Olympus Stylus Epic Black Camera with 35mm lens requires #123 lithium battery

Editorial Review
Precision-crafted and styled for success, the Infinity Stylus Epic has an ultra-compact, all-weather body, and a high-resolution 35mm f2.8 lens. Fully automatic operation, intelligent variable-power flash, and lots more of the advanced technology features that have made Stylus cameras famous worldwide.Autofocus system measures camera-to-subject distance in three locations, so focusing is easy even when your subject isn't in the center of the frame. Bright, 0.45X real-image viewfinder makes framing your shots a snap. Shoot from as close as 14 inches with autofocus ease. Self-timer with optional remote control lets you activate the shutter from up to 16 feet away. Variable power flash with exclusive auto color-balancing for natural color and correct exposure.
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Customer Reviews

Great little camera with two important flaws

2008-06-19
The Olympus Stylus Epic is nearly a perfect point and shoot camera. It has a very sharp, wide-aperture (f2.8) lens, it has a spot meter, it is tiny, it is quiet. With fast film, a handheld light meter (more on this below) and that great lens (which is quite sharp wide open), the camera can be used indoors without a flash with great results.

Here are the two key drawbacks.

1. The camera needs a warning light to let the user know when the shutter speed goes below 1/30. The camera's shutter can open for as long as 4 seconds, which is great -- but the user needs to know if he or she can get away with available light handheld. Without a camera shake warning, you really need a handheld light meter to make sure you're OK before you turn off that flash indoors.

2. The camera's minimum aperture is only f/11. Given the camera's fastest shutter speed of 1/1000, this means that ISO 800 film cannot be used in full sun. You would need one more stop (f/16). Why is this a problem? This creates a dilemma: for indoors you want to use ISO 800 film to take maximum advantage of the fast lens, but if you do that, you now can't take the camera outside on a sunny day. If you put ISO 400 in the camera, you give up a precious stop indoors.

In sum, if the lens aperture went to f/16, and if the camera had a blinking light to warn you when the shutter speed was longer than 1/30, it would be a perfect, go-anywhere camera. You could put ISO 800 film in it and take it with you everywhere you went.

Cameras & Photography Products and Books

	Click!. The No Nonsense Guide to Digital Cameras Review: ... "Click! The No Nonsense Guide to Digital Cameras" is misnamed. It covers a lot more than just cameras. In a couple of hundred pages, it includes using a scanner and Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 to rescue faded, damaged family photos, the basic guidelines to good picture taking, how to use Elements 2 to improve your digital photos, and how to print and preserve your pictures for the ages. White, the author of the bestseller "How Computers Work," knows how to pack a lot of helpful, understandable information in a brief no nonsense book.
	Sony Cybershot DSCS90 4.1 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Review: "This Camera is one of the best in its price range. It takes beautiful clear pictures and can be used right out of the box, but its worth learning all its features. The included memory holds about 20-25 pictures so I upgraded to 128mb. I reccomend getting a 128mb card and the Sony camera case. Not only is this one of the best cameras in its class it includes decent software and rechargeable batteries that are at least a 20$ value. HIGHLY reccomend over canon,kodak, and fuji. One more thing this camera has CARL Zeiss lens (if you dont know, great lens) all the competetors have generic lens."
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PC Magazine Guide to Digital Photography

Editorial Reviews from Book News, Inc.
A couple of digital photography experts weigh the advantages and disadvantages of film vs. digital photography, and explain the basics underlying both types of photography. The Grottas provide reality checks on such issues as whether the number of megapixels really matter, and tips on camera selection, use, and e-mailing and organizing photos. The handbook includes color and b&w images, a glossary, and sidebars and Web links for further technical details.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland.

From the Back Cover The megapixel hype
The fact is a camera’s megapixel rating is only a measure of how many pixels (photosensitive sites) an image sensor has…. An image sensor is simply one component of an entire system that produces a digital photograph… So resist buying into the megapixel hype when you’re choosing a digital camera. From Chapter 1

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