Customer Reviews:
  Great Travel camera August 18, 2005
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Great digital camera, I bought it for it size. I already owned an Olympus C700 Ultra Zoom and wanted a compact camera for travel, this one is perfect. Great size and the weather proof is a nice touch. Also uses the same XD memory card as other Olympus cameras. You may want to buy an extra battery because it does not use regular AA, only a rechargeable.
Excellent photos, easy to use - plus lots of extras August 15, 2005
15 out of 15 found this review helpful
I love this little digital camera. The Stylus 500 has everything I was looking for: small size, 5 mega-pixel resolution, ease of use, 3X zoom, and a LCD viewing screen that I can actually see. The beauty of this camera is what it offers beyond the basics. The body is waterproof (though not for underwater pictures), so getting caught in a downpour is not cause for panic; it also keeps sand out, making it great for beach use. The lens cover is built in, and it automatically covers the lens when the power is shut off, uncovers it when you turn the camera on. The rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery keeps its charge for a surprisingly large number of uses. Although you can start taking snapshots without reading the manual and navigating the menu, the camera offers a selection of scene options such as color enhancement for still life, shoot and select for moving objects, landscape and portrait shots for crispness in both foreground and background, a sport setting to capture action without blurring, beach and snow setting for to minimize glare, a selection for taking pictures of objects behind glass, and many other options. These scene features work well, and they deliver exactly what they are supposed to. This palm-size camera also records digital home movies, with audio, that you can play back either on your television screen or through your PC software such as iMovies.
The camera comes with a high-speed USB cable to transfer photos directly to the computer without intermediate hardware, an audio/video cables to hook up for film clip viewing, a semi-rigid black case, CD-ROMs for the software and user manual, and a 32 MB picture card. The photo transfer works on both Macs and PCs. The included software, Olympus Master, is adequate for photo management, although I prefer iPhoto. Adobe Photoshop would be even better for those who like to manipulate photos, though this kind of high-tech software is hardly necessary. You can also print directly off the camera if you choose to bypass your PC. The 32 MB XD picture card that comes with the camera is woefully inadequate for even average use, so plan on buying a 256 card at the same time. Those planning to take a large number of pictures or movies within a short period of time should consider getting a spare battery as well; because the battery charges outside of the camera, you can pocket a fully charged spare to take with you, or you can be charging one battery while the other is in use.
Especially for those buying their first digital camera, shooting photos with this camera can be slightly disconcerting at first since the user must depress the shutter button halfway to lock in to focus, then the rest of the way to shoot. The impulse is to press down harder to take the photo, which can result in a blurry picture. Taking pictures with a digital camera simply is not as instantaneous as with a 35 mm camera. Once the transition is made, however, the quality is superb. Red-eye is a huge problem with the flash, so users should remind themselves to switch to that mode when taking photos of people inside.
The Olympus Stylus 500 is a compact, versatile camera designed for people who shoot primarily snapshots. Its size and weather-proof case make it perfect for vacations as well as for everyday use.
 Stay away from Olympus July 29, 2005
6 out of 22 found this review helpful
I regret having to give this camera even "1" star. I see someone else below has had the same problem as me. It is a cheap camera case and Olympus will not stand behind their warranty. Unless you want to hire an attorney to enforce your warranty rights and waste your money on an inferior camera, I recommend that you spend your money on a sturdy and dependable camera such as Canon. Olympus is a waste of time and money.
Best Camera Ever! July 19, 2005
I love this camera so much. Two months after buying it I bought one for my mom. I never take out my video camera anymore! I keep the camera with me in my diaper bag and snap pictures and video all the time.
LOVE the large screen!
LOVE the ease of use!
LOVE the rechargeable battery- I take hundreds of pictures and only charge the battery about once a month or less.
I DEFINITELY recommend this camera!
Lasted < 4 months July 1, 2005
5 out of 27 found this review helpful
Stay away from this camera. It lasted < 4 months and Olympus did not honor their "warranty". What a waste of money!
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