Olympus's 1999 Camedia enthusiast compact — 2.1MP CCD, 3x 35-105mm zoom, first Olympus with movie clips
Announced in October 1999, the C-2020 Zoom was the direct successor to the C-2000 in Olympus's Camedia enthusiast compact line, refining its handling and adding one notable first: it was the first Olympus digital camera that could record short video clips.
The camera pairs a 2.1-megapixel CCD (1600x1200 stills) with a 3x optical zoom equivalent to 35-105mm, framed through an optical viewfinder or the 1.8in LCD. Program and priority exposure modes carry over from the C-2000. Images and movie clips store on SmartMedia cards (an 8MB card was supplied new), and power comes from four AA cells with NiMH rechargeables recommended.
It appeals to early-digicam collectors and CCD-look shooters who want a step up from fixed-exposure compacts of the era; operation is deliberate, with slow card writes and a modest buffer, but the lens and controls reward patient use.
Used checks mirror other SmartMedia-era Olympus models: a working SmartMedia card and reader are the hard part, as cards stopped at 128MB and are no longer produced. Confirm the flash charges, the LCD is free of bleed, and the AA battery contacts show no corrosion from old leaking cells.