Olympus C4040z digital camera resource




Last update: May 14th, 2005
May 14th: Technical data and user manuals section updated
Apr. 5th: Remote control section updated
Oct. 18th: FAQ section added
May 23rd: Infrared section updated
Mar. 16th: RAW file section updated - now 4040 RAW files can be processed with Photoshop
Mar. 10th: Underwater photography section updated



 

Contact & Questions

For questions and comments send me an email or leave a message in the form below. If you have very specific questions about the Olympus 4040, I'd suggest that you put them in the


Olympus 4040 users group



 

Index










 
 

Technical data and user manuals


 
 
 
 

Reviews


 
 
 
 

General tips


 
 
 
 
 

iESP vs. spot autofocus modes


 
 
 






White balance settings

  • This is highly subjective, but I recommend the following white balance settings for the best results:

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    Manual white balance

    Auto white balance
    Manual white balance from the camera
    Manual white balance after editing

     
     
     






    Enabling the Panorama function on non-Olympus Smartmedia cards


     
     
     
     

    Firmware


     
     



    RAW file format



     
     
     
     

    Shutter lag


     
     







    Chromatic aberrations / Purple fringing


     
     
     
     
     

    Macro techniques


     
     
     
     
     

    Polariser filter and other filters

    Perhentian island image

    Same image with polariser rotated by 90 degrees


     
       




    Infrared photography with the Olympus 4040


    Oly 4040 photo of the remote control 
    (no infrared filter used)

    Oly 2000 photo with the same exposure time 
    (no infrared filter used)

    © Copyright Michael Klemmer

     
     

     
     
     

    Auxiliary lenses


     
     
     






    Olympus C4040 flash and the preflash


     
     
     
     
     
     

    External flash


     
     
     
     

    Controlling the Olympus 4040 with a computer

    There are a few software packages which allow you to control the camera with a computer (haven't tried these myself, so maybe first check the website):


     
     






    Travelling and storage


     
     
     
     

    The camera bag I'm using

    It's a relatively compact bag from Cullmann (next to it a CD to get an idea of the size). The bag can also be carried with a belt. The inside of the bag with the 4040 with CLA1, polariser filter and lense cover; next to it a transparent plastic container (originally this was the container of the polariser filter) in which I put the Smartmedia cards. The smaller side bag (with a zip) contains two sets of spare batteries, the remote control, a lens cleaning stick and a tiny tripod.

     
     
     
     
     
     

    Underwater Photography


     
     
     
     
     
     

    Data recovery / Smartmedia problems


     
     
     
     
     

    Lens resolution at different aperture and zoom settings


     
     







    Exposure information data (EXIF)


     
     
     

    Astrophotography with the 4040

    (by Juan Rodriguez-Torrent)


     




     
     

    Linux and the 4040


     
     
     

    Links


     



    FAQs

    What follows is a list of FAQs (frequently asked questions) compiled by Jens Birch, based on questions asked in the Olympus 4040 users group.


    Q: Can I use a linear polarizer with my camera?
    A: Yes. You can use either linear or circular polarizers. Circular ones are needed for most autofocus SLR cameras (not the Olympus E-10 and E-20 though).


    Q: How can I avoid the annoying beeping sound when turning ON by mistake?
    A: Turn mode dial to GREEN ARROW...it works every time! You can also use a sufficiently long lens tube


    Q:How can I speed up the time it takes for the camera to take the picture after I press the shutter button?
    A: There are many things you can do:
    1. You can be prepared beforehand by 1/2-pressing the shutter button (and keeping it 1/2-pressed) while aiming at the subject before the actual moment when you want to take the picture. The autofocus (AF) and the aperture will be set and the camera will then take the picture with no time lag when you press the last 1/2-way.
    2. By having the LCD switched on, the time to activate the cameras AF and metering will be reduced by about 2 seconds.
    3. Set the camera to manual focus (MF) at the subject distance you intend to take the picture at. This is most easily done by aiming at an object at the distance you want to use and 1/2-pressing the shutter button. While keeping it 1/2-pressed, press the AF/Macro/MF button. That fixes the focus at the desired distance and the camera is set to MF. This will significantly reduce the shutter lag.
    4. Set the camera to manual exposure (M) which further reduces the shutter lag.
    5. When it is tricky to catch the moment, use Hi-drive sequential shooting and start taking pictures just before you think the action starts. Use the optical viewfinder in order to follow the action when the camera's LCD is occupied while taking the pictures.
    6. Turn off the "REC-view in the "SETUP" tab in the "Mode Menu". That will minimize the time that the just taken picture is displayed and you will be ready for the next shot as soon as possible.
    7. Use fully charged batteries if you are using the on-board flash. Otherwise it takes a long time to re-charge.


    Q: How can I stop the camera from entering sleep mode after 3 minutes?
    A: Plug in an external DC power unit or a battery pack. You can also excercise the zoom a little now and then with the remote control.



    Q: How do I tell what firmware version I have?
    A: One way of doing it is to open a picture in a text editor such as Notepad, and search for the string "v552p". The number of the firmware version follows right after that; for example, v552p-A78 means you have version 78. A second method is, when viewing an unedited image in Windows XP, right click on on the image, then click on properties, then metadata, and it should be listed.



    Q: How do I use a polarizing filter to best effect?
    A: The LCD normally compensates for the brightness of the scene which makes the effect hard to see. To see the effect on the LCD you must circumvent that compensation by locking the automatic exposure temporarily. You can do that in two ways, either by pressing the AEL button once or by keeping the shutter button 1/2-pressed. Now, while the exposure is locked, rotate the filter and observe the effect on the LCD screen, when you are satisfied with the effect you must press AEL again or release the 1/2 half pressed shutter button in order to re-activate the exposure meter (to get a correctly exposed picture). If your polarizing filter feature a little knob or a white dot, you can get maximal effect without looking at the LCD by rotating the filter until the knob/dot points towards the direction where the sun is on the sky (as good as you can). This is useful in sunny days when viewing the LCD is difficult.




    Q: How to RESET my camera?
    A: A "soft" reset to factory default shooting settings, but without changing date and file-numbering, is done either by simultaneously pressing the "self-timer" and "custom" buttons or by setting the "All Reset" to ON in SETUP in MODE MENU and then restarting the camera. There is also a "hard" reset which basically restarts the "firmware" (the program that runs the camera) and wipes out the on-board memory. NOTE: This reset is intended for technicians to use. This is done by: putting the camera in M mode, opening the memory door, turning the camera on and then hold the "OK" and "Quickview" buttons simultaneaously for 3 seconds. Select "Reset" in the menu that appears and press "OK" . For the C8080 it is done by opening the storage door and pressing "OK" and "Monitor" buttons simultaneously. A similar reset is obtained by leaving the batteries out of the camera for a long time (12-24 hours).




    Q: What is a lens tube?
    A: A lens tube is the tube you attach to the camera body at the base of the lens; add-on lenses and filters can be attached onto the other end of the tube. For the C3040, C4040 and C5050, the thread on the camera body is 41 mm and he Olympus lens tube is the CLA-1 has a 43 mm filter thread. Olympus also sell the CLA-5 which is a CLA-1 plus a 43-55 mm step up ring. Note that only certain 43 m filters will work together with the CLA-1 on the C5050 (see another FAQ about that).
    Alternatively, you can get third party lens tubes from Raynox, Soligor or Tiffen with standard filter threads that accepts filters as well as third party auxillary lenses. More info is compiled in the document: 'Lens armour_adapter tubes.doc' in the 'Files' section of the Olympus 4040 users group and at http://www.wrotniak.net/photo/c5050/lens-adapt.html.



    Q: When is it beneficial to use a polarizing filter on my camera?
    A: If a polarizing filter is rotated to the correct angle, it will reduce light reflections from wet surfaces, asphalt, glass etc. or darken the blue sky but leaving the white clouds essentially bright. You also use it to reduce haze and glare in misty or polluted air conditions. You can use it all the time but it will steal about 1-2 f-stops of light and it will not have any noticeable effect in other situations than the above mentioned.



    Q: Where is the nodal point located?
    A: Distance from the center of the tripod socket:








     

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    © Copyright 2002-2005 Alfred Molon