Customer Reviews

Olympus Stylus 740 7.1MP Digital Camera with Digital Image Stabilized 5x Optical Zoom (Blue)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I own the stylus 710 that I have had since september of last year, and love it to pieces. Little did I know olympus was relaseing this little monster onto the market 2 months later. It has all of the features and software of the 710 model, with digital image stabilization, but
5x optical/5.6x digital/28x total zoom , an upgrade from 15x total zoom (3x optical and 5x digital). The price is about the same, and actually an excellent deal here on amazon. The 2.5" color LCD monitor with histogram display and auto image rotation has been standard in the 710 and 810, and the 1000 series, and I have not problem with it, I think it is comparable to all models in this range (panasonic, fuji, kodac, hp). I the bright sun, no LCD is going to be really great. I have captured many fun moments with this camera (2 weddings, 2 vacations) and love it. The diffence with the 740 model is the thickness is a bit bigger due to the bigger optical lense, but that is well worth the sacrifice, because having more optical zoom = better picture. I know, I tested this side by side with my 710. Pick this up, you will not be dissapointed. Also, look at the 750 and the 760 models, both of which have optical image and digital image stabilization, but alter the zooms a bit. Compare, and see what meets your needs.

Also, the Olympus Mastersoftware is very easy to use, And with panoramic feature, 3d, and Extra ART Features unlocked by Olympus Brand-Olympus Stamped Type H HD, this camera becomes even more of a pleasure to own. you can edit photos on the computer, or right in the palm of your hand. Both ways, this camera will make you feel like a pro in no time.

I love every aspect of this camera except one.

I recently took it on a three week vacation to China and the photos I took are stunning.

It's very light weight and fits well in a pocket.

It's durable, weather resistant, and can really take a beating.

Extremely user friendly.

The automatic settings work very well. I'm particularly impressed with the under water and use available light settings. They can be a lot of fun to play with.

It turns on and can be adjusted to the right setting rapidly with little experience to grab shots on the go.

It looks cool.

The gyroscope technology works. You can take focused shots from a moving bus on a bumpy road or while walking.

The only drawback, and it's kind of a big one, is the lcd screen. There is a thick, protective plastic screen over the actual lcd screen. In bright light, (like out doors during an average sunny day), you can barely see the screen. If you're in the desert, on a mountain, in snow, or some other ecseptionaly bright setting the screen is black. You can not see a damned thing. To compensate for this I occasionaly had to take 5 photos of the same thing to make sure I got one that was centered ok.

Still, I'm very happy with this camera and would buy it again even knowing about the screen problem.

Have been using this camera for 3 months with no problems. A friend had a problem with the battery charger on his 740 and sent in for replacement. Shoot most of my photos with 8MP Canon Digital Rebel XT (SLR) with External flash and 18-200 zoom. This camera (740) allows for great "back-up" when I don't want to carry around the Huge Monster(XT). 7MP plus 5X Optical Zoom cannot be found in a better, smaller, lighter package. You can stick this in you pocket when going out to dinner and noone knows you are carrying a camera. I also often wear this in a belt pouch (like a cell phone) and am ready for an unexpected foto op at all times. Never owned an Olympus before but have convinced SEVERAL of my friends and business associates to buy it. The price is also dropping like a rock since intro in August '06. Can't be without it!

This is my third Olympus digital camera. I find it to be the smallest yet, without sacrificing features. They have addressed the issues in previous generations about the time it takes for the camera to turn on. With small kids, I often missed my shots by the time the cameras would turn on and load. This new stylus is perfect. The battery life is excellent and the image and color quality is superior to previous generations. I have found it to be very durable to this point and I am not very careful with how I treat electronics. A great, compact 7.1MP camera for the price!!!!

Definitely NOT worth $300. Flash is just way too bright. Very fragile. The lens caps stopped working after a week. I sent it back for warranty, and Olympus sent it back with nothing done to repair it. Don't buy it.

the best camera i have owned.great zoom,digital image stabilizer,weather proof,takes very nice pics at low light leveles.

Have had only for 3 months with no major problems so far. The only glitch is the lack of a view finder, so framing a shot in bright sunlight is not easy to do as you can't see the image in the LCD screen too clearly. Same as many other cameras of this type.

If this is your first compact digital camera you will love this one. It is so easy to use. I am not a great camera person and had no problem taking pictures that looked like they were made by a professional. Now the part about the viewer not working in bright sunlite is a bit of a problem but, if you just use your body to block the sun from the viewer it will work just fine. I don't see how you could find a much better camera without a viewer built in like some have. I really don't see that it is such a big deal that it doesn't have a viewer. Doesn't bother me I just wanted a camera that takes great pictures and this one sure does.

This is a great camera. Only problem is you simply can not see any image on it in bright sunlight. Works great indoors and in medium to low light outdoors. Will not produce an image you can see on the viewfinder in bright sunlight. The others who said this was the case are 100% correct.

I have had several pocket digital cameras but this is excellent. Easy to use and I wanted a longer zoom, and this has a true 5x optical zoom. The pictures came out very good and the battery life is very good. My only complaint is that the screen is very hard to see in bright sunlight, but I think all cameras in this range without a viewfinder have the same problem.
Also, the price was great.
I would recommend this camera and I like the blue color- it is different from the rest.