Olympus Stylus 1000 Digital Camera Review

by Emily Raymond
Published on November 16, 2006

Navigation
Intro	Testing / Performance
Physical Tour	Components
Design / Layout	Modes
Control Options	Image Parameters
Connectivity / Extras	Overall Impressions
Conclusion	Specs / Ratings
Photo Gallery

 

Model Design / Appearance (7.0)

This digital camera is the flagship of Olympus’ trendiest series. It is thin, but not ultra-slim. Its thinnest point measures 0.89 inches, but the camera bulks out to a much thicker point on the opposite edge. The Stylus 1000 is fairly plain with a plastic body and chrome highlights. I looked at the silver-colored body though; perhaps it looks better in its other housings. Besides the Moonlight Silver, this camera comes in these colors: Sunset Orange, Twilight Blue, and Midnight Black. The camera is designed to survive a rainstorm and sweaty palms with its “all-weather” housing, so perhaps this functional design is better than looking fashionable anyway.

Size / Portability (6.5)

The Olympus Stylus 1000 is shaped like a wedge with its thinnest point being 0.89 inches. The camera measures 3.8 inches across and 2.2 inches tall. It isn’t ultra-slim, but it still fits comfortably in a pocket. It weighs 4.9 oz without the card and battery, so it definitely qualifies as a lightweight. No carrying case should be necessary for this camera, especially with its all-weather design that has seals to keep dust and moisture out. There is an eyelet on the right side for attaching a wrist strap. The wrist strap is included, but it is a thin fabric cord that isn’t very comfortable. The strap eyelet is set within the camera body and is a bit more difficult to string than the protruding types.

 

Handling Ability (6.75)

The thickest edge of the wedge-shaped camera is where the right hand grips it. The Olympus Stylus 1000 doesn’t provide any finger grips or anything, but its controls provide some comfort for handling. The shutter release button on the top is comfortable and the zoom lever provides a little bowl for the thumb to rest in. Below it is the mode dial that protrudes just enough to keep the thumb from accidentally slipping. The lightweight camera can be held with one hand, and pictures can be taken like this as well. Two hands are always recommended, of course. Overall, the boxy Olympus Stylus 1000 won’t be known for its comfortable handling, but it does provide a more suitable design than many of its competitors.

The zoom lever is comfortable and sensitive, so it passes the test. Many of the other controls don’t fare as well though. The back is littered with a mess of tiny buttons and an abundance of icons surrounding the multi-selector. Many of the buttons have two icons next to them, with one button hosting three functions! The labels end up being so crammed that it’s hard to tell where they all go. Overall, the controls are not impressive.

Unfortunately, the menus aren’t that impressive either. They are, however, like other Olympus digital camera menus. Those familiar with Stylus cameras will recognize the initial blue screen that appears when the Menu button is pushed. It displays options that look somewhat randomly placed. The left side has an option to reset the camera to its default settings. The top of the center has an option to change the image quality. The center enters the Camera Menu; below it is where users can change the scene mode. The right side is the portal to the Setup menu with a Silent Mode option beneath it. These options can be scrolled around and highlighted with the multi-selector. The Camera Menu is as follows.

 

 

In the playback mode, this menu appears.

 

 

The playback menu is fairly short, but that’s because other options on the initial blue screen lead to equally long or longer menus. Here is the Edit portion of the playback menu.

 

 

The longer Camera and Setup menus divide the lists up into tabs so options can be found faster. The Setup menu is available from the initial blue screens of the other menus and offers such important options as what color to change the menu’s background.

 

 

Not only are the menus confusing because of their strange structure but also because the options are expressed in icons and text – not one or the other. Perhaps the most annoying aspect of the Olympus Stylus 1000’s menus is the delay in navigation. Users can scroll around with the multi-selector, but it takes a quarter second or so to register the movement and highlight a different option. This menu system will suck you in and rob you of your time.

 

The tiny control buttons cluttered with icons along with the confusing menu system make the Olympus Stylus 1000 one of the more difficult pocket cameras to maneuver. There are a few bright spots though. Unique to recent Olympus digital cameras is the built-in help guide. This is available directly from the mode dial on this model. The Guide position walks users through common photography problems and how to fix them. For example, the first item on the guide's list is “Brightening subject.” Once that is selected, users can choose between “Increase the value of exposure compensation” or “Set to fill-in flash.” If the first option is chosen, the camera automatically ups the exposure compensation to +1. If the latter is chosen, the flash is forced on. All users need to do is push the shutter button. This tutorial-like setup is very helpful for beginners who want to dabble more in photography and get to know their cameras better. There is also a “?” icon next to the Display button; this explains camera functions when held down continuously. For instance, it explains metering as “Sets picture brightness for taking pictures.” It isn’t the most scientific explanation, but it is better than nothing. The Olympus Stylus 1000 really isn’t that easy to use right out of the box, unless it is set in the auto mode and the menu system never has to be opened. Things get a little better with the built-in help guide, but beginners may even find that intimidating.