I have owned the Olympus Accura Zoom XB 70 camera for over six years and have thoroughly enjoyed its excellent photograph quality. While I’m sure there are better 35mm cameras out there, this has more than adequately served my needs.

My camera is used mostly for my cats and taking pictures of my nieces and nephews. No professional photography here, although I see my family so rarely that I like to have good shots of the kids to enlarge and frame. It has traveled all over the country and been handled by countless toddlers, and still doesn’t have so much as a scratch.

The camera is around 3” x 5” and very lightweight. The cord it’s attached to allows me to hang it off my shoulder, where it hangs at the same level as my purse. It is adjustable if you need it shorter. I have small hands and have no problem snapping photos.

To turn the camera on, you slide open the lens, which will then expand outwards. To turn it off, you push the slider slightly towards the lens, which will then detract automatically. In six years of moderate use, I have only had to replace the batteries (2 AA) once.

The zoom goes up pretty close for such a small camera, and is adjustable by pushing either T (zoom in) or W (zoom out). These buttons are right next to the button to snap the photo, which makes it easy to get the perfect shot while looking through the lens, not at the camera.

Adjusting the time/date is extremely simple via buttons on the back of the camera. You can select whether or not you want the time/date stamp on the photo.

Loading the camera is extremely simple. Push the slider to open the back compartment, place the roll of film in, and push the edge of the film along into the slot. Close the compartment, and when you turn the camera on, it will automatically unroll the film to the proper place. Once you have finished the roll of film, you push the rewind slider and it will automatically roll up the film.

You can tell how many photos you have used so far by the number showing to the left of the zoom buttons. It increases in increments of 2. It’s up to you to remember how many photos your roll of film can take, and the camera will make an unpleasant grinding sound if you try and take more than there’s room for.

In darker settings, the flash can take a good 10 seconds to warm up. This is annoying when dealing with young children who can barely sit still. Taking a photo before the flash warms up means a very dark photo. However, you can snap again in 1-2 seconds in the sunlight.

Picture quality with this camera is far superior to any other 35mm I have used. Colors are vibrant, lines are sharp, everything is in focus, and they enlarge nicely (usually to 5” x 7”). I often surprise myself by getting back one or two photos in every set that literally look like the stock photography that comes in newly purchased frames.

The one time I have experienced poor photo quality is with close-up moving objects. By this I am mainly referring to holding a kitten with one hand while snapping a photo with the other… usually they end up quite blurry and have to be digitally shrunk down to less than 1” to be sharp. A digital camera would be a better option for these circumstances, but I just haven’t gotten around to purchasing one yet.

Overall I am pleased with this camera, and for 35mm I think it’s an excellent choice. This camera would be a terrific choice for family photos, and I’m sure it’s probably very affordable these days.

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): gift
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use