The Stylus 740
has been around for a
while (which is reflected in the price) and there are many
models with more than its 7.1 megapixels but this is more than enough
for the market this camera is aimed at (don’t get me started
on the issue of using megapixels as the prime selling point of a
camera). Realistically, the Stylus 740 is a camera
that anyone can have fun with and take great pictures and I
can’t find anything bad to say about it. So what are the key
features that made me choose the Stylus 740:
- 7.1 megapixels
(fine for everyday use!)
- image stabilization
system
- 5x Optical Zoom +
5.6x Digital Zoom
- 2.5” LCD
display
- low-light capturing
system and image type
viewing
- f/3.3 to 5 aperture
- 6.4mm to 32mm
focal length (36
– 180mm 35mm equivalent)
- Shutter Speed
1/1000 sec. – 1/2
sec. (up to 4 sec. in Night Scene mode)
- flash (built-in)
- ISO levels
including 80, 100, 200, 400,
800, 1600 and automatic
- framed movies
- Removable Media
Card xD-Picture
Card™ (16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512MB, 1GB or 2GB)
- modes include
action, available (light
portrait), beach, behind glass, candle, and many more
- all-weather body,
measuring 3.8”
x 2.1” x 0.96
- Li-Ion rechargeable
battery with charger.
You
can find many compact digital cameras with similar features, and
probably others that would never get used, but the Stylus 740 is a
good, easy to use small camera which makes it easy for anyone to take
good photos without any knowledge of the technicalities. I find that I
can be ready to shoot in a few seconds, take some great pictures and
then easily transfer them to my laptop. Of course it cannot match my
expensive camera for flexibility and control but in general use it
produces remarkably good results.
So are there any negatives to consider? Well nothing major but:
- It uses xD-Picture
Card which is harder to
find that the more common SD card
- There is no optical
viewfinder
- The video capture
is only at 15 frames per
second.
Of course Olympus have been in the business a long time and know how to
produce a good camera, as generations of photographers know well. They
also provide good customer support to supplement the 12 months parts
and service warranty.
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