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Reviewed by
Biotar
, Intermediate
Price Paid
$80.00
at BH Photo
Photography Experience
21+ years
, Outdoor
Summary
This is a very interesting camera. It allows you to take photos within four inches with its Ultra Macro mode. Intial results have been suprisingly good, when I have managed to actually center the subject. Olympus provides a frame which you can attach to the camera, that allows you to use it, without looking through the viewfinder when photographing objects like flowers. I would recommend using this. Without it, you may think you have the object in the picture, but because of parallax, you may not.
Choice of film is important, too. The macro modes require the flash. If you use a faster film, 200 ISO or up, you will sometimes get washed out subjects. If you are taking mostly macros use 100 ISO film. For normal point and shoot photos go to something 200 ISO and up, and you'll find the camera works great as a regular P&S, within the limits of a fixed lens camera.
This camera harkens back to the lengendary Olympus XA4--an attempt by Olympus 20 years ago to create a P&S macro. It is interesting that you can buy this camera for about half of what XA4s go for on the used market.
Strengths
Ultra and Super Macro modes.
Sharp lens in all modes.
Small, light and easy to carry.
APS loading and midroll changing.
Weaknesses
Must use the flash with macro modes.
APS film processing costs.
Hard to know that the image is centered in macro modes without using the macro frame that Olympus provides.
Similar Products Used
Macromax FR350.
Customer Service
Camera has worked fine for short period of time I have had it.
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