Optics. Easy to hold steady, especially on horizontal shots. Except for the lens not being interchangable, it operates pretty much like other AF SLR's

Would be nice if it went wider than 35mm. The unconventional shape of the camera is probably something that you'll either love or hate.

This camera is worth the money for the lens alone - of the consumer zooms that I've tried it comes out tops. It looses out subjectively to Nikon primes, especially to the 180mm and 105 DC, but those lenses cost more than the IS3 and are just a lens not a lens + camera. However it's often easy to confuse the results of the IS3 with those lenses if you're not doing a side-by-side comparison. The IS3 results are plenty sharp, the primes just somwhow seem to be more dimensional, perhaps it's due to the appearance of the bokeh.

The plastic construction of the camera may intially look suspicious. Mine's 5 years old now and has been used mostly as a backup to a Nikon & primes when travelling. It hasn't seen phenominally heavy use but it has been in a lot of inhospitable environments and seem be able with withstand getting knocked about within reason. I don't know what would happen if you dropped it though. The ergonomics are good and for me that adequately offsets any negative impression that plastic might make.

Similar Products Used:

various Nikon SLR's
24-120mm Nikkor
24-200 Tokina
various Nikon primes

great optics
good flash coverage
good flash metering
lots of creative control

battery gobbler

The perfect point & shoot. Superb Quality & control options all in one package. The built in flash tends to hog battery power, but this can be allieviated by the use of faster film.

Similar Products Used:

None

The IS-3 DLX is a great all-around performer. The 35-180 lens, in particular, is quite excellent. It produces crisp images with the help of the ED glass. The autofocusing speed doesn't compare to Canon's USM, but is more than adequate for most situations not involving superfast action. The built in flash is handy, but I wish it had super FP flash-synch like the non-US model (IS-3000). The ergonomics are quite good, too, as it balances well in my hands.

Non-interchangeable lens, slow maximum aperture are tradeoffs for this all-in-one camera. However, Olympus makes add-on lenses such as the macro and tele-lens adapters, which I have used with very good results. The accessories are expensive, though, unless you buy them used or through mail order.

A great camera if you're looking for an advanced P&S, or if you don't need interchangeable super-wide or extended telephoto lenses. The lens is great and compares well with my Olympus Zuiko primes!

Customer Service

no experience here

Similar Products Used:

none

Very versitile performer, many great features in one package.

Only one, the widest angle, w/adapter, is 28mm, would like to have seen something in the 24 or lower range, oh well...

For a good purpose, all around camera that takes fantastic quality photos without hauling around 20 lbs of gear, go with the IS-3

Customer Service

Dropped the camera on a rocky hill, olympus put it back together, still works, 4+ years and counting.

Similar Products Used:

Olympus IS-2