Olympus courts soccer moms
Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom
The product: Combining 5.1-megapixel resolution, a better than average zoom range of 5X, and a feature set with a good balance of manual and automatic options, the compact Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom also incorporates a homing device for finding its way into soccer parents' jacket pockets. OK, that last bit isn't true, but Olympus has done its best to endow the C-5500 with the qualities that casual action photographers seek. The company is touting a camera start-up time of less than a second and a "nearly instant" shutter release, which--if accurate--will please photographers of all stripes. Other notable features and key specs include:

• 2-inch LCD
• Manual exposure and 15 automatic modes
• Selectable focus points
• 2.7fps capture in five-shot bursts
• Live histogram that highlights over- and underexposed areas

The price: The Olympus C-5500 Sport Zoom will be available in February for an estimated street price of $350.

The prospects: Although the sports designation is pure marketing, the C-5500's versatility and compact design should make it an appealing choice for moderately skilled photographers looking for a pocket camera.

By Aimee Baldridge, senior editor, CNET Reviews