My newest Olympus Vacation & All Purpose Camera
Written: May 07 '03 (Updated May 21 '03)
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Pros: Easy to use 35mm point and shoot 38-170 zoom lens and water resistant
Cons: No image stabilizer
The Bottom Line: My past history with Olympus quality, the compact size, and outstanding retail price sealed the deal. For an amateur like myself I am pleased with the quality of my photos.
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| bluestarmom's Full Review: Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 170 QD 35mm Film Camera |
Wow, this is my 4th Olympus camera. This time I needed a new camera because my husband took our Stylus Epic Zoom 140QD to Florida with him. Now I needed a new camera for my upcoming vacation, this Since I could not yet decide on which digital to buy, I stayed with 35mm. This is my newest upgrade for 35mm format. Another major factor that clinched the deal was the exceptional price of $137 at Wal-Mart. This was the best price I could find without an internet purchase and would get the camera into my hands immediately.
Likes:
What I love about this model are the features that it comes with. First comes the Olympus clamshell slide open case, which triggers the pop up flash. Next is the 38-170 ED zoom lens, with easy to operate wideangle and telephoto zoom feature. This is the upgrade I mentioned from my previous 140QD zoom. The wideangle/telephoto button is located on the top of the camera, along with the self timer button and flash selection button. There are 6 flash modes, i.e. night mode, fill in, no flash, red eye reduction, auto mode, and backlight mode. On the camera back is the quartzdate mode/set button and the dioptemer button. The quartz date/time mode gives you 5 format selections. The dioptemer button, next to the viewfinder window, is shaped round that you manually manipulate to adjust for wearing glasses. I am nearsighted, and I use it when I take photos with my glasses on or off. It also uses the standard CR123A lithium battery my older Olympus models used. This battery is easy to find, in department stores and even airport shops. On the bottom is a manual rewind button used to rewind your film roll.
My Photographs:
I do not profess to be a professional. Taking photographs wherever I go is my hobby. I have noticed the quality of my photos contain clear crisp images and sharp true to life colors. Whether it is cloudy, sunny or raining, 400 speed film gets me through quite nicely. The redeye reduction lets me see my daughter's beautiful blue eyes in my photos taken of her. At Les Miserables, I did forget to use the redeye and the red eyes of 4 teenagers were very noticeable. That is the only portrait photo I forgot to use the redeye on.
My subjects:
I use this camera for a variety of images. I took photos of Edinburgh and Sterling Castles in Scotland. At the Edinburgh Easter festival I shot outdoor photos of three marching bands in motion, plus a cheerleading group. These were shot on a sunny day, and captured the colors of the uniform, the sky, and the participants faces. I took a photo of a statue of Sherlock Holmes. The quality is so clear you can even read the graffiti on the front. I especially loved to shoot photos of many interesting looking buildings, with unusual architecture. I took a roll of photos indoors in a tent at night in low light, while attending a traditional Scottish Banquet. I have some photos of a peacock, full feathers spread out and the colors are so clear and beautiful. The 170 zoom worked very well.
Dislikes:
What I had minor trouble with was the slide open case. If I touched it slightly, it was enough to trigger the lens closing back inside the camera. Then I would have to reopen the case. I did have another small difficulty. Like its predecessor, my 140QD, when I first loaded a fresh roll of film, after about 6 photos the camera rewound the film. I did not have this problem again however. I attribute the problem to my loading of the film. With the autoload if you do not advance the lead just the right amount, it will flash E (Empty) on the LED display. You have to load again.
I did get a couple of blurry photos, using the full 170 zoom setting. When on our sightseeing tour bus, as the bus suddenly moved, the camera moved slightly. This gave me a slightly out of focus shot. You need a super steady hand at 170 zoom. I also forgot to use the night mode. I was a little beyond the recommended flash range. If I had shot 800 film, with night mode flash the photo probably would had been clearer, but grainy.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 137.00
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Epinions.com ID:
bluestarmom
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Location: Riverside CA
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Longtime married with 3 daughters. My interests include travel, photography, football, and marching band.
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