Viewfinder (0.0)
With shape, style, and portability increasingly prominent features on current compact cameras, there no longer seems to be a place for viewfinders. Today’s shooters have adapted a new form of composing and viewing images using the large Game-Boy like LCD screens fixed to the back of the camera. With the increasing popularity of this new form of handling, many camera manufacturers have opted to remove the viewfinder altogether and conserve space on the frame. Following this principle, Olympus has elected to minimize the utilized space on the Verve’s ergonomic design and omit the viewfinder as well. While I am a traditionalist when it comes to form and handling of cameras, I find the lack of a viewfinder on many of these pocket-size cameras to be a refreshing variance from the impractical fingernail-sized viewing windows of yesterday’s point-and-shoots.

LCD Screen (6.5)
With the absence of a viewfinder window, a good LCD becomes essential. Olympus looks to circumvent any possible visualization issues with the Verve’s 1.8” TFT color LCD monitor, composed of 134,000 pixels of resolution. The screen is flush with the body and styled for appearance as well as use. The LCD display appears large on the Verve’s slim, back face, yet is actually about average size for cameras in the highly stylized compact camera grouping. The image quality displayed on the Stylus Verve’s LCD monitor is quite good, appearing bright and clear, while maintaining visibility in low lighting. The screen can endure overbearing sunlight and bright shooting situations as well, effectively reducing glare with only minimal solarization.

When viewing a pre-recorded image in Playback Mode, the quality of the image displayed on screen is superior to the live feed in terms of visibility and image clarity, although both are functional. While it would have been nice to see increased resolution in the Verve’s LCD images, the screen itself is adequately sized and provides a bright reproduction of the scene regardless of the shooting conditions.

Flash (6.5)
Slim and sleek, the shape of the Stylus Verve’s flash resembles the horizontal oval of a squinty eye. There are four selectable modes available for the embedded stock flash: Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Fill-in, and Off. While the provided options cover the necessary basics, they lack any distinguishing features. The working range of the camera in full Wide Angle is: 0.2m-2.8m (8in.-9.2ft.), while in Full Telephoto, the flash extends from: 0.2m-2.0m (8in.-6ft.). Recovery time on the Stylus Verve is typical, taking roughly 5 seconds after each shot to recharge and fire again.

Zoom Lens (5.5)
The Olympus Stylus Verve contains an aspherical glass 35-70mm (equivalent) variable focal length lens with 2x optical and 4x digital zoom capabilities. The focal length is easily altered using the small zoom toggle controls on the back of the camera. While these control buttons are a bit cumbersome to access due to their meager dimensions, application is simple and straitforward and adjustments are registered almost instantly. For a pocket-sized point-and-shoot camera, the zoom range will offer the user some flexibility in the type of shot available; however, the fully extended telephoto view of the Verve does not quite parallel its competitors, many of which extend up to 114mm and beyond.