| Even though digital cameras are all the rage these days -- and I myself have three of them! -- sometimes you do want to use a film camera, especially when you can't carry an AC adapter with you, or don't want to shell out lots of money for extra batteries, to power your digital camera. Also, ISO/ASA 100 film or slower still gives you the best clarity outside of the negative and professional realms. This Olympus camera is a great basic film camera -- and it's a terrific value at less than sixty bux. It has the following features that I consider essential on every camera: -- auto focus. Some very low-end cameras (but this is not a low-end camera!) only have "focus free", which means there's no focus in the lens. Olympus' auto-focus and auto-exposure systems work very well. -- zoom. Of course, this being a film camera means the zoom is optical. It's only 2x, but if you want more zoom you'll have to pay for it. (The Pentax IQ 145M does provide 4x zoom for under 100 bux, but that camera is also bigger in size.) -- date imprint. I'm one of those anal types who must document every picture I take. Being able to print the date, while irksome to some people, is a must for me. With a digital camera the photo file has a digital stamp which Windows XP can read (date, time, camera used, size, resolution, image quality, etc.). With a film camera, "quartz date" comes closest to having some extra info on the picture. -- lens cover. Some cameras don't even come with this! This camera is also pretty compact and feels right in my hands. The buttons are laid out just right. I find the lens a bit slow in moving in and out but not detrimental to picture-taking in most situations. (I don't shoot sports.) Red-eye reduction works ok but I rarely use it. Flash range is good, but you have to remember that a built-in flash can never do a good job at doing soft lighting. Picture quality is good with this camera. Assuming you use brandname film like Kodak and Fuji, you'll get pleasing pictures. (If you use a generic brand you got for free at the street corner from a guy in a funny hat, you may be disappointed in the prints... with any camera.) This is really a basic consumer camera, so don't expect lots of fine controls as you can with SLR's. Some reviewers complain about reliability problems, but from my experience Olympus cameras are some of the most reliable on the market. I haven't had mine long enough to know for sure, but the body seems sturdy and should last a long time. |
