Digital Cameras Ratings

I purchased the Olympus Stylus 1200 after playing with it side by side with the Canon SD870IS, and some Casio model.The Casio didn’t quite seem up to snuff, so it came down to the Canon or the Olympus.In the interest of full disclosure, I have had two prior digital cameras, the Canon s100 and s500.I loved the s100 and hated the s500.The s500 was incredibly slow to prepare to take shots and the only easy shooting options were flash on (which meant overexposure in almost any indoor setting) or flash off (which led to underexposure).That said, I did take note of all the positive Canon reviews when making my decision.What tipped the scales for me was the user interface.With the Olympus, I was able to figure out how to switch to various shooting modes (portrait, indoors, ambient low light, etc — there are a ton of them) without glancing at a manual or asking the sales assistant for help.With the Canon, I literally couldn’t figure out how to get to the shooting modes so I gave the camera to the salesman and it took him a good 5 minutes of fiddling around to find them.

In addition to the shooting modes, the Olympus has a sort of “action tutorial” mode that allows you to select your lighting situation, and then gives tips for how to get the best photos in your particular conditions.After the tips, you can then immediately take the picture with the recommended settings.Pretty cool stuff for the average amateur that doesn’t really know or want to manually fiddle with ISO settings.

The only reason I am not giving the Olympus 5 stars is because the image quality is only okay.In side by side tests with my s500 (under conditions that my s500 could handle, mind you), the photos were comparable most of the time, with one or two photos being slightly sharper with the Canon.That said, the ease of use and the numerous options that are easily accessible make this a solid camera.Put it this way, its better to have a camera that takes a photo quickly and with the proper exposure (Olympus) than it is to have a camera that misses shots due to delay and overexposes the shot, even if the shot is sharp and clear (Canon).At least it is for me this go ’round.If I could buy a camera with Olympus’ useability and Canon’s lens, I would.But as far as I know, that camera does not yet exist.

Product Description
Shoot in rain or shine, at the beach or on the slopes. Sealed and coated in all the right places, the Stylus 1200 resists water, snow and dust. The 12-megapixel CCD allows you to print dramatic large images, or crop your images to compose them perfectly. Previewing, composing, shooting and sharing are so much easier and more enjoyable with this bright, premium-sized 2.7-inch Hypercrystal LCD. Digital Image Stabilization Mode freezes the action with high ISO sensitivity and faster shutter speed to capture sharp images even if you or your subject is moving. Digital Image Stabilization Edit uses built-in gyro sensors to track camera movement so you can fix blurry images right in the camera.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus Stylus 1200 12MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Black)

This is one of the few ultracompact cameras with a 5x optical zoom.It is very small with a large (2.5″) beautiful LCD screen.It is also packed with useful features.I researched many ultracompact cameras and this one came out on top.The only caveat is that it takes an xD picture card (developed for Olympus and Fuji cameras), which is 3 times more expensive than an sD picture card.Also beware… some of the features of the camera, such as the panorama function, will not work unless you use an Olympus H type xD picture card, which of course, is the most expensive type of xD card.It is still a great camera, but it would be nice if somewhere in the official description of the camera, Olympus had included this information!Some great features:
‘Available Light’ mode for taking indoor photos — useful when the flash washes out the subject, but the scene is too dark without the flash.
‘Image Stabilization’ for low light photos
‘Sunset’ which brings out the reds and yellows
‘Fireworks’ — a great option that makes fireworks photos look fantastic
‘Behind Glass’ which reduces the glare and reflection of subjects taken through glass
‘Documents’ which increases contrast

Some features that are funky:
‘Expression Edit’- this takes a photo and changes the expression of the subject, but makes them look more like a cartoon character
‘Smile Recognition’- when you lock on the subject, the camera takes a photo when the subject smiles (I haven’t gotten this one to work yet, but can’t imagine using it very often either).

The menu system is very easy to use and there is an on camera guide to help you take better photos.

The BEST thing about this camera is the in-camera panoramic function!It is SO cool and easy to do.I love it.

If it wasn’t for the xD card, I would rate it 5 stars.Because of the fact that you are forced to buy the Olympus xD card to get all of the functions to work, I rate it 4.5 stars.

Product Description
Shoot in rain or shine, at the beach or on the slopes. Sealed and coated in all the right places, the Stylus 820 resists water, snow and dust. It’s amazing to see 5x optical zoom in a digital camera this thin. Previewing, composing, shooting and sharing are so much easier and more enjoyable with this bright, premium-sized 2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus Stylus 820 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Blue)

Well, my camera works great!:-)

Before I started, I decided to quickly read the owner’s manual, as I wanted to make sure that I could get some immediate, good results before I left on my vacation to Canada!(I didn’t want to leave with my new toy, not knowing how to use it. <grin>)

Over the past several weeks:

- I’ve snapped sunrises, sunset photos, both in low-light condition and the quality has been great!Nothing to complain about.It’s just a simple, point ‘n shoot camera that works well!

- During my trip, I took over 300 photos.Not one of them came out blurry, even through some of them (like the picture of the sheep — see the photo gallery) were taken in a hurry from a slow moving vehicle.I had one chance, and only a couple of seconds to snap the picture — and I think it came out well!

- This camera captures the vivid colors in the photo.I’ve taken family photos and it seems to always focus upon their faces, and not upon the background wall, etc, which is a nice feature.

- I’ve snapped close up pictures of flowers and other items.No problem there either.

Seriously, I love my camera.No, it’s not the Rolex of digital cameras, nor is it one of those “pricey” DSLRs — but for me, it’s just a simple, point ‘n shoot camera that takes wonderful photos.In fact, I never told my family that I had purchased a new camera, but it didn’t take them long to figure it out, as they quickly noticed that the quality of my photos vastly improved.

Just reporting my experience with my camera!Hope this helps.

Product Description
Digital photography made easy! Built-in help guides, one-touch Operations, preset scene modes, and a large LCD are just a few of the features that make using the FE-280 simple and fun. This amazingly slim, sleek, full metal body is so thin that you can fashionably fit it in your pocket, take it anywhere you go, and never miss a photo-op. Prevent and correct blurry images without a computer! Digital Image Stabilization mode freezes the action with high ISO sensitivity and faster shutter speed to capture sharp images even if you or your subject is moving, while Digital Image Stabilization Edit uses built-in gyro sensors to track camera movement so you can fix blurry images right in the camera.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus Stylus FE-280 8MP Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 3x Optical Zoom (Black)

I have only recently received this camera. I upgraded from the Stylus 810 which was an outstanding camera. If you are a professionalphotographer or like to adjust your own aperature or speed setting then this is not for you. If you are like most of the people who will buy this camera I find it difficult to beat.You can carry it easily in a shirt pocket or a purse. The 8 MP is more than enough for most point and shoot cameras.The dual stabilization makes it hard to create any picture with a blur. This is almost a must for zoom pictures and perhaps the best stabilization of any ofthe many cameras I have tried. It offers a close up setting and a micro close up setting. It offers 4 settings for thequality of the picture you will take (pixels).If you want a picture for ebay use the low setting with close up feature. If you want a picture of your family go for the high setting. It has to many presets to mention for such things as action, people, night scenes, etc. The camera is simplicity at its best. Even a noviceshould be taking pictures a few minutesout of the box. Set the built in flash to auto and forget it if you want to. Allcontrols are clear and easy to use. If it israining do not worry as this camera hasaweather tight case.I have used the professional Nikon,s etc but for most of you this camera is all you willeverwant andmore. I highly recommend this camera. Two caveats and that is to buy a 1G or 2G memory card as the camera does not come with a card. Also buy an extra battery so you will always have an extra charged battery available if you take a lot of pictures. I also recommed the soft carrying case made by Olympus. I give this camera 5 stars.

Product Description
Shoot in rain or shine, at the beach or on the slopes. Sealed and coated in all the right places, the Stylus 830 resists water, snow and dust. Olympus brings you the latest in anti-shake. Dual Image Stabilization technology captures crisp, clear pictures. Mechanical CCD-shift Image Stabilization from Olympus keeps your images clear by adjusting the CCD to compensate for camera shake. Digital Image Stabilization prevents blurry images caused by moving subjects. It’s amazing to see 5x optical zoom in a digital camera this thin. Previewing, composing, shooting and sharing are so much easier and more enjoyable with this bright, premium-sized 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus Stylus 830 8MP Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 5x Optical Zoom (Green)

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After a few years of struggling to have a winner, someone at Olympus has gotten on a roll.The FE-240 is a great camera for someone wanting a bit more zoom, but in a very small package.

The first thing you’ll notice is the slim body, thinner than most 3x zoom cameras.The finish is nice, and camera appears solid in your hands.The 5x zoom has average smoothness and noise.That little extra reach can really make all the difference.

The selection dial makes this a joy for someone new to photography.There’s an excellent photo & description of each mode, and a very helpful “guide” setting.

The only “cons” on this camera are that it uses the xD memory card instead of the easy to find SD cards, and that it doesn’t have an anti-shake system (the anti-blur mode uses a high ISO).

It would be hard to find a camera even close in both function and style in roughly the same price range.But look at the black finish, and you’ll really fall in love!

Product Description
Stay in style with this super slim, sleek and full-metal body that is so thin, you can fashionably fit it in your pocket and never miss a photo opportunity. The FE-240’s high-resolution CCD delivers superior image quality for larger prints without sacrificing detail. Prevent and correct blurry images without the use of a computer. The large, bright LCD provides easy shooting and sharing your images. Keep 9 of your favorite images with you to share with friends and family anytime while using a minimal amount of memory. Record TV-quality AVI movies with sound 640×480 at 30 frames per second up to the capacity of your xD Card.Shutter Speed -Auto 1/2000 seconds- 4 seconds ISO Output Sensitivity -Auto 50 – 1000 Recording Modes -EXIF 2.21, PIM3, JPEG Still Image & AVI Motion JPEG with Audio 16 Shooting Modes -Program Auto, Scene Presets (Portrait, Landscape, Night & Portrait, Indoor, Candle, Self-Portrait, Sunset, Sport, Fireworks, Cuisine, Documents, Behind Glass, Auction), Digital Image Stabilization Mode and Movie Panorama -Up to 10 frames automatically stitchable with Olympus brand xD-Picture Card Built-in Flash Modes -Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill-In, Off Self-Timer -12 Seconds 20MB internal memory Power Supply -Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery (LI-42B) System Requirements -Windows 98SE, ME, 2000 PRO, XP, VISTA, Mac OS 9.0-9.2x, OS X 10.1-10.4 or higher Dimensions -Width 3.7 x Height 2.2 x Depth 0.79 inch Weight -4.1 ounces (115 grams) without batteries and media card

Click Here to see more reviews about: Olympus Stylus FE-240 7MP Digital Camera with Digital Image Stabilized 5x Optical Zoom