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Olympus
Stylus 300 Digital Camera
Owner Review by Rick Allnutt
2 September 2004
PERSONAL BIOGRAPHICAL
INFORMATION
Rick Allnutt
51 Year old male
6' 0'' (183 cm) in height
198 lbs (90 kg) in weight
Personal Home Page: Risk's Ultralight Hiking
Email address: rick (at) BackpackGearTest (dot) org
I live in Dayton, Ohio
BACKPACKING BACKGROUND
Over the last several years, I have become an ultralight
camper with a three-season base pack weight of about 15 lb (7 kg) and skin out
weight of 23 lb (10 1/2 kg). I have completed many section hikes on the
Appalachian Trail (AT) in all four seasons, with a total mileage of about 525
miles (850 km). I am a gearhead, a hammock camper, and make much of my own
equipment.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Olympus
Year Manufactured: 2003
MSRP: US$279
Manufacturer's Link:
http://www.olympusamerica.com/
Listed Weight: 5.8 oz (165 g) without battery and media card
Measured Weight: 6.8 oz (193 g) with supplied lithium battery and 128 Meg xD
Picture Card - as carried
3.8 x 2.2 x 1.3 in (9.9 x 5.6 x 3.4 cm)
The Olympus Stylus 300
is a 3.2 megapixel automatic exposure camera with a zoom lens. Its shutter
speed is automatically controlled and ranges from 1/1000 to 1/2 second. It has a
built in flash which can be manually turned off. The camera internally stores
images in a .jpg format. While it has the capability to capture short digital
video sequences without sound, I have not used this capability and do not review
it below. With the 128 Meg xD Picture Card I use, it will store about 160
photographs at "High Quality" which is the factory default setting (2048 x 1536
resolution). One higher and two lower quality settings are selectable.
CONDITIONS
I
have used the Olympus camera for 12 backpacking
trips involving more than 400 miles of hiking. I have used the camera in wet
rainy weather, snow, and hot steamy humidity. I have taken pictures in clouds on
the roof of the Smoky Mountains, and in the wild weather changes of the White
Mountains, including a hike of Mt. Washington. Temperatures have ranged from 0
F (-18 C) to 99 F (37 C). I have taken nearly a thousand photographs on these
trips, and populated the pages of my ultralight website, since late July of 2003
solely with photographs taken with this camera.
REVIEW
I purchased The Olympus Stylus 300 specifically for backpacking. I needed a good
quality digital camera with light weight, water resistance, and the convenience
of point and shoot when I wanted it. This is the third digital camera I have
purchased, having learned a little more with each purchase. The first one,
circa 1999 was not water resistant. It still works, but I have always carried
it inside two plastic bags. The second camera is designed to be an underwater
camera with a waterproof housing. This camera is too heavy for my backpacking.
What are the qualities of this Olympus Stylus 300 camera that make it a good
backpacking camera? Let me start with my original shopping list and expand from
there.
Lightweight: I am an
aspiring ultralight camper. I know that some would argue that carrying a camera
takes me out of that camp, since this is almost 7 oz (200 g) that I could
easily leave at home and still complete a safe hike. However, part of my
enjoyment in hiking is to bring the experience back home to my family and
friends. I realize that they will never all be able to devote the time and
energy I am driven to put into this hobby. But, when I bring pictures and
thoughts and the result of meditation home from a hike, they may be able to
enjoy some of it vicariously. So bringing an instrument that allows me to
capture some of that spirit and show it at home is a goal I aspire to in each of
my hikes. Bringing a lightweight instrument for that purpose makes it that much
more attractive.
Water Resistance: The
Stylus 300 is described as "weather proof." Not truly waterproof, it can not be
immersed in a stream or used as an underwater camera. However, the electrical
contacts are all protected by O rings on the doors that close over them. I often
carry the camera in the mesh pocket on the back of my pack. If the sky begins
to sprinkle, I usually do nothing to protect the camera. If it rains, I put a
pack cover over my pack, covering this pocket. If the rain becomes a torrential
downpour, I have put the camera inside a
waterproof bucket inside my pack, along with other electronics. This rolled
bucket is a waterproof sanctuary where I put items which will not survive if
immersed, even though they get dried out afterward.
This is what the manual says about the water resistance:
The camera is
weatherproof and is not damaged by water spray from any direction. However, it
cannot be used underwater. Observe the following precautions when using the
camera. Olympus will not assume any responsibility for malfunction of the camera
caused by water getting inside as a result of misuse by the user.
• Do not drop the camera in water
• Do not wash the camera with water
• Do not take pictures underwater
• The camera loses its waterproof capability if the battery compartment cover,
connector cover or DC-IN jack cover is open. Make sure that all the covers are
closed before using the camera.
• Wipe any water off the camera before changing the battery or card.
Point and Shoot Convenience:
This Olympus camera is very simple to use. I grab the camera, slide open the
lens barrier, which turns on the electronics and turns on the motor which moves
the lens to a proper position for a quick picture. I press the shutter release
which engages an electronic rangefinder, focuses the lens, and takes the
photograph, with or without flash as required. Then I begin to close the lens
barrier, this retracts the lens and turns off the electronics.
Other nice to have goodies for backpacking:
- The camera has an optical zoom lens, as well as digital zoom capability. I
use the zoom capability to bring in a distant vista when the format of the
normal lens makes the mountain, tree, or moon too small. In addition, the zoom
lens is useful for taking close-up photographs of flowers, faces, and equipment.
- The camera can be operated with a standard viewfinder, or the display screen
on the back of the camera. (When using the zoom lens, both viewfinders are
zoomed in.)
- Any picture can be reviewed by using the display on the back of the camera.
The display can be magnified and scanned with the same buttons that control the
zoom lens. This is handy for looking critically at a photograph to ensure it is
crisp and well focused. Of course, the display can also be used to decide
whether a photograph should be deleted.
- The camera can be set to auto count down to a picture. I frequently place the
camera on my pack with the auto timer set, and then step into the picture frame
to take a photo of myself on the trail. (There is a remote shutter release as
well, but I am not satisfied with the look of pictures where I am pressing a
button - the self timer works better for me.)
- The battery, once charged, lasts a long time. On my longest section hike
without resupply, the camera was still going strong 11 days after charging, and
about 140 photographs into the hike. The charger is simple to use and will
recharge the battery in about 4 hours. Putting the charger in a bounce box for
a thru hiker is a real possibility. (The battery is a lithium ion battery
designed for this camera, and designated as a LI-10B battery. There is no
provision for the use of other batteries.)
The camera feels good in my hand. Its buttons are intuitive and I have never
had to carry the instruction manual. I am able to hold the camera with one
hand, pointing it at myself for a close-up photograph on occasion. Its
construction has proven itself to be robust.
To be fair, this is the second Stylus 300 I have had. The first one lasted 10
days. For reasons never fully explained, the internal processor of the camera
froze up on that first camera and would not reset. I returned it for a new
camera 15 days after purchase. I have been very pleased since.
WHAT I REALLY LIKE
- The camera records my hikes with beautiful photographs.
- The battery lasts a long time.
- It really is water resistant, making it easy to care for the camera in the
woods.
Read more reviews of Olympus gear
Read more gear reviews by Rick Allnutt
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