Digital Cameras – Olympus Stylus 300 Digital Camera Review, Information, Specifications

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Quick Review

Olympus Stylus 300 Digital Camera

Camera QuickLook

User Level

Novice – Amateur

Product Uses

Family / Travel

Digicam Design

Point and Shoot

Picture Quality

High, 3.2-megapixel CCD

Print Sizes

4×6, 5×7, 8×10

Availability

Now

Suggested Retail Price

$449

NOTE: The Olympus Stylus Digital 300 is virtually identical to the Stylus
Digital 400, except it has a 3.2 megapixel sensor, vs the 4.0 megapixel one
on the Stylus 400. (The Stylus 400 also does a bit better at color and tonal
quality than the 300 model.) If you’ve already read my review of the Stylus
400, you pretty well know what the 400 can do: Skip down to the Sample
Pictures or Test Results sections below to read about
the particulars of the 400’s performance. (On the other hand, if you’re looking
for the Stylus 400’s capabilities in a less expensive package with slightly
lower resolution, check out my review
of the Stylus Digital 400.)

Introduction

Olympus is one of the most widely-known names in photography,
with a varied array of consumer, scientific, and industrial products ranging
from 35mm cameras to film scanners to microscopes and even high-powered binoculars.
Not surprisingly, Olympus has also made a strong showing in the digicam marketplace,
building a diverse line of successful consumer and prosumer cameras, ranging
from pure entry-level, point-and-shoot digicams to the excellent pro-level E-10
SLR. Long a favorite among consumers, Olympus’ Stylus series of film cameras
have dominated the bestseller list in the film world for some time. Now, Olympus
brings the coveted Stylus brand name into the digital arena with the Stylus
300 Digital.

Featuring a 3.2-megapixel CCD, 3x lens, “all-weather” body design, and compact size, the much-anticipated Stylus 300 Digital was one camera I was eager to get my hands on. The fully automatic system requires very little user intervention with only a handful of creative options, but has the benefits of five preset Scene modes and a QuickTime Movie mode (without sound). The all-weather body can withstand water spray from any direction, but isn’t meant to be fully submerged in water. Still, rubber seals and a separate plastic chassis inside the metal body provide excellent protection against water splashes and rain. As long as you keep it from getting completely submerged, you needn’t worry about taking this camera to the beach, on ski trips, sailing trips, etc. The real question is, “Where should we go next?”

Camera Overview
Olympus fans are no doubt familiar with that company’s very popular Stylus series
of film cameras. After much anticipation, Olympus has finally introduced the
film Stylus’ digital counterpart, the Stylus 300 Digital camera. (A Stylus 400
model has also been introduced, which I’ll review separately.) The camera itself
is no bigger than a tiny cellphone, and features a sleek, curvy design that’s
comfortable to hold and easy on the eyes. The camera’s trim, compact dimensions
are perfectly suited for shirt pockets and small purses, and the all-weather
body means you can take it just about anywhere. Although the camera cannot be
submerged in water, it can withstand light rain and water spray without damage.
A sliding lens cover also acts as a power switch, and keeps the front panel
smooth enough to quickly slip in and out of pockets. The included wrist strap
is handy when shooting over a boat rail or while riding on a ski lift, but I’d
recommend picking up a soft case to protect the camera’s attractive body panels
from scratches. The Stylus 300 Digital’s metal body is one key to its all-weather
rating, equivalent to IEC standard publication 529 IPX4 (which essentially means
it can withstand water splashed from any direction). Inside the metal body a
plastic chassis provides the first level of protection against the elements.
Rubber seals around compartment doors and even the lens mechanism also help
prevent any leakage. Because the camera is so tightly sealed, Olympus designed
an airflow control system to prevent the camera from overheating or building
up air pressure from the zooming lens. Overall, the Stylus 300 Digital’s all-weather
design is an impressive feature on a digicam, making it rugged enough to withstand
much abuse — from the weather or even a mischievous kid with a squirt gun.
Water is anathema to most digicams, leaving me worried whenever I’m out shooting
in even a slight drizzle. While the Stylus 300 isn’t by any means an “industrial
grade” digicam, it’s very comforting to know that random splashes of water
and puffs of dust won’t send it to an early grave.

The Stylus 300 Digital features a 3x, 5.8-17.4mm zoom lens (equivalent to a 35-105mm lens on a 35mm camera). Maximum aperture ranges from f/3.1 to f/5.2, depending on the zoom setting. The Stylus 300 Digital employs an efficient contrast-detection autofocus system, with focus ranging from 1.6 feet (50 centimeters) to infinity in normal mode. A Macro setting focuses as close as 0.7 feet (20 centimeters), and works across the camera’s entire zoom range, which is often not the case. Opening the lens cover triggers the lens to extend from the camera body about 5/8-inch, automatically placing the camera into Record mode. In addition to its 3x optical zoom, the Stylus 300 Digital also offers 4x Digital Zoom. Keep in mind though, that digital zoom simply enlarges the center pixels of the CCD and thus results in lower image quality. The 3.2-megapixel CCD produces high-resolution images, good enough for prints up to 8×10 inches with good detail, as well as lower-resolution images for sending via email or for printing 5×7- and 4×6-inch prints. For composing images, the Stylus 300 Digital features both a real-image optical viewfinder and a 1.5-inch TFT color LCD monitor. The LCD monitor provides a limited exposure-information display (shutter speed and aperture aren’t reported), and is controlled by a small Display button adjacent to it. In Playback mode, the LCD monitor provides image enlargement and an index display.

Exposure control on the Stylus 300 Digital is uncomplicated and straightforward, like most of Olympus’ consumer-oriented digicams. The camera operates under automatic exposure control at all times, but offers a selection of preset Scene modes for specific shooting situations. Most of the exposure options are controlled through the multi-page LCD menu system, which is fairly simple to navigate. An initial short-cut menu screen pops up before entering the main Record menu, offering quick-access options for the camera’s White Balance, Image Size, and Exposure Compensation, or you can choose to just enter the main Record menu itself. The camera automatically determines aperture and shutter speed (from 1/1,000 to 1/2 second), but Exposure Compensation (to lighten or darken the image), White Balance (to adjust the color), Metering (to read light from the whole frame or just the center), and Flash modes are all user-adjustable. The Stylus 300 Digital’s built-in flash operates in Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill, and Off modes.

A “Virtual Dial,” which we first saw on the D-550 Zoom digicam, accesses a range of preset shooting modes. The up arrow in the Four-Way Arrow pad enables the dial, which is actually an LCD display of the available scene modes. The right and left arrow keys scroll through the modes, rotating the “dial” onscreen. Program Auto is the default setting, but Portrait, Landscape Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Self Portrait, and Movie modes are also available. Each mode sets up the camera for specific shooting situations, with Night Scene mode extending available shutter times to four seconds. Portrait mode uses larger lens apertures, to capture the subject in front of a soft-focused background, while Landscape Portrait uses smaller lens apertures to get both the subject and the background in sharp focus at the same time, great for portraits in front of broad vistas (for example, the family standing in front of the Grand Canyon). Self Portrait mode is an interesting feature that lets you point the camera at yourself (in-hand) to take a self-portrait. The lens remains locked at the wide-angle setting in self-portrait mode, so you get a sharply-focused portrait. (This is a great mode for those shots of you and a friend in a cool location, or when you want to prove you actually visited a certain place, and there’s nobody around to snap your picture for you.) Finally, Movie mode records moving images (without sound) with maximum lengths of 16 or 70 seconds, depending on your choice of resolution. (Resolution options for movies are 320×240 and 60×120.)

Other camera features include a Self-Timer / Remote Control mode, which provides a 12-second delay between the time the Shutter button is pressed and the image is actually captured. The Remote Control mode works with the included remote control accessory (a nice touch), allowing you to fire the shutter from a short distance away, after a two-second delay. (This last can be very handy for shooting night scenes, when you don’t want to jostle the camera by pressing the shutter button.) For a motor-drive effect similar to that on some 35mm cameras, the Continuous Shooting mode captures a series of images at a rate of just over one frame per second, while the Shutter button is held down. The number of images that can be captured without pausing depends on the size and quality settings, as well as the amount of memory card space available. Up to five large “SHQ” images can be captured in quick succession, and there doesn’t seem to be any limit other than card capacity to the number you can snap quickly when using the smallest “SQ2” image size. The “2 in 1” photography mode records two vertically-oriented, half-sized images. After capture, the images are saved side-by-side in one image, giving a split-screen effect. As with many Olympus cameras, a panorama mode is available when using Olympus brand xD-Picture Card storage cards, and records as many as 10 consecutive images to blend into one panoramic image. Finally, you can create sepia tone or black-and-white pictures from your full color images through the camera’s Playback menu.

The Stylus 300 Digital stores images on a xD-Picture Cards, and comes with
a 16MB card. Larger capacity cards are available, with sizes currently topping
out at 256MB (although as of this writing, 128MB is the largest size you can
easily find in stores), and I suggest buying at least a 64MB xD-Picture Card
(or larger) so you don’t miss any important shots. A CD-ROM loaded with Olympus’
Camedia Master 4.1 software accompanies the camera, compatible with both Windows
and Macintosh platforms (including Windows XP and Mac OS X). Camedia Master
provides minor image editing tools, and the ability to “stitch” together
multiple images shot in panorama mode, as well as utilities for organizing images.
For power, the camera uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack, and comes
with a charger. For backup, I’d recommend picking up a spare battery pack and
keeping it charged at all times, although the camera’s battery life is unusually
good for a subcompact model. The optional AC adapter is recommended for time-consuming
tasks such as transferring images to a computer. Also included with the Stylus
300 Digital is a video cable for connecting to a television set, and a USB cable
for connecting the camera to your computer to transfer images.

Small, stylish, compact, and portable, the Stylus 300 Digital is a much-welcomed addition to Olympus’ already well-rounded line of digicams. The popularity of the Stylus film cameras is without question, and the digital version should prove no different. You get a 3.2-megapixel CCD, 3x optical zoom, and the quality of Olympus, all wrapped up in a neat little weatherproof package.

Basic Features

• 3.2-megapixel CCD.
• Real-image optical viewfinder.
• 1.5-inch color LCD display.
• 3x, 5.8-17.4mm zoom lens (equivalent to a 35-105mm lens on a 35mm camera).
• 4x Digital zoom.
• Automatic exposure control, with five preset Scene modes.
• Built-in flash with four operating modes.
• xD-Picture Card storage.
• All-weather, metal camera body.
• Power supplied by one lithium-ion rechargeable battery (included with charger) or optional AC adapter.
• Olympus Camedia Master 4.1 software for both Mac and Windows.

Special Features

• QuickTime movies (without sound).
• Continuous Shooting mode.
• Self-timer for delayed shutter release.
• Panorama mode for stitching together multiple images.
• “2 in 1” multi-exposure mode.
• Black-and-White and Sepia effects.
• Macro (close-up) lens adjustment.
• White balance (color) adjustment with five modes.
• Digital ESP (full frame) and Spot exposure metering options.
• DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compatibility.
• PRINT Image Matching II compatibility.
• DCF (Design rule for Camera File system) compatibility.
• Exif 2.2 compatibility.
• USB AutoConnect (no driver software needed) and USB cable.
• NTSC video cable for connection to a television set.
• Included remote control.

Recommendation
The Stylus 300 Digital is Olympus’ first attempt to bring the Stylus name into the digital arena. With its small dimensions, stylish design, and nice array of features, the Stylus 300 Digital should prove a popular model with novices and most anyone interested in a compact, rugged, and highly portable camera. Its all-weather body design means it can go just about anywhere, and its small size makes it quite at home in your shirt pocket. With 3x optical zoom, a 3.2-megapixel CCD, and five preset shooting modes, the Stylus 300 Digital is another in a long line of excellent consumer digicam designs from Olympus. Exposure control is automatic and hassle free, with limited adjustments available for more experienced users. Image quality is high enough to make sharp 8×10-inch prints, while low-resolution image options are ideal for sending photos as email attachments over the Internet. The user interface is also uncomplicated and easy to follow. The Stylus 300 Digital is perfect for novices making the transition from film to digital, and is also an excellent “take anywhere” snapshot camera for more experienced users.

Design
The Stylus 300 Digital features Olympus’ distinctive sliding lens cover, which serves not only to protect the lens but also as a power switch. Small and compact, the Stylus 300 Digital fits into shirt pockets and small purses with ease. Its dimensions of 3.9 x 2.2 x 1.3 inches (99 x 56 x 34 millimeters) make the camera an excellent option for travelers. Despite its all-metal body, the Stylus 300 Digital is fairly lightweight at 6.9 ounces (196 grams) with batteries and memory card. Although the camera is quite small, it fits the hand very well, and a sculpted ridge on the sliding lens cover makes a worthy fingergrip. The most exciting design feature on the Stylus 300 Digital is its all-weather body design, complete with a double chassis (plastic underneath the metal body panels) and rubberized seals around the camera’s openings. The Stylus 300 Digital is safe in rain, sleet, or snow, although it can’t be submerged in water. The all-weather design makes the camera that much more rugged, and likely to be taken everywhere you go. Although the camera is protected from the elements though, I’d still recommend keeping it in a soft case to protect its fashionable appearance.

The camera’s front panel contains the 3x zoom lens, an optical viewfinder window, built-in flash, the self-timer lamp that counts down the 12-second delay before the shutter fires, and the remote control receiver (on the bottom edge). I really liked the inclusion of a remote control on the Stylus 300, that being an unusual feature for a compact camera. The sliding lens cover also controls the power, activating the camera and placing it into Record (Shooting) mode. When opened, the cover provides a sculpted ridge near the right edge of the camera, which serves as a grip for your fingers as they wrap around the camera. Opening the lens cover also signals the lens to extend from the camera body about 5/8-inch.

On the camera’s right side is the xD-Picture Card and connector jack compartment. The plastic and metal compartment door opens toward the rear of the camera and is hinged to the camera body so it can open as wide as necessary to access the card. Lined up beneath the card slot are the Video Out and USB connector jacks. The central portion of the door hinge serves as the wrist strap eyelet. The compartment door snaps shut quite firmly, to the extent that I actually found it slightly difficult to open, despite the ridged lip on the bottom of the door. Depending on how you hold the camera, it’s easy to press the Shutter button by mistake while trying to get the door open. In the end, I had to hook a nail under the bottom of the door to pop it open. That approach works fine, but can be a little tough on fingernails after a few tries.

On the opposite side of the camera is the DC In terminal, protected by a flexible, rubbery plastic cover that lifts out of the way to reveal the connector. The right side of the strip remains attached to the camera, so you don’t have to worry about losing the protective cover. (I do worry about plastic flaps like this fatiguing over time though.)

The top of the Stylus 300 Digital holds only the Shutter button.

The remaining external controls are all located on the camera’s rear panel, along with the optical viewfinder eyepiece and 1.5-inch, TFT color LCD monitor. Adjacent to the viewfinder eyepiece, on the right side, are two LED lamps that report camera status. (For example, the top lamp flashes orange when the flash is charging, while the green lamp on the bottom indicates when focus is set.) Control buttons on the rear panel include the Four-Way Arrow pad (with multi-functional keys), a Display button, a Menu / OK button, and a Zoom toggle button. Along the far right side of the rear panel is a gently sculpted groove that accommodates your thumb as you hold the camera in your right hand.

The Stylus 300 Digital has a reasonably flat bottom panel, which holds the plastic battery compartment door and plastic threaded tripod mount. The tripod mount is too close to the battery compartment door to allow for quick battery changes while mounted on a tripod. However, I doubt users of this super-portable camera will find this a problem. (I do so much studio work with the cameras I test that I can’t help but notice this.) A sliding plastic door, hinged on the back side, protects the compartment and operates fairly smoothly.

Camera Operation
Like several preceding “advanced point & shoot” Olympus digicams,
the Stylus 300 Digital’s user interface offers limited exposure control and
relatively few external buttons. As a result, learning to use the camera shouldn’t
take too much time. Simply opening the lens cover puts it in Shooting mode and
extends the lens. Entering Playback mode is a little less obvious, but just
as simple: When the lens cover is closed, you need only press the Display button
on the back panel to put the camera into Playback mode. Pressing the button
twice while in Shooting mode also activates Playback mode.

A four-way Arrow pad on the back panel serves several functions (including accessing Macro, Self-Timer/Remote, Flash, and Scene Program modes), and navigates through on-screen menus. It also scrolls through captured images in Playback mode. The LCD menu system accesses the majority of the camera’s exposure options, and features three pages of options (although each page has only a few settings), displayed as subject tabs down the left side of the screen. The initial short-cut screen quickly takes you to often changed settings, making operation even easier. Anyone already familiar with Olympus LCD menu systems should have no trouble, and even first-time beginners should get the gist of it after a few minutes.

Sliding Lens Cover: Protecting the lens on the front of the camera, this
sliding cover also serves as the power switch. Sliding the cover open turns
the camera on and puts it in Shooting (Record) mode. Opening the cover also
activates the lens to telescope outward. Likewise, closing the cover turns the
camera off and returns the lens to its closed position.

Shutter Button: The single control on the top panel, the Shutter button
sets the camera’s exposure when halfway depressed. Fully depressing the button
triggers the shutter to open.

Zoom Rocker Button: In the top right corner of the rear panel, this two-way
rocker button controls the optical and digital zoom (when the latter is enabled)
in Shooting mode. In Playback mode, this button controls the digital enlargement
of captured images, and also accesses the index display mode.

Four-Way Arrow Pad: Directly to the right of the LCD monitor on the rear
panel, each of the four arrows on this key pad points in a different direction
(up, down, left, right). In any mode, the arrow keys navigate through menu
options.

In
Record mode, the up arrow displays the “Virtual Dial,” which controls
the camera’s Scene Program mode. Once the scene menu appears, the left and right
arrow keys serve to “turn” the dial. Scene options include Program
Auto, Portrait, Landscape Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Self-Portrait, and
Movie. The down arrow controls the Self-Timer and Remote modes, and the right
arrow button selects Flash modes, cycling through Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Forced,
and Off. Finally, the left arrow activates the Macro shooting mode.

In Playback mode, the right and left arrows scroll through captured images.
When an image has been enlarged, all four arrows navigate within the view.

Menu / OK Button: Directly beneath the Four-Way Arrow pad, this button calls
up the settings menu in both Record and Playback modes. It also serves as the
“OK” button to confirm menu selections.

Display Button: To the left of the Menu/OK button, this button controls
the LCD monitor in Record mode, turning it on or off. If pressed twice quickly
while in Record mode, this button accesses Playback mode.

When the lens cover is closed, pressing this button powers on the camera and places it in Playback mode. A second press of the button shuts off the camera (only when the lens cover is closed).

Camera Modes and Menus

Record Mode: Activated by sliding the lens cover open, this mode sets
up the camera to take pictures. The following exposure and camera options are
available through the Record menu (some options may change depending on the
Scene mode selected):

• White
  Balance: Controls the color balance. Options are Auto and Preset. When
  Preset is selected, choices are Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent, and Fluorescent
  light sources. The Auto setting automatically assesses the scene and adjusts
  the color balance.
• Exposure Compensation: Increases or decreases the overall exposure
  from -2.0 to +2.0 exposure values (EV) in one-third-step increments.
• Image Size/Quality: Sets the image resolution and JPEG compression
  level. Available resolutions are 2,048 x 1,536; 1,600 x 1,200; 1,280 x 960;
  1,024 x 768; and 640 x 480 pixels. Quality choices include SHQ (Super High
  Quality), HQ (High Quality), and SQ (Standard Quality) JPEG compression levels.
  

• Mode Menu: Displays the following four-page menu system:
  • Camera:
    • Metering: Controls the camera’s exposure metering system,
      selecting either Digital ESP (multi-pattern metering) or Spot (reads
      only from the center of the frame).
    • Drive: Selects One-Shot or Continuous Shooting capture modes.
    • Digital Zoom: Turns digital zoom on or off.
    • Panorama: Available only with Olympus brand

      cards, this mode captures as many as 10 consecutive shots to
      be stitched together on a computer into one panoramic image. Alignment
      guidelines appear on the screen to perfectly line up each shot.

    • 2 in 1: This mode lets you capture two vertically-oriented
      “half” images which are fused together and saved as one
      file (images are placed side-by-side). Thus, you can capture two individual
      portraits and have them placed together in the same image, like a
      split-screen view.
      
  • Card:
    • Card Setup: Formats the xD-Picture Card, erasing all files
      (even write-protected ones).
      
  • Setup:
    • All Reset: Resets all of the camera settings to their defaults.
    • Language: Sets the menu language to English, Japanese,
      French, German, or Spanish.
    • Beep: Turns the camera’s beep sounds on or off.
    • Record View: Turns the instant image review on or off. When
      activated, instant image review briefly displays the most recently
      recorded image after you trip the shutter.
    • Pixel Mapping: Checks the camera’s CCD and image processing
      functions.
    • LCD Brightness: Adjusts the brightness level of the LCD monitor
      display.
    • Date/Time: Sets the camera’s internal clock and calendar.
    • Video Out: Sets the camera’s Video Out signal as NTSC or
      PAL.
      

Playback Mode: Entered by pressing the Display button while the lens
cover is closed, or by pressing the Display button twice quickly when the lens
cover is open, this mode allows the user to review captured images. The following
playback options are available through the Playback settings menu:

• Slide
  Show: Automates a slide show of all still images on the xD-Picture Card.
  (One press of the Menu button cancels the playback.) If a movie file is the
  first displayed, than “Movie Play” appears here instead.
• Info: Briefly displays more detailed information about each captured
  image.
• Erase: Erases the currently-displayed image, with an option to cancel.
  

• Mode Menu: Displays the following four-page menu:
  • Play:
    • Protect: Write-protects (or removes protection) from the
      currently displayed image. Write-protection locks the image file so
      you can’t accidentally erase it or change the file in any way (except
      by formatting the card).
    • Rotate: Rotates the displayed image 90 degrees clockwise
      or counterclockwise.
    • DPOF: Marks the displayed image, or all images on the card,
      for printing on a DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compatible printer.
      You can also establish the number of prints, whether or not the date
      and time are printed over the image, or remove the print mark.
      
  • Edit:
    • Black & White: Converts the displayed image to black-and-white
      and saves it as a new file.
    • Sepia: Converts the displayed image to sepia tone, giving
      it the appearance of an old-fashioned picture, and saves the converted
      image as a new file.
    • Resize: Allows you to resize the displayed image to a smaller
      resolution (320 x 240 or 640 x 480 pixels).
      
  • Card:
    • Card Setup: Erases all files on the xD-Picture Card (except
      for write-protected ones), or formats the memory card entirely. Both
      options can be canceled.
      
  • Setup:
    • All Reset: Resets all camera settings to their defaults.
    • Language: Sets the menu language to English, Japanese,
      French, German, or Spanish.
    • Beep: Turns the camera’s beep sounds on or off.
    • LCD Brightness: Adjust the brightness level of the LCD monitor
      display.
    • Date/Time: Sets the camera’s internal clock and calendar.
    • Video Out: Sets the camera’s Video Out signal as NTSC or
      PAL.
    • Index Display: Determines whether 4, 9, or 16 images are
      displayed on the Index Display screen.

In the Box
The Stylus 300 Digital ships with the following items in the box:

• Stylus 300 Digital camera.
• Wrist strap.
• 16MB xD-Picture Card.
• Video cable.
• USB cable.
• Lithium-ion battery and charger.
• Remote control.
• CD-ROM loaded with Camedia Master 4.1 software and drivers.
• Instruction manuals and registration kit.

Recommended Accessories

• Larger capacity xD-Picture Card (at least 64MB).
• AC Adapter.
• Additional battery pack.
• Small camera case for protection.

Recommended Software: Rescue your images!
Just as important as an extra memory card is a tool to rescue your images when
one of your cards fails at some point in the future. I get a lot of email from
readers who’ve lost photos due to a corrupted memory card. Memory card corruption
can happen with any card type and any camera manufacturer, nobody’s immune.
A surprising number of “lost” images can be recovered with an inexpensive,
easy to use piece of software though. Given the amount of email I’ve gotten
on the topic, I now include this paragraph in all my digicam reviews. The program
you need is called PhotoRescue, by DataRescue SA. Read our review of it if you’d like, but download the program now,
so you’ll have it. It doesn’t cost a penny until you need it, and even then
it’s only $29, with a money back guarantee. So download PhotoRescue for
Windows or PhotoRescue for
Mac while you’re thinking of it. (While you’re at it, download the PDF
manual and quickstart
guide as well.) Stash the file in a safe place and it’ll be there when you need
it. Trust me, needing this is not a matter of if, but when… PhotoRescue
is about the best and easiest tool for recovering digital photos I’ve seen.
(Disclosure: IR gets a small commission from sales of the product, but I’d highly
recommend the program even if we didn’t.) OK, now back to our regularly
scheduled review…

Sample Pictures
See the full set of
my sample pictures and detailed analysis here.
The thumbnails below show a subset of my test images. Click on a thumbnail to
see the full-size photo.

Outdoor

Indoor

Indoor Flash

House

Musicians

Macro

Davebox

Resolution

Viewfinder Accuracy

“Gallery” Photos
For those readers interested in a set of less “standardized” photos
from the P10, here are some thumbnails of more random shots snapped with it.
Click on one any of the thumbnails below for a larger view. Click on the larger
view again to see the original image from the camera. (Photos in this gallery
were shot by Gibbs Frazeur or Stephanie Boozer. Thanks Gibbs and Stephanie!)

NOTE: that these are big files, so be aware
that (a) they’ll take a while to download, and (b) they’ll chew up a pretty
good chunk of bandwidth on us. (Read the “support this site” blurb
at the top the carrier pages, and think about it while you’re waiting for the
images to download.

NOTE TOO: Some browsers have difficult
with very wide images, and distort them a lot when they display them. (I don’t
know about others, but IE 5.0 on the Mac definitely does this. If the full-sized
images appear to be stretched horizontally, you may need to just download them
to your hard drive and view them in an imaging application, or possibly try
another browser.)

YP4290013.JPG
1,729.1 KB
Shutter: 1/200
Aperture: F4.5
Exposure EV: 11.9
ISO Speed: 80



YP4290002.JPG
1,907.1 KB
Shutter: 1/100
Aperture: F10
Exposure EV: 13.2
ISO Speed: 80



YP4290004.JPG
1,915.1 KB
Shutter: 1/250
Aperture: F3.1
Exposure EV: 11.2
ISO Speed: 80



YP4290005.JPG
2,001.9 KB
Shutter: 1/100
Aperture: F8.8
Exposure EV: 12.9
ISO Speed: 80



YP4290007.JPG
1,804.9 KB
Shutter: 1/160
Aperture: F5.2
Exposure EV: 12
ISO Speed: 80



YP4290008.JPG
1,941.1 KB
Shutter: 1/125
Aperture: F8.8
Exposure EV: 13.2
ISO Speed: 80



YP4290011.JPG
1,927.8 KB
Shutter: 1/400
Aperture: F4.5
Exposure EV: 12.9
ISO Speed: 80



YP4290012.JPG
1,866.6 KB
Shutter: 1/125
Aperture: F8.8
Exposure EV: 13.2
ISO Speed: 80

Specifications

See camera specifications here.

Picky Details
Cycle times, shutter lag, battery life, etc. can be found here.

User Reviews

• Olympus Stylus 300 Digital user reviews on PriceGrabber.com
• Olympus Stylus 300 Digital user reviews on PC PhotoREVIEW

Test Results
Read the Stylus 300’s sample pictures
page for my full test analysis, but here’s a summary of my key findings:

• Color: The Stylus 300 Digital produced good color throughout my
  testing, although it had some trouble with the very warm-hued incandescent
  light source in the Indoor Portrait test. It performed well in daylight-balanced
  lighting though, and with fluorescent lighting as well, although I don’t
  have a formal test target to evaluate the latter. The camera has higher
  than average contrast, which lead to some loss of detail in highlights under
  harsh lighting, and somewhat pale skin tones in my Outdoor Portrait test.
  Overall though, the Stylus 300’s color was both accurate and pleasing.

• Exposure: The Stylus 300’s exposure was typically pretty accurate,
  although as mentioned earlier, it had higher than average contrast. This
  caused it to either lose highlight detail or plug-up the shadows under high-contrast
  lighting conditions, but under less-harsh lighting its images were quite
  acceptable.

• Sharpness/Resolution: I was quite surprised by how sharp the Stylus
  300’s lens was, producing as it did images that were sharp from corner to
  corner. Most compact cameras represent compromises in the lens design, with
  the result that they show a lot of softness in the corners of the frame.
  The Stylus 300’s images were much more reminiscent of those from larger,
  higher-end models.

• Closeups: The Stylus 300 Digital performed well in the macro category,
  helped by a macro mode that lets you shoot with the lens at full telephoto.
  In my tests, it captured a minimum area of 2.77 x 2.08 inches (70 x 53 millimeters).
  The camera’s flash also throttled down quite well for the macro area, producing
  good exposures even at the closest shooting distances.

• Night Shots: The Stylus 300 Digital’s Night Scene mode is the best
  option for low-light shooting, as it increases the shutter speed range to
  a maximum exposure time of four seconds (as opposed to 1/2 second in Program
  AE). In this mode, the camera captured bright images as low as one foot-candle
  (11 lux), which corresponds to average city street lighting at night. You
  could arguably use images captured at 1/2 foot-candle (5.5 lux), but the
  autofocus system had trouble at light levels any darker than one foot-candle.

• Viewfinder Accuracy: The Stylus 300’s optical viewfinder was rather
  tight, showing only 76-79% of the final frame area. The LCD monitor fared
  much better, showing approximately 98 percent frame accuracy at wide angle,
  and close to 100 percent at telephoto. Given that I like LCD monitors to
  be as close to 100 percent accuracy as possible, the Stylus 300 Digital’s
  LCD monitor is almost perfect in that regard, but I’d like to see a much
  more accurate optical viewfinder.

• Optical Distortion: Optical distortion on the Stylus 300 Digital
  was about average at the wide-angle end, where I measured approximately
  0.8 percent barrel distortion. (This is about average among cameras I’ve
  tested, but I’d really like to see much less geometric distortion in digicam
  images than what passes for average.) The telephoto end fared much better,
  as I found only one pixel of pincushion distortion. Chromatic aberration
  is moderate, showing about three or four pixels of coloration on either
  side of the target lines. (This distortion is visible as a slight colored
  fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution
  target.)
  
  
• Battery Life: Like most Olympus cameras I’ve tested, the Stylus
  300 showed very good battery life, particularly for a compact model, and
  most especially when the LCD was left off in capture mode. I still strongly
  recommend purchasing a second battery when you buy the camera, as Murphy’s
  law definitely applies to digicam battery capacity (they always run out
  of juice at the worst possible moment), but the Stylus 300 does much better
  than most compact digicams in this area.

Conclusion

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The Olympus Stylus film cameras are currently among the best selling point-and-shoot
models available, widely popular across a range of consumer experience levels.
Now, with the Stylus 300 Digital, Olympus brings the popular Stylus brand into
the digital world, a move that should go over well with Olympus fans. Besides
its user-friendly interface, compact design and good picture quality, its excellent
(and unusual) water sealing makes the Stylus 300 a very appealing choice for a
“take anywhere” camera. Battery life is excellent as well. Overall,
the Stylus 300 shoots as good as it looks, and is rugged enough to stand up to
knocks and the occasional rain storm: A combination deserving serious consideration
by anyone in the market for a compact, stylish digicam.

The Olympus Stylus film cameras are currently among the best selling point-and-shoot models available, widely popular across a range of consumer experience levels. Now, with the Stylus 300 Digital, Olympus brings the popular Stylus brand into the digital world, a move that should go over well with Olympus fans. Besides its user-friendly interface, compact design and good picture quality, its excellent (and unusual) water sealing makes the Stylus 300 a very appealing choice for a “take anywhere” camera. Battery life is excellent as well. Overall, the Stylus 300 shoots as good as it looks, and is rugged enough to stand up to knocks and the occasional rain storm: A combination deserving serious consideration by anyone in the market for a compact, stylish digicam.