Are you happy to see me, or is that your Olympus telephoto lens?
Written: Jun 15 '02 (Updated Jun 16 '02)
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Pros: Great price, quality optics, name brand.
Cons: Body color, mid-roll rewind button.
The Bottom Line: Nice price, great ergonomics, above average point and shoot camera for family photographs.
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| cscompanion's Full Review: Olympus Stylus Zoom 140 QD 35mm Film Camera |
ME AND MY CAMERAS
There's one member in every family who's always snapping pictures -- that would be me. I've owned cameras for about 25 years. From my first "instamatic" camera with the rotating pop-off flash bulbs, to a brief period where I played with some 35 mm SLR's, back to the faster point and shoot.
WHY AM I BUYING A CAMERA?
My most recent camera, before this purchase, was an Olympus AF-10 Twin QD point and shoot. It had two switchable lenses: 35mm and 70mm. I've been using this camera for about 10 years; and the date feature just stopped working after the 7th year. It was a workhorse, and survived a few drops. In my last few rolls, I noticed that the first flash shot was overexposed and subsequent ones were a little underexposed. Besides that, I just got tired of writing dates and decided it was time for a new camera, with a nice zoom.
DESIRABLE FEATURES
- Point and shoot. I need something compact that I can just whip out, without having to focus.
- Priced under $200. It's an investment. I wanted to buy as much camera, with the least amount of frills, for as much money as I could afford.
- Flexibility of wide angle and close-up shots. I only take pictures of people, in groups or singles, not panoramas or flora or fauna.
- Trusted name brand. Minolta, Nikon, Olympus, Canon. I always associated Kodak with my old instamatics, and am jaded against that make when considering a higher functioning. point-and-shoot (I know, my bad).
- Good optics. Don't ask. The pros look for that feature and recommend certain models that have it. What's good enough for the pros is plenty good for me.
- Red-eye reduction My other camera didn't have it, and I just accepted that, but I want it now.
- Date imprinting.
- 35 mm film camera . I don't want an APS camera.
WHY 35MM AND NOT APS?
Color me old-fashioned, but I like the film cameras. I don't like the "convenience" of the APS negative canisters, they seem to take up more space. The smaller the negative size, the lower quality of enlargements. The APS negative is 41% smaller in area (30mmx17mm). The price to develop APS film is about 15% greater. One of the reasons for which the APS cameras were developed was ... don't laugh ... people have trouble loading 35mm film rolls. I'm serious. I can pull the film leader from point A to point B with no problem, and don't need to pay extra for the "convenience" of a drop-in cartridge.
PROS OF THIS CAMERA
- It fit both professional recommendations and my requirements. As research, I checked epinions, amazon, photonet (lots of great advice there) and several camera-oriented websites to see what the professionals chose, and why.
- It's a good compact size, as opposed to the larger and heavier models under $100, and it's large enough to use the two-hand steady-hold.
- The clamshell design protects everything, from the lens to the viewfinder. On my AF10 Twin, the clamshell only protected the lenses, which meant the viewfinder was subject to scratching.
- It needs only one camera battery. My AF10 needed two such batteries. Perhaps most P&S cameras nowadays only need one. I notice that the models under $100, use two AA batteries which make for a bulkier and heavier camera.
- Closeup correction marks in viewfinder. As a subject is closer, the picture area is smaller than the viewfinder. There are lines inside the viewfinder that indicate where to best position the subject.
EXTRA NICETIES, NOT ON MY LIST
- Self-timer. I don't get in the shots a lot, but it's a useful feature.
- Optional accessory package. I may buy the optional zoomkit that comes with a camera case, tripod and remote from Circuitcity for $20.00. The tripod could come in handy in the long shutter speeds of night photography.
- Several choices of flash modes. I find myself turning off the flash a lot. In auditorium situations, the flash is useless at that longer distance.
- Water resistant exterior It can get wet, which to me, means a light sprinkling, but I wouldn't use it on my Jacques Cousteau adventures.
- Diopter adjustment. Good for people who want to take pictures without wearing their eyeglasses.
- The LCD panel icons are easy to understand. An eye for "red-eye reduction", A lightening bolt with a slash across it for "flash off". Stars and moon for "night flash mode." etc.
- It's got that Star Wars lens projection. This is really an intangible and odd plus. The lens extends a good four inches from the body. When I turn this baby on, and it makes that whirring sound, heads whiplash (it's a small community, we're easily impressed). Don't psychoanalyze me, but seeing the lens extend and retract is like watching a fancy Q gadget in a James Bond flick ... it's a cheap thrill.
CONS
- The tiny button for mid-roll rewind is designed to be activated by a fingernail. Bad idea. I've read that it can easily be set off when jostled in a bag. I haven't yet had this happen. The AF10 Twin I owned, required a pointed object, like a pen point, to prevent accidental rewinding.
- The champagne color. If the cosmetic champagne color rubs off, the undercolor shows through. If I had a choice, I would have gone with black, which doesn't show chafing on the plastic. There is a black model, but it's missing the date stamp feature.
- The zoom lever is counter-intuitive. If I pull towards me the barrel gets ... longer for telephoto! It ought to get shorter, shouldn't it?
- No audible click when shutter is released. With the flash turned on, I could tell when the photo's been taken. With the flash turned off, the shutter doesn't make enough of a noise.
- There are two indicator lamps in the the viewfinder. One is green (for focus), and the other is orange (for the flash). I had to study the pamphet, and find the meaning of solid green, flashing green, flashing fast green, solid orange, flashing orange.
BUYERS' COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS CAMERA
- The viewfinder is too small. It's about half the size of a SLR cameara viewfinder. When I stick my eye right next to it, the view is just fine. Not everyone may be comfortable with this size.
- One has to reach over the t/w button to hit the shutter release button. The t/w is a lever shape, and the shutter release is a solid silver disc. I have no problem with the reach or ever confused the two.
- The plastic is flimsy. The plastic on my AF10 seems sturdier and thicker. Compared to all the other brands, the plastic body on this Olympus is comparable to most P&S cameras nowadays -- lightweight and not meant to take any hard knocks. I plan to pamper this baby, and pray for no drops.
- The red-eye reduction flash will set off an epileptic seizure. This takes a little getting used to, but it works as it should; it shrinks the subjects' pupils. The tradeoff, of course, is that all the people in your pictures will be scowling after you've subjected them to this irritating strobe effect! I find that letting them know in advance of the strobe, lessens the subjects' surprise
- Pushing the lens barrier during a shot will shut the camera down. Maybe a photographer with larger hands or a rougher grip will experience this problem. I have a light touch with the camera, and never had an accidental closure.
- Battery compartment hard to open. Piece of cake. Just follow the arrow direction, or RTFM.
A CHOICE OF MODELS AND MAKES
The professionals say the optics on the EPIC ZOOM 80 are superior relative to other point and shoots. When I had to choose between that and this 140mm lens, I chose this based on the philosophy of "as much lens as I could buy without breaking the bank." I didn't go with the 170mm model because it offered a panoramic shot, a useless feature for me.
I previewed all the models at my retail store, checking the operation, weight and characteristics. I compared all the major on-line camera stores. Nobody could beat Amazon's price with free shipping. Factory refurbished models at eBay were only $20 cheaper (plus extra s/h bucks).
THE PROOF
Is in the pictures. I'm not a photophile. I can't tell if this is the right shade of chartreuse (what color is that ?) or magenta. I do know if a photo is under or overexposed, or sharp or fuzzy. The photos are clear and crisp, and none too light or dark. I'm happy with the results so far.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 189.00
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Epinions.com ID:
cscompanion
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Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 0 members
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