Good compact 35mm point and shoot - not magical though
Written: Dec 30 '03
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Pros: Solid build, small, high-quality photo system
Cons: autofocus can be unpredictable sometimes, not digital?
The Bottom Line: A high-quality point-and-shoot used by professionals that's just as accessible to the average person. The best point-and-shoot 35mm under $100
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| afhouston's Full Review: Olympus Stylus Epic QD 35mm Film Camera |
I must have read 70 reviews on this camera from different photography websites recommending this camera. A friend of mine whose hobby is photography highly recommended this.
I needed a camera for some time. I know digital camera's are on the market, but I don't have the $200-300 I need to buy a decent one. I just wanted something decent to take pictures with that wouldn't cost me more than $50-80.
I think it's a good camera. I bought it refurbished for $35 from an online store. The camera has some blemishes on the outside but otherwise functions normally.
This camera, I can imagine when in came out in the early 1990's, was probably the best thing people could have laid their hands on. It is one of the smallest 35mm cameras you'll find. It also supposedly has a very high quality lens with good light gathering ability and is "fast".
I'm not a photo expert so I don't really have a benchmark to judge these things by. I do remember having a 110 film camera (remember those?) and that camera was pretty bad. I could only take photos with flash, and half my shots were poorly focused or grainy. With this camera, quite a few of my photos I've taken were without flash and I am pleased that for $20 more than a disposable, I can get a high quality point and shoot.
The camera has no zoom, but that's probably because professional point-and-shoots don't have zoom lenses. The reasoning goes, a zoom camera has to have more pieces of glass or plastic lenses to make the zoom effect. This makes the camera bulkier and threatens image quality. There's also the fact that a zoom photo reduces the available light entering the lens to take the photo. Yada yada yada, if you need a zoom lens, you need to look for a heavier camera and should be willing to pay about $200 extra.
The camera has a pretty small viewfinder and it gets a little tricky for me to take photos when I wear glasses. It does not have something (I forgot the name) that adjusts the viewfinder to compensate for people who wear glasses. Otherwise, the viewfinder is great. It has these crosshairs that help you line up the photo and target your subject.
However, autofocus is tricky on this camera. Apparently there are like 5 or so autofocus zones, which normally is a good thing. It's not as predictable as you'd like though. Sometimes it focuses completely wrong, and chooses and object that is like 5 inches above my subject. It could be human error, but I'm not that stupid of a camera user, so I refuse to take responsibility for this autofocus system's peculiar behavior. Anyway, its not that big of a deal. I average about 1 misfocused shot in 100, which is not bad, but if you really want that shot, I suggest taking it twice just to be sure.
One nice thing I've noticed when using Kodak film is that I get 27 shots per role instead of the 24 specified by Kodak. I don't know why, maybe its Kodak or Olympus or a little of both.
The flash system on the camera is pretty good. It has multiple modes like full flash, redeye, night scene, etc. The redeye is a little funky, it works in a series of 5-6 strobes that most people are not accustomed to, but its supposed to be the best anti-redeye method.
Most people will tell you, if possible, to take shots with no flash. You can't really do that with other camera's because they lack the lens system to do so. Apparently its the F2.8 lens that allows this camera to take such good shots in low light. Most zoom cameras and digital cameras will have F6-8 lenses. The higher number is bad, or at least for my purposes, it is.
Yeah, so the nice thing about this camera is that it can take good shots without flash. Also, since is small, it will almost always be in your pocket. It weighs about the same as my cell phone, I keep one in my right pocket, the other in the left.
The case is great. It's all-weather build, so you don't have to worry so much about a camera case or matters like that. It's designed to travel in the pocket. Olympus makes this clamshell design. I like it. Just like it open to use the camera. Very durable design, despite being made of plastic, it's quality construction. Metal cameras easily dent and can be slippery, but I've used this camera in the rain to take photos, and it works just fine.
Lets see, what else...loading the camera and taking pictures is easy. The battery is lithium, provided with the camera, and it seems to last a while. It's pretty common to hear people shoot more than 100 rolls on one battery.
I mentioned earlier about my relative lack of knowledge regarding film photography. I do know this camera takes photos that would require a $400 digital camera. I used a HP Photosmart 435 at a night event alongside with this one. I used the photosmart mostly to preview light conditions and test shots (like the film equivalent of a polaroid) and when I wanted to take the shot for sure, I used the Olympus Stylus Epic.
I must say, I would prefer having a digital camera if only because I could save money on film and instantly know how my photos came out. However, not having that option, I think this is the 2nd best option I have. I used to use disposable cameras, but they really were a waste of my money. This camera is pretty close to the size of a disposable and takes higher quality and wider ranges of photos.
If you're a person tired of using disposable cameras and can't quite afford a good digital camera, I would suggest buying the Olympus Stylus Epic as a stopgap. It's hands down the best 35mm point-and-shoot camera you can get under $100. Grab it at under $50, and its a steal.
A quick reminder, it's a great camera but it's not magic. That means, don't think you have an SLR in your hand. It's as good as an SLR in some day to day shots, but don't think you're suddenly some great artist who'll come up with profound wide-angle shots and other black and white art photos you see in magazines. Those usually require a lot more skill and patience than the average person has, and usually a lot more money.
The camera is good, but it's not magic.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 35
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
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Epinions.com ID:
afhouston
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Location: Austin, TX, USA
Reviews written: 42
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
I usually review items I own, borrowed, or have used extensively.
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