Olympus Infinity Stylus Epic
The Infinity Stylus Epic by Olympus (often called just the 'Stylus Epic') is a beautifully sleek ultra-compact all-weather fully automatic 35mm camera featuring a sharp and fast 35mm f2.8 autofocus lens. This is one of those cameras that serious photographers buy when they want a pocketable point-and-shoot that gives sharp images. Sample photo and specs below...
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LIKES: small, sleek, and weather-resistent casing makes it extremely easy to carry (it truly fits in a pocket); 35mm semi-wide angle lens is good for landscape and cityscape shots; sharp 2.8 lens is very fast for a modern point-and-shoot camera; spot meter mode.
DISLIKES: camera resets to default settings and flash is enabled by default (meaning you have to disable it again each time you open the cover, which is a pain for those of us who don't care for flash); hard to hold still when pressing shutter (would have been a nice feature if it had a touch-sensitive button such as the XA series had); favors fast shutter speeds over small apertures to facilitate handheld shots more often, making it hard to close down the aperture for sharper shots.
TIPS: using faster film, such as 400 or 800 speed results in faster shutter speeds and smaller apertures resulting in sharper images (true for any camera of course, but helpful here in the lack of any exposure controls); unless you thoroughly read manuals, you might miss the spot metering mode - pressing the remote and flash buttons at the same time switches the exposure meter into spot mode (helpful for difficult exposure situations, such as a backlit shot).
Above: View of Portland Head Light at Fort Williams in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. Taken with an Olympus Stylus Epic.
View gallery: Olympus Stylus Epic sample images
| ~ SPECIFICATIONS ~ | |
| Type: | Full-automatic 35mm autofocus lens-shutter camera |
| Film format: | 35mm standard DX-coded film (24 x 36 mm) |
| Lens: | Olympus lens, 35mm, f2.8; 4 elements in 4 groups |
| Shutter: | Programmed electronic shutter |
| Viewfinder: | Real-image type viewfinder (with autofocus mark, close-up correction marks, autofocus indicator and flash indicator) |
| Focusing: | Active type multi-beam autofocus system. Focus lock possible. Focusing range 1.1ft. ~ infinity |
| Exposure control: | Programmed automatic exposure control, 2-zone light metering, switchable to spot metering. Auto exposure range: EV 1.0 to EV 17 (F2.8, 4 sec. - F11, 1/1000 sec.) |
| Exposure counter: | Progressive type with automatic reset, displayed on LCD panel |
| Self-timer: | Electronic self-timer, 12-sec. delay |
| Remote control (optional): | Infrared remote control unit with 3-sec. delay |
| Film speed range: | Automatic setting with DX-coded film with ISO 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200. For non DX-coded film and film with less than ISO 50, film speed is set to ISO 100 |
| Film loading: | Automatic loading (automatically advances to first frame when camera back is closed) |
| Film advance: | Automatic film winding |
| Film rewind: | Automatic film rewind (automatic rewind activation at end of film, automatic rewind stop). Rewind possible at any point with mid-roll rewind button |
| Flash: | Built-in flash. Recycling time approx. 0.2 ~ 3.5 sec. (at normal temperature with new battery) |
| Flash range: | 1.1 ~ 13.5ft. with ISO 100 color negative film; 1.1 ~ 26.9 with ISO 400 color negative film |
| Flash modes: | Auto (automatic flash activation in lowlight, backlight, and fluorescent or other artificial lighting), Red-Eye Reducing (otherwise same as in Auto), Flash Off (no flash), Fill-in (forced activation), Night Scene (for night scenes with slowest shutter speed of 4 sec. Other functions operate the same as in Auto), Red-Eye Reducing Night Scene (otherwise same as in Night Scene) |
| Battery check: | Yes - displayed on LCD panel |
| Power source: | 3 V lithium battery (DL123A/CR123A) |
| Dimensions: | 4.3(W) X 2.3(H) X 1.5(D) in. |
| Weight: | 4.7oz (without battery) |