Olympus's 2003 entry compact — 3.2MP CCD and a 3x 38-114mm zoom, twin of the C-310 Zoom.
The Olympus Camedia D-540 Zoom was an entry-level digital compact announced in 2003, part of Olympus's Camedia D-series for the consumer market. It was sold under twin names in different regions, badged as the C-310 Zoom and, in some markets, the X-100, a common Olympus practice of the period. It was aimed at first-time digital buyers moving up from film point-and-shoots.
It carried a 3.2-megapixel CCD with a 3x optical zoom equivalent to roughly 38-114mm. A small 1.8-inch TFT LCD with about 85,000 pixels sat alongside an optical finder, and images were stored on xD-Picture Card. The camera ran on two AA cells or an optional lithium-ion pack, a flexible arrangement typical of budget compacts of its day. There was no image stabilisation.
The D-540 Zoom suited simple daylight snapshots and travel for users who valued AA-battery convenience and low cost. Resolution and the short zoom were limited even for 2003, the LCD was coarse, and low-light results were noisy. It offered little manual control, placing it firmly as a beginner and general-use camera for casual documentation rather than deliberate photography.
On the used market, test the zoom mechanism for grinding and confirm the lens extends and retracts cleanly. Check the LCD for dead pixels and dimness, and make sure the battery and card doors latch. xD-Picture Card is obsolete and can be hard to source, so confirm a card is included. Inspect for sensor dust. Value is minimal and collector-driven; a Canon PowerShot A-series of the era is a natural alternative.