Olympus MJU II vs. the MJU II Zoom 80? Difference?

[artistfriendship]

I've seen the MJU II referred to as part of the Stylus Epic series and also referenced with the Olympus MJU II "Zoom 80." I am only interested in the MJU II, so would the zoom 80 and Stylus Epic models serve to be the same? What is the difference between the Zoom 80 and the regular MJU II?

Thank you!

 

[holmburgers]

Everything!

Ok, not really, but the most important thing.. the lens.

The regular MJU II has a 35mm f/2.8 lens which is sharp, fast and a good angle of view. These cameras are compact and highly sought after.

Then you have the Zoom 80. It's got a big stupid zoom 38-80mm, f/4.5-8.9. It's slow, probably not as good optically owing to the fact that it's a zoom, and no one really wants them.

Whenever I'm thrift shopping or antiquing I see a lot of these Olympus clam-shells. If it's a zoom, I set it back down; if it's one with a fast prime lens, I buy it.

 

[artistfriendship]

Makes sense Thank you for your reply.

Since I'll avoid the MJU II zooms, how is settling for the MJU I?

 

[rphenning]

the MJU I is a really nice camera but if you can spring for the II, do so. I started point and shoots with the I for about a year and then used my friends II, a few weeks later I got the II. It's just a lot better. f/3.5 compared to f/2.8, spot metering in the II, better weather seals.

 

[elcabezagrande]

There is also a quite uncommon Stylus Epic Zoom 80 Wide that is 28/4.5 at the wide setting, I think it is the only mju that is 28mm.

 

[artistfriendship]

Thank you everyone, you guys have been most helpful!

 

[wblynch]

Sure they aren't as good as an Epic/MJUII but don't discount the Zoom 80 out of hand, It takes very nice daytime and travel photos. Even flash pictures of friends and gatherings come out great. Plus they are sharp, have good contrast and great color rendition. And the short zoom is very handy when you're out and about.

Use ISO 400 film and overcome those small F-stops.

You can often get an Epic Zoom 80 for 1 to 5 dollars. For that and a couple of rolls of film it beats any single-use camera.

 

[artistfriendship]

Thanks wblynch. the zooms are definitely cheaper than the regular mju. thanks for your input!

 

[artistfriendship]

How does the Olympus Infinity Stylus or Olympus Stylus Epic DLX compare? Anyone have experience with these?

 

[wblynch]

I have both those cameras. The Infinity came to me in new condition with the original box and all contents. That one is black.

My Epic DLX is in excellent++ condition and it is gold. No box or manual with the Epic.

The Infinity seems built stronger and the buttons are definitely better. The Epic has little rubbery buttons on the film back that seem very fragile. The Epic is splash proof with a rubber seal around the film compartment so if you dropped it into a puddle you might forfeit your camera but the film would survive.

They both operate much the same and take excellent pictures. But the Epic seems to have a more refined lens and a faster max aperture (2.8 versus 3.5).

The Epic also has like 100 focus points and the Infinity is maybe 16? (from memory).

There are sites that explain every difference between these two.

My personal experience is the Infinity gives me better contrast and colors, less wide-angle distortion and it runs quieter. The Infinity feels much nicer in my hand.

The Epic seems to have better sharpness and focus. It seems to operate faster too.

Oh. one fun feature about the Epic is I have a little remote control to trigger group shots. Or I can trigger it from the front and get out of the way in the 3 second delay. The self-timer feature of the Infinity is weird since you have to hold down the shutter and self-timer buttons together to start the timer.

In the end there is very little real-world difference in them and the Infinity can be found cheaper and in better condition since people only want the Epic. Plus the Infinity might outlast all the Epics due to the stronger construction.

 

[andrewc]

Definitely do not discount the zoom models. Even though the lenses aren't the same as the 2.8 lens on the Stylus Epic (mju II), they're still quite sharp. We have the Stylus Epic 115 and the Stylus Epic Wide zoom which is a 28-100 zoom. Both produce excellent pictures with very sharp results. They also have spot metering.

Andy

 

[eurekaiv]

I spent a few bucks at a thrift store on a zoom 115 and a zoom 80. I ran what was left of the installed roll through the zoom 80 yesterday so we'll see how it does, but for a few $, I can't expect to be disappointed. Looking through the tagged pics on flickr shows a lot of nice shots from these things. The only quibble I had with mine was that I kept moving the shell/door over just enough to send the camera into power down. That's kinda annoying when you're walking around with the camera in your hand, lift it up to shoot something only to find that it's in the process of turning itself off. Not sure if the non-zoom models are bad about this either though as I've never used one.

 

[wblynch]

Not sure if the non-zoom models are bad about this either though as I've never used one.

The non-zoom models are instantly on since the lens has only millimeters to extend. But if you have turned off the auto-flash you have to reset it each time you reopen the cover. I tend to leave mine open during a 'session'.

 

[thuggins]

The Stylus/Mu series included a number of different models. The original had a 35f3.5 and the II had a 35f2.8. In addition (off the top of my head) the zooms were the Wide 80 (28-80mm) and a standard 80, a 70mm, a 105mm, 110mm, 115mm, 140mm, 150mm and a 170mm. It was an extremely popular, prolific and long lived series, so there were probably more versions. I wouldn't cast aspersions on any Zuiko lens, so your choice should be based on your preference prime vs zoom, and focal length.

Can folks PLEASE stop calling these and the XA's "clam shell" cameras?? Olympus only referred to the cover as a "sliding dust barrier". Heavens only knows who started the misnomer "clam shell" (and the related "cam shell" and "clamp shell"), but it was obviously someone who never saw a clam!