I found that I can buy the Olympus D-340L and the D-500L for the same price. I can't decide which one to buy. I think the 500L takes better pictures but it has a lower res. and I'm not sure if it has panorama mode. Which one should I get?

-- Clint Johnson (stingray327@hotmail.com), July 23, 1998

Answers

Any answer here is going to be pretty personal, based on personal preferences, etc. - May not translate well to your own needs. As I see it, the major differences are resolution and lens. The D-500L doesn't have the panorama mode, but frankly you're going to need a tripod head to do decent work anyway, so maybe the panorama mode isn't that big a deal. The 340 clearly has higher resolution, but lacks the SLR capability, which also brings the ability to add external adapter lenses like macro adapters, etc. Another difference: The 340's lens is moderately wide-angle, while the D-500 goes from "normal" to a moderate tele. (50 to 150 mm equivalent). All things considered, I'd probably be inclined toward the 500, because I really like zoom lenses and the ability to add adapters, but that's just my personal bias. A recommendation: Download test images from each and print them on your printer to see how important the resolution differences are. Good Luck!

-- Dave Etchells (detchells@imaging-resource.com), July 23, 1998.