Olympus's 4MP starter compact — 2005 3x zoom, 1.5in LCD, Super Macro, xD storage, AA power; X-710 in Japan
The Olympus FE-100 was announced in August 2005 as one of the first models in Olympus's FE series of simplified, beginner-focused compacts, reaching shops that September at around £120. It was sold in Japan as the X-710, and launched alongside the higher-resolution FE-110.
It carries a 4-megapixel CCD and a 3x optical zoom covering roughly a 35-106mm equivalent range. Single-function buttons drive a deliberately short feature list: a 1.5-inch LCD, a Super Macro mode for close-ups down to around 2cm, and a basic movie mode at 15fps. Storage combines internal memory with an xD-Picture Card slot, and power comes from two AA batteries for easy replacement anywhere.
This is a camera for absolute beginners and for collectors filling out the early FE line: no modes to master, cheap to feed, small enough for a coat pocket. The modest resolution and small LCD date it, and low light is beyond it, but as a daylight snapshot digicam with mid-2000s CCD colour it does the job.
Running one today is easy on the power side thanks to AA cells, while the discontinued xD-Picture Card format is the main catch — confirm a card is included or budget for one. Check for alkaline leakage in the battery bay, dead pixels on the small LCD, and smooth zoom and lens-barrier operation before paying tested-working money.