Customer Reviews

Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80 QD CG Date 35mm Camera

5 star:		(54)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(11)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

A manual settings snob I was... my 20 year-old Minolta had a light leak. Too late to get a repair before a trip to Alaska I bought a point and shoot. I bought this brand because Olympus have glass lenses. But the design is what really sold me: the camera is "splashproof", the lens cover ingenious, and the small, very lightweight oval fits in your hand like it belongs there.

It has trekked with me across Alaska, Florida, fell in a fountain in Savannah, been on a beach too many times to mention and has bounced off airport restroom floors more than once. It survived being thrown 20 feet into the street when my bag was grabbed and the camera flew out of it. It has gone fishing with me and even scooted off the face of a glacier once.

And you know what? Besides being more durable than I could ever imagine, it takes great pictures.

Two years and 100 rolls of film later I have had 3 bad pictures. All because I was taking low light shots without a tripod -- my hand jiggled the camera. Last month, we were on the beach at midnight with a full moon out. I placed the Olympus on stairs and set the timer so me tripping the shutter wouldn't jiggle things. Beautiful shot of the ocean, the moon and unbeknownst to us until the photos came back... a sea turtle coming ashore behind us.

I have taken the Olympus places I would of never taken the expensive (OK!! OK: and clunky and heavy) Minolta. The Olympus fits in my pocket. It is not an ordeal to get it out and determine the lighting, put on the right lens or even to load the film.

I miss the Minolta when I have a beautiful sunset to shoot and know what it would look like with a polarizing filter and ASA 100 film. And, when I was set up with it I could actually focus faster than the autofocus on the Olympus. But three bad shots out of 3000? I can stand a nanoseconds delay.

Wow, what a great little camera. I needed a 35mm to go on vacation, certainly glad I picked this one. Small in size - easy to carry. Easy to load the film. Several different flash modes. Good zoom lens. Tricky on/off method (you have to slide the case open and closed). Self-timer so that you can take pictures that include yourself (so many of my families earlier pictures didn't include Dad, he was always behind the camera).But the best part of the camera is the developed product. I could not and still can not believe how great the pictures came out. I used regular Kodak 200 speed 35mm film, and the prints came out clear, detailed, bright & sharp. When the camera arrived and I saw its size, I had serious doubts that it could take a quality picture, but it definitely does just that.

I'm on my second Olympus infin. stylus/epic zoom camera. It takes great pictures, is easy to use, and very compact (although some of the new APS cameras are smaller now.) But, not very durable. My first broke (some gear/gizmo in the retractable lens) I got it fixed (for $90! ), and it broke again a year later. Silly me - I go shopping for a new camera, and this one wins me over again because of its small size and picture quality. But, here I am, only a year later (again!)and the flash is broken - and it's another $80 repair!

I take a lot of pictures (3-4 rolls of film a month), so maybe the small size/small parts of this camera are not durable enough for that much use. But, if you plan to use less frequently, I'd recommend. It does take really good pics!

My mother is a journalist. She has all of that super expensive, super ehavy, Nikon equipment. We both used to think that is what we had to carry around for excellent photographs, but Olympus has changed all that. Of course, you won't be able to shoot an Architectural Digest cover photograph with this camera, but what you will be able to do is take quick shots in both light and dark. Where the Olympus camera really excels is in night-time shooting. I take this thing to the nightclubs often and I can't believe how accurate the thing is. I have also taken some great action shots of my dog during the day, and they are quite nice. My only complaint is that this is my second Olympus. My first one, quite similar to this model but in black, broke into pieces when I dropped it. My friend had the same happen to her, although it didn't break in half, the flash stopped popping out when needed. A fragile camera, but if you take precautions, you'll find it a worthy investment.

Not liking point-and-shoot cameras made it difficult for me to decide to get one for a recent trip overseas. I wanted something light, easy to use, and easy to hide (so as no to look like an American tourist). I decided on this camera because of recommendations by friends, but also took my heavy SLR with me in my carry-on luggage. Then, while abroad I decided to mostly use my little camera due to its size.

I never saw the pictures until I got home and had the photos developed (at a good camera shop). Was I thrilled! They were absolutely great. The colors were bright and true. The details were sharp enough to reproduce by scanner and send as attachments onto emails to my family overseas.

The camera itself I often carried hidden in my purse, but it was always ready. The only time I was disappointed in its performance was when I ran out of film! Of course, that was my fault, not the camera's.

It's so easy to use. Very often I had others taking pictures of me. Generally all they would ask was which button to push. Even the most inexperienced picture taker came up with terrific shots!

I would say that this is an excellent camera for its price. If you get it, you won't be disappointed.

I've used Nikon SLR's for about 20 years and about two years ago picked up a Stylus Epic DLX as a simple "carry around" camera.

I fell in love with that little thing and it was stolen a short time later.

Went to Miami Beach for a vacation earlier this year and picked up a Zoom 80 a few days before and I never even tried it out.

Well, the pictures exceeded my expectations. That night time flash mode is super accurate. I took some shots of the art-deco district in SoBe using this mode and was shocked at the results! I couldn't believe the accuracy of the exposures using Fuji 200 print film.

I can't say enough about this camera. It's doesn't equal my Nikon lenses for sharpness, but Olympus has nothing to be ashamed of in that department. I'm sure Olympus' SLR's would also come out ahead on sharpness, but sometimes I just don't feel like carrying 10lbs of equipment around.

...I went back to the 35mm format.

The Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom80 QD CG Camera is what I wound up buying.

This is a competent camera, much like its predecessor but with additional picture taking modes and a zoom lens.

The additional picture modes include combinations of flash and timed exposures allowing you to create some neat effects under low light (night) conditions.

The 38 to 80mm zoom lens is effective in framing shots without a lot of ugly negative space.

The camera is weather resistant, which seems to be some extra wiper seals on the lens and a thick gasket on the camera back. This should enhance its longevity, but don't expect to take it swimming. I'll let you know about durability in another 8 years.

This isn't a replacement for an SLR (and isn't intended as one). The quality of pictures is somewhat less than you would experience with an SLR.

But if you are attracted to point-and-shoot cameras and specifically to Olympus for their small size and ergonometric elegance be sure to check this one out. END

If you are looking for a 35MM point-and-shoot zoom, don't look any farther than this little beauty. It takes great pictures, the flash is automatic and unobtrusive, and the little extras (timer, extra flash modes, water resistant, date&time stamp) just make it better. What I really like about it is its small size. It easily fits into a pocket or comfortably in your hand, so taking quick snapshots is a breeze. No fumbling around in a camera case (or even removing it from a carrying case) is necessary ... just open it, point, and click!

I got this camera for Christmas and its been a blast to take pictures with it ever since. Its small enough to fit into your pocket, but not so small that you feel akward holding it. All the pictures that I have taken come out really nice, the color quality is superb, as is the focusing. Overall, this camera is a great baragain, and is great as a gift.

I bought the Olympus Stylus Zoom 80 because our family needed a camera that could take close-ups without getting all blurry. At first I was skeptical that such a small camera could really take good pictures close-up. Boy, was I ever wrong! When I got back my first roll of film I couldn't believe the crispness and clarity of the close-up pictures. My wife practically had tears in her eyes when she looked at the pictures. All she could say was "WOW, we should've bought this camera a long time ago." I couldn't agree more.

Best of all this camera is a snap to use and has tons of great features. We really like the quartz dating as it comes in handy when creating memory books. We also bought the accessory kit with the remote control and camera case.

For the price you can't beat it!