There are magic filters on board, with Pop Art
producing punchy colours.
Can’t his bargain-basement, point-and-shoot compact match
up to its headline features?
Olympus VG-170
A glance at the specs and you could be forgiven for thinking
the Olympus VG-170 is a serious compact contender, especially when you can pick
it up for $158. However, when we put it to the test the phrase ‘you get what
you pay for’ sprang to mind. Image quality is the major issue, with the VG-170
producing poor low-light shots packed with a digital noise even at ISO 200. The
flash didn’t enhance performance and actually overexposed scenes during review,
bleaching out any detail, and often failed to capture shots in focus.
The compact fared better in sunny conditions where photos
were usable at the normal 6 x 9’. Auto white balanced had a tendency to produce
a cold colour cast, however there are Magic Filters on board with Pop Art
producing punchy colours. Other modes such as Beauty and 3D took a
frustratingly long time to write images to memory, but the latter performed
well when looking through the 3D glasses included in the box. There is also HD
movie capture available, but the zoom is jittery and the sound quality is just
about usable.
In the looks department, the VG-170 sports a retro design
that ultimately fells a bit too plasticky. Around the back, there are only four
buttons and a four-way control pad to get to grips with. The menu layout is
very basic with Program Auto, iAuto, Panorama and Scene modes to select, which
means that anyone could easily pick it up and start snapping.
The VG-170 is an extremely pocketable camera that’s easy to
use, but the lack of creative options might mean that you feel the need to
upgrade rather quickly as your shooting skills progress. For novices or
children who are looking to take the first step into photography, this compact
camera could be a viable option, however anyone requiring above-average image
quality should probably look elsewhere.
Hands-on
It’s a super-slim compact that’s simple to operate due its
automatic settings and various scene modes. The menu is straightforward and
there is a dedicated record button for immediate access to Movie Mode.
The compact comes
with 720p HD video at 30 frames per second, which isn’t as good as 1080p HD
that other cameras offer
Pros
The budget price is in line with its limited capabilities
The bright three-inch screen is good for composing shots
Cons
Performance in low light is poor, resulting in fuzzy, dark
images
In the looks department, the VG-170 appears as budget as its
price tag
On paper, the Olympus VG-170 is a much better proposition
than the reality. Image quality is particularly poor and the manual features of
this camera are limited
The info
Megapixels:
14MP
More
megapixels don’t always mean better pictures
Zoom:
5x optical, 4x digital
It has a
focal range of 26-130mm, which is above average
Shutter
speeds: 1/2-1/2000sec
The faster
end is good for sports but 1/2sec isn’t flexible enough
ISO
sensitivity: 80-1600
This is a
good range but results aren’t as impressive
Exp. Modes: 15x scenes, plus intelligent auto, program auto
The number
of scene modes is good for beginners
Aperture:
f2.8-6.5
Flash
modes: A, RE, FI, long flash
Weight:
147g with battery
Dimensions:
103.7 x 62.5 x 22.2mm
Batteries:
lithium-ion
Storage:
SD/SDHC
Screen:
3 inches
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