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
- I bought a used D-320L, how can I get a manual, cable, software, etc.?
- Where can I get a D-320L and how much will it cost?
- Olympus 16MB SmartMedia upgrade is over.
- My thoughts on the 16MB SmartMedia issue
- Free FlashPath adapter offer is over.
- Panorama software available now.
- What is the D-340L and is the D-320L obsolete?
- What are the D-320L Specifications?
- What are the System Requirements?
- What accessories are included?
- Is the resolution real or interpolated?
- Is the CCD "progressive scan"?
- Batteries:
- What are the best choices?
- How long do they last?
- SmartMedia RAM cards:
- How many images can I save on a card?
- Do I have to use Olympus brand SmartMedia cards?
- Where can I get SmartMedia cards?
- How do I know what to buy?
- What sizes can I use?
- Can they be write protected?
- What does SSFDC mean?
- Image downloading and uploading:
- How do I download images from the camera to my computer?
- What are the best settings to download images?
- What is the download speed?
- How can I set the download directory?
- I'm having trouble downloading to my Macintosh.
- Can I upload photos back to the camera?
- When should I use the TWAIN driver?
- How can I get more useful filenames?
- Where can I get FlashPath drivers for Macintosh?
- Where can I get FlashPath drivers for Windows NT?
- Where can I get FlashPath drivers for Windows 98?
- Where can I get FlashPath drivers for Windows 3.1?
- AC adapter/power supply:
- What are the specs for the AC power supply?
- Should I buy an AC power supply?
- How does the Video Out feature work?
- Can I change the video to PAL output?
- How does the Panorama feature work?
- When will the Panorama software be available?
- What information does the camera save with each image?
- What is the Macro Focus Distance?
- What are the Flash modes?
- Can I protect my photos from accidental erasure?
- I'm having trouble getting the "erase all" function to work?
- How do I turn off that infernal beeping?
- How can I clean the color LCD screen?
- What is the wiring diagram of the serial connector?
- What are the white spots appearing on my pictures?
- Can I use a D-320L for video conferencing?
- What is the difference between the D-320L and the D-220L?
- What is the difference between the D-320L and the C-820L?
- My question wasn't answered. Where do I go for more information?
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- What are the D-320L Specifications?
See the Specifications page.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Batteries:
- 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.
- 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.
- SmartMedia RAM cards:
- 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 MB | 4 MB | 8 MB |
|---|
| SQ | 30 | 60 | 120 |
|---|
| HQ1 | 10 | 20 | 40 |
|---|
| HQ2 | 4 | 8 | 16 |
|---|
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Image downloading and uploading:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- AC adapter/power supply:
- 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."
- 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).
- 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.
- Can I change the video to PAL output?
There is no evidence to suggest this is possible.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.)
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
| DB9 | plug |
|---|
| 2 | tip |
| casing | middle |
| 3 | base |
- What are the white spots appearing on my pictures?
See the Spots Problem page for a detailed description of the problem.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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