be able to use an external parallel SmartMedia reader. If you have USB available, that is a much better alternative.

    2. What are the best settings to download images?

      In the PC version of the software, when downloading images, a "Save File" dialog box appears that has several options along the left-hand side that control the downloaded image with checkboxes to enable each one (file format, file size, number of colors). All checkboxes should be unchecked (which also disables the other selection areas). The software should then deliver the unadulterated output of the camera. Choosing a file format, size or color depth will either waste disk space by using more space than necessary to encode the image, or recompress the image with JPEG which will lead to further image degradation (or both).

      Although I have not seen it myself, I am told that the Mac software is similar.

      Tom Lane, JPEG expert, did a great deal of research into the output formats of the European Camedia software for the C-800L (D-300L), which I believe is an earlier version of the software that ships with the D-320L. Read Tom's article at DejaNews.

    3. What is the download speed?

      Using the serial transfer method, with the Olympus Utility Software set to 115200 bps, SQ mode photos (640x480, <66k bytes) download in about 11 seconds. HQ1 mode photos (1024x768, <200k bytes) download in about 18 seconds. HQ2 mode photos (1024x768, <500k bytes) download in about 30 seconds.

      A full 8MB card takes over 16 minutes to download at 115200 bps.

      The FlashPath, PCMCIA adapters and external SmartMedia readers transfer files much faster.

    4. How can I set the download directory?

      This information applies to Windows95 and Windows98 only.

      The default download directory (which is first presented as the directory in which to save the downloaded images) is the current working directory of the Olympus Utility software, which defaults to the program installation directory.

      This directory may be changed by modifying the "Start in" directory of the Shortcut used to start the program. If you have a shortcut on the Desktop, simply right-click on it and bring up the Properties window, or if you use the Start menu, click on Start->Settings->Taskbar...->Start Menu Programs->Advanced..., navigate down to the C-2.1W95E shortcut, right-click on it and bring up the Properties window. Go to the Shortcut tab, and change the directory where it says "Start in:" to any directory you prefer. Click OK.

    5. I'm having trouble downloading to my Macintosh.

      MacFixit, a web site loaded with "Troubleshooting Solutions for the Macintosh", has a whole section dedicated to Troubleshooting Digital Cameras.

      Apple also has a web page with suggestions in their Technical Info Library.

    6. Can I upload photos back to the camera?

      Yes. This feature could be used to create a custom set of images for a slide show.

      For example, when visiting relatives, create a custom slide show of your best images. After the show, delete the images and record new ones on the reusable SmartMedia card.

      When using the Olympus utility software, any JPEG file can be uploaded to the camera, not just those that originated in the camera itself. The uploaded images must be one of the same resolution sizes supported by the camera (1024x768, 640x480). Using a FlashPath or PCMCIA adapter or external SmartMedia reader, only original, unedited camera images can be uploaded.

      Uploading images with the utility software is a very tedious process since each file must be selected, processed by the utility software, and uploaded individually. There is no batch processing mode.

    7. When should I use the TWAIN driver?

      As far as I can tell, there is no reason to ever use the TWAIN driver. The TWAIN driver is the interface used for "acquiring" an image directly into a graphics program. The TWAIN interface was originally written for scanners where it makes more sense.

      Here's the problem: the TWAIN driver presents an uncompressed version of the original JPEG file output by the camera to your graphics program. When you decide to save the file you have two options: save it as a JPEG or save it in a non-lossy format (for example, TIFF or PNG).

      If you save it as a JPEG, your graphics program will re-JPEG the image resulting in further loss from the original image. (Theoretically, if your graphics program saved it at the exact same JPEG setting as the original, very little additional loss would occur. The problem is very few graphics programs allow this option).

      If you instead save the image in a non-lossy format, you have the exact image that came out of the camera but your file will take up several times more disk space than necessary.

      The Olympus Utility software can save the exact JPEG camera output directly to disk with no additional loss. This saves disk space and gives you the highest quality image. I recommend using this option exclusively for serial transfers.

      If you use one of the transfer alternatives, FlashPath or PCMCIA adapter or external SmartMedia reader, you always get the original camera JPEGs. More information above.

    8. How can I get more useful filenames?

      The filenames saved by the Olympus utility software (PIC0001.JPG, PIC0002.JPG, etc.) leave a great deal to be desired since they don't contain any useful information. The camera hides a lot of useful information inside the files (see below) but this information is typically lost when editing the file.

      To right these injustices, Jeremy Sonander has written a program called Rename Pictures that reads the useful information stored inside the JPG files, and renames the files with a much more useful name that preserves (within the filename itself) the information the camera saved with the image. For example, an image that was called PIC0180.JPG might be renamed 180_F0_A2.8_S0.187911.jpg. Cryptic, but useful. Click on the program name above for more information on Jeremy's program.

      Holger Jungk has a similar program for Windows 95/98/NT users called Picture Information Extractor (PIE) (shareware). PIE has other convenient but important functions, such as lossless jpeg rotation. I personally use PIE myself.

    9. Where can I get FlashPath drivers for Macintosh?

      Macintosh drivers can be downloaded from FujiFilm and will work with all brands of FlashPath adapters. Start at the FujiFilm Software Center, then click Download Driver Files. You must accept the Fuji License Agreement before being allowed to download the drivers.

    10. Where can I get FlashPath drivers for Windows NT?

      Windows NT drivers can be downloaded from FujiFilm and will work with all brands of FlashPath adapters. Start at the FujiFilm Software Center, then click Download Driver Files. You must accept the Fuji License Agreement before being allowed to download the drivers.

      Olympus recently announced that they would be distributing Windows NT drivers from SmartDisk Corporation. However, the drivers are not yet available on either the Olympus or the SmartDisk web sites.

    11. Where can I get FlashPath drivers for Windows 98?

      Windows 98 drivers can be downloaded from FujiFilm and will work with all brands of FlashPath adapters. Start at the FujiFilm Software Center, then click Download Driver Files. You must accept the Fuji License Agreement before being allowed to download the drivers.

      Windows 98 drivers can also be downloaded from SmartDisk Corporation and will work with all brands of FlashPath adapters. Start at the SmartDisk Corporation web site and click Download Drivers.

    12. Where can I get FlashPath drivers for Windows 3.1?

      Windows 3.1 drivers can be downloaded from FujiFilm and will work with all brands of FlashPath adapters. Start at the FujiFilm Software Center, then click Download Driver Files. You must accept the Fuji License Agreement before being allowed to download the drivers.

      You can also download Windows 3.1 drivers from SmartDisk Corporation. Click Download Drivers when you get to the site.

  16. AC adapter/power supply:
    1. What are the specs for the AC adapter power supply?

      The Olympus AC adapter power supply (C6AU) is rated at 2 amps, 6.5 volts.

      According to the D-320L instruction manual, page 52: "Olympus will not be responsible for damage caused by the use of any AC adapter other than the one exclusively designed for this camera."

    2. Should I buy an AC adapter power supply?

      It depends on what you want to do with an AC adapter. If you intend to use it solely while downloading images from the camera (instead of using up the batteries), then rather than getting an AC adapter you might want to investigate one of the three data transfer alternatives (FlashPath floppy adapter, PCMCIA adapter, or external SmartMedia reader). All of these alternatives bypass the camera and use the SmartMedia card directly. More information above.

      On the other hand, some folks want to use their camera tethered to another device anyway (like the computer or a tv) so an AC adapter would be a sensible purchase (in my opinion).

  17. How does the Video Out feature work?

    The video cable is included with the camera. It connects to the composite video-in jack on a TV. The jack on the TV itself is an "RCA"-style jack, typically yellow in color. This is the same jack that would be used to connect the video signal from a stereo VCR to the TV (a VCR would include left and right audio signals, too).

    The composite video signal should not be confused with an RF signal, where the TV is tuned to channel 3 to view the VCR signal. This connection method won't work.

    The good news is that most mid-level and above TV's made in the last few years have the correct jack. Some even have one on the front of the TV under a little cover.

    Once the video cable is hooked up, the button that normally turns on the LCD screen turns on the video output instead. The + and - buttons advance the image shown on the TV screen. There is even a slide show mode where the camera advances the photos automatically, but the length of time each photo is shown is not configurable.

    Tip: Adam Trachtenberg mentioned in a posting in rec.photo.digital that he uses the video out feature to connect the D-320L to his VCR to videotape slide shows for mailing to relatives. This is even more handy when used with the file upload procedure described above.

  18. Can I change the video to PAL output?

    There is no evidence to suggest this is possible.

  19. How does the Panorama feature work?

    Olympus' original plans for the panorama feature relied on a panorama mode built-in to the Olympus brand SmartMedia card. This feature might have given folks a reason to buy Olympus brand SmartMedia cards rather than other brands and increased Olympus' profits.

    Apparently, Olympus was never able to finish their panorama software and the decision was made to supply Enroute QuickStitch instead. QuickStitch is a standalone stitching program (not integrated with Olympus utility software).

    This makes the panorama feature of Olympus brand SmartMedia cards largely obsolete. It has just one remaining use: Eric Perlman sent me email to say that he uses panorama mode even when creating panoramas to be stitched with other software (like LivePicture PhotoVista) because a side effect of panorama mode is that the exposure is chosen for the first image and then locked for all remaining images. So the exposure remains the same from one image to the next. This often-overlooked problem is important to getting seamless results.

  20. When will the Panorama software be available?

    The panorama stitching software is finally available. Olympus has decided to OEM QuickStitch from Enroute. Apparently Olympus decided to trash their version that was to be integrated with the utility software. QuickStitch is a standalone stitching program.

    I had hoped that users would have received the new CD automatically from Olympus but so far this has not been the case. To obtain the software, go to the Olympus feedback page, explain that you'd like the software and they will mail it to you. Be sure to include your postal address.

    My quick review of QuickStitch is that it is limited in that it can only create panoramas up to six images wide (but it can also stitch up to 6 images in the vertical direction to make a 6x6 square). The stitching function itself works fine when it can correctly identify the overlap points and stitch the images correctly but it just as often fails completely. And since it has no way to hand-tweak the overlap, you're often left with a useless pile of wasted images that can't be turned into panoramas.

  21. What information does the camera save with each image?

    The camera saves quite a bit of information with each image, including the time the photo was taken, the shutter speed and aperture, whether the flash was used or not, and minor things like whether the image was locked, whether macro mode was used, whether sequence (9-shot) mode was used, etc. Editing and saving (overwriting) your original image file will lose this information since it is not resaved with the modified image.

    Holger Jungk has written a shareware program for Windows 95/98/NT users called Picture Information Extractor (PIE) that displays the internal saved information, but it can do much more. PIE can rename images, and most importantly, perform lossless JPEG rotation. This means with PIE it is possible to rotate images with no quality loss and not waste disk space. I personally use PIE myself.

    Jeremy Sonander has written a program also for Windows 95/98/NT called Rename Pictures that takes this hidden information and uses it to create a new filename like 180_F0_A2.8_S0.187911.jpg for the image.

    ThumbsPlus, a general purpose image management utility, can also read and display the hidden information. I personally use ThumbsPlus myself.

    Here is sample data saved with one HQ1 image from my camera:

    
    [picture info]
    TimeDate=875465763
    Shutter=3195
    Flash=0
    Resolution=2
    Protect=0
    ContTake=0
    ImageSize=1024-768
    ColorMode=1
    FNumber=F11
    Zoom=x1.0
    Macro=0
    [camera info]
    Type=SR55
    Serial#=#00000001
    Version=v55-76
    ID=Teri and Allyn Fratkin
    [diag info]
    PicLen=134944
    ThmLen=4016
    Q=82
    R=216
    B=205
    s0=277,242e1,e99,14f6f,c7b,b6bf,0,1010000,3,
    12781532,160a159d, 142a111a,e353534,1000034,0,0,0,0
    T0=6b7,3,7,2beec,c9,c7b
    [user]
    [end]
    [file info]
    PIC00013JPG
    	

  22. What is the Macro Focus Distance?

    Macro focusing is from 7.9" (0.2m) to 27.6" (0.7m).

    According to the manual, an object as small as 4.1"x5.8" can fill the frame.

  23. What are the Flash modes?

    There are four flash modes: Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill, and None.

    The default mode is Auto, which simply uses the flash automatically in low-light situations. Red-Eye Reduction is similar, but flashes several times before the actual flash so the subject's pupils will close down. These mode settings are retained while the camera is off.

    Fill mode forces the flash on at all times. None keeps the flash off at all times. Both of these modes reset to Auto when the camera shuts off. (I personally find this really annoying.)

  24. Can I protect my photos from accidental erasure?

    Yes. Individual photos may be "locked" to prevent accidental erasure. The locked images cannot be erased individually or with the "erase all images" feature.

    However, reformatting the SmartMedia card will erase all images, including locked images.

  25. I'm having trouble getting the "erase all" function to work?

    To use the "erase all" function, first press and hold the "erase one" button, then press the "erase all/flash" button. Then press the OK (shutter) button.

  26. How do I turn off that infernal beeping?

    To turn off the beep sound when a picture is taken, first turn the camera off. Hold the flash button while opening the lens barrier. Repeat the action to turn the beep back on.

    The beep setting and the clock are not permanently saved in the camera. If the batteries get very low or you remove the batteries and don't immediately replace them, the beep setting will change back to the default (on) and the clock will be unset.

  27. How can I clean the color LCD screen?

    The word on rec.photo.digital is that the best way to clean the LCD screen is with plain old scotch tape. Press the tape onto the screen and pull it off slowly. The adhesive pulls off all of the grime and fingerprints and leaves no residue.

    There has been some discussion about whether or not this leaves some invisible residue but so far none has been reported and Olympus is said to recommend this technique.

  28. What is the wiring diagram of the serial connector?

    Ben Jackson sent me the wiring diagram (pinout) of the serial cable. It's a 3-contact 2.5mm plug on one end and a DB9 serial on the other end. On the plug end, the middle contact is ground, and the other two are TX/RX, according to the following diagram.

    DB9plug
    2tip
    casingmiddle
    3base

  29. What are the white spots appearing on my pictures?

    See the Spots Problem page for a detailed description of the problem.

  30. Can I use a D-320L for video conferencing?

    Yes, the D-320L can be used as a simple video camera for video conferencing by connecting the camera's video out to your computer's video capture card's video in, opening the lens cover and pressing the green button by the LCD display. Your PC must already have a video capture card or parallel port video capture adapter.

    You'll need to use an AC adapter or the camera will shut off every three minutes.

  31. What is the difference between the D-320L and the D-220L?

    The D-220L is almost identical to the D-320L and virtually all of the information presented here about the D-320L should apply to the D-220L. The only major difference is the resolution. The high-resolution modes on the D-220L are 640x480, while the standard SQ mode is 320x240. This means that the number of images stored on each SmartMedia card is different than that listed above for the D-320L.

    Minor differences include the sensitivity of the CCD (D-220L is equivalent to ISO 130, while D-320L is equivalent to ISO 100) and the color of the camera body (D-220L is silver; D-320L is light gold). There are a few other differences too minor to list.

  32. What is the difference between the D-320L and the C-820L?

    Giuseppe Brandizzi sent me a detailed email with the difference between the D-320L described on these pages and the European C-820L.

    • PAL video output instead of NTSC.
    • The current version of the European Camedia software is C-20PE.
    • Adobe PhotoDeluxe 2.0 software is not included.
    • A coupon is included for Kai's Photo Soap SE software.

  33. My question wasn't answered. Where do I go for more information?

    There is a USENET newsgroup called rec.photo.digital where digital cameras of all kinds (and scanners and photo printers, etc.) are discussed in detail. In fact, there is so much traffic that your question may have already been answered there. But most newsreaders do not make searching through a newsgroup very easily.

    Luckily, there is a service on the World-Wide Web called DejaNews that keeps archives of most newsgroups all the way back to March 1995. Go to DejaNews and search for the answer to your question. You may have to search in the "past" database since the "current" database only contains the last month's discussion.

    If DejaNews fails to find your answer, I recommend posting your question to the rec.photo.digital newsgroup. This will most likely get you an answer.

    I monitor the newsgroup for questions and answers to add to this FAQ and update it periodically. If you'd like to see anything specific answered in here, please send me email.


Allyn's note: This site is no longer actively maintained. It is retained online in hopes that most of the information is still useful, but links to other sites may be broken.
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