Refurbished Olymus Cameras

Commencing with a short history of the Olympus Corporation would do justice to the Refurbished Olympus Camera, which this website is dedicated to.

Olympus, according to Greek Mythology, is the mountain where the Gods live. Takachiho is the Mountain where the Japanese Gods live. The Olympus camera manufacturing company was established on the 12th October 1919 as Takachiho Seisakusho specializing in optics and imaging. The trade name ‘Olympus’ was introduced to its optical products in 1921.

In 1942 the companies name was changed into Takachiho Kogaku Kogyo Co., Ltd. In 1949 the companies name was finally changed into Olympus Optical Co., Ltd. Olympus established a tradition of quality manufacturing with the development of its microscope.

Olympus continued this tradition through the development of camera lenses, starting in 1934. Two years later the Zuiko lens was born. The first photographic product made by Olympus was the Zuiko 75mm/F4.5.The Zuiko lenses were used in the and the Olympus-Six, as well as in the Olympus Reflex 2-lens reflex camera. With these cameras, Olympus laid the foundations of its future role as a camera manufacturer.

The ‘history’ of digital cameras including Olympus’ Camedia line is one of rapid movement in technology. In the early 1980’s there already existed a still video camera, and consumer digital cameras already existed in the early 1990’s, but their quality only allowed them to be used for Web publishing and miniature low-resolution prints. This dramatically changed in the second half of the 1990’s, prices dropped, technology improved, the consumer mass gained interest and Olympus jumped in.

Their first models from 1996 were P&S style cameras; the highest resolution (C-800) was 810.000 pixels (1024×768), allowing near-photo quality printing on postcard format (10×15cm, A5). Things became more interesting in 1998 with the introduction of the C-1400, a Zoom Lens reflex (ZLR) model (SLR with built-on zoom lens). It had 1.400.000 pixels (1280×1024), aka 1 Megapixel. The next milestone was the 2 Megapixel model C-2500L from 1999 (2.500.000 pixels, 1712×1368). This resolution allows photo quality on A5. This camera has a 9.2-28mm/F2.8-3.9 lens (35mm equivalent: 36-110mm).

The 3 Megapixel frontiers were reached in 2000. The C-3000 Zoom has 3.34 Megapixel (2048×1536 pixels). This resolution allows photo quality printing on 13×18cm, and near photo quality printing on A4. A remarkable product is the 2.11 Megapixel model C-211. It has a built-in Polaroid Printer. The two high-end models introduced at the Photokina 2000, the 4 – MegaPixel E-10 and the 1.5-MegaPixel, 15fps E-100RS definitely put back Olympus at the map of professional camera manufacturers.

Olympus is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, while its United States’ operations are based in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, and European operations are based in Hamburg, Germany.

Refurbished Cameras.

While buying digital cameras, it is but natural that all of us would look for inexpensive ditial cameras. However, everyone should also consider this question. Is a new digital camera better than a refurbished one?

A digital camera does not necessarily have a life span. Other than becoming obsolete because a better model has replaced it, there is no reason why a digital camera can not last for decades.

Digital cameras are built of solid-state components. In all probabilities a camera is sent back for repairs because a switch may have failed and had to be replaced, the battery or smart media door broke and had to be re-attached, or a loose connection that had to be tightened.

Repairs in these cases are typically replacement of mechanical parts, and there is no reason why they should fail again. In any case, the repair was made and the camera was tested before it was shipped to the dealer.

When you buy a new digital camera, it was not tested. No manufacturer tests each and every camera made. One out of perhaps a thousand is actually checked, as a routine quality control check. BUT with a refurbished camera, that specific camera is tested, and re-tested it before it is shipped out to the dealer.

Most cameras sent back to the manufacturers are in PERFECT WORKING ORDER! There is nothing to repair in them. Over 90% of digital cameras are returned to the manufacturer are because,

Many stores offer a 10 or 14 day free look period, a no questions asked return policy. A customer buys a digital camera, takes it on vacation, downloads his photos and then returns the camera, saying it is defective.

• Wife yells at husband that they can’t afford a digital camera, so back it goes.

• Buyer finds it cheaper elsewhere and returns the first camera purchased.

Because they have been opened, all of these get sent back to the factory for refurbishing. In most cases, refurbishing consists of making sure it works and that all components are in the box. Other than the sticker on the box, it is impossible to tell a new camera from a refurbished one.

There are even unscrupulous dealers who will sell refurbished cameras as new. On our website we identify every camera with an (R) next to its name or model.

Personally, I am using a refurbished camera for a long time and so are many friends and relatives to whom I recommended this money-saving purchase. All Olympus Refurbished Cameras come with a 90 day warranty.

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