Olympus Stylus camera, anybody use this?

[harlequin]

Hi Team,

Someone is donating a well used Olympus stylus zoom, to our camera club in Texas...

Does anyone use this?
We are thinking of cleaning lens and using for street photography since it’s pretty small and compact...

Are the optics good it says 35-70mm zoom...?
Anybody have any sample photos taken with this?
How would it differ say from the compact xa camera that everyone online raves about?

Thanks for your time/responses!
Be Safe!

Harlequin

 

[blockend]

The zooms aren't as popular as the prime Stylus/Mju models, though they're still very competent. They came in a number of focal lengths, the 35-70mm is shorter and probably better than longer teles. Flickr is still the best place for examples.

The XA models are earlier iterations of Olympus's clamshell design, and either rangefinders or zone focus cameras. The Stylus models have autofocus.

 

[pbromaghin]

My wife had one years ago and it was quick, easy, compact and pretty capable. Great walking around camera.

 

[Ariston]

Yes, that camera is a fine camera. The xa is a rangefinder and must be focused, as blockend said. Also, the xa has manual iso settings (up to 400 iso). The stylus uses dx coding.

 

[Paul Howell]

I have couple of Stylist Zooms, nice cameras, I like how compact it is when folded up. For street photography use fast film, there is no read out as you move from 35 to 70 the lens goes from 4.5 to I think F8, the flash will turn on. You can turn off the flash, shoot Tmax 400 and get some leeway in exposure. Last I looked Olympus USA has the manual online.

 

[BAC1967]

I bought this one new in the 90’s for snowboarding, I still use it for snowboarding. Great camera for packing around, it can take a beating and you don’t have to worry about it getting a little wet.

Olympus ∞ Stylus Zoom DLX by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

 

[voceumana]

I had one and found the lens to be sharper at one end than the other--can't remember for sure, but I think it was better at 75mm. Still, it was decent.

 

[blockend]

For street photography use fast film

That's a given with most 35mm compacts, especially later automated models. There's no way of telling what aperture the camera is choosing, and shutter speeds can fall as the lens extends leading to movement blur. I have a Pentax Espio 200, which as its name suggests has the longest tele of any compact. From memory the aperture at the long end begins at f11, and other zoom compacts aren't far behind. Realistically, you'll need 400 ASA film as a minimum in good daylight, and higher in less than optimum conditions. For that reason prime lens models attract a premium. However if you're content to use the camera at the wide end, you are probably not losing much image quality to prime lens variants, can get away with slower films, and when I purchased mine they were much less expensive.

 

[BAC1967]

I also have this with a 170 zoom, have to be careful extending the lens in mixed company.

Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 170 by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

 

[M.A.Longmore]

I also have this with a 170 zoom, have to be careful extending the lens in mixed company.

Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 170 by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

.
Why ?

 

[Hubigpielover]

Hi Team,

Someone is donating a well used Olympus stylus zoom, to our camera club in Texas...

Does anyone use this?
We are thinking of cleaning lens and using for street photography since it’s pretty small and compact...

Are the optics good it says 35-70mm zoom...?
Anybody have any sample photos taken with this?
How would it differ say from the compact xa camera that everyone online raves about?

Thanks for your time/responses!
Be Safe!

Harlequin

Dude, the kids love these cameras. Can't explain it but they love the Olympic Stylus. They sell for 60 bucks on eBay.

 

[Ariston]

Dude, the kids love these cameras. Can't explain it but they love the Olympic Stylus. They sell for 60 bucks on eBay.

It's a competent shooter. No worse than the point and shoot cameras that are selling for $300+, and maybe more reliable. They are definitely better than the $10 plastic lens fixed focus variety. I have a Stylus (first version, not Epic) that I got for $4, and it was worth every penny. Super tiny pocket camera. I had the Stylus Epic, but I preferred having the $300 people pay for it, so I sold it.

 

[Ariston]

I also have this with a 170 zoom, have to be careful extending the lens in mixed company.

Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 170 by Bryan Chernick, on Flickr

Ha! I am a guy, and it makes me uncomfortable!

 

[blockend]

For my money, the Stylus/Mju is a less than ideal street photography camera, although it has other merits. Yes, it's small and discreet, however autofocus can easily find the gap between your subjects, there's some lag, the camera turns off frequently and it defaults to flash unless you perform a two button press. It's workable - I used one for many years until the focus mech failed - but for street photography the earlier XA series are a better choice. The same is true of all full auto compacts to some extent.