Rating: Summary: a good camera but ... Review: I bought this camera after my Yashica EZ 105 camera, which I used for 3 years, was destroyed when I accidentally dropped it. So everything I say about Olympus is in comparison with Yashica. As usual, Olympus has both good and bad sides. First, about good. It is really small and easily fits into your pocket, so you can always have it with you. Actually, it's so small so you have to watch your fingers in order no to get them into the picture. Second, lens are probably as good as other reviewers have said. Pictures are sharper and colors are better than on pictures that have been taken with Yashica. Furthermore, you can take pictures really close to the object, with or without flash, they are still in focus. Actually, there were no pictures out of focus with Olympus, while with Yashica I often had a few, especially when I did not use flash: the first roll of pictures of my newborn baby turned out to be out of focus, because I did not want to use flash and I wanted to make close-up pictures. Now, about bad sides. First of all, there is no zoom, so you have to use you legs more. (On the other hand, my old Yashica was out of order because of zoom, I dropped it when lens were zoomed out). Second, redeye reduction is completely useless when you take pictures of small children. In redeye-reducing mode the camera produces a series of 5-7 pre-flashes before the regular flash. Each pre-flash makes our 10 month old daughter to blink, so on the picture she has closed eyes (no redeye :)) or a really scared look. Yashica redeye mode uses a different technology and works fine. The bottom line, all point and shoot cameras produce approximately the same pictures, and considering all above I this model is good, but Yashica EZ 105 is a better product.
Rating: Summary: Some special features Review: Recently I looked at over two dozen point-and-shoot models doing some research for a friend who wanted to buy a new compact camera to replace his 20-year old Nikon. Although we are really looking for a point and shoot with a short zoom capability (about 35mm-80mm) and so didn't pick this one since it is fixed focal length, I was impressed enough with it to want to make a few comments. First of all, none of the other two dozen models had a lens this fast, at F2.8. There were a couple that came close, but you'll find, especially with the point and shoot zoom models, that the fastest the lens will go is only F3.4 or 3.8. Many of them are F4.0 or more at the low end. So if you want at least F2.8 speed, this camera is about the only way to get it. There is one exception to this. You can buy a Rollei QZ35W for ten times the price and get an F2.8 lens also. For the extra money you also get a camera that weighs in at 18 oz. However, it has an amazing 1/8000th of a second top shutter speed, which ought to be fast enough to freeze an airplane propeller, not just a gold swing. Well, the Rollei is a great high-end point and shoot but it doesn't fit in your shirt pocket very easily at 18 oz., not to mention it will cost you a pile of green stuff. Two other things the Olympus has that the other models don't or usually don't have is there is no shutter lag. You hit the shutter button and there's no perceptible delay. The Yashica T4, although it has great optics, has this, and so do many of the other point and shoots out there. The problem can be prounounced enough to affect action shots. For example, you might take a picture of your child running across the living room floor only to find out that he wasn't even in the frame when the film was developed. The final thing that is nice about this camera is the "weatherproof" aspect. This doesn't mean waterproof, however, but a few drops of water won't hurt it. All in all a great little camera to take with you anymore.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Camera! I know - I sell them. Review: I bought one of these cameras for my mother for Christmas and found that she prefers to use this one over her SLR!!! I have also found that the variable output flash system is incredibly accurate. There isn't enough praise I can give this camera. One thing I like as compared to other cameras is that, unlike other Olympus cameras, it doesn't have that pop-up flash. I work for a corporate camera retailer and have found that Those pop-up flashes break quite often with my clientelle. The fixed flash in this camera is great. Olympus cameras have the greatest effective red eye reduction of any other camera. Their secret is the continous strobing flash which gives sufficient stimuli to cause the pupils to contract. This is turn is why you get red eye - think of animals at night when you are driving and you see the reflection in their eyes. Red eye is quite similar. The contraction of the pupils reduces this effect and Olympus is the only camera manufactrer that I know of that uses this technique of continious strobing flash. Other manufacturers have too much time inbetween the presentation of their flash bursts, therefore causing people not to react as quickly to contract the pupils. My sister even likes it soo much she wants to give up her Nikon SLR and get one of these. I am tempted as well, but money doesn't grow on trees ;-) I know for a fact that I will have one one day.
Rating: Summary: Top Quality for the price Review: This is the second stylus I've purchased in 2 years. I have three teenage daughters that love taking pictures. My second daughter just turned 16. I bought my oldest daughter a stylus when she turned 16. They like the camera because of its small compact size and ease of use. It fits nicely in their purse. After comparing every camera I could find for under $100, the Stylus had much better quality. In order to find as good a camera, I had to double the price. The viewfinder alone, is larger than most, very clear and crisp. Never had a single problem with the first Stylus. The fact that the price has come down is a real plus also. I paid more for the Stylus two years ago, than the one bought recently. I give this little camera a 5 star. You will not be disappointed. It's a really nice little camera. It's easy to use, attractive and it is not cluttered up with whistles & bells you'll never use. Just point and shoot.
Rating: Summary: Just unpacked and read the manual.... Review: My initial impression is excellent, except that no battery was included, so a small change should be made in the product specifications. I will update this into a real review when I process my first roll of 36 exposures, trying all the features.
Rating: Summary: IT'S THE LENS STUPID Review: THE LENS MAKES THE CAMERA. THE LENS IS SO GOOD THAT THEY CAN'T MAKE IT IN A ZOOM. YOU WANT A ZOOM? TAKE ONE STEP FORWARD AND CLICK. PICTURES COME OUT CLEAR AND CRISP. THIS IS THE SECOND ONE I'VE BOUGHT. MANUFACTURER IS NOT THE BEST WHEN THERE ARE PROBLEMS THOUGH. THEY HAVEN'T RESPONDED TO A QUERY I MADE THROUGH THEIR WEB SITE. ALSO, IF YOU DROP IT, YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO BUY A NEW ONE. ALSO, WOULDN'T BOTHER WITH PANARAMA. IT'S A GOOD LOOKING CAMERA. IT'S SMALL AND FUTURISTIC SO IT'S A CHICK MAGNET.
Rating: Summary: Shakey Images Review: No complaints about the quality of the lens nor reliability of the camera. The problem is with the final product, few crisp clear pictures. I've had a Rollei compact for years. It produced great pictures but was bulkier than the Stylus Epic. After switching, I noticed that more of my pictures were blurry. I suspect it is due to the small size relative to the shutter release button. Seems like I need to use a tripod which makes the camera less portable. :O
Rating: Summary: It's there when you need it! Review: I recently purchased this little point-and-shoot to replace my original Stylus, the black Infinity that I carried with me for about 10 years or so. Some months ago my son "borrowed" it, and I finally realized that I was never going to see it again. Using my SLR was a real pain, due to size and weight and accessories, and I found I wasn't taking very many pictures. I was so happy to find that this model's still available! I did check out a couple of the the zoom-model Styluses, but decided that for my purposes I wanted something really dependable and simple and quick -- that also wouldn't eat up batteries. Also it's the smallest and lightest. I worked in Egypt for several years doing archaeological drawing, and visited practically every temple, tomb, museum, marketplace, and anything else interesting in the major cities and elsewhere. My old Stylus produced hundreds of great photos, and I'm looking forward to another decade or so of having this little guy with me at all times. When was the last time you said, "Damn, I wish I had my camera!"? No excuses with this one. Get one. You'll see. And DO READ THE LITTLE INSTRUCTION BOOK -- it has many good tips, especially for that red-eye problem.
Rating: Summary: A great pocket camera Review: This is one of the best compact single lens cameras around. The lens is fast (f2.8), very sharp, and the exposure system is accurate. It's main competition is the Yashica T4 super, which is a little bigger and has a slightly slower (but very nice) lens. As someone mentioned in another review, there are problems with long range zooms in compact cameras. In addition to the problem with redeye, there is also the issue of flash range. Compact cameras generally have pretty weak flashes, and if you zoom a lens out to 120mm and f11 or so, the range becomes very small indeed. For example, if you're talking about a flash with a guide number of 40, with a fast f2.8 lens like the one in this camera, you get a range of 14 feet. With the lens zoomed out long, and an f-stop of ll, your range would be 3.6 feet, so if you're taking a picture of someone's nose you're in business. Also, the design comprimises necessary for cramming a long range zoom into a small camera pretty much require them to be of poor optical quality. Some of the shorter range zooms in P&S cameras are OK, but on the other hand the ability to take pictures without flash in a reasonably well lit room may be more valuable than the abililty to change focal lengths over a small range. Then too, the smallness of this camera allows you to shove it in your pocket when you think there is some chance you might need it, and you may find you use it more than you would a larger camera.
Rating: Summary: Problem!! Review: This camera is excellent in many regards -- but it has a real flaw. I've had mine for 6 months, and now it will not work; the battery light is on, but new batteries don't solve the problem. The lens moves agonizingly slowly and will not return to its proper position. I thought I was just unlucky but in the last few weeks I've been told about the exact same problem by 2 other people who have this camera!! And I don't converse about cameras very much... Nor is Olympus very helpful. Their 800 number leaves me on hold for so long that I've never gotten through; searching their website is a multi-step process (what's wrong with a little box where you type in what you're looking for?) which leads one to, yes, the 800 number. I've now found out where to send the camera for repair, but I sure wish I'd bought something else.
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