Olympus Fe-170
The Olympus fe-170 is designed similarly to the fe-180 model also by Olympus. With the approximate sales price of $130.00 the Olympus fe-170 sounds like a bargain. But how does the performance rate, especially compared to the fe-180 which is a mere $30.00 more expensive?

A Bad Review For The Olympus Fe-170 Camera
The Olympus fe-170 camera case seems identical in many ways to the fe-180 but there are some major internal differences. True, both models have the same six megapixel sensor and the same 38 to 114 millimeter zoom lens. The differences come in the automated shooting. Speaking of automated shooting, yes, the Olympus fe-170 (and even the 180) emphasize simplicity and automatic features over manual control. So if you are serious photographer and would like the ability to control manual features, the Olympus fe-170 is not what you're looking for. You can alter the macro, flash and EV compensation settings, as well as select several scene presets. But that's where the control ends. Aperture, shutter, focus, white balance and ISO sensitivity is controlled automatically by the camera.

The problem with the Olympus fe-170 digital camera is not necessarily in the automatic control, it's in the questionable performance. The Olympus fe-170 digital camera uses an unbranded image processor, definitely not the TruePic turbo processor that the 180 model effectively uses. The camera reports slow time between shots, including a 5.7 second start up, a 4.8 second wait without flash, and a 5.5 second wait with flash. The shutter lag also takes its sweet time with 1.3 seconds from shutter release to shot, which falls not only below industry standard, but below the performance of the 180 model.

Should Buy An Olympus Fe-170 Camera?
Is an Olympus fe-170 camera for sale a good bargain? Consider that not only is there a reported problem with the processor, but the image quality is also disappointing. Yellowing on tungsten pictures is said to be a problem. Noise might or might not be a problem, but because there is no ISO control, there is no way of running test photos at different speeds. What ISO speed the camera uses remains a mystery, since no EXIF data is recorded.

The Olympus fe-170 does have some interesting camera accessories and a handy video camera mode. However, the Olympus fe-170 falls short in performance, not to mention manual control. While the camera might satisfy a first time user, more experienced snapshooters should keep looking.