Olympus FE-5040

Olympus’s 2010 FE-5040 pairs a Copper Orange body with a practical 26–130mm 5× lens. That 26mm wide end is a real upgrade over a basic compact, while the 12-megapixel CCD brings the warm, slightly soft rendering of its era. The orange front, silver lens barrel and narrow black grip strip give it a bright, graphic presence. It is a travel-minded point-and-shoot with more framing flexibility than its small shape suggests.

THE LOOKS

Olympus called this finish Copper Orange: a deep metallic orange across the front, top and left side, paired with a narrow glossy black grip strip at right. The large silver lens barrel is the defining contrast. White lettering around it, including “26mm SUPER WIDE” and “5× OPTICAL ZOOM,” adds a graphic, technical note. A 2.7-inch screen and four-way control pad sit at the back. Other official colours were Starry Silver, Classic Black and Raspberry Red.

THE SPECS

The FE-5040 has a 12-megapixel 1/2.3-inch CCD, an older-style sensor for a warm, slightly soft look, and TruePic III processing. Its 5× lens covers 26–130mm: wide for groups, rooms and architecture, then distant details. The f/2.8–6.5 lens is bright wide but dim at the long end, so telephoto shots prefer good daylight. There is no optical stabiliser; Digital Image Stabilisation reduces blur electronically. It has a 2.7-inch 230k-dot screen, iAUTO, six Magic Filters and VGA Motion JPEG video. 96.0 × 57.8 × 20.1mm; 130g with battery and card.

DESIGN HIGHLIGHTS

• Copper Orange meets a silver barrel: The large silver 5× zoom is set into a saturated orange front, making the FE-5040 look more like a small tool than a generic compact.

• A black grip strip at the edge: The narrow glossy black section on the right breaks up the orange face and gives the camera a clearer, more deliberate handhold zone.

• Specs printed on the body: “26mm SUPER WIDE” and “5× OPTICAL ZOOM” sit around the lens, turning the front into a graphic field of marks and hardware.

THE VERDICT

The FE-5040 suits someone who wants an orange digicam with actual lens flexibility behind the colour. The 26mm wide end is unusually helpful on a basic compact, fitting more into a travel scene, group photo or interior, while 130mm gives more reach than a simple 4× zoom. It is happiest in daylight, and its stabilisation is not optical. But the bright body, warm CCD character and honest wide-to-telephoto lens make it an easy camera to bring along.