Model Design / Appearance (9.0)
To those technology writers, engineers and engaged consumers who enjoy personifying cameras, the Stylus Verve is a sexy beast of a machine. Its rounded lines, sensual shape, and reflective glare seem to wink at potential consumers. As one of the rare deviations from traditional form, the Stylus Verve breaks the rigid compact-camera mold with the Verve’s innovative design.

The Stylus Verve is both a portable imager and a fashion accessory. The Verve debuted at Fashion Week 2004, clad in a sleek, chic shell offered in six distinct colors. The Verve targets trendsetting and style-driven users. With clean, continuous lines and reflective exterior coating, Olympus has ventured into a part of the market that has traditionally been dominated by Sony’s Cyber-shot line and recently has become the target area for many manufacturers’ efforts.

Some notable elements of the Verve’s design are its retractable lens cover, the innovative mode dial that defies traditional placement by being cut into the top of the camera, and the slanted top and left sides of the frame. The sleek, oval flash is seamlessly set into the frame and distanced from the shutter release, to diminish the possibility that stray fingers will obstruct the lens.

Formed out of weatherproof metal, the Stylus Verve is designed for durability and a longevity that will outlast its sleek counterparts. While the smooth contours and rounded futuristic frame of the Stylus Verve are the first elements to catch the eye, the camera’s construction surpasses mere aesthetics. The Stylus Verve has been designed for outdoor use and crafted to endure the elements. Many digital cameras feel frail; once water breaches the camera’s shell, it’s done. While I did not have an opportunity to perform a true “water test” on the camera, the frame is void of visible openings and seems to create a tight seal when the shutter is closed.

Size / Portability (8.5)
The compact Stylus Verve measures 3.7 x 2.2 x 1.1 and weighs 4.1 oz. without the battery or media card. While this camera is certainly designed for portability, it retains a distinct feel of stability and substance in the hands. The frame is small enough to slip into a pocket for effortless transport, yet provides enough surface area to maintain a solid grip and control when shooting. While the Stylus Verve is not as slim as some of the new “ultra-thin” cameras, the Verve uses that depth to create space for handling.

Handling Ability (7.0)
While the Stylus Verve’s avant-garde design will draw many potential users, the camera’s performance will ultimately determine the camera's longevity, as the allure of innovative style will go from groundbreaking to stale over time. It’s a good thing, then, that the handling on the Stylus Verve is superlative when compared with competing models. However, adapting to the camera’s irregular shape may take time.

The Olympus Stylus Verve’s user manual suggests an unusual grip for users becoming familiar with the camera’s design. The diagram suggests users support the camera with their left hand, making an inverted “L” with the thumb pointing vertically and their index finger used as horizontal support. This alternate grip seems intended to prevent obstruction of the lens with the fingers of the left hand, although it just feels awkward to me, as the suggested grip invariably minimizes control and restricts movement. Particularly when shutter speeds are slowed and there is no tripod accessible, it seems nearly impossible to hold the camera still in this position and record an exposure without any visible shake or blurring.

In general, new cameras with innovative or irregular forms should be held and used by a potential consumer prior to purchase. While this may be time-consuming, I would suggest going to a local retailer and picking it up and discovering how the shape feels in your hands and with your personal grip.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size (7.0)
Specific elements on the Stylus Verve have been fashioned to improve control and usage in addition to providing style. Note the irregular mode dial atop the camera: a thick metal bar that rotates to three positions. It rests on the top right of the camera, just beside the power and shutter buttons, making toggling between playback, movie, and still recording modes easy in shooting position. The controls on the back of the camera are all scaled to the camera’s compact size. This preserves space, though it adds some difficulty. In particular, the circular directional pad in the lower right corner of the back of the camera is a bit cramped. There is an “OK” or selection button in the center of the directional pad that is relatively large in comparison to the other control buttons and reduces control space on the directional pad significantly, making it often cumbersome to toggle through options. Likewise, the zoom toggle is a thin, horizontal bar positioned below the shutter control. This is ideal, falling naturally below the user’s thumb when in shooting position; however, the feeble plastic control protrudes significantly and feels like it could break off at any moment.

While most essential buttons and functions on the Stylus Verve are properly positioned and proportioned, the camera’s condensed frame ultimately breeds diminished control dimensions and tedious handling. Ultimately, portability and style drive this camera and unfortunately, controls and functionality take the back seat.

Menu (6.5)
The main Menu available on the Stylus Verve houses most of the camera’s essential shooting controls and functions. The menu is accessed when the circular “OK” or “Menu” button in the center of the four-way navigational pad is depressed. Upon entering the menu, there are four options available to the user: Image Quality settings, White Balance options, Exposure Compensation control, and the general Mode Menu.

The Mode Menu is broken up into three sub-categories: Camera, Card, and Setup sections. In the Camera segment of the main menu, the user can control metering settings, ISO speeds, Drive modes, digital zoom, AF mode, sound recording, panorama shooting, and a double exposure feature that will superimpose two sequential images into one. The Card segment of the main menu allows the user to format the media card when desired. The Setup section of the menu helps tailor the camera to the user, with control of Language, sounds, screen brightness and color, image numbering, pixel mapping, date/time, and video out.

I found it odd that the ISO setting is buried under the Mode Menu, while the initial Menu screen offers the opportunity to alter exposure compensation. Perhaps with limited manual control, the point-and-shoot user will utilize the Stylus Verve’s exposure compensation function as a way of manipulating exposure; however, I would imagine that the ISO setting is more relevant to most shooting situations. Otherwise, the Verve’s menu is straitforward and intuitive. Navigation can be tricky with the small directional pad but with a bit of effort, it should do. The one glaring flaw in the Menu is the seemingly endless sets of subsections, detracting from the Verve’s otherwise simplistic control. Although the menu is not that complex, I feel a more straitforward, linear layout would be more efficient and less grating on the point-and-shoot user. Significant time spent scrolling through menus will quickly take the joy out of photographing.

Ease of Use (7.5)
While the Verve receives much deserved attention for its somewhat “radical” appearance, functionality and control on the camera remains straightforward. Most essential controls are clearly labeled and positioned and are intuitive for even the moderate beginner. The small buttons do make accessing the features a bit laborious, but other than that, the camera is a true point-and-shoot and should be ready to use right out of the box.