Olympus IS-20 DLX

Review Date
May 27, 2008

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
Less than 1 month

Reviewed by
joeb17p38 , Casual

Price Paid
$52.00 at Amazon.com seller

Photography Experience
21+ years , Outdoor

Summary
Was looking for a good 35mm camera(non-digital). Over 25 years ago had purchased a Yashica 35mm with outstanding results. Read reviews on the fully-automatic Olympus Is-20. I like the full-auto advantage As over the years I have less patience with certain things as I assume most people do. I guess it comes with age. I'm 52 & enjoy doing things a little easier than in the past. Was amazed at the clarity, sharpness & color of the camera. Photos are shaper than my neighbors $1000 digital camera. Digital is just easier. It's ALL in the lense. Even with cheap Fuji Film at $4 for 2 rolls pictures are awesome. Got a super deal on mine from Internet seller. If it lasted a year I would have got my money's worth. As with any camera there are good & bad lots. I happened to receive one of the good ones, probably made on a Wed. If your looking for a good 35mm & don't mind driving to the store to drop off film & pick it up in an hour as the old saying goes " Try it you'll like it"

Strengths
Excellent lense, full-auto mode, lightweight, excellent to hand hold. Film is a breeze to load, excellent auto advance & rewind. When taking closeups with lense fully retracted excellent wide-angle

Weaknesses
Lense extended to full telephoto blurry picture. About half-way extended is best bet. Be prepared to spend in the area of $20 for 2-pack batteries. Minimal use of flash & telephoto will GREATLY extend battery life. Make sure to flip down lense cover before turning on

Similar Products Used
none

Customer Service
not yet

Review Date
January 5, 2004

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Reviewed by
alxmtn , Intermediate

Price Paid
$330.00 at Las Vegas Photo Shop

Photography Experience
2-5 years , Outdoor

Summary
I chose this camera nearly 2 years ago for simplicity with TTL capability. The model I have is the iS 20 QD which is no longer made. Very versatile. Very compact, lightweight and easy to use. Produces quality outdoor color images. Some of my best pics have been taken with this cam. Performs well indoors with built in flash. Best to use built in flash in outdoor dark shade or use a faster film. Produces night timed exposures with fixed f8 aperture and ISO 64/100 film. Mounts securely to tripod. Does not drain batteries. The most up to date model, iS50 is an excellent choice for a beginner or someone who does not want all the bells and whistles of a TTL 35mm SLR. I use this cam as my normal focal length 50mm.

Strengths
For timed exposures, you can select 2 sec to 30 sec. Handy remote shutter control. Fast shutter speed for stop action pics. Not bulky therefore easy to use with tripod and fits in your hand like a glove. You can take hand held self portraits indoors focused sharp! Very sturdy body with easy to read function buttons. Used recently in mid 30 degree F without any problems. Zoom responds well. Handy built in lens cap. Fill flash is a handy feature!

Weaknesses
The quartz date buttons are almost too small to use your fingernails to press but I don't use this function! The small LCD is hard to read at night especially when you want to take a timed exposure. You need a flashlight to see the choice of exposure times. Film can be hard to load until you get the hang of going slightly past the red line. Make sure you fully retract the lens cap to avoid any vignetting.

Similar Products Used
n/a

Customer Service
n/a

Review Date
January 6, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Reviewed by
TBC , Expert

Price Paid
$299.00 at Best Buy

Photography Experience
21+ years , Outdoor

Summary
This is a follow up to a review I did 3 years ago. Everything I said then still holds but I would like to add a few comments. The battery life issue mentioned by others was not an issue with me. I believe this is because I rarely use the flash. For outdoor, non flash photography the batteries will last a long time. I had some difficulty focusing at long distances until i learned to aim at sharply defined objects.

Strengths
see my review from 2000

Weaknesses
see my review from 2000

Similar Products Used
see my review from 2000

Customer Service
No problems for 3 years

Review Date
December 3, 2002

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Reviewed by
Jennifer , Casual , from Nashville, TN - USA

Price Paid
$299.00 at Target

Photography Experience
2-5 years , People

Summary
VERY GOOD camera for someone who wants more versatility that just "point & shoot". Excellent for beginning photographers who want to experiment without having to understand shutter speed, aperature, etc. Was perfect for taking great vacation and family pictures without having to spend $500 for good quality. Sturdy enough to take on vacation through crowded cities and amusement parks. Offers many options without being confusing or overwhelming. I LOVEDhis camera and used it for 3 years before I "outgrew it" and moved to a stndard SLR with manual option Canon. Excellent standard lens if you want 4x's zoom and I even bought a larger telephoto lens for only $80. Highly recommend this camera!

Strengths
Love the lens cap
It's sturdy,
takes great pics,
great color,
excellent clarity and picture quality

Weaknesses
Sometimes difficult to auto focus

Customer Service
didn't have to use any

Review Date
May 14, 2002

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
3 Months to 1 year

Reviewed by
Amarendra Biswas , Intermediate , from India

Price Paid
$290.00 at Nagpur,India

Photography Experience
11-20 years , People

Summary
Bought it as a gift for my wife.Use it myself also.Excellent camera in terms of results.

Strengths
Terrific photos.Catchy looks.

Weaknesses
Eats up power like hell(gives max.5 rolls).
No manual override

Similar Products Used
Non.Only P&A

Customer Service
nOT EXPRERIENCED