My wife would like to get a small P&S camera, eventually with a zoom lens for more flexibilty. I would like to hear from owners about their choice and experiences.

I know that these models have to be loaded with ISO 400 film and can't compete with a SLR, but I am looking for a decent compromise and we both like the disgn and features of the Stylus.

3 models come to mind to satisfy the zoom need: the 70, 80 and 115. Some of these models offer an additional spot metering, some not.

The application would be mainly for vaccation and events whenever a SLR is too unconfortable to carry. Enlargements would be made from extraordinary motives, only.

My first choice would be the Infinity because of the f 2.8 fix focal lens, but this time it's my wife's call...

-- Marcus Erne (cerne@ees.eesc.com), April 15, 1999

Answers

i just went through the same thing with my mom. she said she "needed" a zoom. i looked at all three you mention and the one thing i noticed is that only the 70 is still small. the others are quite a bit bigger. that reason alone would make me want the 70. (a longer, slower zoom isn't that useful anyway)

they didn't have the 70 at the store and she needed a camera that day, so i loaned her one of my epics (fixed lens) for the week, until she could get the zoom one. after the week she decided that she liked the fixed lens better anyway.

i'd vote for the fixed lens first, then the 70.

-- Sean Hester (seanh@ncfweb.net), April 19, 1999.

Thanks for the reply Sean.

I had several epic models in my hands last December when a coworker was looking for a P&S for the same reason. Unfortunately I didn't pay too much attention to the different models. I only remember the one with the f2.8 fix lens as nice and handy.

Do you know anything of the features of the "70"? I'd like to have a spot metering option as well. Also very important is a "flash-off" mode. I couldn't find too much information on the Olympus web page and I want to be prepared before I enter a store...;^)

-- Marcus Erne (mcerne@evansville.net), April 19, 1999.

sorry, but i don't remember exactly. i'm pretty sure it had the same two buttons on the back (which i figured meant flash off, and red eye, and the like, but i'm not cretain)

there's nothing wrong with doing feature hunting/comparing at the store, however. that is one of the few things left a store can offer you over buying off the web. ;-) i usually go so far as to make them let me look at the manual, because the salespeople usually have no idea what the features are.

-- Sean Hester (seanh@ncfweb.net), April 19, 1999.

I just bought the 70 for my mother-in-law (no jokes, please, she's a great lady). It does have a spot mode, and a flash off setting (as well as flash-when-needed, flash-always, slow-sync flash, and red-eye reduction).

It turns on when you open the cover, which eliminates the need for another button. The only problem is that if you're holding the pop-up flash shut by mistake, it won't turn on. It took me awhile to figure that one out.

I took a test roll; it's still at the lab so I don't know what the results actually look like. But it seems like a real handy little camera; if it had some sort of exposure compensation it would be perfect.

-- Matt Orth (morth@erols.com), April 20, 1999.

This afternoon I saw the travel pictures of a friend taken with a Olympus Stylus Epic - no zoom. He bought the camera on my advice, and went of to Ireland on a holiday, loaded with Superia ISO 400 film.

His photographs are stunning - to say the least - and this was his first forray with a reasonable P&S camera. There are available light shots, stitchable panoramas (3 photographs), some with beautifull foreground objects. This after only a morning of "shootinhg instruction", developing the film, a quick crit and lunch!

It is my humble opinion that the zoom is just another buggerance factor that makes it really difficult for the beginner to take photographs, not discounting things like small f-stops, camera shake and all the other things.

-- Leo Theron (leot@isdial.com), July 04, 1999.

Well, we finally got the Stylus Epic as a limited edition. It comes as a kit with QD-back (totally unnecessary), leather case (very elegant with belt buckle), 2 different straps (long & short) and one battery. It has a dark burgundy metallic finish and a golden off-set. Works great so far, is small enough to go everywhere along and is easy to handle. We will see the first results pretty soon. My wife likes especially the size. Price at RITZ on sale $ 120.

-- Marcus Erne (cerne@ees.eesc.com), July 11, 1999.

don't understand the necessity of 400 film. have used 100 to 1600 speed in my epic. no problems. though with the small apertures, i can understand the need for 400 with the zooms. jim

-- jim meisenbach (pacifica011@home.com), November 09, 2001.