Olympus's wide-angle budget compact of 2008 — 8MP CCD, 28-112mm f/2.7-5.4 4x zoom, 3in LCD, sold as X-865
The Olympus FE-350 Wide was announced on 22 January 2008 as one of three new FE-series models, standing out in the budget line by offering a wide-angle zoom. It was sold in some markets as the Olympus X-865, sharing a single instruction manual, and reached shops from February 2008 as an affordable family compact.
It combined an 8-megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD with a 4x zoom covering a 28-112mm-equivalent range at f/2.7-5.4, unusually wide for an FE model. A 3.0-inch LCD with around 230k pixels filled the back, and face detection handled focus and exposure on people. Digital image stabilisation aimed to cut blur, super-macro focusing reached 5cm, video recorded at 640x480, and power came from a proprietary rechargeable lithium-ion battery. It weighed about 138g.
The 28mm wide end is the reason to pick this over other cheap FE compacts, making it more useful for landscapes, interiors and group shots than the usual 36mm-start zooms. It remains a fully automatic camera with no manual exposure modes, so it suits beginners and casual digicam collectors rather than anyone wanting creative control.
Check the proprietary battery holds charge and that a compatible charger comes with it, as boxed chargers frequently go missing. Olympus compacts of this era store to xD-Picture Card, a discontinued format worth confirming is included in the sale. Test the lens for smooth extension, look for LCD bright spots, and expect small-sensor CCD noise above base ISO.