gear review: olympus stylus 1 - Wilkinson Cameras

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12 MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor. • Electronic Viewfinder 100% view. • i. ... smartphone using the free app, which
GEAR REVIEW: OLYMPUS STYLUS 1 In our recent reader survey many of you asked for more reviews – in particular camera equipment – so when the opportunity arose, David Turner jumped at the chance to get his hands on the Olympus Stylus 1 and put it to the test.

The Olympus Stylus 1 is an advanced super zoom compact camera, which features a 12mp sensor and an impressive 28mm-300mm (10.7x) lens, which retracts back into the body of the camera when not in use. Even more unusual for a camera which describes itself as ‘compact’ is the constant f2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range. The bright, articulated touch screen LCD at the rear provides the facility to take shots from ground level or high above head height, while the built-in image stabilisation ensures sharp images, even at 300mm. A 1.44m dot viewfinder displays a wealth of image information for the users who prefer to hold a camera up to their eye rather than look at the rear LCD. Also on offer is WIFI connectivity, enabling remote control of the camera from a smartphone, as well as an effective control ring and full manual control, RAW image capture and 1080p HD video capability.

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GEAR REVIEW:

OLYMPUS STYLUS 1

KEY FEATURES

As a DSLR user, I was surprised at how compact this camera was when I first pulled it free from the box. The large viewfinder, flash hot shoe on the top and large diameter lens at the front of the camera are the hallmarks of a much larger SLR camera, however this offering from Olympus seems to provide all the features of a high end camera in a compact, robust and lightweight body which, while too large to fit in your jeans pocket, would fit easily into a coat pocket when out and about in the Lancashire countryside. There’s certainly no need for a heavy camera bag as with many other DSLR and lens configurations.

FLASH

DRIVE MODE

Compact pop-up flash allows you to light up the scene while the hot shoe above enables you to attach a more powerful flash unit

7fps continuous shooting gives plenty of opportunity to capture that perfect fleeting shot

LENS A 28mm-300mm f2.8 lens ensures that you’ll always have enough zoom reach available, even when you’re further away from your subject than you would like to be

LCD SCREEN The bright 3-inch touch screen LCD can be positioned upwards and downwards so you can always frame your shot, even if the camera isn’t at eye level

LENS By far the most impressive feature of this camera is the superb 28mm-300mm f2.8 lens. Quite how Olympus have managed to get a lens of that length with a constant f2.8 aperture to retract neatly back into the body of the camera is hard to fathom, but they’ve achieved it.

The control ring around the lens is one of my favourite features of this camera. This thin, textured ring serves multiple functions depending on which one of the shooting modes you happen to be using. When using the camera in manual mode, the control ring can be used to quickly select an appropriate aperture and when used in combination with the control wheel on the top of the camera, which selects a shutter speed, you can quickly set the camera up without having to hunt through menus to change settings. The control ring can also be used in a more traditional role as a focus ring when the manual focus option is engaged and if using the camera in one of the scene modes the control wheel aids in the selection of various scenes. It’s a feature that DSLR users will feel comfortable with, especially the manual focus option. As well as the usual zoom control button on the top right of the camera, there’s also a second zoom button attached to the side of the lens. While this isn’t the same as twisting a lens to zoom in and out, it’s a good alternative for people used to focusing with their left hand rather than using the traditional button on the top. The lens cap remains attached to the camera as the lens emerges from the body and the clever four way split means that it doesn’t get in the way of using the control ring either.

CONTROL RING Textured control ring around the large lens serves multiple purposes, including aperture selection, exposure compensation and an option to manually focus the lens

On a side note, Olympus offer a 300mm f2.8 DSLR prime lens for a little over £5,500 and although we’re not suggesting that the lens in this camera can compete with a high-end professional lens of that quality, it should highlight Olympus’ incredible achievement in fitting a 300mm f2.8 lens into a camera of this size while still maintaining a level of quality that is often lacking in compact cameras.

VIEWFINDER Large viewfinder allows you to accurately frame your shot while also displaying a variety of information around the image

The camera has an impressive focal range. This picture is taken at 28mm...

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS WEIGHT (WITH BATTERY AND CARD): 402g RRP: £549 DIMENSIONS: 116 x 87 x 57mm EFFECTIVE PIXELS: 12 megapixels MAX RESOLUTION: 3968 x 2976 FOCAL LENGTH (EQUIV. 35mm): 28-300mm OPTICAL ZOOM: 10.7x MAXIMUM APERTURE: f2.8 constant FOCUS RANGE: Normal - 10cm Macro - 5cm NUMBER OF FOCUS POINTS: 35 CONTINUOUS SHOOTING: 7 fps METERING MODES: Multi, center-weighted, spot SCREEN: 3 inch articulating touch screen MINIMUM SHUTTER SPEED: 60 sec MAXIMUM SHUTTER SPEED: 1/2000 sec VIDEO: MPEG-4 / H.264, AVI STORAGE: SD/SDHC/SDXC CONNECTIVITY: USB 2.0, HDMI, WIFI FLASH: Pop-up + option for external flash ISO RANGE: Auto, 100 - 12800 FILE FORMAT: JPEG, RAW

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EXPOSURE MODES: Programme automatic Shutter priority Aperture priority Manual i-Auto Custom 1 Custom 2 Photo story Scene modes Movie Art filter SCENE MODES: Portrait e-Portrait Landscape Sports Night scene Night scene with portrait Sunset Documents Panorama Fireworks Multi-exposure Beach and snow

...while this picture of the same scene is taken at 300mm

TOUCH SCREEN Large 3-inch screens on the rear of digital cameras are becoming more common but unlike most cameras, the LCD on the back of the Olympus is articulated and can be pulled away from the body and directed upwards or downwards. This feature is great for taking shots low to the ground when out taking photos of wildlife.

LENS Lens fully extended to 300mm

The 10.7x zoom (300mm equivalent), which is unusual for a camera of this size, is sure to be a major draw for wildlife enthusiasts wanting a camera that can get close to their chosen subject, while maintaining an impressive level of image quality. A constant f2.8 aperture throughout the zoom range allows for faster shutter speeds in low light, even at the long end of the zoom range and provides greater control of depth of field for isolating your subject in the frame.

The articulated screen allows you to get down low to the ground and still see the picture you’re shooting

The LCD is also touch enabled, meaning you can select your focus point and even take a picture just by tapping the screen. A sensor in the viewfinder detects when the camera is raised to your eye and automatically turns off the LCD. Similarly, when you drop the camera away from your eye after taking your shot the LCD comes back on again so you can quickly view your image.

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GEAR REVIEW: When using the live view through the rear screen I was impressed with the low level of screen lag encountered when moving the camera around. The image being displayed was bright and sharp and kept up to speed with any sudden movements of the camera body.

OLYMPUS STYLUS 1 There’s also an option available to select an automatic ND (neutral density) filter on or off. The camera features a 3 stop ND filter for shooting in bright light, where the maximum shutter speed available of 1/2000th of a second might need to be slowed down in order to still be able to shoot using a wide aperture such as f2.8 or f4.

EXPOSURE AND SCENE MODES The amount of exposure and scene modes available on this camera is extensive. As well as the usual automatic options, which include ‘full automatic’, ‘sport’, ‘landscape’ and ‘night scene’, there’s also full manual control available, as well as semi-manual options such as shutter and aperture priority. Olympus have also included various ‘art filters’ such as ‘pop art’, ‘grainy film’ and ‘pinhole’, which allow you to edit your picture to give it a more vintage ‘film look’. Some people might question the need for such filters in a camera that offers some fairly advanced features, but they’re fun additions that don’t need to be used if you would rather avoid them.

FILE FORMATS The usual JPEG quality levels are available such as super-fine, fine, normal and basic, while the inclusion of an Olympus RAW format will appeal to more advanced users wanting to further edit their images in the ‘digital darkroom’ of Photoshop.

CONNECTIVITY Another impressive feature available on the Olympus Stylus 1 is its WIFI connectivity. This allows you to establish a wireless link between the camera and your smartphone using the free app, which is available for iOS and Android devices. With the connection to your smartphone established, a live view from the camera displays on your phone and you can remotely control the shutter speed and aperture, as well as select focus points and take a picture. All images on the camera can be accessed via the phone and you can even geotag the images too.

There’s more to this camera than just stills photography though. A built in video mode allows you to record 1080p HD video at 30fps. The video mode is accessed via a dedicated button on the top of the camera, meaning you can switch into video mode quickly without having to delve into the menu system. Movies can be saved as MOV (MPEG 4AVC/H.264) or AVI (Motion JPEG) with each clip being limited to 29 minutes in length.

PLAYBACK OPTIONS

STYLUS 1 Super-slim. Extra-powerful. All-purpose.

EXCLUSIVE

BONUS

OFFER • 12 MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor • Electronic Viewfinder 100% view • i.ZUIKO DIGITAL zoom lens with 10.7x

For Lancashire Walks & Wildlife readers

A small, compact pop-up flash unit is available which can be quickly access via a dedicated button on the side of the camera. More serous strobists can also attach an external flash unit via the hot shoe on the top of the camera.

When it comes to reviewing your images on the rear LCD, there are few options available. A full screen image allows you to browse your shots without any distraction, while a second option can display the date and time as an overlay on the image. A final option is to view the image as a thumbnail and this view also includes the various camera settings that were used to capture the shot. The focus point used during the shot is also displayed on the thumbnail, which is a nice touch. All the information you could possibly need about the picture is available to quickly review.

FOCUS MODES

VERDICT

For those photographers wanting to get up close and personal with their subject, the Stylus 1 features a ‘super macro’ mode, which allows focusing to as close as 5cm. This is especially good for insect and flower photography.

As a DSLR user I’m surprised at the level of features that are on offer with this camera, including a few less obvious options such as the manual focusing. The control ring around the lens is extremely intuitive and I like the way Olympus have implemented this into various controls and shooting modes.

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While this is a great camera in its own right, it will also appeal greatly to DSLR users who are looking for a smaller camera option to bring on a family day out; one that’s small enough to not be intrusive, but still offers the functionality and output that their more expensive DSLR would provide.

£1949.99

The slow shutter speed capabilities work well and create a nice ‘flowing’ effect

FLASH

An unmarked switch around the edge of the ‘fn2’ button enables the camera to enter manual focus mode which allows focusing via the control ring. It’s another feature that more experienced photographers might want to make use of and once again, another example of the control ring taking on another use.

At £550, it isn’t a cheap camera but it’s packed full of features and is an excellent option for the user who’s wanting to take a step up and get more out of their photography, while also appealing to photographers who are more accustomed to fullyfeatured professional camera bodies.

Linking my phone to the camera was remarkably straightforward and after downloading the app, the whole process only took a few minutes.

£549.99

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LIVE CONTROL Pressing the ‘OK’ button on the back of the camera brings up the live control menu. From here, using the control wheel at the top of the camera and depending on which shooting mode you’re currently in, you can quickly access all the different shooting settings of the camera, such as selecting file formats, choosing various flash options and metering modes, as well as focus options, white balance and ISO setting.

Action photography often benefits from a camera’s ability to shoot several frames per second (fps) and the Olympus is capable of shooting 7fps at full resolution for up to 70 frames. If you’re shooting in RAW mode you can expect 7fps for up to 25 frames. Very impressive figures for a camera of this size.

VIDEO MODES

There’s also a panoramic mode available for landscape enthusiasts that allows you to take a picture, then move the camera across the scene to capture two further images, which are merged in-camera into a panoramic scene. Two custom mode options on the control dial at the top of the camera allow you to set up and save your most frequently used settings, then quickly return to them when that perfect shot looks like it’s about to present itself.

DRIVE MODES

Direct sales line

01772 252 188 or email us with any enquiries at: [email protected] Super macro mode allows you to get as close as 5cm to your subject

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