Olympus Stylus 300

[mnd]

Hello,

Does anyone has a Olympus Stylus 300 camera ? I'm thinking to buy one next week and I'm still not sure what to do. I've seen many reviews on the web, sample pics (I don't know if they are true or not) but I want a owner's opinion.

The price I have to pay for it is about 220$ second-hand.

[jasmee98]

I had an Olympus D-560, which I beleive is similar to the stylus 300, but not water resistant. I hated it. I returned it, bought a Sony, returned that and ended up with a Canon A80.

Pros:

1. Compact clam shell design
2. Good outdoor pictures
3. AA type batteries. You can use rechargeable or regular alkaline in a pinch. The Stylus 300 uses a proprietary Rechargeable, which I don't like.

Cons:

1. Shot - shot time with flash way too long (7-9 sec). This is a stat that many reviewing web sites do not list. I found myself missing shots because of it. The Stylus 300 may have a better time due to it's proprietary battery.
2. XD picture card at the time was new and cost more money per Meg than other cards.
3. No manual controls. Being an amateur, I never thought I would move away from "Auto". Now I find certain conditions require some manual control.
4. Flash shots did not have a natural color tone.
5. The Stylus 300 uses a proprietary battery
6. No AF assist lamp, not sure if the Stylus has it.

I probably would have kept the Olympus, but it started malfunctioning a few months after purchase. My friend has the Stylus 400 and is happy with it. The price your getting for is good. I am really big on the AA type battery though. My mother-in-law's camera uses a proprietary battery and she forgot the battery in the charger at home for her daughter's bridal shower. It was too far from home to go back. She missed some special pictures. Had her camera been able to take AA's, she could have gone to the local store and picked some up.

Just my opinions.

Jay

[mnd]

I've received the camera today at the price of 200 USD BUT with NO accesories and I have to pay 80$ extra for the battery and the charger !

I've seen some great pics on the web made with Stylus 300 and I'm at the amateurs level. It's a great and expensive choice from me

[rwbelke]

I am new at typying and posting, so bare with me. I have about 8 digital camaras, and one of my favorites is the olympus 300. It takes super pictures and I can carry it with me wherever I go. My wife has taken it away from me and I can no longer use it, as she now has it safely kept in her purse. She fell in love with it. " the best picture is the one you did not take" You can get the battery (spare) for $13.99) from sterlingtek.com -They carry a lot of batteries for camcorder and cameras Also , one of the best place for buying batteries is from batteryspace.com You can get 24ea rechargable 2000mah AA for $27 plus shipping , or 12ea AA rechargable 2000 mah and a smart charger for $25. Good people to deal with. Super batteries [/quote] I notice that on television Olympus advertisements show the stylus 300 or 400 for the commercials.

[mnd]

I havn't take by now neither the battery or the charger. Those 30$ i have to pay for the battery I can accept it ... and I can buy it from my country (n.r. ROMANIA), BUT 70$ for a charger ... it's shameful from them ! The only chance to get a charger is to improve one by myself or to look after a friend who's abroad to get me one.