Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80 Point and Shoot

Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80 Point and Shoot 

DESCRIPTION

The newest in the award-winning Stylus series, the Epic Zoom 80 combines the best in portability and performance in one world-class camera. Featuring superior Stylus design values and a 38-80 mm autofocus zoom lens, the camera is only 4.5" by 2.3" and weighs a tidy 6.3 ounces.

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 64  
[Jan 09, 2023]
Janwil


Strength:

I love this product! Limited Power of Attorney

Weakness:

none so far

OVERALL
RATING
5
[Dec 29, 2022]
disposableser


Strength:

All in one product, makes life easy as I use reflective, spot and incident all the time and enjoy being able to choose without digging in the bag for another meter. I love using this for taking photos of my trendy keychains products. Highly recommended!

Weakness:

The biggest design flaw in this otherwise near perfect meter is in the flash spot function. If you search the manual very carefully you might come across the little mentioned fact that this meter will not read a flash that is not powerful enough to register f8 or higher.

Purchased:
New  
OVERALL
RATING
5
[Nov 06, 2011]
sfpeter
Intermediate

Strength:

Well....it's full auto on nearly everything, your controls are a a zoom, turning the flash on/off, and a timer. That's it.

Unlike digital the film was what made or broke the camera. Used for what it is, a minimal auto camera, it can turn in decent results.

35mm compacts seem to be the hardest hit the in the remaining film market. Most people still shooting film go with either pro gear or the kitsch of antique/classic hardware. Compacts were cheaply built and largely plastic, and discarded for the most part.

Is very small and compact, uses an easily obtainable CR123 lithium battery that lasts a decent time.

Weakness:

Full auto means you have no control, you just guess for the most part.

The lens is an old school formula, for only 80mm when it extends it goes way out. The f/stops aren't listed anywhere.

A mechanical zoom and extended flash means more parts to wear out/go bad. Many of these cameras sound tired on even a new battery.

There is no on/off switch; sliding back the lens cover turns it on, and slight movement can make it shut back down.

Really just about pointless at this stage of the game; if you're going to go with film do what everyone else does and buy a pro Nikon or Canon and get the most out of the medium.

This was one of the smallest cameras commercially made for 35mm film. I'm sure there were others that were smaller for special purposes, but you don't realize how little it is until you compare it to a modern compact. Against my Canon Elph 100 HS it's maybe only a third longer and just barely higher, but is easily 2 1/2 times as thick.

Almost entirely auto with a 38-80mm lens (hence the name) it was marketed to people who wanted a compact but something better than a disc camera. Even when this was made 110 was obsolete, and 126 was never truly a compact format.

Customer Service

Nope

Similar Products Used:

Pentax IQ Zoom.

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
2
[Mar 31, 2003]
mkiert
Beginner

Strength:

produces great images w/ crisp colors easy to use small, attractive packaging waiting for green light to signal autofocus pays dividends

Weakness:

still need to have some photo savvy to get the best pics (read the manual) you can't use it to cushion the landing when you catch 10 ft. of air and lose your composure mid-flight

the stylus epic zoom 80 was my first camera and i've taken a good 40-some rolls on it, shooting people and scenery. pictures in well-lit conditions come out spectacular...making my rookie photography seem rather competent. my cheesy scanner doesn't really do the camera justice, but you can view some samples at: http://www.evite.com/PhotoAlbum/View?albumID=11446306026560483&sp=1 pictures in low light can be tricky. the autoflash mode is too powerful, so i suggest trying the other modes. don't try to shoot at long distance in zero light unless you have a tripod (i was never able to capture fireworks well, even on night mode and fuji 400 film). unfortunately, after putting the epic in my backpack on a recent trip to snow summit's terrain park (and landing on it in all manner of ways), the camera took a beating and essentially stopped ticking. it still takes pictures, but i can no longer read the lcd screen. therefore, i can't distinguish b/w the different flash modes or set the date. as well, it also faked me out once when i thought i had reached the end of the roll and heard the rewind noise...only to discover when i opened it that the film had not rewound and i had just exposed it. the camera takes sharp, colorful pictures most of the time (sometimes the wrong element is focused on) and is really a great bargain for what you get...an effective, relatively durable, highly compact point & shoot. i'm happy w/ what i got out of it...but i think i will go w/ the stylus epic (non-zoom, faster lens, spot meter) model as its replacement.

Customer Service

why bother...the cost to repair it is nearly the price of buying another one.

Similar Products Used:

canon powershot s330 digital elph: even though it's only 2 Mpixels, it can shoot comparable pics w/ the epic during the day...flash sucks...the convenience of a digital is great, but overall i like my

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 12, 2003]
Richard
Expert

Strength:

I've found it to be reliable although others haven't. Very sharp for a point & shoot. Size and weight are a given in this class.

Weakness:

I really haven't found any. It does what it's supposed to do.

So many mixed reviews. Found them on Amazon too. In any case I'm one of the lucky ones I guess. I've had this camera for over 2 years and have yet to run into a problem. I've taken it to Miami Beach several times and the heat and high humidity doesn't affect it. I've had it in Las Vegas once so I know it works in low humidity and high heat as well. I'm used to a Nikon FM which is pretty much bullet proof and this little gem has compared favorably so far. Ask me again in 25 years which is now long I've had the FM.

Customer Service

None needed so far.

Similar Products Used:

Stylus Epic.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Dec 29, 2002]
Vijay J
Casual

Excellent Value for Money ! really comapct and light, rugged. I took some cool snaps in with water splashing all around.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 26, 2002]
Mair2112
Intermediate

Strength:

- superior lens quality - sleek design - convenient size - night scene mode (use a tripod though!) - strong flash range (32 feet at 400 ISO)

Weakness:

just a few minor quirks: - zoom range. 38-80mm is okay but in my opinion 38mm's not wide enough and 80mm's not overly long. - in people pics, contrast can be very harsh when using 400+ ISO film in dark surroundings. Thats part of the reason why using 100 film's a good idea. - IT WILL TAKE TIME to get used to it. there is some delay when you actually snap the shutter, and the zoom toggle is kinda confusing at first but it'll grow on you.

This little thing is great. I got it as a gift after I graduated from high school (I'm 17..) It's my first experience with a point/shoot zoom and so far it's been a great one! Every picture taken with this camera was in perfect focus, had unbelievable sharpness, crisp contrast, and nice colour! And you can't overlook this thing's sexy design...and it's SIZE..or lack of it, rather...I've never seen a smaller 35mm camera in my life (I'm pretty sure there's smaller now but I wont believe it until I see it) So, moms/dads, if you have a bulky SLR, and you want a tiny zoom cam for your vacations with your family, this camera will, do the job for you splendidly. One thing I MUST point out to all you photographers out there, beginner and pro :) If the salesguy or significant other tells you that you HAVE TO use film that is 400 ISO or faster...thats bulls*#$%. Why? Because; 1. the camera's lens optics are amazing. 2. the aperture is pretty decent for a point and shoot zoom (f4-f9) 3. this little devil's flash is so bright that it can practically blind you! lol so you'll get more then enough light in most pictures anyway. So in short, use 100 film (Kodak Gold's great, and if you can find it, try Fuji Reala), and I gurantee once you do, your pictures will look SMASHING baby, yeah! Now, I kinda question this camera's durability. Here's a warning to those who might get this camera; Some reviewers say that this camera is the greatest and it lasted for such and such years...then other reviewers say it broke or stopped working for all kinds of reasons and Olympus gave them the cold shoulder. So if you get this camera, be sure to keep the reciept, just in case you become one of the unlucky masses who bought it, loved it, and then for whatever reason the camera chokes. By the way, my sympathies go to all who went through that. It's a d*** good camera, but you know what, I question Olympus' craftsmanship after I heard what I've heard from some people. Anyway, for me, (so far) it's been two months and it's been good so far. Peace!

Customer Service

none yet. I hope I'm not gonna need it any time soon..

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Apr 30, 2002]
cammby
Casual

Strength:

Small, light, perfect pocket-sized camera. Great quality photos for compact P&S. Multitude of flash modes to shoot just about any situation.

Weakness:

Durability. Expensive for this craftsmanship.

LOVED the camera while it worked. Unfortunately, it didn''t quite make it to its 2nd birthday under very delicate care and light-moderate use. It was put to rest after auto-rewinding itself midroll and/or resetting picture number back to #1 on the display several times. Camera was comfortably a 4 rating if built better.

Customer Service

N/A since cost of getting camera repaired is just about as much as buying a new one.

Similar Products Used:

Original Olympus Stylus

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
2
[Apr 15, 2002]
Timbo
Intermediate

Strength:

* tiny * light * good weather resistance * can take some abuse * if the camera brain is augmented by the human brain, great exposures can be had reliably

Weakness:

* IMHO, the only weaknesses I have seen arise in comparison to an SLR, so they don''t really apply here.

This camera went with me from GA to ME on the Appalachian Trail. It was subjected to all manner of torture and abuse, and has black scars all over it where the gold finish has worn off to prove it. It used up 2 batteries shooting 25 36-exp rolls of Fuji Provia slide film. The slides consistently came out VERY well exposed. This wasn''t an accident though, read the instruction manual and familiarize yourself with the controls (infinity focusing, fill flash, focus and exposure locking, etc.) and you will be able to maintain a measure of control over your exposures. The image quality is excellent, only when projected to 2''x3'' can you begin to see a lack of sharpness (if you are the casual observer, not the anal photographer). Overall a smart camera.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 27, 2002]
R Mydzian
Intermediate

Strength:

Too many to list. Low cost and high quality! Excellent contrast. Small size. Water resistant.

Weakness:

The buttons are small (but so is the camera). Case scratches easy. Life?

Great P & S camera! I just bought one to replace a Nikon 470 for a trip to Thailand. Shot one roll in a day to get used to it. Shot 6 rolls in Thailand. All pictures came out great, not as good as my Canon SLR, but I didn''t want to take the SLR on a rafting trip, or in the rain, or on a very bumpy wet speedboat. I read other reviews here before I bought this camera. I was suprised by many comments I have read here. I''ll put in my 2 cents: Strangers get confused with buttons on ANY unfamiliar camera, the red-eye reduction is very good, you can use film from 100-800 with no problem, the camera is not pricey for what you get, a battery came with my kit, this camera is better than a disposable (were they serious?), if the pictures are blurry then don''t drink as much coffee, I also am not sure of the durabilty but the Nikon Lite touch 120 had even a flimsier case.

Customer Service

Have not used it.

Similar Products Used:

Nikon 470 Canon SLR''s

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-10 of 64  

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