Olympus C-750 Ultra Zoom — 4MP digital bridge camera with 10x, 38-380mm equivalent zoom, 2003
The C-750 Ultra Zoom was Olympus's answer to the early-2000s appetite for long-zoom compacts that avoided the bulk of a digital SLR. Launched in 2003 as part of the Camedia range, it built on the earlier C-700 series with a notably longer lens.
It pairs a 4-megapixel 1/2.7-inch CCD sensor with a 38-380mm equivalent lens, a 10x optical zoom, at f/2.8-3.7. An electronic viewfinder supplements the 1.8-inch, 134,000-pixel LCD, storage uses SmartMedia or xD-Picture Card, and four AA batteries provide power.
Its DSLR-shaped grip and manual exposure modes gave more creative control than typical compacts of the time, while the long zoom suited wildlife and travel shots without an interchangeable lens. Image quality reflects its early-2000s small-sensor CCD, softer than later compacts.
Used units are common and affordable; the main failure points are sticky zoom mechanisms and worn battery contacts. Test the lens extends smoothly through its full range and that the LCD and viewfinder both display cleanly before buying.