Digital Camera Home > Digital Camera Reviews > Olympus Digital Cameras > Olympus Brio D-100

Olympus Brio D-100 Olympus uses tricky optics to build a sleekly compact 1.3 megapixel digicam with excellent image quality! Select a topic Reference: Datasheet Brio D-100 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on Brio D-100 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Design :(Previous) | (Next): Optics>> Page 4:Viewfinder Review First Posted: 5/6/2001

Viewfinder
The D-100 offers a real-image optical viewfinder and a color LCD monitor for composing images. When the camera is powered off, the optical viewfinder window is covered by the sliding lens cover, making the view visible only when the lens cover is open. An autofocus / autoexposure crosshair is imprinted in the center of the viewfinder display, to help line up shots. Two LED lamps on the left side of the viewfinder eyepiece indicate when the flash is charging or charged (top orange lamp), as well as when the autofocus and autoexposure mechanisms are set (bottom green lamp). Though the D-100 doesn't offer a diopter adjustment, it has a moderately high eyepoint, which should accommodate the majority of eyeglass wearers.

The 1.5-inch, color TFT LCD monitor is turned on and off by the Display button next to the LCD monitor. An information display reports the image quality setting and number of available images in the lower left corner of the LCD, as well as flash, self-timer, macro, exposure compensation, drive mode, and white balance settings, when engaged. A green battery icon displays temporarily in the top center of the monitor when it's switched on, reporting the current level of battery power, and a telephoto / wide-angle range indicator appears on the right side of the monitor when Digital Zoom is engaged.

As with many digicams, the LCD display is a little hard to see in full sunlight. However, the settings menu features an LCD brightness adjustment, which increases and decreases the monitor's contrast level, which helps somewhat. In Playback mode, the LCD monitor offers a nine-image index display mode, as well as a 2x playback zoom for enlarging captured images.