Product Description

Sleek, slim with 7x zoom, the Stylus 1010 is an ideal compact camera for intermediate users who want more advanced technologies that deliver superior image quality. The Stylus 1010 is perfect for travel, parties and family events.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4314 in Camera & Photo
• Color: Silver
• Brand: Olympus
• Model: 226270
• Released on: 2008-04-14
• Dimensions: 2.22" h x .99" w x 3.90" l, .30 pounds
• Display size: 2.7

Features

• 10-megapixel image sensor captures enough detail for photo-quality 18 x 24-inch prints
• 7x image-stabilized optical zoom; Face Detection
• 2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD; Perfect Shot Preview mode
• TruePic III image processor
• Stores images on xD Picture Cards (not included)

Manufacturer Description

Olympus takes the Stylus series to new heights with the 10-megapixel Stylus 1010, which boasts an ultra-compact 7x optical zoom lens that brings the red carpet celebrity or homeplate slugger seven times closer! A 7x lens (37mm-260mm equivalent in 35mm photography) that fits in camera bodies less than one inch thick is a marvel of modern design. Moreover, the Stylus 1010 features Dual Image Stabilization to prevent blurry images caused by a shaky hand or moving subjects, brilliant 2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD to view everything in amazing clarity, and Perfect Shot Preview to see the effects of the specific settings before pressing the shutter.

Olympus Stylus 1010 Highlights

Large zoom in a small package Great images begin with great optics, and the new Stylus line-up offers amazing optics with stunning design flourishes. The Stylus 1010 features new lens technology that enables the 7x optical zoom lens (37mm-260mm equivalent in 35mm photography, f3.3-5.3) to magnify the subject by seven times, and then tuck away into a compact body just one inch thick.

Blur-free photos two ways Dual Image Stabilization combines two technologies -- mechanical Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization and Digital Image Stabilization -- to provide one powerful anti-blur solution for capturing great images whether the photographer or the subject is moving. Olympus' mechanical Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization keeps images sharp by adjusting the CCD image sensor to compensate for camera movement, which often occurs in low-light conditions when shutter speeds are slower. Digital Image Stabilization freezes the action with high ISO sensitivity and fast shutter speeds that prevent blurry images often caused by a moving subject. By combining the two technologies, the Stylus 1010 is able to take crystal-clear images in any shooting situation.

2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD The Stylus 1010 is equipped with a large, high-resolution 2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD screen with high contrast and anti-glare technology for clear visibility, even when pictures are composed in bright sunlight. The HyperCrystal LCD also offers a wide-viewing angle, greater than 140 degrees in every direction, enabling photos to be composed from a range of angles and viewed by several people at once.

Millions of pixels for superior image quality The 10.1-megapixel Stylus 1010 enables consistently sharp and vivid images when producing large-format prints or cropping/enlarging a portion of an image.

Face Detection Face Detection tracks faces within the frame and automatically focuses (Face Detection AF) and optimizes exposure (Face Detection AE) for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures. Even if your subject is moving, the camera continuously tracks your subject's face without having to press the shutter button.

Shadow Adjustment Technology Shooting outdoors in bright daylight can be tricky because of the extreme contrast between dark shadowed areas and bright sunlight areas. While the human eye is capable of detecting the nuances between dark and light and all the details in between, image sensors traditionally have not been quite as sensitive. The Stylus cameras address this challenge head-on with a new Shadow Adjustment Technology, which compensates for extreme contrast where the shadow areas are underexposed and lack visible detail. With the new technology, users can preview and capture images that have the same contrast as seen with the naked eye.

Perfect Shot Preview The new Stylus 1010 features Perfect Shot Preview that enables users to preview and select various photographic effects on a live, multi-window screen before snapping the shot. This feature enables users to see precisely what the image will look like when adjustments are made, ensuring users are capturing the exact image they want. It is an ideal way for novice users to learn about the effects of different photography techniques, such as zoom, exposure compensation, white balance and metering.

Perfect Fix in-camera editing The Stylus 1010 offers Red-Eye Fix and Shadow Adjustment Edit, in-camera editing features such as resizing, frames, text options, and saturation adjustments, enabling users to edit photos right in the camera.

In-camera panorama In-Camera Panorama mode captures three images and stitches them together to create one amazing panoramic picture. Simply press the shutter button and slowly pan across a panoramic scene. The second and third images will be captured automatically and stitched together with the first image -- resulting in one seamless panorama-size picture. To create the ultimate panoramic picture, consumers can use the Olympus Master 2 software to stitch up to 10 images together.

TruePic III image processor The Stylus 1010 features Olympus’ exclusive TruePic III image processor developed for the demanding performance of digital SLR (single lens reflex) cameras. Olympus’ enhanced TruePic III image processor produces crystal clear photos using all the pixel information for each image to deliver superior picture quality with more accurate colors, true-to-life flesh tones and faster processing speeds. TruePic III also captures crisp, clear images at high ISO settings, which are traditionally associated with increasing image noise or producing grainy photos.

Olympus Master 2 software Olympus Master 2 software provides the ultimate in digital imaging management. An intuitive user interface makes downloading to your computer quick and simple, and images are easily organized by folders or albums and searchable by date in Calendar view. Additionally, with one-click editing tools, such as red-eye removal, images can be touched up before printing or e-mailing. Online support, templates, firmware upgrades and other user services are just a mouse-click away. Use the optional muvee Theater Pack to create professional quality slide shows and DVDs from your pictures using any of several built-in templates.

Underwater photography Capturing brilliant images underwater is a snap with Stylus cameras when paired with their respective underwater housing. The new PT-042 housing fits the Stylus 1010 and Stylus 1020, enabling users to take images down to the recreational scuba depth of 130 feet (40 meters). Underwater scene modes helps capture brilliant images of underwater adventures.

New, powerful battery The Stylus 1010 includes the new LI-50B Li-Ion battery, which charges 2.5 times faster (two hours instead of five) than its predecessor. The new 925-mAh battery boasts a 25 percent increase in power.

Customer Reviews

Good but not Great
Updated on December 16, 2008

I upgraded to the Stylus 1010 from the Stylus 830. Though it is arguable whether it is a true upgrade.

Besides the obvious improvements such as the better zoom, higher MP's, and a beefed up lens it is essentially the same camera. It does have a better battery (up to 70 more shots per charge), simpler controls, and improved software on the camera, but it is not weatherproof, which used to be a standard feature on Stylus models. Olympus deruggedized the 1010 by taking out the rubber gaskets on the access doors and by replacing the anodized aluminum body that the 830 has with a plastic one.

The one major improvement the 1010 has is its ability to accept SD micro cards (with an adapter) which have a considerably larger maximum capacity (up to 16 GB), and are much cheaper than their larger alternative the XD whose capacity is limited to 2GB's (a quick price check on amazon shows that a 4GB Micro SD costs around $6, and a standard 2GB XD card cost around $20.)

The SHQ movie feature seems to be a reoccurring problem with Olympus though. The Stylus 830 was only able to record 20 second clips at VGA 640x480/30fps. The Stylus 1010 can only record 10 second clips at that setting. However the 1010 does give you the option of recording VGA 640x480/15fps with longer clips.

*A new development on this is a fix from Olympus. First of all you have to have a camera that currently has the 1.1 version firmware. If you don't, you'll have to go to their website to update it. Be aware though, that website carries the following warning.
"Please note that if the firmware upgrade is not performed properly your camera will need to be serviced to have the camera returned to an operational state."
Once you have the 1.1 you will be able to record movies with 4gb and higher SD Micro cards as well as record movies with VGA quality 640 x 480/30 fps up to the full capacity of the card (no longer limited to 10 second) But this is only with XD Type M+ cardsor the XD Type H cards. This seems to be a complicated and expensive fix considering the price of buying high speed cards (a 2GB XD Type M+ cost around $30), but it is a fix none the less *

Overall I am happy with the purchase and am impressed with the picture quality, and the expanded options in the software. However Olympus could have spent a little extra time developing a true upgrade for the stylus series instead of throwing in a few improvements, (and retrogrades in my opinion) and calling it two different cameras (the 1010 and 1020 whose only difference is the LCD screen, and flash option on during high speed sequential shooting.)

More MP is not always better
I have used Olympus cameras for about 15 years and have always been happy with them. Unfortunately, I have used this camera for six months and am getting a new one. There are several good things about this camera, but there is one huge flaw: poor image quality. I have been doing some research and discovered that the megapixels are the culprit. While the camera has 10MP, the image sensor was not made to accommodate 10MP's worth of detail. Because the image sensor is small, it produces grainy photos. You will get better quality images with a camera that has fewer megapixels and/or a larger image sensor.

Some things I DO like about this camera: 1. Good close-up/macro shots; 2. "Scene" settings, such as "Available Light;" 3. Image name includes the date the picture was taken; 4. Portability/size of camera; 5. You can take panoramic photos (if using xD card); 6. Built-in lens cap; 7. Large LCD screen.

Some things I DO NOT like about this camera: 1. Grainy pictures, especially indoors; 2. Flash is too bright and frequently washes out my subject; 3. Lens is easily smudged and can be tricky to clean because it is so small; 4. Can't make the image be 4x6 ratio, so I have to manually crop all of my photos before printing them.

Amazing camera!
Having been a professional photographer and even teaching a couple of college photography classes, I've shied away from anything "automatic"
in cameras, and have clung to more old-fashioned methods when taking pictures.
I purchased an Olympus Stylus 1010 as a gift for my wife.
I'm now stunned and amazed.
This camera is virtually foolproof. It simply won't take a picture that's out-of-focus, and worry that the camera might not be steady is no longer a concern. Period.
The pictures are crystal clear and I've enlarged them to 16x20 with no loss in quality.
My wife even snapped a landscape from inside a car traveling 60 mph, and the resulting shot showed no motion blur at all.
I believe.