New (to me) Olympus Stylus Epic

[Darkhorse]

I think the Stylus Epic is one of those cameras I wish I could've given to myself when I was a teenager back in 1997, when this camera was released. I didn't really know anything about photography at the time, but there was a timid interest in it.

Lately I've been looking for a compact camera wish a sharp lens. I once had an RC but didn't like how it handled out of focus areas but I loved the controls. I have a Rollei 35s which has a magnificent lens, but has somewhat frustrating controls and scale focus. I think the Stylus Epic might finally satisfy me.

Here are some first shots from a roll of Portra VC. I'm processing the film on my own and it's going OK so far. Results were consistent, the images sharp. I think I'd like to keep this camera loaded with Ektar at all times going forward.

I also shot a roll of Ilford XP2 Super today, and that I was pretty disappointed by. I'm not sure what the problem was, maybe the 400 speed was too much for the bright California sun? Some shots were over exposed... maybe... hard to tell with that dark film base. There's only one shot I liked from that roll, but I'm biased because I love my cat. At any rate, I doubt I'll use XP2 again. It's expensive.

 

[Richard G]

Ektar sure but your Portra looks pretty good. I have the earlier mju Olympus which doesn't seem quite as sharp as yours and other posts I've seen. Your composition is strong in these shots, and great colours.

 

[Darkhorse]

Personally I find Ektar easier to scan... but it's been a while since I've used it (since it's always sold out at the local camera place). Thanks for the comments - these are typical test-shots for me. I'm sure I've done the one from under the pier many times.

 

[charjohncarter]

Nice images! I have the Olympus Stylus Infinity; auto everything and really pocketable. Its lens is great, in fact I wonder some times why I bother with SLR or RF.

The front fell off about 10 years ago but it still works fine:

 

[Darkhorse]

I was thinking about one of those as a backup. They tend to go for less than an Epic on ebay.

One aberration I noticed after the first roll was that there was some fraying on the plastic film gate, presumably from manufacture. So there were some jagged images and some chunks taken out of it. I smoothed things down with my fingernail and a coin, and that fixed things pretty well.

 

[whitecat]

It's a gem.

 

[chris00nj]

I just bought one off RFF.

It's nice to have a small pocket camera with a sharp lens that is easy enough to operate so that you can be in a picture for a change. Man, it is tiny, and has a flash too.

The only downside is the lack of exposure compensation. I usually like to rate my 400 negative color film at 320.

 

[kermaier]

It even has an extremely difficult to use spot meter. 🙂
::Ari

 

[spaceman spif]

Congratulations! You have, imho, one of the nicest little pocket cameras made by anybody anytime. I'm sure you'll make some great photos -- some simply because you have a camera with you...

 

[Haigh]

My partner and I took our films to be processed whilst in Paris and to my embarassment her shots with the Stylus were better than mine with my Hasselblad. There is one hitch with it for me and that is I cannot disable the flash.
Enjoy your fine camera.

 

[btgc]

her shots with the Stylus were better than mine with my Hasselblad. There is one hitch with it for me and that is I cannot disable the flash.

I can help with this - send me your Hassy and in return I'll send you Stylus Epic with instructions how to disable flash 🙂

Well, pushing little (maybe too little) button with lightning bolt under it does the trick. I realize, sometimes big fingers just don't push buttons enough. Olympus knew this so they supplied plastic thing with notch on it to press buttons. "Thing" is on strap.

 

[Ranchu]

You are a genius btgc. I have been wondering what those little bumps on the straps are for. Makes perfect sense, they're for the manual rewind button!

 

[David Hughes]

They are nice cameras aren't they?

What I like is being able to find and buy them for a pound or two. Also I like the way it says "Fill In" instead of some silly little symbol (slightly different on every camera make I've got: or so it seems to me). But "Auto S" for the red-eye reduction pre-flash confuses; I always think it means slow sync. And I love the page in the instruction book showing you how to put the camera in the case. Once I've worked out how to get the zip moving I'll use it all the time...

Regards, David

 

[scarletfawth]

Shooting on cold grey days in the UK makes it very flash happy. More frustrating is that it resets to flash when the shell is closed. For me, it makes a great camera less usable. I normally default to my Olympus XA3 or XA4 because of this.

Great shots Darkhorse - I like Dorymen's fish and crab shop.

You don't have the problem of grey days I see! (Ps XP 2 works really well for me on those days)

 

[Juan Valdenebro]

Once I took a look to those cameras...

http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Olympus_mju_Stylus_Epic

Some time ago I bought one of the last cameras Olympus made (2002) in the same series: the Stylus Epic Wide 100, with a zoom going from 28mm to 100mm, and it's a great camera... I got it for TMZ exclusively, for overcast days, so with that combination the camera has light enough for a good shutter speed and for closing aperture for DOF in every shot, and like that works very well... Then on a trip, in a family party, it was in my jacket pocket and no one else had any camera around, so I tried it with flash and color film, and it did a very good job on a once in a lifetime situation with some old relatives that passed away recently... The camera is weather resistant too, very silent and compact... I'd need four cameras and lenses to do all it does, and then I'd carry a lot more pounds and would be a lot slower, so you're very right: they're great cameras and fit everywhere. Many times I've been out street shooting with my XA for direct sun and my Epic for shadows/overcast. They're so light and work so well... Together they make a great team for any light situation... And in general when I go out with bigger cameras, anyway I like to have my XA and my Epic in my pockets: you can never know where they'll be a better tool because of the situation, place and people around... I find myself using them all the time, and the images they produce are for sure very good: more than I need -technically- to tell a story...

Cheers,

Juan

 

[Darkhorse]

This camera is great at what it does. I loved having it around this weekend. I was meeting someone I hadn't seen since my youth in Europe some 13 years ago. We met up around Venice Beach in Los Angeles, and it's a crazy area. Not a lot of time to compose shots, and concentrate on photography, especially when you're there to catch up with an old friend. That's why the mjuii is so handy.

It's good for taking photos of cats too!

I wish I could overexpose to 100 with this camera however. The negs don't look as dense as they do with ones I've rated as such. Maybe I could leave it in the developer longer when I process?

Also a lot of the frames were scratched. I'm not sure what part of the process that came from, but possibly when I was reeling it up. I had to photoshop it out of the second shot.

 

[chubasco]

It's a great little point and shoot, perfect for one-handed grabs:

la fidélité, 2000

 

[Darkhorse]

hmm i might make that my avatar. cool.

this performed reasonably well in lowlight @ 160.

 

[chubasco]

You're getting some excellent results with the 160 film. Certainly not my
first choice for low light, congrats!

 

[Filmnut]

I bought the Stylus infinity at a sale for about $20. and it is a very nice little camera. Autofocus works nice, and the lens is respectably sharp.
Keith