Hampered without a DSLR to cover an assignment and having 'only' an Olympus C-8080 at his disposal, this running report offers hope to those who might think that "real" photography is only possible with "real high-tech" cameras. Khen Lim takes us on assignment with a seemingly impossible task...

Retrospect Review

Olympus C-8080 Ultrazoom Tortured and Survived

How to get around equipment envy and make your ‘limited’ camera work in unfavourable conditions

Khen Lim, Zone-10

It’s amazing how all of us are used to equipment that simply does what you want it to do. We get even more attached to equipment that functions to cover up our inadequacies and inabilities. I shudder to think what photography would become if the camera can sense that the overhead cable shouldn’t be in the picture frame and delete it at its will, but I digress…

Last weekend, I found myself plunged into an assignment that I wasn’t prepared for. Simply put, I had loaned out my main equipment to a friend for him to assess with a view to purchase. That was the Olympus E-510 with the two kit lenses. On hearing what the event entailed, I cringed at the very thought that the technologies I needed weren’t going to be at my disposal and with that in mind, I borrowed my sister’s fabled C-8080 Ultrazoom.

<!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--> (L, R) The Olympus C-8080 Ultrazoom with and without the four-bladed lens hood

Images courtesy of Olympus Corporation, Japan

It was obvious that no matter how well received the C-8080 was, it wasn’t suited to the conditions I was to encounter. This isn’t to say that its reputation is a myth because given the right conditions, it is still, in many ways, a camera to beat.

 The Cyberview Lodge Resort Banquet Hall, Cyberjaya, Malaysia

© Copyright Reserved, Khen Lim/Zone-10

This event was exclusively indoors at night. As you can see from the above image, the overhead lights don’t give out a lot of illumination. This photo was taken in the afternoon when the crew was still prepping the banquet hall up. There was still some five hours remaining before the event took place. If you look hard enough towards the right edge of the photo, you will see the stage with the white backdrop. That’s where the main events would take place.