Olympus IS-5 Deluxe 35mm Autofocus 28-140mm SLR Camera
by Olympus

List Price: $299.95
Our Price: $79.99
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Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details

• Powerful, versatile 28~140mm 5x zoom lens with ED glass elements (f4.9-6.9; 15 elements in 10 groups) makes toting a bagful of replacement lenses a fading memory
• Advanced twin flash system with Intelligent Variable-Power Flash control provides appropriate light under a variety of scenarios ? automatically
• Auto Color-Balancing detects artificial & fluorescent light sources, determining appropriate flash settings for complex lighting situations
• Flash synch at shutter speeds to 1/2000 second
• Multimode Programmed Auto Exposure, plus Manual, Aperture & Shutter Priority Exposure Modes provide fullest creative range

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Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Olympus IS-5 Deluxe 35mm Autofocus 28-140mm SLR Camera

Customer Review: SLR Quality; Point-and-Shoot Simplicity
Summary: 5 Stars

The camera does have true SLR features not found on lesser Point-and-Shoot models. The view-finder is TTL (through-the-lens), so you can get an accurate preview of your photograph. The pop-up, bi-directional, color-correcting flash unit does a great job lighting your photos without the harsh shadows inherent in most small flash units. The flash also does a fairly good job reducing red-eye, but does NOT eliminate the problem. Using the "Red-Eye Reduction" flash mode helps significantly, but causes the flash to pre-fire for a couple of seconds before the shutter releases, so while it's highly effective with posed portrait photography, it's totally impractical for spontaneous photographs.

One of the most unique features of this camera is the 52mm threaded lens, which allows you to use all of the various filters available for SLR lenses. In fact, I HIGHLY recommend immediately purchasing a 52mm UV filter, which can be attached to front of the lens permanently to protect the lens itself. The UV filter also significantly improves photos taken outdoors. (Note: I also recommend shelling out a few extra dollars to buy a multi-coated UV filter instead of the cheap uncoated filters. The anti-reflective coating on a Hoya or Heliopan filter allows over 40% more light through to the lens compared to uncoated filters).

If you already own an SLR and have invested in larger filters, you can purchase a 52mm-58mm step-up ring for less than $15. The step-up ring is very thin, and is barely noticeable (although you can't use Olympus's fancy flip-up lens cover with the step-up ring). This option alone makes the Olympus IS-5 a great back-up camera for SLR owners.

The primary reason I contend that this camera is not a true SLR is simply because it doesn't offer the same flexibility as a Canon or Nikon SLR camera body. For example, you can't use interchangeable lenses with the Olympus IS-5, so you're stuck with the 28-140mm focal length. Furthermore, and perhaps more significantly, the camera doesn't have a "hotshoe", so you can't add a separate flash unit (like a Canon SpeedLite) or a multi-flash set-up to extend the range of your flash capability or increase your options when it comes to lighting.

In summary, the Olympus IS-5 is an excellent camera with a very high-quality lens, and would be a great choice for the vast majority of people who simply want an easy-to-use camera for everyday photos but don't want to settle for the lesser optics and flash units found on more compact Point-and-Shoot cameras. It is also a great back-up camera for more serious photographers who may already own an SLR and lens filters.

Description of Olympus IS-5 Deluxe 35mm Autofocus 28-140mm SLR Camera

SLR Cameras

• Camera & Photo > Film Cameras > SLR Cameras