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

 

The Olympus Stylus 1000 has some features that normally cost a pretty penny. It does have a 10-megapixel image sensor and an all-weather body. It has the most ISO sensitivity of any camera with its top ISO 6400 setting. It has a high-resolution 2.5-inch LCD screen with Bright Capture technology too. These features are all very lucrative, but they all have caveats too. The 10-megapixel resolution can’t be accessed all the time, the all-weather body is still constructed mainly from plastic, the ISO 3200 and 6400 settings can’t be used in pictures larger than 3 megapixels and create lots of noise, and the bright LCD screen can’t be seen when held overhead. With all of these considerations, the $399 price tag still sounds like a bit much. If the camera took beautifully clean pictures, it would be worth it. But it didn't.

 

Olympus Stylus 800 – This digital camera looks quite similar and has the same 3x optical zoom lens, but the Stylus 800 has less resolution on its image sensor: 8.2 megapixels. Both cameras have a Bright Capture 2.5-inch LCD screen too. The older 800 model is a few tenths of an inch thicker and used a thicker battery but got equally unimpressive battery life. With 22 shooting modes, the Olympus Stylus 800 does not have the Digital Image Stabilization mode and has the same lackluster movie mode as the newer 1000. The older model also omits the Perfect Fix function available in the playback mode. The camera's resolution is limited when shooting in the burst mode; it shoots at the same nearly 4 fps speed, but this camera cuts its resolution to 3 megapixels. The Olympus Stylus 800 doesn't have as many new features but does have aperture and shutter priority modes and can be found for less than $300 online.

 

Canon PowerShot SD900 – This digital camera has a sleeker surface built from titanium, but its housing measures a bit thicker at 1.11 inches. The SD900 comes with 10 megapixels and a brand new image processor that includes face detection technology. Some of the components are similar: a 3x lens comes with the camera and a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 230,000 pixels graces the back side. This model also has an optical viewfinder, something that can't be found on the Olympus Stylus 1000. The Canon PowerShot SD900 has ISO options available up to 1600 that can be accessed at full resolution, and the burst mode snaps 2.1 fps at full res too. The Canon camera has nice features such as a flash that reaches up to 17 ft and a custom white balance mode in addition to the presets. The SD900 can't put frames and labels on pictures like the Olympus can, but it does have a host of My Colors modes available in both recording and playback modes. The battery life is slightly better on the Canon, but still not incredible at 230 shots per charge. The trendy PowerShot retails for $499.

 

Casio Exilim EX-Z1000 – With a list of automatic modes and 10 megapixels, the Z1000 is very similar to the Olympus camera. It has a retail price of $399 and similar specs of 3x optical zoom and a slightly larger 2.8-inch LCD screen. Also like the Olympus camera, the Casio is an all-around poor performer, producing lackluster colors and poor images in low light. Casio boasts a fast burst mode, but its movie mode's 640 x 480-pixel size shoots a slower 25 fps. The Z1000 has a metal body that measures only 0.88 inches wide. It has 8 MB of internal memory, which is about enough to hold one picture with its massive amount of resolution.

 

Point-and-Shooters – Consumers who want lots of resolution and little control will enjoy the Olympus Stylus 1000. Its 24 shooting modes are mainly automatic and it has plenty of in-camera effects for printing scrapbook pages, calendars, and cards directly from the camera.

 

Budget Consumers – At $399, the Stylus 1000 is still a little expensive for being a point-and-shoot camera. Olympus is counting on the high resolution to justify the big price, but the full pixel count can’t be used half the time anyway.

 

Gadget Freaks – There isn’t much for these consumers to get excited about. Even the much-hyped Digital Image Stabilization mode disappoints with its lack of true technology.

 

Manual Control Freaks – These consumers will be sorely disappointed with the lack of manual exposure, focus, white balance, and other controls. Stay away from this one.

 

Pros/ Serious Hobbyists – The Olympus Stylus 1000 may advertise as much resolution as some professional digital cameras, but we can pretty much guarantee that its pictures won’t look as good. Pros and serious hobbyists won’t even consider this model as an option.