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Olympus Stylus 410 4MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Olympus Stylus 410 4MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

List Price: $349.99
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A darned good all-around digital camera
Review: I've had my camera a bit over a year now, and I have come to know its good points and idiosyncrasies as well. I chose it because of the 4 megapixel quality and my prior use of its film cousin. I rate it four stars because it isn't a professional level camera- though it is very good for casual shooting and "memory" photos.

What I like: I love the compactness of this camera! This camera alives in a small carry-case with three spare batteries and a flat holder with three spare 1 MB xD cards, and some lens paper. (The TV and PC connecting cables, small charger and cord, with appropriate adapters, go in my carry-on stuff.)

I also love the dust- and water-resistance of this camera. In typical Stylus build, it has protective gaskets for every opening - and I have used this camera in gear-jamming dusty locations as well as very moist ones (Iguazú Falls, salt water small boat cruising.) It's taken very good scenics (including really nice sunsets) and people photos. It is fairly quick as long as I have pre-focused, and I am only taking one or two photos (always at high quality.) The software allows you to "stitch" several photos together for a panoramic view, and its convenient compactness feels good when I am visiting where tourists with flashy cameras are targets for thievery and muggery. When it is closed in its self-contained "clamshell", it fits discreetly in my pocket.

What don't I like? The menu system, if you want to use it to its maximum capability, can be exasperatingly counter-intuitive and arcane. The extensible lens, when extended to its maximum length, can be subject to distortion if you press against it.

This camera is NOT for anyone who needs telephoto (sports or wildlife? get a digicam with 10x OPTICAL zoom - NEVER use the "digital zoom" feature on any digital camera, disable it!) The screen can be difficult to see in bright conditions - use the viewfinder, disable the screen (which will also save battery energy,) realizing the photo will show a bit more than the finder will and leaving you a little cropping room.

It also can get expensive when you buy extra batteries and large-capacity proprietary xD cards, but then when I compare it with many rolls of film, processing and knowing what I have only when I'm back from the trip, not to mention reusinig the batteries and cards, you will save lots of money if you take lots of photos like I do.

Remember that even without a telephoto, camera motion is your enemy - practice breath control and squ-e-e-ze the shutter release, brace the camera - carry a folding table tripod, use a table, wall or chair as a base in low light conditions. I've got some unforgettable (and sharp!) sunsets, Eiffel Tower at night, etc. with my plastic folding angle-leg table tripod or pressing the camera against a lamppost, using this camera.

I scuba dive, and have even taken this camera to 125 - 130 feet in its Lexan housing and taken some reasonable underwater photos (you will want an aftermarket accessory strobe for decent color rendition if you go deeper than, say, thirty feet.)

For someone who travels and subjects cameras to varied environmental conditions, but wants a nice, compact, easy to use digital camera that will give you a decent 11 x 14 or under photo of people and scenics, I heartily recommend this camera.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wonderful camera!
Review: I've used Olympus products for many years. I have tried the 2 previous stylus digital cameras (300 & 400). This new 410 is the best yet. It's fast, accurate, easy to use.
The best digital camera I've ever had.
I would highly recommend it. Use the different modes for any type of picture you want. It does an excellent job!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Wonderful camera!
Review: I've used Olympus products for many years. I have tried the 2 previous stylus digital cameras (300 & 400). This new 410 is the best yet. It's fast, accurate, easy to use.
The best digital camera I've ever had.
I would highly recommend it. Use the different modes for any type of picture you want. It does an excellent job!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Weak Flash ruins an otherwise good camera
Review: Most of the comments I have about this camera are positive. Fast focus, quick shutter release, nice interface and sharp lens. Great quality photos/color in good lighting.

But there are two flaws that stand out:

* The flash is incredibly weak. Forget group shots or anything that's not 8' from you or in bright light. It is just awful.

* Slide-open cover prevents sticking it in your pocket with the strap on top. Every time I stick this camera in my pocket it slides the lens cover off and the camera powers up in my pocket (lens extends, etc.) Yes, I know I could simply turn the camera around so it'll power up when I pull it *out* but then the strap is on the wrong side. Olympus... move the strap to the other side, or at least give us an option of where to mount the strap.

I recommend the Canon A85 over this camera. Yes it's bigger and not weatherproof, but it's 14' flash power is worth the sacrifice.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Nice Camera...One Fatal Flaw
Review: The first thing I tell people when they ask me what sort of digital camera they should buy is: "Make sure you buy one that doesn't use a proprietary battery." In other words, if you can't walk into a drug store and buy batteries for it, keep looking.

Any battery can go bad, even rechargable lithiums (all it takes is one out of the three to die and you're out of business). I'm a big fan of rechargable AA batteries. Take two sets with you on vacation and if something goes wrong, drop into a drug store and buy replacements until you can find more rechargables.

I have, however, found that Olympus makes the best digital cameras I've ever used. The D-550 3-megapixil is superb and it uses AA batteries. One of its best features is in the Camedia software that comes with it. It corrects for the distortion found in ALL single lens digital cameras.

If Olympus goes to propriatary batteries, they've lost me as a customer. I don't want to be out in the middle of nowhere and suddenly have my battery go down. Nor do I want to find out, three years from now, that my battery is special order only and goes for an exorbitant price. I've got a laptop computer by Lexmark in my closet that I could still be using, except the proprietary battery's no longer being made.

Finally, while the Olympus Stylus 410 4MP Digital Camera renders very nice photos, it has minor annoyances like "noise" -- digital interference that pros can spot as coming from a digital camera. In low light, it also suffers from a slight purple cast in dark areas, neither of which my D-550 has.

After batteries, quality of photos is my next big buying point. This camera is capable of taking great photos that are frameible, but you'll have to add Photoshop Elements to the purchase to boost saturation and change color casts. The camera's the right size. Anything smaller and it becomes unweildy.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Camera for Outdoors/Recreational Use!
Review: The Olympus Stylus 410 is great for my needs. I use it for snapping photos around campus and on outdoor adventures. The 410 takes quality photos outside, but inside is a different story. When the light is good, and flash is not required, the photos come out very well. When flash is required, people often complain about how bright it is--and how much more brighter it is than other cameras. The flash also makes the photos turn out horribly, in some instances.
If you need a digital camera for outdoors/recreational use, the 410 should suit you well. Not only does the camera take excellent outdoor photos, it also makes reds and blues more radiant. I look forward to boating and canoeing this summer! One suggestion: buy a 128 or 256 MB card-you'll need it!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: There is no delay
Review: The people that say that the delay do not know how to use a camera. Usually, when I buy an expensive piece of equipment like this, I like to know how to use it. There is only a negligible delay when taking pictures. These people are just mashing the shutter button at the moment they want to take the picture. This exactly what you are NOT supposed to do. The delay they are getting is from the camera focusing. What they should do is hold the button half way down, which focuses on the subject, then they just need to push it the rest of the way when the time is right. They will then have a picture of exactly what they wanted. Those reviews should be disregarded.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great Camera
Review: This camera is one of the greatest out there. Great Price too! The delay is not bad at all on the camera if you take the picture correctly. You need to focus it and then click and it will take the picture right away. I would tell everyone to get this great product.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great pictures, easy to use
Review: This camera is terrific because it takes excellent pictures yet is small enough to fit in a purse or keep in the car. The movie feature has come in handy and I use it instead of my movie camera to take short movies of my granddaughter because it is readily available. It is quick to load the pics into the computer too. I would recommend expanding the memory though. Great camera.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Olympus Stylus 410 is a wonderful camera.
Review: This camera puts out some nice looking photos. But there is no perfect camera, so you have to decide what is most important to you. This is my third Olympus camera, I had a D490, a C750 and now a Stylus 410. I am now more of a Olympus fan than ever. Because Olympus gives me what is most important to me, sharp, clear photos with good color quality. They are slightly behind Nikon on skin tone. But ahead of most cameras companys when it coems to sharp, clear, photos with good rich color.

This is a small camera though, and it does not have all the features that it's big brother has. Of course, it would be pretty silly to use this camera for sports, so there really is no reason to put a sports mode on it. What it does best is get up close and personal and the stylus takes good photos of people. You could even get a fair photo of your house.

It is good enough for a small camera, but I am looking forward to Olympus coming out with the flat camera with the big screen on the back. I may well be the first one in line for the AZ-1 when it comes out in this country. In the mean time, my wife is happy with the little 410 stylus, so it should work out just fine for us. Just don't expect me to give up my C750 for this little guy. Unless I am at a party and I can get up close. When I am out photographing the iron workers building a bridge, I do not think the stylus will get the job done there.


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