Three particular strengths to this camera: A good flash that also will change itself slightly to adjust for flourescent lighting. A spot meter that allows the camera to be a fine performer with slide as well as print film. A nice sharp lens that produces images that can be enlarged if one desires. There is some difference from camera to camera (i've actually used 5 different copies of this camera)

It is a point and shoot. The shutter button is not my favorite shape and needs some texture, but a little adhesive tape fixed that! You can jam the clamshell closure into the lens if you force it real hard accidentally, but I've never broken one.

There are currently two of these in my collection. One is the Standard and the other has the Date/Time Back. The Standard I bought new and the 'Deluxe' model was purchased used. I paid about 25 for the used model and $80 for the new one that I still have. (have bought a couple as gifts as well) One might say that this is almost a requiem type of review as these are getting less and less use with the advent of digital. They still have a couple of strengths. These cameras are incredibly durable and inexpensive to use. They have been carried in hot and cold weather and worked without a hitch. No problem with them camping or being outside in pretty heavy rain for several days on end The batteries seem to last for literally dozens of rolls of film. I know one battery lasted at least 40 rolls of film! The more typical number with some flash use is about 25-30. These still go to sporting events loaded with slide film. Just can't beat the pictures, and if I crunch it, I'd feel bad but it coud be worse. I usually have at least one other camera, if not more, with me, but these guys still get most of the grab shots. For a backup or leave in the car/boat/or bottom of the bag camera, this is a great value. I had to spend a lot more on digital camera to get one that came close to the overall picture quality. Be sure to read the manual or the focusing may fool you. I've run everything from film bought in a convenience store to professionally stored slide and b/w film with very good results. This is not the 'greatest' camera ever made certainly, but with a little practice, you'd have to spend 3 or 4 times as much money to get a camera that comes close in any of the strengths it offers.

Customer Service

Haven't needed it for this Camera but had good experience with Olympus over the years.

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Many 35mm P/S from hours to much longer including: Yashica T4, Rollei 35 and AF/M.

Good lens. Very compact. Spot focusing. Night flash mode.

Typical P&S weaknesses, the main one being no manual control.

Great fully automatic P&S. If you want manual control, buy something with manual override. Criticizing a fully automatic P&S for being just that is like criticizing a dog for not being a cat. I bought my Stylus Epic before moving to the UK for a few months. I wanted a small, fixed lens camera that could take great snapshots. I was not disappointed. The Stylus Epic fit nicely in my jacket pocket and out of well over 100 pictures, only two didn't focus where I wanted them to, which brings me to my next point: Even though the camera only has two buttons on it (besides the shutter release) it pays to READ THE MANUAL. Use the spot focus feature. After discovering this feature I've not had one photo that didn't focus where I wanted it to. Also, the night flash mode is fantastic. The flash fires at the beginning of the exposure and the shutter stays open long enough to soak up some ambient light. This results in a much nicer picture than simply firing the flash at 1/125 synch. The background will probably be a bit blurry due to camera shake (unless you use a tripod, of course) but I'll take a properly exposed subject with a blurry, warm background over a subject floating in a sea of black any day. This is one of my favorite features on the Stylus Epic. I wish that my “real” camera (Contax T2) had it as well! Another reviewer seemed upset about the 2.8 aperture lens. Please note that the aperture is not fixed at 2.8 -- that's merely the largest it will open to in low light without a flash.

Customer Service

Not needed.

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Many P&S cameras

Its well made. Splash proof. Its very small. Its strong. The battery lasts a long time.

Wide aperture = Narrow depth of field = Limits what you can take pictures of.. Moving the lens just as the shutter pops seems like a dumb idea to me... I've used disposables that have made better pictures due to more depth of field and no moving lens.. :-)

This camera is an enigma to me. It gets a lot of good reviews but I don't like it much. But it is setup for big apertures, which in turn means it usually only has a narrow depth of field... Its pretty hard to get a person 8 feet away and a building 30 feet away to be in focus at the same time, but you won't know till you get your pictures back... :-) Heres the dof calculation assuming it uses 2.8 which you have no control of.. 35 mm focal length f2.8 focused at 8 feet near focus = 7 feet far focus = 9.5 feet Also the lens moves out to focus when you release the shutter. As the camera is very light, holding it completely still is a challenge while the lens is moving around...

Customer Service

NA

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A bunch of little APS cameras. Canon Owl Nikon Lite Touch 140

Small. Lightweight. Fast 2.8 aperture. Great lens. Easy to operate. Spot meter. Water resistant. Slick on/off switch/lens cover. CR123 battery. Accepts many different film speeds.

Redeye. Camera resets some functions when turned off. No manual exposure compensation.

What a slick little camera! I purchased my first Stylus Epic after being disappointed with a Yashica T-4 Zoom. After doing some research, I decided to check out the Stylus Epic. The fast aperture is a huge selling point for me. The small size, ease of handling, light weight and water resistance make it even better. After using this camera, it quickly becomes clear that it is very capable of taking some great pictures. After about 20 rolls of film, I've got a pile of great prints. My wife takes the pictures to work and her friends are blown away by the quality, color and sharpness. The fixed 35mm lens is great. Exposure control has been very nice, even in tricky situations. The flash will fire to fill in a back lit situation. Because the flash is so close to the lens, red eye is an issue. Focus is always spot on, as long as you remember to lock the focus using the cross hairs with half shutter. I've been using Fuji 400 and there has been plenty of DOF. I've read that the camera favors a fast aperture, so slower films in bright light should have a shallow DOF which would be fun to experiment with. This camera is so small and light, that I have been taking it with me every time I head out with my family. If you need a backup to your SLR, this is a great choice. If you want an everyday, take everywhere camera, you won't even notice this one because it is so small and light. I use the included strap and wear this camera around my neck. It's very easy to get along with. These things are selling very cheap on Ebay right now. I picked up my first one for $120 at the local shop (deluxe). I liked it so much, I kept my eyes open and picked up a NIB plain model for $26 on Ebay. This has got to be one of the best deals for a 35mm P&S out there right now. If you are lookng for a small P&S, and don't need a zoom, look no further.

Customer Service

N/A

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Nikon APS, Canon Powershot A-10, Yashica T-4 Zoom, EOS Rebel 2000, EOS 7E

Very small and Light weight Clam shell cover to protect lens Fast 2.8 lens and pretty sharp Accurate focus Pretty good fill-in flash SPOT FOCUS and METERING!!!! Weatherproof

Focuses after you press down. A little weird but you get used to it.

This is a great little camera without question for what its supposed to be. If your trying to replace your Nikon F5 then dont buy this camera BUT if you want a small, light camera with a better than decent lens the camera is fantastic. I take this camera everywhere, hiking in the woods, beach, pool, Europe, everywhere and its a pure pleasure. It takes great pictures. Its light so you can carry it around effortlessly. Its small so it fits in your pocket. Its inexpensive so you dont worry about it too much.

Cheap price. Great sharp lens. Big aperture. Lens and flash vignetting is small. Light weight and small.

Default focus mode easily miss the subject. The algorithm is stupid. It is a fatal problem. Big aperture is always used when flash is used. This makes depth of field too narrow and the focus easily miss. No IVP flash with "D" function. Film doesn't always stay flat. Olympus : please fix these simple problems and your camera will be great.

Focus is a big problem.

Customer Service

Good in Hong Kong. Fixed my IS-2 and IS-3 flash failure. And fixed IS-30 and IS-3 focus failure.

Similar Products Used:

Olympus IS-3, IS-30, IS-2 Olympus mju-II Large amount of film SLR and lens.

Small Splashproof Accurate and Sharp as can be Spot Metering on demand Multi-flash mode on demand Solid and well-built unit

A bit slow to focus, takes getting used to.

This little camera is everything it seems cracked up to be. I carry it with me everywhere as the perfect "grabshot" camera and am always very, very happy to compare results with digital camera owners .. hehe. It would take a digital camera of over 100 megapixels to even begin to catch up to what a good lens (this 4 element baby is a great lens) can do on a simple 35mm negative. It is pocketable, focuses quickly enough if you are practiced with it, exposes very accurately, and does seem to favor the largest aperture in low light conditions which is great for me as a people photographer. I do wish I had bought the black finish (not available in my local store) for durability but this one is holding up quite well anyway. I never use the date-back feature, just leave it turned off. It tends to fire flash unnecessarily so I turn it off as a matter of course when opening the lens cover. It has the best fill flash capability of any point and shoot I have ever heard of and the lens is FAST! Ignore what others tell you about the lens "not being up to slr quality" because it bloody well is. I have taken comparative shots on tripods with my PZ-1p and this little baby and come up with indistinguishable resultant differences! NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL, except maybe the contrast handling capability of the Olympus is a little bit BETTER than my PZ-1's lens.:( Enjoy it, a great camera at an unbelievable price.

Customer Service

Not a problem.

Similar Products Used:

Yashica T5, Olympus Camedia Digital.

price portability

non-ideal exposure program lack of infinity mode spot mode requires two hands to activate

The review given below by mlibra hits it spot on for me. The lens of the Epic, while good for a compact, doesn't begin to live up to the hype IMO. It is finicky - easily blown out in high contrast situations. I feel like the Epic has loused up pictures that my old Ricoh R1 would have handled more gracefully. The fact that the camera always favors the largest aperture is very inconvenient. I am constantly getting objects outside of the depth of field that I want *in* focus. That said, it is undeniable that this camera is a good deal for the money. Its compact size and tight construction means that I wouldn't hesitate to take it on outings where it might get a little manhandled. It serves very well as a 'beater' camera.

Similar Products Used:

Ricoh R1, Konica Hexar, Konica Big Mini, Konica Lexio, Fuji DL Super Mini, Pentax UC-1, Olympus XA

Very compact, nice handling, robust and ergonomic construction. Perfect for slipping in the pocket on a night out or where a more expensive or bigger camera would not be appropriate. Decent lens - for a compact.

Harsh grainy lens No controls - but then that's the point of the camera, really Exposure programme is odd

The Epic/Mju II is a good 35mm compact. Far superior to the zoom compacts that infest this market, but not quite as good as the hype would have us believe. There's no real picture control, although the spot metering and pre-focus/exposure lock will give enough control for 90% of pictures if the user is experienced enough and is willing to use them. As hundreds of others have pointed out, you really do need to lock the focus first otherwise the picture will be unfocussed and blurry. This is a problem when it comes to self-timer pics and 'grabshots' where it's not always possible to do so. Flash pictures are well-exposed but very prone to redeye. Lens quality is not bad, especially for a compact. Forget about all the talk of it being SLR-quality, because it just isn't (or at least my example isn't). The 35-80mm cheap consumer zoom on my cheap Nikon SLR is far, far superior, even to the untrained eye and on 6x4 prints. The little Oly is fine - sharp enough for good 6x4 pics, although it can be a little grainy. I also find the colours a bit harsh and the highlights can be blown in contrasty scenes - it's not a smooth lens. It's at its best outdoors (when it can stop down a bit I suspect). Flash pictures are good too, colouful and clear, if carefully focused and where the main subjects are fairly equidistant from the camera. Another nitpick - it is biased towards firing the flash even when not necessary. The first thing I do when I turn the camera on is cancel the flash. It's a pain - a little work on the exposure programme would make a much nicer camera to use, imho. Nevertheless, compared to most zoom compacts it yields superior pictures, with more contrast and life. It is obviously better in lower light situations, with fast film and the flash turned off. And from a personal perspective, the absence of a zoom usually makes for better pictures - I get less lazy, I move around to get the best shot. Overall then - recommended as a good value compact. I must admit I've gone off mine a little bit since securing a second-hand Olympus XA - an ancient little rangefinder of a similar compact size that delivers nicer pictures with real control.

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Olympus XA, XA2, Nikon SLR, various digicams

Small, sharp lens, easy to use, pocketable, reasonably quiet, spot meter !, splash-proof, simple clam-shell on/off design is quick & easy.

occasionally flash fires unexpectedly, (turn it off) silver model scratches. (buy the black one)

This is my second review on this camera after using it for a few months & a long trip to Mexico. In short, I'm impressed. To handle & use, this is a true pocket camera that can take good shots. The shutter is so quiet & vibrationless that I managed to take shots in a very dimly lit church with 100 ASA film & still get enlargeable results. This is not so easy with any SLR. I know I've done it & can compare. I also took some shots on a very sunny day & found the pictures not to be too washed out. I can only presume that the lens coating is doing it's job. My only critiscism of this neat little performer is that sometimes the flash fires in good light. If you want a innocent looking small camera for candid work & just to have with you, then the stylus would be a great choice as it's A LOT cheaper than digital , but it can still deliver slr quality prints if necessary. Buy the black version instead of the DLX version.

Customer Service

not needed. keep your warranty & get a new one.

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various point & shoots; hated them all.