I love, love, love this camera. It takes GREAT photos! I have been amazed! It's fun 2 experiment with all the extra settings but works awesome on automatic. A friend purchased a similar camera the same time I purchased this one. We compared photos & features & she immediately returned hers & traded 4 this same camera. I highly recommend it!
Rating: 1 of 5 Awful Picture Quality
I was highly disappointed in the photo quality of my new OlympusStylus840. It takes the worst, grainiest pictures I've ever seen! I have no idea what camera the people below are reviewing.
Rating: 5 of 5 Great Camera 4 the money
I recently bought the OlympusStylus before a trip 2 Europe. I needed 2 replace an old SONY camera that had issues holding a battery charge (it took AA rechargeables, which was a nice feature). It was time 4 an upgrade anyway, so I did a lot of research, wanting 2 have a balance of price & features. What's great about this camera is its opticalzoom (5x). It's also great that there are many features (including a panoramic feature-- it takes a bit 2 get used to).
Some negatives:
1) The battery life runs out pretty quickly (didn't last more than 3 days). This depends partially on the features that you use (it seemed 2 run out faster when I took panoramic shots or used the menu 2 adjust the brightness of the shot), but I would advise buying a second battery or have an electricity converter if traveling abroad. One battery, charged once, will not be sufficient. The camera is probably average in terms of battery life, but I had higher expectations.
2) Sometimes the camera takes blurry shots when indoors, if you're trying not 2 use the flash (there's a menu that adjusts the brightness- super cool!). This is the only time I was really frustrated with the camera, as a flash sometimes washes out the photo subject. There may be a way 2 fix the issue, but as the camera is new, I've not yet discovered it.
Overall, I would recommend this camera. It takes great fast-motion action pictures, has brilliant colors in outdoor lighting, & provided 4 a great way 2 preserve memories of my trip. Love the 5xzoom. Love the video feature (has sound, which my old camera did not). Love the multitude of features & possible settings.
Rating: 5 of 5 My wife is happy
I bought this one 4 my wife. 5 stars I give here is a measure of her happiness :)
What I noticed & don't like is when you set video recording 2 highest setting (VGA @ 30 fps) it can record only 10 secs.
Other than that, my wife is happy. Have a good day :)
Rating: 5 of 5 Great camera!
This camera is great! It takes nice quality video, very good pictures all in a very small package that even looks good. The quality of sound (as others have mentioned) 4 video is minimal so obviously if you are recording something other than the family vacation you should go 2 a true video camera. Its very easy 2 use as well, reading the book was hardly necessary 4 me. One thing 2 watch out 4 is the optional muvee software you can buy after putting the included software on your computer. Think you can edit a "movie" with the "muvee" software? Wrong. All it does is string pictures & sound together 4 slide shows & it costs 29.95 (I'll consider that money wasted). Olympus has really done a great job with this camera & I think it is a great pocket video/picture taker that I am very happy I bought.
The Stylus840 is a perfect camera 4 users looking 4 a compact digitalcamera with advanced features. An attractive package of features including a 5xOpticalZoom & DigitalImage Stabilization helps users capture clear, crisp memories. 8.0MP gives you superior image quality that you can use 2 make large prints, or even crop, without losing detail. The Stylus840 has a 5xopticalzoom that gets 60% closer 2 the action when compared 2 a 3x zoom with this ultra-compact, precision-crafted Olympus lens. With the DualImage Stabilization you get 2-in-1 anti-blur solutions that keeps your shot steady by compensating 4 camera shake 2 capture crisp, clear images in any situation. Easily view photos on the 2.7" HyperCrystal LCD that lets you view at extra-wide angles & with the anti-glare technology share photos with family & friends even in direct, bright sunlight. Focus Range Normal mode - 0.7m - infinity, Macro Mode - 0.2m - infinity, Tele - 0.6m - infinity, Super Macro mode - 3cm - 70cm 1/2000 -1/2 sec. (up 2 4 Sec. In Night Scene mode) Shutter Speed Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 ISO 14.8MB Internal Memory (additional memory recommended 2 store more photos & video) Media Card Slot - xD-Picture Card (1GB,2GB), microSD (MASD-1 is required) Built-in Flash with Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill-in, Off Flash modes Flash Working Range - 0.2m - 3.6m @ ISO 800 Wide, 0.6m - 2.4m @ ISO 800 Tele USB Connector, Audio/Video Output, DC Input System Requirements - Windows 2000/XP/Vista, Mac OS X 10.3 or later, USB port Approximate Battery Life - 190 Shots Approximate Unit Dimensions - 3.8(W) x 2.2(H) x 0.94(D) Approximate Unit Weight - 4.6oz (without battery & media card)