Movie mode doesn’t have sound, short video length
Carrying on the heritage of its film predecessor, the Olympus Stylus 300 is an ultracompact, all weather, and easy-to-use camera designed for the digital photography enthusiast looking for the best performance in a stylish and portable body. It features a 3.2-megapixel resolution, 12x total zoom, and a movie mode for short video clips. Optics and Resolution
Featuring a 3.2-megapixel CCD sensor, the Stylus 300 delivers images up to 2,048 x 1,536 pixels and crystal-clear prints up to 8 by 10 inches (and medium quality up to 11 by 14). A high-quality Olympus 3x optical zoom (and 4x digital zoom for a seamless 12x total) gives you the ability to fill your pictures with sharp detail and vibrant color. It features an Olympus aspherical glass lens with a focal range of 5.8-17.4mm (35-105mm equivalent in 35mm photography).
Storage and Transfer
Images are stored on xD Picture Card memory cards. The card's small size (about the same as a postage stamp) helps reduce the size of the camera. The included 16 MB card will store approximately 20 images at 2,048 x 1,536 pixels (at HQ, JPEG setting). Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB storage-class connectivity, which means the camera can be connected to any USB-based computer running Windows 98 Rev2Me/2000/XP or Mac OS 8.6 or later without installing any software.
Movie Mode
In addition to taking still photos, the Stylus 300 can also record movie clips of up to 40 seconds without audio. The QuickTime Motion JPEG format offers a limited resolution, which is great for capturing a short movie that can be e-mailed to friends and family, but is no replacement for a true camcorder.
More Features
The Stylus Digital cameras offer basic point-and-shoot simplicity for flawless picture taking. For photographers who want optimum results in a wide variety of settings, the easy-to-use scene modes provide fully automatic exposure adjustments for portrait, self-portrait, and landscape portrait.
Other controls include digital ESP multipattern and spot metering, auto white balance, multiple flash settings, and exposure compensation. The camera comes with a built-in flash that offers four settings to provide the widest range of options.
The lightweight and ergonomic metal body of the Stylus 300 provides all-weather protection from the elements and can even endure a downpour.
Power, Size, and Contents
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. It measures 3.8 by 2.2 by 1.3 inches and weighs 5.8 ounces. This package includes the Stylus 300 digital camera, 16 MB xD Picture Card, rechargeable lithium-ion battery and charger (LI-10B), self-timer remote control (RM-2), USB and AV cables, wrist strap, and CD-ROM with Camedia Master software and USB drivers for Windows and Mac.
1 why pay 300? get it for FREE
nice camera that you can get here http://www.cameras4free.com/default.aspx?r=345693 thanks for read
2 Poor design and performance
The camera takes reasonably good pictures when it works, however the basic design and construction make it unreliable. Olympus markets the Stylus as a tough camera suitable for outdoors however the operating design is poor. Notably the battery compartment is where your thumb holds the camera, frequently opening the battery door and interrupting operation of the camera. The power ON/OFF switch is under the sliding cover. It is very sensitive and failed within 9 month. Olympus did a poor job with this design.
3 Great Camera for a beginner
As the first time digital camera buyer, I loved the price and size. Photos are as good as it ought to be (IMHO, this is a given - Olympus is a name to reckon with in the world of imaging). Photos taken by Canon and Olympus looked the same.
Pros - It is sexy and beautiful (the metal case is really cool), very attractive size (fits in my shirt pocket), great battery life (have charged only once so far - I have clicked over 50-60 photos so far), rugged (I do not carry it in a camera pouch), easy interface (very intuitive - on the contrary, found Canon to be a bit complicated), media is xD Card (great size compared to the bulky CompactFlash); xD Card is also is superfast.
Cons - The only one I can think of - xD Card is expensive - I had to pay about $40 for an Olympus 256 MB xD Card on eBay.
4 Mine died too! This is a "use and throw" model
I've had this camera since June 2003 and was so happy with my purchase... until, last week during my precious vacation, the camera died (exactly in the same manner as described previously by someone else) and I have to throw it out of the window (or pay $150 for the repair).I also did the blunder of recommending this camera to my friends(after 6 months of my purchase/use)... now I'm really regretting!!!!
It was working perfectly until this happened, when both the green and orange lights started flashing simulatenously and the camera stopped responding. Replacing the battery(as per the manual) did not come to the rescue and I had to buy a "use and throw" camera for $10 that was far more reliable that this piece of junk!
5 mostly good
i'm not a professional photographer and mostly use this for pictures of my family and friends during holidays or when i'm bored. It's very simple, stylish, compact, lightweight, and it has some easy to use features. on the other hand, and this may be my fault, almost all of my pictures are slightly out of focus. there have been about ten out of 300 pictures that have been perfectly clear, most of which are taken of my cat. Now for my purpose this doesnt affect me too much, so its' not a huge deal, but i guess you get what you pay for.
6 great camera with bad feature
i have now owned this camera for 6 months. it was completely worth the money. the pictures were amazingly clear. then the sliding lever to close and open the camera malfunctioned. i was warned that opening and closing the camera too much would make it become no good. i did not believe Olympus would allow a problem like that. now i have to return the camera to be repaired. great camera, bad feature.
7 perfect
this camera takes awesome pictures indoors and at night. this is a great camera. it eats up batteries like crazy, though.
8 worth it
For a basic digital camera,the 300 delivers good results in general use. Do not expect it to produce what a $2000 Lica will. the camera was built for, point-and-shoot,and it delivers good color with generally great results. It is compact,small,well protected,and a treat to use. A great general camera.
9 invincible & useful...but only for a specific set of users!
this camera has survived falls on concrete, mountain hikes through drizzle, and constant crushing at the bottom of my backpack. i take it with me everywhere, every single day. if you are like me, and abuse your electronics, but require a constant camera companion to capture unexpected moments, the olympus is worth considering. it's tiny and portable, takes satisfactory photos---excellent ones in daylight---and its battery lasts me days, even weeks. this is useful, since i'm very busy and do not have time to perpetually recharge the thing. i rarely have to think about it, but when i need it, it's there.
if, however, you are going to baby your camera (as well you should, this stuff is expensive), and immortal battery life is not an issue, then the benefits of the olympus 300 probably do not outweigh the cons. some things that have prevented me from snapping that "perfect shot": a noticeable shutter lag (although it is considerably reduced if you get the chance to half-press the shutter release to focus beforehand), mediocre shot-to-shot times, a weak flash (frustrating when your target is just out of range), no sports/action mode, time-consuming menu navigation for limited preset scenes (no manual controls to compensate for this either), and in low light situations, a tendency to focus on an object directly before your intended target if flash is employed (even if your subject is as obvious as a group of people...if there is a table or something in the way, you'll end up with an image of a brilliant table and a bunch of silhouettes behind it). to be fair, these seem to be problems common in many compact digital cameras. but some cameras have strengths where others have weaknesses, and vice versa, so if these details are important to you, you may want to consider other models.
i tolerate these deficiencies because the olympus 300 serves my specific needs well (priorities: size, durability, battery life, satisfactory image quality). i snap some fine landscape and impromptu city-life shots with this little camera, and the automatic preset works well for the vast majority of situations. i don't know how accurately my needs represent those of the average user, though...so make sure it serves yours before purchasing!
10 Olympus let me down.
My first digital camera was an Olympus c3000. I was so impressed with the photo quality from that camera that I decided to stay with Olympus when I moved to a more compact camera. I loved my C3000 but I found I was leaving it at home because of its size.
The Olympus name and the compact size of the Stylus 300 was what initially attracted me to it. The promise of being "weatherproof" sold me. I have to admit, although heavy, the size was perfect. Not too big. Not too small. I carried it everywhere. However, that's where my love affair with the Stylus 300 ends. The autofocus was slow. Woefully slow. I found a majority of my photos were blurred. Yes, I know how to operate the autofocus. However, for most spontaneous shots, the autofocus lagged behind.
I was willing to work around that because of its size and, again, the promise of being "weatherproof." That promise was broken a couple of months ago. On our way to an outdoor concert, it began to rain. "No problem!" I confidently told my companions, "I'll take my camera. It's weatherproof." It's not. Before leaving the car, I checked to make sure the port doors were closed properly and the camera looked as sealed as it should be. To be fair, the camera functioned for an hour or two just fine. I was able to snap a few pictures as the rains came down. But the next shot I attempted greeted me with flashing green lights. That's when I noticed the water. The viewfinder was half full of water! At this point, I shut the camera off and stowed it back in my rain gear.
Back at home, I opened all the doors to the camera and placed it on the dresser for several days. I'd hoped that the damage was limited to the viewfinder and that, once dry, the camera would be ok. No such luck. It hasn't worked since. The camera is out of warranty or I'd send it to Olympus.
Initially, I was mildly disappointed with the picture quality from this camera. Now, I feel cheated. For a brief second, I looked at the Stylus Verve because of its size and its claim of being "weatherproof." I soon came to my senses. Olympus let me down and won't get a second chance.
11 good for day trips
This is a great camera for day time use. It has taken horrible pictures in doors and at night. It takes beautiful pictures in the sun light though. Wouldn't recommend to a friend.
12 I am impressed
I bought the camera a couple weeks ago and I've been very impressed by it. It is very easy to use. The menus are very organized and the manual does a great job explaining all the features. Landscape pictures and portraits are incredible. The camera does a good job reducing red eye, and skin tone is captured very accurately. The zoom isn't great, but I was willing to sacrifice the zoom for the size. The 16 mb XD card that it comes with is very small. I would recommend getting atleast a 128 mb card. If you get a new XD card and you're planning on taking panorama's, make sure that you get an Olympus brand card (other brands don't support panorama shots). Battery life is great. I was able to take a little over 250 pictures with a fully charged battery (about 200 of them were in the lowest resolution and the other 50 were in the highest resolution). It can be difficult getting clear pictures if you don't have a steady hand. It is also difficult to determine if the pictures are clear from looking at the LCD screen. Sometimes they'll look clear on the screen, but when I download it onto the computer they'll be slightly blurry. The one negative thing about this camera is the slow shutter speed. Don't even try getting action shots. All you'll see is a blur. Also, night shots or lowlight shots within the flash range (with the flash on) come out very nicely, but anything beyond that comes out blurry. Overall, it was well worth the price and I am very satisfied with it.
13 Excellent camera
If you use a digital camera, you need to get off those 4 AA from your drug store. They are just not practical, the battery on this camera last for a whole 250 MB card at max resolution. Additional battery is cheap (cheaper than buying those 4 AA batteries over time). Just like you would charge a digital video camera, you plug the charger in the wall, place the battery eaily on top and leave it. In less than the time it takes you to drive to that drig store, you got a full charge!
The media card is the one you would use for this camera, why would you want CF for example? Average user would have one digital camera with one card, that easily download into your PC.
I bought the Canon powershot and this by far has a better color especially for Macro shots. Go ahead and get it, it can be used everywhere, it wont run out of battery even if you store ity for a month as long as it is charged and it wont die as soon as as a little increase in humidity hits it. I have been useing it for 2 years and no problems, highly recommended.
14 dead
Fabulous camera for all 5 months that it worked. Now it turns on but the shutter button does not work. Olympus wants $125. to look at it and probably replace it with a refurb.
15 It is a good camera
This was my wife's christmas present. I love the camera and learn to love Olympus products. I like the idea of an all weather camera. This must be a standard for every digital camera. Like the airbag for the cars. I took this camera everywhere, USA, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Mexico City, Cancun, in te mountains of Colombia in south america, and back to the USA. Excellent!!! No problem at all.
I recommend the Fujifilm memory cards, Lowepro camera bag and Lexar Media Multi-Card reader.
16 my first camera
This is the first digital camera that I have ever purchased for myself. I must say that I am pleasently surprised with its' capabilities.When using a STEADY hand, the picture clarity is unbelievable, this is great! Not only that, but I was completely unaware that there was a movie capability on it...silent and short, but still it is pretty cool and fun. For 16 seconds, one can chase cats all over the place.
The video out function is cool too, being able to plug it into the TV and view all the photos and movies is swell...although it runs off of the camera's power.
My only complaint is the the battery case slides open for me, and it might be just how I hold it - but it is a little annoying.
Purchase this at Best Buy - for $60 you can get the service plan and they will replace the batteries for free when they are below 100% and will cover all wear and tear on it.
I expect this to be the only one I get.
17 Great compact camera
This is a fantastic little camera.
1. It takes great pictures and has some specieal features like the night shot.
2. The book could be a better written for clairity to explain some of the special features like how to get the digital zoom to stay on and not require an extra step to turn it on every time camera is turned on. The viewfinder works great but would be nice if larger and including the number of pictures remaining and battery condition. Outside in full sun the monitor screen washes out and is hard to view.
3. I bought and extra lithium 3.7 v 1000 ma battery from http://www.slavin4u.com/ for about $15 with shipping and it has been handy a few times. Very good company and very fast.
5.The delay from turn-on to actural taking a photo is more that a 35 mm camera but I am getting used to it. I plan to sell off some of my 35 mm grear on ebay since the digital works so well.
6.Some have said the included software is lacking. Well I have not used it. I justuploaded images to the computer and then to the free Sony web site. It works great and allows some editing. Did I mention it is for free. They have some nice options for printing, and mugs with your prints that are worth checking out.
7. Have taken the camera to Sams club do do actural prints using their computer to do the photo editing for 20 cents or less a print... they are printed in about 25 minutes am I am on my way... Works great and they can do up to 10 by 14 for aobut 2 dollars.Wow... try it you'll love it.
18 Mine died...... young!
I purchased this camera from Amazon in June 2003, when it had just come on the market. I decided to buy this as my first digital camera because I had been impressed with the Olympus Stylus 80 film camera I have had for several years (and still do). The stylus digital takes reasonable pictures compared with other digital cameras my friends own, and the battery life is excellent. I invested in the 256MB memory card and still haven't found out how many pictures you can cram on it at normal quality, but it's a lot.I had complaints from the beginning however, about the space of time between my pressing the button and the actual taking of the shot. When you are trying to take pictures of children, the 1 or 1 1/2 second gap makes it nearly impossible to get the shot you were trying to get, and the good pictures I have gotten of my kids have been almost accidental. I was also disappointed to discover the limitations of the included software, which does not allow you to e-mail pictures unless you give Olympus another $20 for the privilege. Frankly, I thought this was a simple gouge, and I resented it.
My worst disappointment however, came recently. The camera shut off because the battery was exhausted. However, when I put in the fresh battery I had (and later, the recharged battery I had been using) the camera appeared to have frozen up. The lens will not extend and the little orange and green lights next to the viewfinder flash simultaneously and the camera beeps, a signal which, according to the manual, means that the battery is dead. Well, it 'aint! I cannot get the camera to work and the warranty will not be honoured where I live. This is the only digital camera I have ever owned, and so I cannot make a comparison with any others as to durability, but for cripe's sake, I paid top dollar for this about eight months ago and have treated it with kid gloves. I expected better from Olympus.
19 excellent stylish camera
I made many searches when buying my new camera. Finally, I was between the Olympus Stylus 300 and Sony DSC P8, but after seeing some photos taken by the Sony I decided to purchase the Olympus, and I am quite happy with it. The pictures taken by Sony indoors were very dark and blurry compared to the pictures taken by the Olympus. The picture quality in door and outdoor is great, the camera is very user friendly, the battery life is awesome, the shutter speed is good, and the flash is pretty strong for indoor pictures.
I would highly recommend this camera for the amateurs who want to take good quality pictures with a user friendly camera.
20 Horrible pictures
My girlfriend and I just purchased this camera from best buy two hours ago. After charging the battery and taking a round of shots in our apartment, it was decided that this thing will go back to the store tomorrow!the pictures are horribly blurry! not acceptable at all!
would not recommend this camera to anyone.
21 Great little camera
I have a higher-end Olympus camera, which I absolutely love. However, I am going to eastern Europe, and wanted a smaller camera that, were I to lose or break it, would not be such a major financial loss. I stuck with Olympus when making my purchase, and was not expecting much from this camera. But it has turned out to be an excellent purchase, and I like it as much as my other camera.First, the size is great. There are smaller cameras, but this one is tiny, and doesn't get heavy when you carry it around all day. The picture quality is good, and there are more features than I expected for the price. The zoom capability is not bad, either. And, of course, it is attractive, though a purchase probably shouldn't be based on that reason alone.
I actually like the movie-taking ability. I have a camcorder for real video, and don't mind that this camera takes short "movies" without sound. But, it's more of a novelty than a selling feature. Much like the panorama feature, it's useful only for recording particularly beautiful or interesting places for a more realistic memory.
The things I don't like about this camera are probably due more to personal preference than anything else. First, I don't like the fact that it doesn't take AA batteries. I like to bring a few sets of rechargeables on a trip, and know that I can buy regular batteries if necessary. It's also disappointing that the battery cannot be charged inside the camera. I suppose that the lithium battery is to be expected with a small camera, however. The battery life of this camera is good, and I bought an extra battery just in case. I don't expect that I will have to bring a charger and adapter unless I am going on an extended trip.
The xD media card is also not thrilling. It is small and makes sense with a smaller camera, but for those of us who already have digital cameras, it is annoying to have to buy expensive new cards when buying a new camera. It was not important enough, though, to deter me from making this purchase.
Like another reviewer, I have had some issues with blurry pictures, though the problem is not unique to this camera. I figured out that using the viewfinder rather than the screen greatly reduces this problem.
Overall, I would highly recommend this camera to anyone who wants something small and relatively inexpensive for travel, or to someone who takes casual pictures and doesn't care about attaching lenses, f-stops or that type of stuff. Olympus makes a great product. Almost everyone in my family owns one of their cameras, and the one time there was a problem, Olympus was very accomodating, and replaced the camera free of charge.
22 Nice Camera, but limited functionality
The Olympus Stylus series of cameras are very unique in their functions; they are weather resistant. There are two models of the Stylus series; a 3.2 (Stylus 300) and a 4.0 (Stylus 400) mega pixel unit. Today we will examine the 3.2 mega pixel Stylus 300 unit which is very similar to the 4.0. This compact camera fits into any shirt pocket with ease, it weighs a bit more than most cameras (5.8oz. or 165g), which is probably due to the additional materials needed to weather-proof the camera. The 3.2 megapixel camera packs a punch, but has a hefty price tag. Is it worth its price tag, or is there a better alternative? Read on and find out what we think. (check out the full review @ bytesector.com)
23 Disappointed
Bought the camera to take in my kayak. Nice and small, put in a baggie, handle with wet hands, splashes, etc. Great idea and size. I think the camera is very hard to hold still. Many photos are blurred all over, moving subjects are almost always blurred. I think it must have the shutter speed of an instamatic - about 1/30 of a second. I think the problem is with the shutter release. Getting the focus is easy - the extra push to take the image is hard. On a tripod using the timer, touched by no hands, the camera works perfectly. Otherwise it's a challenge and a big disappointment.
24 good camera for a beginner
I spent months reading reviews for cameras and decided to purchase the OLYMPUS 300 stylus. I bought it for these main reasons:weather proof
compactness
3X optical zoom
included rechargeable battery
If you know alot about photography I wouldn't suggest this camera. If you want to point the camera at you grandma and snap a shot i do not think you will be disappointed with it.
25 Great Picture Quality
My pictures look incredible with this Olympus Stylus! I can go out in the rain and shoot some different looking images and not worry about my camera getting wet. Its small, so I can slide it into my pocket and it is metal so it feels more durable. In doors, I find if I turn on all of my lights when shooting I get better lighting (but I had to do this with my small film camera too). I would HIGHLY recommend this Olympus Stylus to anyone looking to purchase a digital camera. My wife enjoys it too because it is simple but we still get pro results
26 Happy with the Service
I had touble with the camera 2 months after I bought it. The camera just went dead one day. I was living overseas and the warranty didn't cover there (Beware!). I mailed it back to Olympus service center in CA. After 15 days I got the camera back, as good as new, just in time for Christmas. Now I love it! I carry it with me everywhere. Absolutely pleased with the quality of the pictures and ease of use.
27 A little more fragile than you'd expect...
I bought this camera almost solely on it's advertised weather resistance and durability... It has underperformed based upon these criteria. I've broken the camera and am pretty sure the warranty has expired -- and it's only been about 3-months. Disappointing!
28 Dead after recharging...twice...beware
I'm a photo amatuer, so I purchased the Olympus Stylus 300 based on its reported ease of use...and I have to say I was initially impressed by that and the quality of the pics. However, after about a month of use the camera would not power up after a recharge. It was completely dead, as I tested the unit with AC power. I exchanged for the exact same model, and the same dang thing happened with that one after about a month also. I returned the second one, and the technician at the store said that this was a common complaint...there appears to be a bug in the Stylus software...anyway, I exchanged it for the Canon Powershot S400 so goodbye Olympus
29 Don't waste your money
I am so disappointed in this camera. I loved the feel and ease of it. The battery life was great and all the pictures looked so good on the screen but when I downloaded them they were terrible. A few pictures were taken from a close distance in perfect lighting and they were great but any pictures that used the zoom or had lower lighting were extremenly grainy and poor. If I had gotten a cheap deal on this camera I would not be so dissappointed but I paid a little more thinking I was getting a better camera. Don't waste your money
30 Olympus "Water Resistence" not as Advertised
I bought this camera specifically because of it's advertised "Water Resistence". Recently, my camera was splashed, wiped dry and put into an encloseded bag. Condensation formed on the inside of the camera causing it to malfunction. I sent it to olympus who would not honor the warranty and charged me $186.00 to repair my camera which they advertise as all weather and water resistent. Beyond that their customer service manager, Vince was rude and sarcastic over the phone and made several degrading remarks during my call with him. I am elevating this up the Olympus management chain but I think people should know that this camera does not perform as advertised.
31 Do not buy this camera!
I bought this camera in Thailand for a friend of mine who lives there, deliberately paying the higher price so that she would be protected by the in-country warranty.Well, the camera failed after two weeks, and it's been with Olympus for two months, and they're estimating yet another month for spare parts delivery, and refusing to provide a replacement despite her repeated complaints.
Clearly, quality is a thing of the past with this company, and customer service is way down on the list of priorities. Steer clear of this camera! It's clearly poorly made, and a product Olympus is not willing to stand behind.
32 Great point & shoot digital camera
I looked at just about every digital camera on the market that fit my criteria: small, good picture quality, sturdy, and three plus megapixels. This is the camera I settled on and I couldn't have made a better choice. The system is easy to learn, the camera works perfectly, and the quality of the photos is better thatn I expected ( simply beautiful). I added a 64MB memory card to my order, an extra battery, and a PC card adapter for use on my Powerbook. I am operating my Powerbook with OS X, so I didn't need to load in any software. I just pop the memory card into the adapter, slip it into the Powerbook, and just like magic, i-photo opens up and all I have to do is import the photos. Depending on the number of phots being imported and size of the files, this entire process takes less than a minute. Amazing. I highly recommend this camera for anyone looking for a great camera at a great price.
33 All Weather
.
If you're looking for a digital camera for all weather situations, this (or the Stylus 400) is it. Otherwise, move on. There are better choices in the market for the money. Yes I know, if you're looking at this, you've already decided on the minimum megapixels and optical zoom capabilities... This camera is compact with a metal casing. It fits well in the pocket and feels good in the hand. And it takes decent pictures outdoor too. However, the slow shutter delay can make you miss your shots. In addition, don't expect all pictures taken in low light (indoor) to be sharp. I consider myself as a pretty well versed photographer, and I've ended up with some blurry shots. You'll have to hold the camera very still while waiting for the shutter to finally snap. Please note that you won't know that the shots are blurry until you've uploaded them onto your computer - the camera screen is too small for checking this.
This camera is good for toting around (small, rugged, and all weather) in case you want to take a quick snap shot for the collection and sharing of your memories. However, my brand-new camera broke down electronically one week after purchase (second day of usage; and no, it wasn't the battery) while on work assignment off the shores Puerto Rico (and no, it didn't get wet... much). Luckily, I had my professional Nikon SLR with me. It took the Olympus America Inc. repair shop in Hauppauge, NY one month to repair it - they didn't have the parts on-hand. I didn't return the camera to the store because I needed the all weather feature (note that there are no features for adjusting f-stops, and such). By the way, I also have an all weather Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom, which uses regular film (film image resolution is still far superior to digital). OK, gotta stop messing around and get back to work now...
34 Sorry, but Sony is better
I had a Sony P-7 from earlier this year. Bought this Olympus for my sister. She liked that it was smaller, had a solid feel and weather-resistant buttons. Also, the guy at BBuy said "Olympus makes cameras. Sony makes camcorders."I did a side-by-side comparison, taking pictures of the exact same scenes, day and night, near and far. Sony is far superior. In low light situations, the Sony AF Illuminator shoots a red light towards the subject so the AF can lock onto it. Perfect pictures. Olympus, on the other hand, cannot "lock" onto the subject, and you always end up with blurred subjects. Another bad result - since it cannot determine how far the subject is from the camera, it floods everything with the flash. So aside from blurred, the subject is whited-out.
In daylight, the Sony also was superior. Colors were deeper, and edges were clean. I took a picture of an orchid, and with the Olympus, the outline of the petal was jagged. I tried this with different resolution settings on both cameras, from 1Meg to 3.2Meg, and Sony was still better.
I ended up returning the Olympus to BB and ate the 15% re-stocking fee. Bought the Sony P-8 instead.
35 A great camera
This is the first digital camera I myself have owned, but I have experiance with many of them. I've had mine about 3 monthes. This camera is very small and light - which is important for me, because I take it almost everywhere I go. It is also durable, and weatherproof. I've taken it out in the pouring rain, and taken pictures, and it's held up great. The 'night mode' setting is my favorite feature, and I wouldn't buy a camera without something like this. It keeps the shutter open until the camera feels it's gathered enough light (and it's almost always right) - meaning you can take pictures in near total darkness. This allows for some great shots that you wouldn't otherwise be able to get...of course, you have to hold the camera perfectly still while it's taking the shot (I ussually prop it up on a railing or something). Yeah, in conclusion - i's a great camera.
36 All my photos are blury
I own 3 digital cameras and this is by far the worst. Every photo i take with this camera is blurry. Photos i take with my Canon 1.3 megapixel camera are far superior. The sliding lens cover has also broken and requires me to fidget with the device to close the lens. While i love the lightweight aspect of this olympus, i think its a total waste. go for the new casio (with optical zoom) instead!
37 Olympus Stylus 300 Digital
I researched and researched for the best compact digital camera. I had a few favorites a Nikon model that was over $600 a Minotla Dimage xt which was $400 and this camera. At first the all weather was what sold me. I don't want to have to baby my camera, the reason I got such a compact camera was so that I could have it on me at all times. I'll start off with the negative aspects of this camera. The most anoying is the lens cover. Inorder to open the lens you must slide open the cover to the right, it opens to the right and while holding the camera and taking a picture, at first while taking pictures if I put any pressure on the cover it would move to the left it would shut down the whole camera...I got used to this and don't do this anymore, but that is just a poor design. The camera seems to be tough, I have gotten it wet and have dropped it and it is fine. One of my favorite features is the Panorama mode, which allows you to stitch together with the use of the Camedia program up to 9 consecutive photos! It is really amazing, I'm not sure how they are able to do this, but I am having a lot of fun with this!
The battery life is pretty good. I can use a battery for 2-3 days before recharging...it depends on how many photos you take, I take quite a bit. I bought an extra battery between both of them I don't have to worry about power. The cards are getting bigger and bigger, I have 2 128 mb cards which are great, in the highest quality mode I can take 55 shots per card, or in the lowest quality 798! which is good enough for computer screen. I would sugest getting the biggest card you can afford, I wish I had a 512mb. I am really glad that I got this camera, even though I thought it was a little spendy, I think that it is well worth it, the technology is amazing.
It takes great shots and has exposer contral of + or - 2 which is very handy, you'll want to use this, once you figure out the comands it is easy to get around in the menu mode.
It does not record sound in video mode, I wish it did, but I can live without it.
I recomend this camera.
38 blurry indoor pictures
I bought it cause I like the remote control mostly, but I took it back cause indoors it takes lousy pictures, especially close up. I tried the Canon G2 Camera, although a lot more money, that's the indoor image quality I expect for 400 bucks. I'd say, if you like this camera, buy it, try it, then pawn it on ebay, but I'd go for the Sony P72, which I also have now. That's quick and puts the nifty date on the pictures. Plus some sony tv's now have memory stick slots.
39 Great digital camera!!
We used this camera on a ski trip, and at the beach, with wonderful results. It was raining on the gulf, and we got fabulous shots, and didn't have to worry about the camera. I've emailed copies to people without buying additional software, also. I highly recommend this camera to anyone who is computer knowledgeable. You can crop, resize, etc. with great results.
40 Awesome outdoors but fuzzy indoors.
I just bought this camera with these in mind:
1. price
2. shutter speed.
3. resolution
4. form factorThe remaining characteristics were sort of secondary (but still important) such as flash memory type, zoom (zoom is a relative new technology so I'm not expecting much in terms of the zoom lens).
So based on those, here are the pros and cons:
PROS:
1. Nice and small. All weather is a plus. I can drop it in the sand and know it won't break (Of course, the camera has to be in the off mode. If it's on and the lens is extended, then sand will definitely get inside and break it.)
2. Excellent resolution and clarity outdoors. I took many at both sunny days and cloudy/twilight nights and the clarity (without the flash) was outstanding.
3. I like the fact that it comes with a rechargeable battery. I've heard nightmare stories of dig. cameras that eat up batteries.
CONS:
1. Shutter speed was disappointing. indoors with flash, it took just over 2 seconds to register the picture. I timed it. Outdoors, it took a touch over 1 second (1.1). I don't know much about digital camera shutter speeds but those values seem a little long for me.
2. The card type is xD. Proprietary and expensive.
3. It wasn't intuitive to learn. I had to read the manual. For instance, I was trying to view the pictures on the LCD screen without learning how from the manual (it was a user-friendly test) and I couldn't.
41 This camera is everything I expected, and more.
This is a great camera, with an excellent price value. It is better than a 'point and click' camera because it has some additional features and adjustments if you want to use them.It is compact, stylish, well designed, and relatively easy to use. If you are completely inexperienced with cameras, and don't understand how to use a flash indoors, or can't figure out how to save a picture on a computer and then email it, perhaps something from Kodak would be more appropriate.
I wanted to have at least 3.2 megapixels of quality, and Consumer Reports shows Olympus with one of the better track records on camera durability (less repairs). I didn't want to pay some serious bucks for a camera, and then be worried about letting my 11 year old son use it.
By the way, I gave him the manual, and he figured out how to use this camera in one hour and then showed me how to use it. Still, this is not a good camera for a 'beginner.'
42 Just purchased... love it!
this is a great camera... took me a while (and i am young so i know technology) to figure some of the buttons out--- but once i did it was fine...
takes great pics...
program is kind of confusing on the computer but you can get around it...
costco has the best deal.. and best return policy if you decide you dont like it :)
43 The best digital I have used...a true value for the money
The picture quality is fabulous. The controls are easy to use. Review of pictures taken, especially being able to zoom in and out to get a better look of what you have just photographed.Red eye reduction was not very good, primarily in dark areas.
Also dont expect the flash to pick up anything more than 20 feet, especially people (red eye will result).
Get the 128MB card. Its worth it.
44 nice camera, poor indoor photos
Incredibly small and asthetically pleasing, this is a major upgrade from my 1 megapixel Olympus. Being able to keep this in my back pocket is great (it's actually so small that my major worry is leaving it on the table in a restaurant somewhere). The battery life is excellent (and the battery, like the XD card, is tiny). The major drawback--even on a very bright, sunny day, it cannot take pictures indoors without a flash; without the flash, pictures are dark yellow and severely blurred--surprisingly, they were yellowed and blurred sometimes WITH the flash. Given the weather-proof design, this is clearly meant as an outdoor camera. Overall, though, a keeper.
45 Pricey & not the best camera!
Nice design and good looking. (Although not yet stylish as Canon Elph's.) Good battery life but the extra battery costs a lot. You can't put in AA batteries in this one.Average image quality indoors. Good outdoors. Slow to focus and has annoying shutter lag. No manual features and many photos need to be tweaked in photoshop. Video mode is junk.
Uses propreitary xD cards, just another way for Fuji/Oly to rip off consumers. What was wrong with standard SD or CF cards? Imagine the chaos if every manufacturer used different memory cards.
Back to the camera, its a good attempt by Olympus but still way behind Canon, Sony, Pentax, Nikon and Minolta. This camera has nothing special warrant this high price tag.
46 BEWARE!
This camera has a great concept of a weather proof, compact go anywhere body BUT... Beware that if you buy this, the software that comes with it to download your photos onto your computer will only let you edit and print those photos. In other words, you CANNOT e-mail or even save them to disk without purchasing the upgrade to the software from Olympus. Also, the camera takes okay photos, but I noticed that 1 out of every 5 or 6 photos is blurred for no apparent reason. I am not a professional photographer, but this is my third Olympus digital camera and it is the most expensive and poorest performer overall. That's not to say that it's a bad camera, but I would have expected better for the price.
Having said that, it does have some useful settings, and I love the compactness and portability of this camera. I'm just very annoyed that they're expecting everyone to pay for the upgrade to the software to make the photos taken with this camera share-able digitally.
47 Great camera except for indoor no flash shots
First, the bad: indoor, no flash pictures are poor. We took about 60 pictures this weekend for my brother's graduation, about half inside with no flash, and only 4 of them came out okay. Even the "good" ones weren't particularly sharp when I reduced them to 800x600. We mostly took pictures of people; any movement on the part of the subject or the camera made the picture very blurry. Guess it's using a slow shutter speed to compensate for the low light, though I'm surprised that it's as bad as it is! Though, this is the only digital camera that I've used, so it might just be that I had high expectationsBesides indoor no flash shots, this camera is great. It's pretty. It has some weight to it which makes it feel more solid. It's small---it easily slips into a jeans or shirt pocket. The lithium battery that comes with the battery is great---it lasts forever. The camera comes with a charger. I used the camera off and on over the weekend (~60 pictures) and didn't run out of battery. Outdoor shots are sharp and the colors are good. The memory is pretty speedy. I transferred over 100 meg worth of pictures in just a few minutes. Oh, and since the battery is so good, you don't need to worry about buying one of those special download hookups. Just plug the USB cable into the camera and start downloading!
One thing that I particularly love (being the computer geek that I am) is that I can mount the camera as a USB drive under linux, no special software needed. I just "mount -t vfat /dev/sda1 /mnt/usb" and copy the files over. No hassling with Windows!
In summary, if you don't mind using the flash for indoor pictures, this is a great little camera, well worth the money.
48 Great for Flower Pictures
A friend showed me the next model down, and liked it. I decided to get this model with lithium batteries. I take close-ups of flowers, and it does a great job, and viewing them through the display allows centering of the bloom every time. My only problem is that the pictures make huge files, which take time to attach and send on the internet. Perhaps there is a way around this, but a friend compresses the files and that serves. I agree with the comments on the button sizes on the rear, but it isn't a big problem. I'm happy with my new toy
49 First Digital Camera Owners - This is For You!
After searching for several months for a good digital camera, I found that the Stylus provided the most "bang for the buck". It's compact size and user friendly interface makes it a breeze to use, even for first time digital camera owners. The software provided makes downloading and emailing pictures easier than ever and it even allows you to do simple touch-ups to your pictures (resizing, cropping, changing quality, red-eye, etc.) before sending them out. Kudos to Amazon.com for offering a US warranty product at competitive prices, not to mention free shipping, free picture cards and no tax!The only reservation that I had about this camera is the fact that it uses the new xD picture cards. This is definitely not a knock on the camera itself, but rather a concern that this media type may cease to exist. Hopefully this media will be supported as much if not more than the others and won't die a tragic death in the same way that BETA did with the VCR.
50 WOW! What a camera!
This is a snap response after recieving this camera today and playing with it for about an hour or so. First, THE GOOD:
The first thing you're gonna notice about this camera is it's apearance. It's simply GORGEOUS! It's called the STYLUS for a reason! It's STYLISH! It's hands down the most attractive looking camera I've seen, it just looks cool. You're bound to get compliments any time you whip it out among company. The shiny aluminum case is no just very classy looking, but also makes for a durable and sturdy frame.
The Stylus 300 Digital by Olympus is very well made, and feels firm and durable in the hand. It does'nt feel flimsy at all. You get the feeling that if you dropped it on a sidewalk a few times it would probably survive with little more than a dent (Although I wouldnt try that!). Also, it's supposedly made for all-weather use, so you should be able to take pictures in driving rain if you wanted to. You'l notice that all the ports and connectors are protected by rubber covers and all the little compartments with plastic doors (for example the little cover that you flip up to put in a memory card) covering them are sealed with rubber rims to keep out water. This is a great camera for anyone who tends to be a bit clumbsy or who wants to be able to have take pictures in bad weather.
The camera is also pretty small. It may not be the smallest camera out (when compared to other super-tiny models) but it's pretty damn small! It's about the size of a pack of cigarretts! It's actually smaller than my wallet!
The camera is also very well designed. There is no lens cap to loose or have to remember to put on. Instead a door slides over the lens and protects it. This same door/sleave is used to turn the camera on/off. Turning it on is as simple as flipping the door over. Start up is very quick! I was able to turn the camera on, take a picture, and turn the camera back off and in my pocket in about 10 seconds! It's pretty responsive. It's pretty quick taking pictures too, the wait time between pictures is very short (shorter than my 35mm), not quite as fast as would be wished for though.
Olympus also through in a remote control! This is great for self portraits or when you want to actually be IN the pictures you're taking. The battery life apears to be pretty good, and a lithium Ion battery is included as well as a charger. Also included is a 16 MB memory card. I wish there was a little built in memory or a larger card had been included for the money. The card technology is either a new one I am not familiar with or a proprietary one - it's called "XD picture card". The 'card' is a TINY (about the size of thumbnail).
USB is supported (as expected) and you can ussually plug the camera right in and windows (XP and ME) will automatically recognize it as a removeable drive. This is great as you can even use you're camera's memory to carry around or transfer other types of files as well which might be useful in a pinch. It also supports video out so you can view pictures on your TV.
Finally there is also a movie mode that lets you take 16 second video clips. The down side is that this is in quicktime format (I would much prefer MPEG or AVI). Another thing is that the length is ALWAYS limited to 16 seconds - even if you have a 128 MB card in there, you can only take 16 second clips... that's just dumb. If I have enough memory why cant I take longer clips? Come on Olympus, release a firmware patch to allow us to take longer clips or use a different video format. There is also no sound, which is a feature that IS present in models made by cannon and Kodak (who provde both built in mics, built in speakers, and the time of your movie clips is only limited to memory restraints). This is a significant drawback if this featureset interests you, but isn't enough to weigh down the rest of the quality present.
The interface is also pretty easy to use and supports plenty of features. It's not QUITE as easy as the Kodak DX4330, but most people will find it pretty simple with a minimal learning curve.
All in all, this is a GREAT camera. While you're probably going to want to buy a bigger memory card, you'll probably be VERY happy with this as a choice. The only cons are the lack of support for video features - the lack of sound and the time restraints are both unexcusable considering the price.
Still I give it a 5 star rating for the quality of construction and the over-all design. Im very happy with this camera, they just need to add sound to the next version. Heck, if they would just release a patch t allow video clips to use MPEG or even just allow us to take longer clips, then I would call this the ONLY CHOICE in digital cameras for the price range.
51 Fantastic camera!
Wonderful camera, easy to learn, long lasting battery and amazing color and quality! So small and so convenient to carry around. I would reccomend this camera to anyone.
52 A Happy User
I love the size and the look of the camera. It's very compact and look like a million bucks. I don't usually carry a camera with me at all time. With the size of this camera, I kind of forget that I have it in my purse. Picture quality is great. This is my first digital camera. I figure if I didn't like it I would just simply return it. I ended up keeping it. The camedia software that comes with the camera is very basic. Nothing much can be done with it except downloading the pictures to the PC...
53 Great Camera and easy to use
We received the camera on the eve of our trip to Florida and we were able to learn the basics on the plane. We just loved its ease of use and styling and quality of pictures taken. The only drawback I found was not enough memory to hold more good quality pictures. Hopefully Olympus will improve this feature.
54 Great Little Camera
I purchased this camera a couple of weeks ago and couldn't be more happier with it. I bought this camera for its size (small and compact)and I am delighted. I'm a point and shoot type of guy and love to take photos but hate to carry a camera. After buying the Stylus 300, I took a 5-day trip to the desert with it in a small carrying case on my belt. After five days of hiking and climbing, I didn't even know I was carrying a camera on my belt. If you carry a cell phone on your belt, you won't notice the Stylus 300 there.
Compared to my previous digital camera (Kodak 4800)this camera is a dream to carry. In addition, the battery life appears to be much better than the Kodak. I bought an extra battery for the trip and took approximately 150 photos during the five days and didn't run out of battery life.
A couple of small gripes. First, the camera doesn't allow you to date stamp a photo. I like to use the date stamp on occasion and the Stylus 300 won't allow you to do it.
Second, there is a setting that allows you to reset the camera's settings when you shut the camera off. Or you can choose to keep your setting when shutting down. I would have like to see a chose to lock certain settings and have the camera reset the remaining settings you don't wish to lock.
Third, the camera doesn't come with a carrying case. I bought one for less than $10 that worked fine but an Olympus case would have been nice.
However, these are minor issues that do not distract from the overall performance of the camera. I am very happy with the Stylus 300 and would recommend it to those "point and shoot" folks that don't like the hassle of carrying a camera around all day.
55 Great camera...With the looks of fine jewelry.
Pros: Weatherproof with excellent photo quality, Small design, easy to use, excellent resolution, great features, Stylish(cute), metal housing.Cons: Shutter lag is a little slow, No manual controls, Movie mode doesn't have sound, short video length.
Summary: have to admit that this is the only digital camera I've ever owned, so consider all of this novice information. I just went into Best Buy and Curcuit City and asked, "What is your best compact model?". Both recomended the same. I purchased this one from CC, along with a 3-year replacement warranty. I figured I would just return it if not completely satisfied. They offer a 30-day no questions deal. I think I'll keep it, though.
Picture quality is amazing, both on my television screen or printed via PC. I will never own another 35mm again. I have 2 Olympus SLR's(OM 2000) and 3 lenses. You'll probably see them on Ebay soon. Great cameras, but I just got tired of carrying the units around, which later led me to not using them at all. I was going to purchase a high quality compact 35mm to replace them--glad I waited.
Construction seems to be very durable. The entire housing is made of metal and almost has a jewelry-like look to it. It's hard to see in advertisments but the "OLYMPUS" logo on the front of the camera is holographic, and changes colors at different angles to the person viewing it.
It is sold with a 16MB memory card that stores anywhere from 99 images in the lowest pixel mode, to 6 in the super high quality mode. I noticed they had larger capacity cards at the store, but I wanted to see what I needed before I started purchasing extras.
The zoom feature is very nice. The manual says the maximum is "a maximum of approximately 15X". This is when optical and digital are combined, however that works.
56 Great camera
Awesome camera. I bought mine right before a trekking trip to the Patagonia. I used it indoors and outdoors. The camera took great pictures regardless of the lighting. The digital zoom is very surprising. The camera has many settings that one can use to get the best possible picture for each situtation. The camera can also record short movies. I would suggest investing in a larger memory card than the one it comes with if you are not going to have access to a computer on a regular basis.
57 Great camera!
I've had the camera 3 moonths now and I still love it! It is compact, takes great pictures, and easy to use. It took very little time to learn how to use it. If you're looking for a point and shoot digital camera, this is a great choice. I was initially concerned that it only uses a rechargeable battery, but the battery life is surprisingly good. I used it on vacation took 70-80 pictures and still had plenty of battery life left. The compact size is also a plus - can be comfortably carried around in a pant pocket. Compared to other digitals I've tried, the Stylus 300 has a solid, sturdy feel to it. For the everyday photographer, this camera is a great choice.I've had no problems with indoor photos unless trying to take a shot a a great distance. Picture quality is always excellent unless I don't hold the camera steady. The Olympus software is simple but let's me do everything I've wanted - e-mail, print, etc. I rarely used my old film camera,but I carry this camera with me everywhere now. With a 128MB card I snap all the pictures I want with no concern about space. This is the best toy I've bought in years.
58 Olympus Stylus 300
I am very pleased with the Olympus Stylus 300. I have owned other digital cameras and this one is by far the the best. Small and compact, lots of features, easy to use and produces high quality photos. No fumbling around with lens caps with the built in slider. The camera is weather resistant and has a nice big display for viewing photos. It is everything I wanted in a digital camera and not overpriced.
59 Excellent
This is the first digital camera I have purchased and it is wonderful. I would recommend this camera to everybody. The body of this camera is great its small, light and compact and its fits right in your pocket. It also takes great pictures the zoom could be alittle better but its still good. Easy to use the software installed it the same day I got the camera. If you want a camera thats small and user friendly than this is the camera for you.
