Olympus Stylus 730 First Impressions Review

by Emily Raymond
Published on August 22, 2006

Navigation
Intro	Physical Tour
Components	Design / Layout
Modes	Control Options
Image Parameters	Connectivity / Extras
Overall Impressions	Conclusion

Front
The front of the Olympus Stylus 730 has a dark silver center with chrome strips on each side. The left strip’s edge has two tiny holes for attaching the included wrist strap. The right chrome band has an LED just to the right of the lens, which barely nudges into the chrome. At the bottom of the chrome band is an engraved “7.1” above a printed “megapixel.” The central darker silver has a sophisticated look and is highlighted by a chrome Olympus logo that is slightly textured and protrudes ever so slightly. Above the logo, which is centered on the left side, are two features. The microphone sits directly right of the chrome band; it consists of three holes. To its right is the oval-shaped flash, which is thicker than the average flash on a compact digital camera. To the far right of these features is the lens, with the following labeling surrounding its bottom curve: “Olympus Lens AF Zoom 6.7-20.1 mm, 1:3.5-5.0.” The tiny lens is placed quite high in the front’s right corner. The lens does not extend from the camera body, and when it is powered down a single sheet of metal snaps across it for protection. Below the lens at the bottom of the front is the camera’s title: “Stylus 730” and the “All Weather” designation.

Back
The back side of the Olympus 730 is highlighted by the enormous 3-inch LCD screen near the left side. The screen is framed in black and has a white Olympus logo at the bottom; it is flush with the camera body. On the top right corner of the display is a tiny rectangular LED with a speaker below it. The speaker consists of eight holes and is surrounded by several other dimples in the camera’s housing; the dimples go up a slight curve that looks something like a skateboarding ramp but is actually a thumb grip. Below these features is the user interface. It consists of a cluster of odd-shaped buttons which is cool looking as it lights up when the camera is powered on. The top two buttons has the recording button on the left and the playback button on the right. The recording button has a large red icon of a camera. The right playback button also shows its respective icon. Both icons are backlit and easy to find. The rest of the control buttons on the back are also backlit. The recording and playback buttons together shape an arch, which is cut out in the center as a useless metal half-circle. Below these buttons is the multi-selector and central OK/Func button. On each side of the square-shaped multi-selector is an icon. The left side turns on the macro mode, the top activates the exposure compensation scale, the right side lets users choose flash settings, and the bottom activates the self-timer. Below the multi-selector are two more buttons: Menu on the left and Delete on the right. The bottom buttons are arranged so that the top and bottom are symmetrical; this makes for an attractive interface.

Left Side
The left side isn’t all that interesting to look at. It is a bright chrome color and is very smooth with two exceptions: a tiny screw at the top and an engraved blob of text in the middle. The text states, “3.0x Optical Zoom.” There are no features useful to shooting on the left side, and its slick nature won’t aid in handling much either.

Right Side
The right side has a chrome edge as well, but its shape is different. On this side, it looks more like a fish’s tail in how it gradually slims down to only a tiny ridge in the middle. At the top of the ridge is a screw, like on the left side. Barely visible from this angle are the wrist strap eyelets, which burrow through the top and bottom of the ridge as well. Toward the back of the Olympus Stylus 730 are some useful features; they are located on a platform that looks as if it is growing into the chrome ridge the same way grass grows into driveways. The back edge of this platform is a bit jagged, as the thumb grip protrudes outward. This jagged platform houses a tiny port cover and a small circular button that accesses the Normal and Simple camera modes. The port cover is plastic and attached by a flimsy twig at the top. A single jack is located beneath; it connects to USB, AV, and DC cables. Below this cover and more centrally located on the back is the Mode button. The right side isn’t especially attractive, but it is functional.


Top
The top of the Stylus 730 shows the darker gray central housing surrounded by the outer chrome bands and the lighter silver platform on the back of the camera. This model is very compact, but it still has a few protrusions seen from this angle. For instance, the thumb grip pokes out the back and the 3x lens has a tiny barrel that protrudes from the front. The controls on the top of the 730 line up neatly and are more oriented toward the right side. On the right edge is the zoom switch, which is like a wide and shallow paddle that can be pushed left to “W” (wide) and right to “T” (telephoto). To the left of the zoom switch is the chrome shutter release button that sits in a skinny donut-like frame. The button itself seems a little shaky and rickety as if it wasn’t placed in the body tight enough. To the left of the shutter release button is the much smaller Power button, which is surrounded by a little moat that connects it to the two buttons on its left. The Reset button is next, with the Print/Perfect Fix/ Image Stabilization button at the far left.


Bottom
The bottom of the Olympus Stylus 730 isn’t terribly interesting, but that isn’t surprising. Serial numbers and such will be on the right side (although our pre-production model has only a sticker here), with the quarter-inch tripod mount just to the left. Below the metal mount is a screw; there are two other screws on the bottom – one on each chrome edge. On the left side of the bottom is a plastic door with various icons and a tiny switch to open it. The switch must be pushed to the left and then the door pops open. Battery and memory card slots sit under the door, with a rubber sealant around the edges to maintain its “all weather” distinction.