Olympus's 3MP budget Camedia — 2.8x 38-100mm zoom, SmartMedia storage, AA power; US name D-550 Zoom
The Olympus C-300 Zoom was a 3-megapixel budget Camedia compact announced on 8 May 2002, known in North America as the D-550 Zoom. It slotted beneath the enthusiast C-x0x0 models as an affordable route into 3-megapixel photography.
It paired a 3-megapixel CCD with a 2.8x optical zoom equivalent to 38-100mm, extendable to roughly 10x with the 3.6x digital zoom. Framing used an optical viewfinder or the 1.5-inch rear LCD, images went to SmartMedia cards, and power came from AA batteries. Features included a virtual mode dial, night-scene noise reduction, panorama mode, 3:2 format option, a 20cm macro setting and a 1.9fps sequence mode of up to 13 HQ frames.
The C-300 Zoom appeals to early-digicam collectors and anyone after the distinctive rendering of early-2000s CCD compacts. Its automation-first control scheme keeps operation simple, though startup, autofocus and write speeds are all leisurely by later standards.
SmartMedia is the deal-breaker to check: the format has been dead for two decades, capacities are small and cards fetch strong prices, so a bundled working card matters. Also confirm clean AA contacts, a working flash charge, and an LCD free of heavy fading.