Olympus Stylus 800 / µ 800 Digital Camera - Fast, Weatherproof and Good Photos
Written: Oct 17 '05 (Updated Oct 28 '05)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Ease of Use: |
 |
|
| Durability: |
|
|
| Battery Life: |
 |
|
| Photo Quality: |
|
|
| Shutter Lag |
|
|
|
Pros: Features, image quality, compact, sturdy, weather-proof, large LCD, easy to use, fast, 8MP
Cons: Uses expensive xD cards, not particularly cheap
The Bottom Line: I highly recommend Olympus Stylus 800 if you want an all-weather, compact, cool yet capable camera with 8-megapixel resolution, large LCD screen...
|
|
|
| dkozin's Full Review: Olympus Stylus 800 / µ 800 Digital Camera |
After having good experience with the 5-Megapixel all-weather Olympus Stylus 500, I wanted to try the 8-Megapixel Olympus Stylus 800, which is also an all-weather camera. While being similar to the Stylus 500, the Stylus 800 is not the same camera with higher resolution. I got it a week ago and here is what I found.
What is Olympus Stylus 800?
The Olympus Stylus 800 is a 8-Megapixel all-weather metal-body digital camera with a 3x optical zoom (38-114 mm equivalent with maximum f/2.8 aperture at wide angle, f/4.9 at telephoto), a large 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD screen, powered by a proprietary rechargeable battery.
The all-weather design features rubber gaskets in the interior and allows you to use the camera in the rain or snow without having to worry about it breaking.
The camera features ISO range of ISO 64-1600, automatic or manual (ISO 800-1600 available in lower resolution SQ1 mode only at 3-4MP), automatic and manual white balance and exposure compensation. The camera stores pictures on xD-Picture memory cards or in built-in memory (21.3 MB) and features USB connection to PC and Mac computers. It has a built-in red eye removal feature.
The camera has 24 shooting modes, including Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority and 19 scene modes. It also features PictBridge technology for direct printing with compatible printers.
The camera features a shutter speed range of 1/2,000 - 4 sec (1/2-4 sec range is available in night mode).
Getting Started
Upon the camera arrival, I found that the battery was almost fully charged. The camera comes with a proprietary Li-Ion battery and a compact charger. I charged it until it was fully charged for less than half an hour, inserted it into the camera and was ready to shoot. The Stylus 800 is sturdy and feels solid. It has a lens that is flush with the camera body when retracted and the lens lid covers it.
The bottom of the camera has a tripod mount and the memory card compartment lid. The side has a large rigid lid with a weather-proof gasket that for the battery, USB/A/V and DC power port compartment.
The rear panel has a large 2.5-inch LCD screen, zoom control, a metal disk for menu control and other functions with a OK/MENU button in the middle as well as other buttons and a rotating mode wheel (Scene/A/S/Review, etc.) The camera has no viewfinder, but relies solely on the large LCD screen.
The top deck has a power on/off button and a shutter release button.
Usage
The Stylus 800 is well-built and sturdy. The major controls are within easy reach, but the row of buttons left of the LCD screen require you to use your left hand to use. The menu system is simple to use and I could use the camera and all of its features without reading the manual. The mode wheel has a good amount of effort built-in.
The pre-programmed scene modes (the camera has them for all kinds of situations like Portrait, Landscape, Night Portrait, Party, etc.) are easily selected, have descriptive names and the camera shows you descriptions of what they are designated for.
The menus system is easy to use. You should probably immediately disable the option called Reset All. By default, it is set to ON and resets the settings to their default values once the camera is powered off. In order for the camera to remember the settings (e.g. if you set the ISO to some value instead of Auto), you have to set the Reset All setting to OFF.
The Stylus 800 has a retractable lens that extends and has a lens cover that opens when the camera is powered on. When the camera is powered off, the lens retracts and the lens cover closes. Both the power on and off happen quickly and do not produce much noise.
In automatic and semi-automatic modes, the camera is very easy to use. You basically select either the full automatic mode or choose one of the scene modes and then point and shoot. Unlike the Stylus 500, the Stylus 800 has manual modes: Aperture and Shutter Priority. You can adjust the exposure in Aperture Priority mode in 1/3 EV steps.
Another positive difference with the Stylus 500 is the presence of the shutter speed and aperture information on the screen. The camera also has an exposure compensation feature that lets you make the picture brighter or darker, depending on how you would like it to look.
The picture-taking is easy and simple. In automatic mode or scene modes, you do not have to do anything other than point and shoot - the camera takes care of the rest. You press the shutter release button halfway to make camera focus and the camera shows you (on the LCD screen) that it focused. Then you take the picture by pressing the shutter release button all the way.
There are two focusing modes - the one that automatically decides where to focus based on the scene mode selected and another one, where the focusing is in the center and you have to first point the center onto the object you want the camera to focus on, press the shutter release button halfway and then, after the camera focuses, re-point the camera (recompose the shot) and press the button all the way. In automatic mode, the camera can be used by anyone who can point and shoot. The preprogrammed scene modes give you more control.
In addition, you can select Macro mode at a push of a button. The camera has a dedicated review mode on the mode selector, and you can also use a button on the back panel to activate quick review mode. Also, the camera has a GUIDE button that describes how you can do things like blurring the background or brightening the subject (15 topics overall).
LCD and Viewfinder
The camera has no viewfinder but has a large 2.5-inch LCD monitor that "gains-up" in the darker environments and has adjustable brightness. It works well overall, even in darkness or bright light.
Performance
The Stylus 800 takes only about 1 second to power up and extend its lens. This is pretty fast. The shutdown takes about the same time. This is good because with some cameras you have to wait several seconds for the camera to extend its lens and by that time the opportunity to take a picture you wanted may be lost already.
The camera can take pictures at intervals of about 1.5 seconds in single-frame mode without the flash or about 4 seconds with the flash. The burst mode lets you take about 2 frames per second for 3 consecutive shots. The zooming is reasonable fast. You can fully zoom in or out in about 2 seconds. The zooming works well, letting you frame the shot with good accuracy.
Focusing was fast at less than a second, even though the camera does not have an autofocus-assist light. The shutter lag when pre-focused, was very short, almost non-existent.
Battery
I have not measured the battery life specifically, but took about 80 photos, some with flash, and have not depleted the battery yet.
Computer Connectivity
The camera uses USB connection to transfer pictures to a computer. You can also remove the xD memory card and use a memory card reader (if you have one). I could not use my memory card reader for two reasons: my reader does not accept the xD cards and I used the camera’s built-in memory, which by definition is non-removable.
Once I connected the camera to my Windows 2000 SP4 computer, it recognized the camera without the need to install the driver and the camera appeared as a removable drive, from which I could copy files.
Flash
The flash is decent for most tasks and has good color. It is not as powerful as on some other cameras, but certainly sufficient for up to 12-15 feet, depending on ISO selected and the focal distance. It has a red-eye reduction mode and you have an option of getting rid of the red-eye after the photo is taken using the in-camera software.
Image Quality
The camera has a good white balance system overall, but in incandescent light, where some other cameras have problems as well, the photos look too red. You can use the "Incandescent" white balance setting to remedy that. The camera produces very good photos with well-exposed, sharp, contrasty images. I was not able to find much chromatic aberration (purple fringing) and the photos have very good sharpness corner to corner (no softening in corners, unlike some other cameras).
The images looked sharp and, when viewed pixel-per-pixel on the computer screen, looked too sharp with exaggerated edges of objects and occasional halos. But when printed, the results were great.
The camera has image noise that is typical for a compact camera. Lower ISO settings feature lower noise with noise at ISO 400 and above making it suitable for small prints only (up to 5x7"). The lower-ISO photos are good up to 13x19 inches.
The ISO 800 and 1600 are available in 3-4 MP-resolution photos only and feature severe loss of detail when viewed pixel-per-pixel. But they are usable for 6x4 prints or email/web when downsized further in image editing software.
Pros
Features, image quality, sharp optics, rechargeable battery and charger included, compact, sturdy, weather-proof, large LCD, easy to use, fast operation, 8-Megapixel resolution.
Cons
Uses expensive xD cards, not particularly cheap.
Bottom Line
I highly recommend Olympus Stylus 800 if you want an all-weather, compact, cool yet capable camera with 8-megapixel resolution, large LCD screen, sharp optics, fast operation that is easy to use. It even have manual modes that let you exercise your creativity.
My Reviews of Other Digital Cameras
Canon:
Canon Powershot S2 IS Digital Camera Review
Canon Powershot S1 IS Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot A620 7.1-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot A610 5-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot A520 4-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot A510 3.2-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot A95 5-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot S70 7.1-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot S60 5-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot S500 5-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot S410 / Digital IXUS 430 Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD200 3.2-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD300 4-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD400 5-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD450 5-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Canon PowerShot SD500 7.1-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Panasonic:
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ5 5-Megapixel Digital Camera with 12x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ20 5-Megapixel Digital Camera with 12x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ1 4-Megapixel Digital Camera with 6x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-LZ2 5-Megapixel Digital Camera with 6x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ4 4-Megapixel Digital Camera with 12x Optical Stabilized Zoom Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ15 4-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ3 Digital Camera Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ2 Digital Camera with 12x Leica Lens and Optical Image Stabilizer Review
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ1 Digital Camera with Optical Image Stabilizer and 12x Leica Lens Review
Olympus:
Olympus Camedia C-765 4.0-Megapixel Digital Camera with USB and ED Lens Review
Olympus Stylus 410 4-Megapixel All-Weather Digital Camera Review
Olympus Camedia D-580 / C-460 4.0-Megapixel Digital Camera Review
Olympus D-565 Zoom Digital 4-Megapixel Camera Review
Olympus D-575 Zoom Digital Camera Review
Olympus D-595 Zoom Digital Camera Review
Olympus Stylus 500 Digital Camera Review
Olympus Stylus 800 Digital Camera Review
Sony:
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-H1 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-M1 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-P200 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-S40 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-S60 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T1 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T33 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-T7 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W5 Digital Camera Review
Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-W7 Digital Camera Review
Fuji:
Fuji FinePix A345 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix A350 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix E500 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix E510 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix E550 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix F10 Digital Camera Review
Fuji FinePix F450 Digital Camera Review
Kodak:
Kodak EasyShare Z700 Digital Camera Review
Kodak EasyShare Z740 Digital Camera Review
Kodak EasyShare Z7590 Digital Camera Review
Konica Minolta:
Minolta DiMAGE Z2 Digital Camera Review
Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z5 Digital Camera Review
Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6 Digital Camera Review
Nikon:
Nikon D50 Digital SLR Camera Review
Pentax:
Pentax *istD Digital SLR Camera Review
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 325
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
dkozin
|
 in Electronics |
 - Top 10 |
|
Location: California
Reviews written: 838
Trusted by: 516 members
About Me:
I love to push buttons on electronic (audio and video) equipment. It makes me happy.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.