The Olympus Camedia Stylus 300 A Classic is Reborn
Written: Jun 15 '03 (Updated Sep 22 '03)
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Pros: Compact, excellent photo quality, weather proof, user friendly
Cons: No manual controls, no AF illumination beam, the full user’s Manual is on CD
The Bottom Line: Olympus combines tradition and innovation to create a stylish, tough, weatherproof, feature-rich, and very capable digital camera
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| Howard_Creech's Full Review: Olympus Camedia Stylus 300 Digital Camera |
Olympus’ is justly famous for making dependable and innovative cameras and is probably best known for the precision half frame “Pen F” SLR’s, the radical OM1 (the first compact 35mm SLR), and the imminently useable little Stylus Point & Shoot cameras. During the eighties Olympus ran a popular (and very effective) advertising campaign featuring testimonials from famous professional photographers who always carried one of the tiny clamshell Stylus P&S cameras with them for their personal photography.
The classic little Stylus is back, and this time around it’s digital. Converting one of their most popular cameras from film to digital was a brilliant marketing move because the Stylus has name recognition, a good reputation, and a loyal following. The new Stylus digital series launches with the 3 Megapixel Stylus 300 and the 4 Megapixel Stylus 400. Both are compact, durable, feature-rich, and weatherproof point & shoot digital cameras.
The Stylus 300 is about the same size as one of today’s tiny flip cell phones, easily small enough to drop in a pocket and carry anywhere. The camera’s uncomplicated user interface makes it easy to shoot flawless pictures right out of the box, even for absolute beginners. More advanced photographers can select one of the Stylus 300’s Scene Modes for automatic exposure settings optimized for specific types of images. The camera’s metal outer body (there’s a polycarbonate inner body for added durability and improved protection from the elements) is elegant and curvy, the stylish antithesis of the ubiquitous square compact digicam.
The weatherproof Stylus 300 can easily withstand extended exposure to mist, rain, snow, and ocean spray without damage. Rubber weather seals and the double body design ensure the Stylus 300 is tough enough to withstand the challenges of inclement or unpredictable weather and rugged terrain making it an almost perfect choice for weight conscious skiers, hikers, backpackers, bikers, and pretty much anyone who enjoys photography and loves the great outdoors.
NUTS & BOLTS
Viewfinder/LCD
The Stylus 300's tunnel style zooming real image optical viewfinder is relatively bright, but shows only about 80 per cent of the frame and there is no diopter correction for eyeglasses wearers.
The 1.5” TFT color LCD screen is bright, fluid, and shows almost 100 per cent of the frame. The LCD is large enough for composition and framing, but the brightness does fade (and there’s no anti reflection coating) in outdoor light and cannot be adjusted. Camera set up, editing, and menu navigation are simple and straightforward.
Lens
Excellent optics was one of the features that gave the original Stylus cameras legendary status, and the Stylus 300 continues that tradition. The camera is equipped with an all glass Olympus f3.1-f5.2/35-105 (35mm equivalent) zoom lens with one aspherical element for improved resolution and color transmission. Open the sliding lens cover and the 3X zoom telescopes out of the body; power down and the lens is fully retracted into the camera body.
Auto Focus
The Stylus 300 provides a standard AF only (no user input and no manual focus option) TTL contrast detection auto focus system. AF is relatively rapid and consistently accurate in good light.
Flash
The Stylus 300’s built-in multi mode flash provides settings for Auto, Red Eye Reduction, Fill flash, and Off. The red-eye reduction mode is relatively slow (about 3 seconds between tripping the shutter and image capture). Flash recycle time is about 6 seconds (with fully charged batteries). The flash works quite well in the macro mode (due to the relatively long 8” inch minimum focusing distance) and coverage is consistent and even. Olympus claims an accurate 8.5 feet maximum flash range (at the wide angle end of the zoom range) and 6 feet at the telephoto end.
Connectivity
USB for uploading images and A/V out for reviewing captured images on a TV. The Stylus 300 features Auto-Connect USB (doesn’t require loading software drivers) to simplify image transfers--- if you use Windows Me, 2000 Pro or XP or the newest MAC OS. Windows 98 or older MAC OS user’s will have to install the USB driver and use the included Camedia Master software.
Power/Battery Life
Battery life is one of the few areas where the Stylus 300 falls a little short of the mark. The camera is powered by the same small proprietary B10L lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack used in the Olympus C50. Olympus doesn’t address the battery life question, but based on my experience with the camera (using the LCD as the primary viewfinder and flash for about fifty per cent of my exposures) battery life is acceptable (between 150-200 exposures with a fully charged battery) but it's nothing to write home about.
If you use the optical viewfinder instead of the LCD to frame and compose your images battery life will be extended exponentially. If you plan to use the Stylus 300 for extended shooting sessions or take it on long trips, an extra battery is a mandatory accessory. The Stylus 300’s included battery charger can re-charge the B-10L battery pack in about two hours.
Memory Storage Media
The Stylus 300 utilizes the new xD card (SmartMedia’s replacement) to store saved images. Olympus includes a 16MB card but you’ll need to buy a larger capacity card; xD picture cards are currently available in sizes from 16MB to 256MB. Save the Olympus 16MB card to use for panoramas (Olympus branded xD Cards are required to use the camera's Panorama feature). xD cards are about the size of a standard 37 cent postage stamp, which makes them incredibly easy to lose, so be careful when loading, unloading, or changing cards.
EXPOSURE
The Stylus 300 automatically selects the best combination of ISO sensitivity, aperture, and shutter speed based on lighting conditions.
Auto Mode
Program Auto is the default setting and the Stylus 300's Point & Shoot auto exposure system is quite good, although images do show slightly enhanced (higher than average) contrast. This tendency toward slightly exaggerated contrast may be a problem when shooting in harsh lighting (highlight detail may be lost and shadows can block up) but savvy users can utilize the Stylus 300’s harder edged contrast to punch up visual impact in dull or flat lighting.
Scene Modes
The Stylus 300 also provides a selection of Scene modes (a "Virtual Dial" allows instant access to the scene modes) with settings optimized for specific shooting situations. Scene mode options include; Portrait (uses larger lens apertures to blur backgrounds which emphasizes foreground subjects), Landscape + Portrait (utilizes smaller lens apertures so both the subject and the background are in sharp focus simultaneously---great for typical tourist shots with a loved one standing in front of a famous attraction), Self Portrait mode (the lens is locked at the wide angle setting so users can photograph themselves---at arms length), Night Scene (extends maximum shutter speed to 4 seconds), and Movie mode ( records video clips (no audio) up to 16 seconds @ 320x240 and 15fps orup to 70 seconds @ 60x120.
Manual Mode
The Stylus 300 doesn’t feature a dedicated manual mode, however Exposure Compensation (used to lighten or darken the image), White Balance (used to fine tune color balance), Metering---advanced users can choose to base exposure on the entire frame (evaluative metering) or bias exposure on a small center area (spot metering), and flash modes can be manually adjusted by users, offering a minimal degree of user input and creative control.
Macro Mode
Minimum focusing distance in macro mode is 8”, which is fine for ebay items or intimate landscapes, but not tight enough for frame filling flower/insect close-ups. Macro shots are quite good with excellent resolution and great color. One especially nice feature is the ability to use the lens at the telephoto setting for macro shots (most P&S cameras limit macro shooting to the widest lens setting) allowing users more freedom in framing and more stand off room. The Stylus 300’s flash works well in macro mode, providing even and flattering coverage, unlike many small P&S cameras.
Metering
The Stylus 300’s default light metering system is Olympus’ proven Digital ESP multi-pattern (evaluative) metering. More advanced users can enable spot metering (great for biasing exposure to the most important element of the composition, for instance the eyes in a tight portrait). Metering is accurate (but a bit conservative) in all outdoor lighting and generally very good indoors and in dimmer light.
White Balance
Olympus digital cameras are well known for their highly accurate white balance systems and the Stylus 300 is no exception. The snazzy little Stylus provides TTL auto white balancing and manual pre-sets for Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten and Fluorescent lighting.
CONTROLS, DESIGN, & ERGONOMICS
The Stylus 300 is an elegant and stylish little camera that shows a clear and distinct family resemblance to its illustrious 35mm predecessors. Like all Olympus digital cameras, the Stylus 30 is menu driven, but external controls are logical and well placed. The camera is lightweight and easy to handle and operate.
Technical Specifications
Resolution: 3 megapixels (2048 x 1536)
Viewfinders: 1.5-inch TFT color LCD monitor & Optical real-image viewfinder
Exposure: Program (auto) and 6 Scene Modes
Lens: f3.1-f5.2/35-105 (35mm equivalent) 5 elements in 3 groups Olympus zoom
Metering: Digital ESP Multi-Pattern (evaluative) and Spot
Shutter speeds: from 1/1000th of a second to 1/2 second (up to 4 secs in night mode)
White Balance: iESP Multi-pattern Auto TTL and manual pre-sets for Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten and Fluorescent.
Exposure Compensation: Yes +2/-2 EV in 1/3 EV increments
Flash: Built-in multi mode including auto, fill flash, and red-eye reduction modes Sensitivity: Auto (80-320 ISO equivalent)
Storage Media: xD-Picture Card
Connectivity: Auto-Connect USB and A/V out for connection to TV
Power: (1) B-10L Lithium-ion rechargeable battery
Street Price Range $399.00--$299.00
Included
16MB xD picture card, B-10L battery, charger, RM-2 remote control, wrist strap, USB & A/V cables, CD-ROM (software & full user’s manual), Printed (basic) manual and quick start guide,
Optional
D-7AU 4.8 Volt AC adapter, PT-016 underwater housing, and soft case
In the Field/Handling & Operation
My friend (who sells digital and analog cameras and photographic equipment) called on a recent Saturday morning and asked if I wanted to get together with him and another photographer friend and do something special. When he and Ivan picked me up, he dropped an Olympus Camedia Stylus 300 digital camera in my lap and waved three tickets to Wonderfest. Wonderfest is Louisville’s annual monster/fantasy/Sci-Fi movie effects, model, and toy exposition. My friend knows that I have an unhealthy fascination with fifties sci fi flicks and his surprise gift of tickets to Wonderfest (something I probably wouldn’t have attended) was special because of the event’s guest of honor, Ray Harryhausen.
When Ray Harryhausen was a boy he decided (after seeing “King Kong”) that creating special effects for the movies was what he wanted to do with his life. He went on to a successful career as one of the most influential special effects creators of all time. His work influenced directors John Carpenter, George Lucas, and Steven Spielberg.
Harryhausen was a master model builder and became the best stop motion animator of all time. In the days before computer generated dinosaurs special effects artists used models and stop motion animation (movement is created by moving models slightly for each frame) basically achieving the appearance of life and movement by using thousands of individual images strung together. Harryhausen earned an academy award for his special effects for “Mighty Joe Young” in 1949. Harryhausen’s creations fit right in with our national paranoia during the early days of the atomic age when many Americans feared that our world was doomed to invasion and conquest by aliens, destruction in a nuclear cataclysm, or that humanity would perish when confronted with radiation mutated insects, sea monsters, and horrible creatures spawned by nuclear tests.
Harryhausen’s creations destroyed New York City (The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms), the Golden Gate Bridge (It Came From Beneath the Sea), and Washington, D. C. (Earth vs the Flying Saucers). Today’s special effects departments have it easy compared to Hollywood in the Golden Age of Science Fiction movies. Film’s like the Matrix or Jurrassic Park take years to make, employ thousands, and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
In Harryhausen’s day Science Fiction movies were made in weeks by only a handful of actors, model makers, and technicians. Movies cost thousands not millions, but many of those "B" films (The Creature from the Black Lagoon, It Came from Outer Space, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers) became classics because of the wonderful character driven stories and elegant special effects.
We wandered around taking pictures of the models and the young hopefuls who had created them. The Olympus Stylus 300 was admirably suited to the job (both shooting tight portraits of the model creators and their fans and shooting close-ups of the models). All three of us were duly impressed with the capabilities of this reasonably priced and feature rich little digicam.
We got to meet Mr. Harryhausen (who’s in his mid eighties) and talk with him (briefly) about the golden age of Hollywood Science Fiction movies. I asked him what he thought of today’s special movie effects and he said he’s not a big fan of today’s blockbuster SFX effects films because the explosions and destruction seem more important than the characters or their stories. He said he hasn’t been to see a new movie in years.
Sunday morning was absolutely gorgeous when my friend and I got together about ten o’clock. We picked up our friend Ivan (who brought along his Olympus C4000 to shoot comparison pictures) and headed for Cherokee Park to shoot some outdoor images. We hit the scenic loop (which winds through a couple miles of steep hillsides covered with old growth woods on both sides of Beargrass Creek) at the Daniel Boone statue and drove down the loop a short way and pulled over and parked on the shoulder. We walked up the hill along the tumbling rock filled bed of a small seasonal creek, passing the Olympus Stylus 300 back and forth as we found interesting subjects.
The creek was running just about full (we’ve had a lot of rain this spring) and all three of us stopped several times to shoot small patches of wildflowers and clumps of cinnamon fern growing along the banks of the creek. The Stylus 300 produces consistently excellent and well-exposed images in close up mode. The ancient trees threw the creek into moderate shade but the little Stylus was able to produce super images that looked like they had been shot out in the middle or nowhere, rather than right in the middle of the city.
This area is one of my favorite Louisville shooting locations because it’s possible to shoot great “intimate landscapes” just yards from the road. I found one small patch of cinnamon fern that was backlit beautifully and used the Stylus 300 to frame the ferns, some moss covered rocks, and the creek “essing” by (at the cost of a poorly placed shoe filled with exceptionally cold water). The light was a bit dim but the bright green ferns stood out beautifully against the darker surroundings and the little Stylus 300 did a great job of rendering the scene dramatically.
By early afternoon the weather had turned rainy and windy and we had an excellent opportunity to check out the Stylus 300’s weatherproofing. All three of us got a good drenching as we walked back to the car. The Stylus 300 suffered no ill effects from the rain and was as good as new once we’d dried it off.
The three of us headed for the Heine Brothers Coffee Shop across from Mid City Mall to dry off (over a cappuccino) and review our pictures. All three of us were impressed with the solid capabilities, exceptional usability, and excellent images produced by the little Stylus 300.
After we finished up at Heine Brothers, we drove over to Baxter Avenue to shoot the huge coffee pot and cup outside Lynn’s Paradise Café. By this time it was mid afternoon and overcast. We had even shadowless lighting on Lynn’s “kitschy” signature sculptures. We talked a kid practicing his skateboarding technique into zooming past the huge coffee pot and cup several times so that we could test the Stylus 300’s shutter lag and see how the camera worked in an action photography environment.
We were able to frame several interesting shots (my friend loves to shoot pictures of strange and different business signs and we often shoot the collection of weird and colorful concrete statuary that is a hallmark of Lynn’s, one of Louisville’s most popular restaurants) of the kid zooming and leaping into the air in front of the unique background. Unfortunately, action shooting is one of the Stylus 300’s weak points. The slight shutter lag made it difficult to catch the “decisive moment” in the action, but we did end up with a couple striking shots
Image Quality
The Stylus 300 does a good job of upholding the excellent reputation of its predecessor for producing consistently excellent images. Colors are accurate and the saturation level is pleasant, but not garish. The Stylus 300’s enhanced contrast interpolation generally works to the advantage of the photographer, but some caution should be used when shooting in very brightly lit settings. I was pleasantly surprised at just how crisp the Stylus 300’s images are, resolution is tack sharp from corner to corner; easily reminiscent of the classic film Stylus’ famous image sharpness.
Images do show noticeable noise in dim light (the camera controls ISO settings) and there is minor noise in some outdoor images (probably due to the Stylus 300’s aggressive sharpening algorithms) primarily in dark areas of brightly lit scenes. The Stylus 300’s auto white balance setting does a good job even under tungsten lighting. The white balance pre-sets produce a marginally cooler color balance.
Timing/Shutter Lag
The Stylus 300 is fairly quick and shutter lag is noticeably shorter than average for compact digital cameras. Shot to shot times are relatively quick and (dependent on whether flash is used) run from about 2 to 5 seconds. Boot up cycle (how long it takes for the camera to extend the lens and be ready to shoot after you turn it on) is between 2 and 3 seconds, pretty quick for a compact digicam. Overall, the Stylus 300 is a bit faster than the average.
A Few Concerns
My major complaint with the Olympus Stylus 300 is the lack of a dedicated sports/action scene mode. In a perfect world the Stylus 300 would also allow the user to select the ISO sensitivity. Combine these two shortcomings and you have a camera that is very capable in most areas, but not the optimal choice for action or low light photography.
Barrel Distortion (straight lines bow out from the middle) is about average at the wide-angle end of the 3X zoom. Pincushion distortion (straight lines bow in toward the center of the frame) at the telephoto end of the zoom range is virtually invisible. I didn’t note any vignetting (dark corners)and chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is barely noticeable, but both could be problems in high contrast scenes.
Olympus’ “bad” -----the Stylus 300’s proprietary battery (L-10B) costs $70.00 making a second battery a substantial additional expense---and how difficult is it to include a complete printed manual? Shame on Olympus for hiding the full instructions and operating information on the CD-ROM. There’s no focus aid beam and that further exacerbates the Stylus 300’s weakness in low light situations.
Conclusion
I owned one of Olympus’ classic little Stylus film cameras during the early nineties, and I loved it. I usually shoot color slides or B&W print film so the sexy little Stylus let me carry a camera loaded with color print film for those situations when you just want a nice snapshot. The camera was small enough to drop in my shirt pocket or the side pouch of my camera bag. It was tough as nails, easy to use, and consistently produced excellent 4x6 color prints. After spending some quality time with the digital re-incarnation of that classic little Stylus P&S I’m very impressed.
Olympus’ optical engineers and design team clearly wanted to recreate the popular little Stylus film camera as a tough and easy to use digital point & shoot camera, and they did. The Stylus 300 is built like a tank, it’s weatherproof, it takes great pictures, it's compact and stylish, and it makes an excellent take it along anywhere traveling companion. If you want a little more resolution, check out the four megapixel Stylus 400.
Links
If you want to read more about classic fifties sci fi movies, you may find my review “The Top Ten Sci-Fi Flicks of the Fifties” http://www.epinions.com/mvie-review-280C-50A407D-39D3CE7F-prod1 entertaining.
Check out my review of a bargain priced and very capable photo quality ink-jet printer.
Epson Stylus Photo 785 EPX ink-jet printer
http://www.epinions.com/content_60776812164
For definitive advice on How to Choose a Digital Camera please see my review:
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-2E46-17B174E2-39A418E3-prod1
For more information about specific Digital Camera models you may find my Digital Camera reviews informative:
Canon Digital Cameras
Canon Powershot A70
http://www.epinions.com/content_99985034884
Canon Powershot S230
http://www.epinions.com/content_78900203140
Canon Powershot S30
http://www.epinions.com/content_59041746564
Minolta Digital Cameras
Minolta Dimage Xi
http://www.epinions.com/content_89754275460
Minolta Dimage 5
http://www.epinions.com/content_49104522884
Nikon Digital Cameras
Nikon Coolpix 3500
http://www.epinions.com/content_88242491012
Olympus Digital Cameras
Olympus Camedia C730
http://www.epinions.com/content_86851030660
Olympus Camedia D550
http://www.epinions.com/content_85994606212
Pentax Digital Cameras
Pentax Optio S
http://www.epinions.com/content_102275059332
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 399.00
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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Howard_Creech
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Member: Howard Creech
Location: Louisville, KY
Reviews written: 334
Trusted by: 1276 members
About Me:
Photographer/Writer fascinated by Movies, Music, Books, American Diner Food, History, "Popular Culture", and Travel.
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