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Olympus VR-370

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Olympus VR-370

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Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

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Photo of the Day

Olympus VR-370

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Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

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Olympus VR-370

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Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

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A Compact Comeback, And The Half-Frame Format

Compact Comeback: A quick look at image making with a vintage compact, the Olympus VR-370, held vertically to shoot in the half-frame format.

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As we are seeing the strong comeback for compact and pocketable vintage digital point-and-shoot cameras, or digicams, compelled by the interest among younger generation of digital camera shooters, we are also seeing the prompts for a very modern compact half-frame digital camera with a fixed focal length lens and a vertically oriented sensor, designed for the fun and the experience of shooting with half-frame film cameras.

For a fraction of the cost, a vintage digicam, held vertically to capture images in the 3:4, or half-frame format, can also be equal to the task, fitting the bill for both, without the need to break the bank.

My constant on-the-go companion, for this example, is a compact point-and-shoot travel-zoom, the 16MP CCD Olympus VR-370, fitted with a 24-300mm equivalent 12.5 x optical zoom lens, introduced by Olympus in 2013. The specifically compact ultra-zoom, known for its extended zoom capabilities, compact size, and decent imagery, comes in a range of models that include the VR-310, VR-320, VR-330, and VR-340. The series was in production from around 2011 to 2013.

Functionalities of the VR-370, as mentioned earlier, include the 24-300mm equivalent 12.5 x optical zoom lens, a 16MP CCD sensor, Built-in Flash, Dedicated One-Touch Video Button, Dual Image Stabilization, Ergonomic Grip Design, and 3.0-inch LCD with Anti-Glare Technology. Exposure capability includes Program, Intelligent Auto, Beauty, Scene, Magic (Filter), and Panorama features.

Images in the 3:4 aspect ratio (or the half-frame mode) are also referred to as the portrait format. The image is 3 units wide by 4 units tall, a derivative format for most digicams, which are normally fitted with 4:3 landscape image sensors. When the camera is held vertically, the image equates to the 3:4 aspect. The image format, a natural choice for mobile photography enthusiasts, is equally significant in social media content creation, as it allows photos to appear exactly as shot without cropping.

An additional functionality of the camera is the ability for the camera's battery to be charged on board, i.e., with the battery still mounted in the camera, via a multi-use USB (CB-USB7) cable. A very convenient concept, no doubt, as it eliminates the need to have a charger on hand all the time and allows for the replacement of the USB cable at a lower cost if both the cable and charger are missing from the kit.

Olympus VR-370

Time to make the choice you wouldn't want to miss out on, to satisfy your craving for a simple, reliable reach and creative versatility in a (retro-styled) compact with its CCD sensor and video capabilities that reflects the technology of the 2010s, and in-camera features and effects that still appeals to vintage digital enthusiasts and nostalgia travelers alike.

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Olympus VR-370

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Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
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Photo of the Day

Olympus VR-370

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Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

Photo of the Day

Olympus VR-370

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Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

Photo of the Day

Olympus VR-370

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Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

Olympus VR-370, In Half-Frame Format

Half-Frames: In half-frame format with the 16MP CCD Olympus VR-370, a compact point-and-shoot with a 12.5x optical zoom lens (24-300mm equivalent).

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Foraging around in the garden, after the morning shower, for a good flower shot with the Olympus VR-370, with the images post-processed for a slight dark mode effect, and framed in the half-frame format, or 3:4 image aspect ratio. The half-frame format, or images in the 3:4 image aspect ratio, is coming back with the launch of the Pentax 17 35mm half-frame film camera.

The format, also known as the portrait format, measures 3 units in width against 4 units in height (3:4) and became popular with the Olympus PEN half-frame film cameras. On film, the image frame is 18x24mm, half the size of the standard 35mm film frame, which is 24x36mm. This cost-effective design fits 72 images on a standard 36-frame film roll.

The half-frame or portrait format, most seen on smartphone displays and as presets for image frames on current digital cameras, is typically used for subjects with strong vertical orientations, like people, tall buildings, and waterfalls. On the other hand, while landscapes and scenery may display best in a horizontal orientation, both are interchangeable.

The primary considerations are your style, your use of the image, and what you want to convey to the viewer. The image format is also good for user experience when visiting websites. Visitors will always want sites to be enjoyable and easy to use, and the right image sizes help.

On the Olympus VR-370, a compact point-and-shoot digital camera with a 16MP CCD sensor and 12.5x optical zoom lens (24-300mm equivalent on the full frame) the images were shot in a vertical orientation (just like when you are using a smartphone, a little bit awkward though), cropped to suit and edited on the desktop for the dark-mode effect.

Olympus VR-370

The camera itself, highly recommended for the CCD enthusiast, has a built-in flash, a 3.0-inch LCD with 460k-dot resolution, Dual Image Stabilization for sharper images in dim light and when shooting at long telephoto focal lengths

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Photo of the Day

Olympus VR-370

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Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

Photo of the Day

Olympus VR-370

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Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

Photo of the Day

Olympus VR-370

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Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

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Photo of the Day

Olympus VR-370

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Olympus VR-370, Contre-jour

Compact Comeback: Images with a 16MP CCD Olympus VR-370, a vintage travel zoom, on an early morning street shoot, ala a contre-jour.

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Shooting contre-jour, with the sun behind the subject, picking reflections off windscreens and shop fronts, and a frontal under the bright glare of the Golden hour - a few early morning shots from around the commercial enclave adjacent to our local weekend farmer's market. The term is derived from French, which means 'against daylight,' and refers to a photographic and artistic technique where the light source is positioned behind the subject being viewed or photographed.

The result is a particular visual effect characterized by strong contrasts between light and dark, often creating silhouettes and emphasizing the subject's shapes and lines.

Before its use in photography, contre-jour was used in painting, where shadows would fall forward toward the lower center of the frame, either to the left, right, or center. The effect usually hides details, creates a stronger contrast between light and dark, silhouettes, and emphasizes lines and shapes.

As for the camera, the Olympus VR-370, launched by Olympus in 2013, is a point-and-shoot travel zoom with a 16MP CCD sensor, a 12.5x optical zoom lens (24-300mm equivalent), backed by a 460k-dot resolution 3.0-inch LCD with anti-glare technology. The camera features a built-in flash, an easy-to-use zoom and menu control, an ergonomic grip design, a dedicated one-touch video button, and Dual Image Stabilization to reduce the effect of camera shake.

Shooting modes include scene selection for Sunset, Fireworks, Candlelight, Beach, and Sport. When used in iAuto mode, the camera will adjust the camera's settings to match the scene optimally. Other features available include Face Detection, which recognizes when you are shooting people and automatically adjusts the camera for the ideal portrait exposure.

Olympus VR-370

AF Tracking follows a moving subject, like a pet or a child, and constantly adjusts focus and exposure so the camera has the correct settings when you are ready to shoot. Magic Art Filters adds special effects like Soft Focus, Watercolor Effect, and Fish Eye, while Beauty Mode applies Photoshop-like enhancements to your portraits, softening shadows and smoothing wrinkles.

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Olympus VR-370, Kampar Drive-Through

Compact Comeback: A Sunday detour along the main street of Kampar, Perak, a township between Ipoh and the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

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The short trip we planned for a drive up North to Perlis and back to Kuala Lumpur on a recent weekend went smoothly on the way up, but turned out to be rather sour for the return leg. Traffic on the North-South Highway was already filling up as we left Penang, and by the time we passed Ipoh, it was already a bottleneck. Waze advised us to take a detour, which we did, but traffic along the alternative route was just as heavy, if not just as bad.

The detour took us right through the main street of Kampar, the main one within the Kinta Valley tin mining region, which was at its height during the industry boom of the late 1880s. Aside from the unending stretch of pass-through traffic, the town (on a Sunday) is otherwise a forlorn sight, with hardly anybody around along the whole stretch of the main road. Shophouses look derelict, some abandoned, while the five-foot ways are dirty and unkempt.

Olympus VR-370

I used the 2013 vintage 16MP CCD Olympus VR-370, a low-cost buy on the auction market, for the shoot and some other shots during the trip. The camera has Dual Image Stabilization to compensate for the image blurring and camera shake, a 12.5X optical zoom lens with a 35mm equivalent of 24-300mm lens, and a 3.0-inch LCD with 460k-dot resolution, enough to keep me occupied and elated with not being the driver for the whole trip, and with images from the CCD sensor that speaks for itself.

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Photo of the Day

Olympus VR-370

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

Photo of the Day

Olympus VR-370

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

Photo of the Day

Olympus VR-370

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.

Photo of the Day

Olympus VR-370

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Vintage Camera Marketplace by ImagingPixel

Malaysia's Online Marketplace for Vintage Film and Digital Cameras, Lenses,
and Camera Accessories. Follow ImagingPixel on Facebook, Pinterest, and X.