No more Film! Excellent Transitional Camera
Written: Feb 11 '05
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Pros: Small Size, Quick startup, weatherproof
Cons: Tiny xD card, smaller LCD display
The Bottom Line: Good camera that is appealing to the fairer gender. Easy to use and great photo quality
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| houseproject's Full Review: Olympus Stylus 410 / µ 410 Digital Camera |
Overview:
This review covers the selection and purchasing process for a mid-grade digital camera for everyday use. I probably won't list all the endless technical specs, but I will give you the logic behind my selection of this camera and of course, my opinions.
Background:
I have personally been shooting digital exclusively for 5 years now. My Sony Cybershot has always been faithful and durable.
My challenge was to find a Digital camera that was going to convert my spouse from Film to Digital media.
The Minimum Requirements
I was given the following minimum requirements:
Lightweight
Small form Factor
Integrated Lens Cover
Viewfinder
Video Capability
These were added as "nice to have's"
Weatherproof
AA Batteries
Memory Stick Media
I added these spec:
4.0 MP minimum
Under $350 ( hey I'm paying for it here ! )
The search began online at Big Box store web sites.
I created a comparison matrix of over 40 different cameras.
The ones that rose to the top were the following:
Nikon CoolPix 4100
Olympus 400 & 410
Sony DSC T-1
Sony DSC P93
Samsung Digimax V5
The process of elimination began with a test drive of each camera at a local big box ( color yellow ).
They had a good selection and covered most of the bases. They did not have the Samsung camera. We had to go to another store to find that one.
The main difference that became important on the cameras during the test drive was operator interface.
Some of the buttons were too close together for someone with longer fingernails and some buttons were exceedingly multifunctional and somewhat touchy.
The Sony 93 fell out due to the button locations. I personally liked the Sony T1, but it lacked a viewfinder.
The Nikon felt good from an operations standpoint, but it was just a little too large to feel comfortable.
The Samsung camera seemed capable, but the controls were not user friendly and again, the size was not small enough.
So, we came back again and again to the Olympus 400. It was a good looking camera with a sliding, attached lens door, a viewfinder, easy to use and well-spaced buttons, and it was small enough to carry anywhere.
I began price shopping the camera and came across a deal with a rebate at OfficeMax. I was disappointed at the store as they were out of the camera. However, a very helpful sales person volunteered to give me the same deal from their on-line store. As he explored the inventory status, he found that the 400 was out of stock, but would I like the newer 410 for the same deal??!
So, I ended up ordering the Stylus 410 at a great price. The sales person even reduced the cost by the rebate amount from the 400 camera offer even though it was not valid on the 410.
3 weeks later we got the camera. The primary user ( not me ) quickly squirreled it away and read the entire instruction manual before using. Come to find out not all the information you need to know is in the printed manual. You will need to run the included CD and read the electronic ( pdf format ) manual to get more info.
Even then, not all the features are fully explained. This may be frustrating to those who like to read on how to use things before actually pushing buttons ( again, not me ).
It comes with a 32M xM memory card that holds about 32 pictures at the 2nd highest resoluion. I upgraded the memory card to 512M ( $77, again thanks to OfficeMax ).
The xM card is tiny. So small I was afraid to handle it. I have a media card port in my PC so it plugged in easily.
Zoom : 3X optical Forget about digital zoom when comparing cameras as it's pretty much worthless. You may as well crop cut and paste with your photo editor.
The primary user has now shot over 400 pictures. We have kept it at the 2nd highest resolution and successfully printed out pictures of all sizes.
Performance in Lighting Conditions
Outdoor : Clear crisp colors
Indoor Natural Light : Exceptional color and tone depth with crisp edges between light and shadow.
Flash : Surprisingly powerful flash with 2-3 second recovery. Colors only a little off
Bulb or available light : not bad, you need a tripod ( duh )
Battery Life : Long! I did at least 200 shots with flash over a 2 day period with no charge needed. Battery has a "gas guage" in the view finder for monitoring. I think we have only charged it 2-3 times ever.
Startup time : 1-2 Seconds after opening lens door. You can also turn off the annoying start-up chime so that you can sneak up on your subjects.
Modes : Black and White, Cepia etc . . . I really have only used B&W and Cepia. I would rather apply affects in my photo editor program and shoot an original and then wish I had a color version.
Conclusion :
I can say that my spouse is now a complete convert from film. The surprising bump in the road with whole process was the cataloging and storage of the photos. I saved the pictures from the xD card to my computer's HD, but at the same time made a CD backup/"negative" disc for printing at the store and eventual archiving.
Hope this helps your decision process!
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 249
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Easy Enough for Anyone to Use
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Epinions.com ID:
houseproject
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Reviews written: 34
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