Olympus C-1400L

The Olympus C-1400L is a 1.4-megapixel digital SLR with a built-in zoom lens. Some markets sold it as the D-600L. Olympus announced it in October 1997 alongside the lower-spec C-1000L. It was one of the oldest digital cameras in its collector's possession. A Russian-language retrospective on Dzen.ru says it "could well replace film in amateur photography of 1997." The same source notes the author shot with it happily and confirms that a sharp, accurate 1.4MP image had plenty of density for a 10×15 cm print. Olympus's own claim at the time was that the new models delivered image quality on par with silver halide photography.

The sensor is a 2/3-inch CCD capturing 1280 × 1024 pixels. The built-in 3× zoom lens is equivalent to 36-110mm at F2.8-3.9, with seven elements including one aspherical. The viewfinder is a true SLR type. The body is a work-alike to Olympus's 35mm all-in-one SLRs, the IS-1000/2000, though without an AF light and with much higher battery consumption. Storage is on SmartMedia cards, and the Dzen.ru retrospective flags a serious limitation: SmartMedia capacity was small enough that on longer shoots you might need to carry a second camera as a "photo bank." A Japanese review comment noted noticeable distortion at the wide-angle end, likely due to the very short focal length of the lens.

PC World (Russia, 1998) reviewed the C-1400L alongside the HP PhotoSmart 912 and Panasonic DV camcorders, pricing it at $1,100. The author wrote that admiring prints from the Olympus, or watching video from the Panasonic, made one clearly realize the approaching end of an era. The camera’s reputation has held up modestly among early-digital enthusiasts, though the record is thin and relies heavily on that single Russian retrospective plus a few scattered references.

Known specs:

- 1.4MP CCD, 2/3", 1280 × 1024

- Built-in 3× zoom, 36-110mm equiv., F2.8-3.9 (7 elements, 1 aspherical)

- SLR viewfinder

- SmartMedia storage

- Announced October 1997

- Price in 1998: $1,100