Tell me, do you like the Oly Stylus Epic?

[shutterflower]

I have been searching for a decent little P&S with a non-zoom, fast lens to throw in the bag with the Bronica. I think this is about the best one I've found.

I would appreciate some opinions on if this is a good choice @ $79. And what is its top film rating? Can I stick 1600 ISO film in there? How is falloff, etc.

[shutterflower]

Would the Canon Sure Shot AF-10 be a decent choice? I like the 35mm lens on the Oly rather than the 26mm on the Canon.

[beethamd]

Yashica T4 - has Carl Zeiss Tessar lens. Wonderful. Is the Stylus Epic the same as the Mju II?

[shutterflower]

I don't know.

I like that the Epic is 100% automatic. I really want something I can whip out and shoot in under 2 seconds. Like when I'm walking in a crowd and someone walks by and I only have 2 seconds to catch them before they disappear into the crowd. Or whatever.

The XA has aperture priority, which is nice, but if I am going to choose apertures and focus, I might as well take out the Bronica.


I guess, today I was out at the immigration rallies in Seattle, and there were a few instances where I saw something happening and before i could get a shot off, it had dispersed. An Epic or something like it, would be useful in certain situations.

No digital. No way.

[pvdhaar]

The Oly stylus epic is a reasonable choice, if you can get it for $79 indeed. It's not fast in focussing, shutter lag is sometimes about a second. The lens is good though. The form factor is great.

I did however not get much mileage out of them. I've had two (called mju II in Europe) when they still were in the order of $150. They wore out after a dozen rolls, I soon discovered that a Leica Minilux made more sense economically speaking. It's even mentioned in the manual that they're not intended for intense use. I consider them disposables with some reload capability.. But at less than $80, you can give them a go I guess..

My current mini P&S is a Minox 35. Same size as the Epic, but no autofocus, no noise, no flash, no lag, no wearing out after 12 rolls of film.

[RML]

I have two or three. I find them extremely useful and the image quility is up-to-par. I had no qualms, or regrets, to bring it as my main camera to a trip to India some years ago.

[Michiel]

I love it

Bought mine a couple of weeks ago for when my Yashica is too large and find it a joy to use. The size particularly makes it very pleasant to carry around.

One big problem I have with it though, is that the flash settings go back to 'automatic' whenever you close the front. I have had at least four ruined shots because of unwanted flash. But then again, I think this is standard for most (if not all) p&s camera's.

Before buying it I spend at least a month reading info online and looking at different cameras in shops. I have held a lot of them in my hands, and came to the conclusion that the Stylus Epic (or MjuII) is the best of the lot.

I should have said: The best of the lot in my pricerange. I didn't even hold or consider the leica's and that other expensive brand (I think it's Konica).

[shutterflower]

OK, well, shutterlag is not acceptable for the purpose of this camera is to pull it out and fire in an instant.

So, if I am not looking at paying out $300 for a minilux, what is my choice?

I'll look on the auction site for some ideas in the P&S section. And here.

[shutterflower]

yeah . . .I'd like some certainty on the shutter lag thing. Is it really that bad? I mean, is it slow like the old digital P&S cameras where you push the shutter release and wait about a second for the shutter to open?

[Michiel]

I found this a very helpful site about the Stylus Epic:

http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/epic.htm

It describes a couple of problems the camera has, and combined with my own (short) experience I think it's safe to say you won't make your 2 seconds mark with this camera.

The first reason is that before you shoot you have to first press the flash-modes button twice. That turns off the flash. You can omit it, but I have noticed that my MjuII sometimes even flashes when the sky is slightly overcast. Even when the object you are shooting is 50 meters away!

The second reason is that you might want to activate the spot-meter before shooting. For details about this I refer to the website I gave above. Now if you want to turn on the spotmeter you have to press the two small buttons under the display. This for me means actually removing my finger from the shutter button. Press one of them to early and you switch flash-mode or turn on the selftimer.

Again, I love this camera. Once you get used to its quirks and learn to automatically press the buttons I explained above immediately after opening the slide I think it is a wonderful little shooter.

Moreover, it doesn't frighten little children when you hold it up and point it at them.

But you won't make the 2 second mark.


[edit]
On the shutterlag:

I don't have any numbers, but I do know that at most it takes maybe a second. That is when the light is really low and the object in focus is very close by. It takes a while for the lens to extend outwards to the right position (for focussing purpose I presume).

It's noticable, yes. Personally I don't find it bothersome, but I haven't used the camera for 'quick' shooting.

[Doug]

Here's my little non-zoom p&s; very small and easy to carry in its belt pouch... Had to look hard to find a non-zoom! It's a 26mm f/2.8, but it's APS format so the 35 equivalent angle of view is about 35mm. I've been shooting Kodak chromogenic B&W in it... APS is a disadvantage as a dying format, but it is convenient and the camera was cheap.

Second shot... strange to think of cactus growing in Washington state, but here they are in the river canyon along the road.

[shutterflower]

I'm leaning toward the Epic. . . .but how about the XA. Is it really easy to focus quickly?

I want the camera to be :

small
fast glass
no zoom
no flash would be ideal
fast AF or FAST manual focus

I think it will end up being between the Epic and the XA - I assume the Epic is faster, and thus my better choice.

Unless someone has used the Canon Sureshot AF-10.

[pvdhaar]

One thing to keep in mind when comparing shutter lag, is that some cameras allow pre-focus. This means you can press the shutter half way, the lens moves to the right position. You wait for the right moment, and then press the shutter release all the way, which immediately fires the shutter.

The Epic doesn't do this. even if you first press the shutter halfway, it may measure focus, but the lens doesn't move yet. The excruciating delay comes even after the final push of the shutter button.

P&S cameras which I've experienced that do have pre-focus:
Minilux, HexarAF

[shutterflower]

argh. . .

That is going to be trouble too. . . but then again, this is less of a composition camera than a capture camera. . .so maybe that might not be a problem.

[simonankor]

Have you considered an XA2? It's only f/3.5 but I've never had a problem with that... fast zone focus, no flash, and it's ready to fire instantly as soon as you slide open the cover. No lag, no delays!

Not a bad lens either ;)

[shutterflower]

The only thing about the XA series is that they are manual focus, which might be hard to deal with for the purpose. . . but, what does zone focus mean? Does that mean the camera might be really easy to pre-focus?

[simonankor]

The XA2 has three zones, one for close, one for middle distance and one for distant.

It's extremely fast and easy. Mine lives in a pocket of my courier bag and I use it *while riding in traffic* so it's very very easy to do.

http://www.diaxa.com/xa/xa2.htm

[markinlondon]

The XA2 is zone focused and thus practically lag-free. The lens is (I think) a Tessar type and very sharp. It's ready to shoot at aveage subject distances the moment you open the cover. The XA has f5.6 and (I think) 3m on the focus scale marked in orange. This was designed as its snapshot mode. Leave the aperture and focus settings and shoot away giving you effectively an XA2 with the option of manually touching up the focus or exposure. The XA has a maximum ISO of 800, The XA2/XA3 go up to 1600. The site below has lots more info.

http://www.diaxa.com/xa/xastart.htm

Mark

[markinlondon]

Oh BTW, I prefer the XA2, I find the maual operation of the XA a bit fiddly in such a small camera.

Sorry, hadn't spotted Simon had already linked to Diaxa.

Mark

[kuvvy]

I have the Epic and I think for the money it's worth at least giving it a try to see if you like it. If not you can re-sell it.
In my opinion the Epic is about as good as you get at the price. I don't find a problem with shutter lag. The lens is good. The shape makes it pocketable. The shape along with the shiny plastic body can feel a little slippy in the hands. Like shooting with a bar of soap!
However I do recommend it.

Having said that the camera I reach for the most and the one I carry most days is my Pentax Espio Mini (UC-1 in US). This has an excellent lens and I personally think it beats the Epic though I haven't done a comparison test. About the same size as the Epic with a sliding front cover but more boxy in shape. It has a wider lens at 32mm though it is only f3.5 but I don't find this a problem in real life shooting situations. Takes film upto 3200, has all the flash modes, a panoramic option, moving viewfinder framelines, built-in databack, optional remote control, and also has a Bulb option for long exposures upto 5 minutes.
Again, as with the Epic you have to press a tiny button to cancel the flash but it's easier with the Espio as the button sit on the top of the camera and are slightly raised. I can slide open the front and press the button before raising the camera t o my eye.

I choose this camera when photographing rock bands at my local club and for night shooting as I find it copes superbly with the low light.

There are some pix in my Espio album in the gallery if you want to see some results.

Paul

[shutterflower]

On the Epic models that print date, is it possible to turn off the date imprinting? I ask because it is possible to buy the date print models for much less than the non-date models.

[kuvvy]

You can turn off the print data with the Espio and I imagine it's the same with the Epic.

Found a couple of pix of my espio which I thought you might like to see.

Paul

[sleepyhead]

Hi, I've used the Epic (mju II), the XA, and the XA2. I didn't find the shutter lag on the Epic THAT BAD, but I couldn't live with having to turn off the flash everytime I opened the camera. That would really slow you down. Of these three cameras, I would rate the Epic's lens as the best - sharp and lovely bokeh.

Anyway, my Epic died when it got splashed with seaspray - it was the salt water that did it in. Today i use an XA and an XA2 and a Konic hexar AF. The XA2 is by far the fastest to operate. The lens is quite acceptable.

Good luck.

[Meleica]

My essay on the Oly Epic

http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/epic.htm

[shutterflower]

My essay on the Oly Epic

http://members.aol.com/dcolucci/epic.htm

oh, that's yours! Cool. That was the first one I read off the net.

I'm probably going to buy the Epic, because I need something AF and cheaper than the XA cameras (they tend to be pricey).

[JoeFriday]

I had an Oly SE, and really enjoyed it.. it has a few nice features for an inexpensive camera.. metering is good, but can be tricked.. you have to be sure to hold the shutter release halfway in order for the camera to meter and focus.. so each shot requires a slight delay

the lens is very good.. I always had cheap film in mine, so I'm not sure what the lens is capable of discerning.. but it will catch a lot of detail

I paid about $35 for a NIB camera on eb*y a couple years ago.. I'd say your price range is slightly high.. but you might have to look around a little to find the deals

I ultimately sold mine because I got a Contax T to take its place.. clearly not in the same league.. but sometimes I miss having the SE, for those places where I wouldn't take an expensive camera along

[Scarpia]

I have both a mju I and a Stylus Epic, both aquired through sheer luck. The mju I at a garage sale for five bucks and the Stylus Epic at a 1 hour photo lab's last day of business (they had a large stock of unsold P & S's) for $25.00. I am just putting through the first roll of film in the Stylus so I can't comment on the photo quality but it does have quirks. The most annoying one, more so than having to turn off the auto flash, is the fact that when I press the shutter after the lag the lens moves forward and strikes part of my hand. It happens that I have small hands, but I still manage to interfere with the lens about half the time. The greatest virtue of both cameras is their pocketability. The mju I also requires that you remember to manually shut off the flash. Its pretty annoying to attempt a candid shot and remain unnoticed and have the flash go off. Still I value both cameras.
Kurt M.

[SalmanA]

I have been searching for a decent little P&S with a non-zoom, fast lens to throw in the bag with the Bronica. I think this is about the best one I've found.

I would appreciate some opinions on if this is a good choice @ $79. And what is its top film rating? Can I stick 1600 ISO film in there? How is falloff, etc.

I've been using my Stylus Epic (35mm f/2.8) for over a year and a half, and I love it! Over time I've come to live with its shortcomings (no exposure control, auto flash on, no way to override ISO rating, etc.).

I've never thought the shutter lag on my Epic to be as bad as what some members have experienced; certainly not as bad as to stop me from using it altogether.

Stopped down (i.e. using a high-ISO film) the lens is pretty sharp, and overall the bokeh is very pleasant for a camera that costs as much as this.

Shutterflower, feel free to peruse my photos taken with the Stylus Epic: Gallery1 (http://www.pbase.com/ssahmed/stylus_epic) , Gallery2 (http://www.pbase.com/ssahmed/rsa)

For its price and the performance it delivers, this camera cannot be beat IMO.

Cheers,

[dnk512]

The good: The glass is fine. It is cheap, It is small. It is weather protected. It withstood a 4 feet drop on a marbel floor. It survived a complete soak with sunscteen in my wife's bag. I found focusing fast enough to shoot kids playing. Battery last a looong time. Good macro focusing (6" ?)
The not so good: Light fall off with wide apertures. Camera program opens aperture before slowing shutter speed. No user input on shutter/aperture choice. All of the above lead to shallow DOF and light fall on all but bright days.
Oh, one last thing: It has a great spot meter option, but it is hard to set (tiny buttons) and it does not stay selected once you turn the camera off. Some like this, I found it annoying.

[SalmanA]

One more point in favour of the 35mm f/2.8 Olympus Stylus Epic: it allows you to focus as close as 14 inches - it's rare to find another 35mm prime lens that will allow such a minimum close focusing distance.

Cheers,

[dll927]

My version of the Oly Stylus is the 38-120mm zoom version. It's small. light, and its 'clamshell' design makes it fast to open/close for action. It's much lighter and easier to carry around than either of my Minolta Maxxums (7 and 7D).

But no camera is perfect for everyone, and you pretty well have to study up on the features of any one you are considering.

This is my third Oly - the first Stylus got stolen - and all three have been small compact cameras. I've never had their SLRs. But their lenses are certainly sharp enough, and they are convenient to use.

[Andrew Sowerby]

I like my Stylus Epic very much but there are things about it that bother me -- most have been mentioned above (shutter lag, tendency to shoot wide open, flash resets every time, minimum aperture of f/11).

I really think that for quick grab shots with high ASA film, zone focus cameras make more sense. XA2 or the various Minox cameras are very small but not known for reliability. They can get pricey too.

Edit: the Minox cameras can be pricey, not XA2s.

Life's full of compromise!

[Kat]

I got an XA2 off ebay for a little over $20USD shipped. I've seen them go for less sometimes.

[ddunn]

The Stylus Epic is my "always on hand" camera. I keep it in the console of the car, & throw it in my over the shoulder bag when flying. Shoot mostly 400 speed color negative.

I've never had a major problem with the shutter lag others have talked about. The only dislike I have is the need to turn the autoflash off whenever you turn the camera on. I'm still using the first one I bought (certainly no failure after a dozen rolls of film).

For the money, you just can't beat it.

[MelanieC]

I have a question. I have a Stylus Epic that I bought sometime in the mid-90s. It has a champagne colored clamshell exterior and a short "zoom" (I think to 80mm -- it was the cheapest one at the time, I think the "deluxe" model was larger and went to 140mm). What is the functional difference between this and the non-zoom model (other than the obvious)? My understanding is that lens quality in the "zoom" models is lower but I don't understand why.

I was very happy with mine when I was using it, but at the time I was only taking snapshot, vacation, and "event" sort of photos. The flash is hyperactive. It was VERY easy to get great-looking, sharp photos out of it. I'm going to pick it up again when I fly back east next month -- my mother has it right now.

[DougK]

I've got both the Epic and the XA.

The Epic does a pretty good job with daylight fill-flash but it is irksome to manually turn it off every time you open the camera. The spot metering mode is definitely nice to have and works well. No date function on mine, either.

The XA gives you aperture priority and manual focus with detachable flash. Snapshot focus and aperture settings work well for most photos and there's no annoyingly loud motor advance/rewind.

Both are fine cameras, but if I had to pick just one of the two, I'd keep the XA. I wouldn't mind an XA2 or XA4 either.

[shutterflower]

OK, some great input here.

I want the camera for taking down to Seattle as my "oh, there's a crazy guy waving his hands in the middle of the street and screaming at the air, just about to be tackled by the cops" camera. I'm walking around in places where I might not want to pull out the Bronica. Or I don't have time to unzip the bag, pull it out, turn it on, choose an aperture, focus, and get the shot.

The Epic would also be good on the bus or for hip shots perhaps. . . .though surely the focus would be hard to get perfect. XA best for hipshots, probably.

I've seen a few Epics with the date function for $25, but they were refurbished and from a seller with some recent issues.

Can the date be turned off on the date bodies? I must know this.

[JoeFriday]

yeah.. I never used the date feature.. it's easy to turn off

the Epic would probably be a good choice for what you want.. it's very handy as a carry anywhere camera.. it comes with a comfortable rope style strap that you can put around your neck and tuck the camera inside your jacket.. you literally might forget you have the camera with you because it's so light and easy to hide

[tkluck]

I want the camera to be :

small
fast glass
no zoom
no flash would be ideal
fast AF or FAST manual focus


From way out in left field:
Small, world class lens, no zoom, no built in flash, auto or manual control, precision mechanism, easy macro focusing, unobtrusive and non intimidating, quiet, and (I timed myself) as close to that 2 second quick draw as yer gonna get.

Minox C.

The size of a good cigar. Leica thought the company was worth buying. You hook the chain to a button hole and stick it in your shirt pocket. Pull it open as you raise it and you're ready to rock by the time it hits your eye. You can drop it into your shirt before the bouncer (or the KGB) turn around.
Take up no room in your bag. I sometimes use a little Rollie auto flash that fits in my pocket too. I have a hot shoe adapter, but it's just as easy to hold the flash off camera on a short cord. That measuring chain for close up really does work.
True, the format is perhaps less than ideal for 16x20s and you can't get it at Walmart. Then again you can't get Tri-x at Walmart leather.
Last but not least, with careful shopping/bidding you can get one for less than $80. I did.
The photographic equivalent of a boot knife or a razor in your bra. (another convenient way to carry it, I'm told...)

[ddunn]

I have a question. I have a Stylus Epic that I bought sometime in the mid-90s. It has a champagne colored clamshell exterior and a short "zoom" (I think to 80mm -- it was the cheapest one at the time, I think the "deluxe" model was larger and went to 140mm). What is the functional difference between this and the non-zoom model (other than the obvious)? My understanding is that lens quality in the "zoom" models is lower but I don't understand why.

I had a couple of the zoom models before I settled on the non-zoom. Too me, the difference is the loss of lens speed as you extend the zoom. I kept getting blurry pictures until it finally dawned on me that what is an f2.8 lens at 35mm is something like f5.6 at 105mm, with a corresponding slowing in shutter speed. :bang:

I've used f2.8-f3.5 lenses for years, and I have a pretty good sense of what I can handhold. But there's no way of telling what your actual f stop and shutter speed is on the Epic, so I kept getting faked out. That non-obvious functional difference was enough for me.

[MelanieC]

But if I never use the zoom, then I'm pretty safe?

[hjfischer]

A really good article on the Oly Stylus Epic is in the Feb 06 issue of "Shutterbug" entitled "Shoot Film and Scan"..

[Doug]

What is the functional difference between this and the non-zoom model (other than the obvious)? My understanding is that lens quality in the "zoom" models is lower but I don't understand why.Hi -- Slower lens speed (smaller maximum aperture), a tendency toward pincushion distortion at the long end and barrel distortion at the wide end, more darkening at the corners, heavier and sticks out farther. In other words, all the usual zoom characteristics. :)

[rbiemer]

I bought one of the first Stylus cameras when they were first released as a gift for my mom. And almost didn't give it to her cuz I liked it so well. Acouple of years ago I got my self the Epic and for a long while it was my only auto anything camera. The single most annoying thing about it to me is remembering to turn the flash off.
I also wanted the Pentax Espio/UC-1 but couldn't afford one til fairly recently when I found a good deal on a NOS one. Both have served me well as long as I remember that they are auto every thing.
I haven't used the Epic in a while(loaned it to someone cute and likely won't get it back :rolleyes: ) but IIRC the spot meter is also spot AF. Very handy.
The date function is set once for how you want it(on or off and format if you want it on) and you don't have to think about it again unless you let the battery go completely flat or take an inordinant amount of time to change the battery. If you can change the batteries in a walkman with out losing your station pre-sets, you won't have a problem with either cameras date function.
I seem to remember shooting Agfa APX 25 speed film in mom's Stylus with no problem but I won't swear to that.
Rob

[raid]

A Hexar Silver or Black will be the answer to your wishes.

[DougK]

The Shutterbug article was a good read, if brief. Here's the link if anyone wants it: http://www.shutterbug.net/techniques/digital_darkroom/0206one/index.html

[ddunn]

But if I never use the zoom, then I'm pretty safe?


Probably. The temptation (and the resulting problem) will still be there. One of the things I've noticed since I've gotten back into "prime lens" (non-zoom) photography is that I have to move myself to frame a better shot rather than just standing there and zooming. That usually results in much better framing (and seeing some things I didn't see before). :)

[XAos]

There is no 'unzoomed' setting , just a default zoom. I know this sounds obvious and stupid, but what I'm trying to say is that you're still paying all the penalties, you might as well use it. It's not like you're getting a f/2.8 aperture because you're willing to let your feet do the walking.

[MelanieC]

One of the things I've noticed since I've gotten back into "prime lens" (non-zoom) photography is that I have to move myself to frame a better shot rather than just standing there and zooming. That usually results in much better framing (and seeing some things I didn't see before).

Using my M3 and only having one lens for it has done that for me. To some extent -- I mean, I've only been trying to frame shots for a few months now (as opposed to really just pointing and shooting).

Thanks for defining "prime lens" for me. I did not know what that meant.