Olympus IS-5

Review Date
October 27, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by
Scott , Intermediate

Price Paid
$350.00 at Online

Photography Experience
11-20 years , People

Summary
Just bought an IS-5000 (IS-5) in Kit form, which also includes a 1.3x extender and camera bag all for £228.99 UKP, which was an absolute steal !
The Camera is for my wife to take pictures of our Son, she wanted a little more than a Point and shoot, but not the hassle of using my EOS equipment, The IS fts the bill perfectly.
Build quality is Ok, some metal but mostly Plastic, the zoom action is smooth if a little noisy.
Picture quality though is very good, even using flash.
all in all a great little camera that offers a little more than an SLR set up, and as such should be seen in that context, just remember to use ISO400 film ALL the time !

Strengths
Good zoom range.
Quality lens.
Clever flash system.
Small enough to be portable.
good enough as a back up to my SLR system.

Weaknesses
sloooooow Lens, f4.9 at 28mm!!!
1fps motor drive.
need to use fast film all the time.

Similar Products Used
Yashica point and shoots

Customer Service
Not used yet

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Review Date
September 29, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Reviewed by
vashr , Intermediate

Price Paid
$297.00

Photography Experience
6-10 years , Outdoor

Summary
I bought this camera for the convenience of having 28-140 zoom lens and camera all in one small package. It feels good in my hands and is easy to use. I think the best film for this lens is the new Kodak HD400 film. The pictures will be as sharp and have more color than any other film I've tried. I don't get prints made because I scan the film and print only the ones I think are worth printing. This camera and Kodak HD400 have made the best negatives for scanning.

Strengths
1. Ease of use -- point and shoot.
2. The lens is great.
3. The flash.

Weaknesses
1. Manual focus would have been nice.

Similar Products Used
1. New Pentax ist.

Customer Service
1. About 60 rolls of film and still no need for customer service.

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Review Date
March 9, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Reviewed by
Bruce70546 , Professional , from Piscataway, NJ

Price Paid
$29400.00 at 17thSt Camera NYC

Photography Experience
21+ years , Outdoor

Summary
This camera is awesome.Lens is crystal clear. Much like pro lenses. Flash is fantastic. Right on the numbers.All in a nice bundle to do many different types of photography. For those who don't want all the gadgets on am SLR and to keep changing lenses this is the camera for you. Best when used with 200ASA film

Strengths
Great lens
Great powerful flash
Many different modes for all types of photography.
Compact
Beautiful feel,design and color
A winner in the compact feel all the way around
Great for second body to catch fast or unexpected shots

Weaknesses
Don't drop it.

Similar Products Used
None really. Have a pro Caanon system

Customer Service
Never used it yet

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Review Date
October 8, 2002

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 2 votes

Reviewed by
davoonroe , Expert

Price Paid
$0.00

Photography Experience
11-20 years , People

Summary
The IS cameras have been a great concept for a long time. The IS-3, in particular had all the options most people would need. The IS-5 handles just as well as the others in the series, and has a wide range of shutter speeds. It is more than enough for a point and shooter, and a good choice for someone who does not want to invest in a full 35mm system. For a pro, there may be too many sacrifices to make it a worthwhile investment. I traded it in within 3 months.

Strengths
Sharp, contrasty lens.
Increase at wide end to 28mm
Full flash synchro possible.

Weaknesses
No low light focusing aid.
Battery killer with no external flash capability.
Only 1 fps winding - IS-3 and IS-2 had 2fps.

Similar Products Used
IS-3

Customer Service
None

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Review Date
October 6, 2002

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
1 to 3 months

Visitors rate this review
3.00 of 5, 4 votes

Reviewed by
Little Ant , Beginner , from Orleans Vermont USA

Price Paid
$294.00 at 17th street photo

Photography Experience
0-1 years , Outdoor

Summary
I have had this camera for one month and have gone through 12 rolls of film learning the ins & outs of the camera and picking the best film for outdoor use. This camera has IMHO no equal for $$ spent. Photo's are beautiful in all modes' from A/F to landscape to full manual. The photo's in macro of my plants turned out to be the biggest suprise they are Beautiful. Photo's of the mountains here in vermont usng 140mm zoom are breathtaking.The best film I have found is Fuji 400 X-tra and Kodak 400 max.Belive me I used them all and these two films were the best. Fuji 800 X-tra was also very good. I cannot say enough good things about this camera.

Strengths
Everything. Close up photo in macro (zoom). Picture quality.

Weaknesses
Possible battery life. Went through one set in 12 rolls of film. But to be fair I was learning how to use the camera always using the zoom & flash constant on and off.

Similar Products Used
None

Customer Service
None used or needed

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