Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Film Cameras
I still enjoy taking 35mm pictures, even though we haved moved to the digital world. I use to use a manual 35mm camera that you had to adjust set apitures and f stop as well as the film speed. With this camera it is all automatic and self focusing as well. Though, you can not push the film as you could with the manual cameras (which means if you are using 200 speed film, set your film speed at 400). The Olympus allows the user who is a little behind on picture taking with SLR's to take the guess work out of it. The reason I purchased it is, well with time and age the hands are not working as well as they use too, so needed a 35mm camera to help compensate for the problem.
I bought this on EBay out of sentimentality since I owned one of these back in the nineties. My wife loved the camera and took thousands of excellent pictures of our kids growing up. It's pretty lightweight and is a feature rich package with most things that would be accessories on a traditional SLR built in to this fairly compact unit. However, if you like having a long long lens this may not be very satisfying. Also, it's light, but i'm afraid that also means lightly built. It goes through pretty expensive batteries quickly. On our original camera the pop up flash broke and would have been expensive to fix. But until that happens it takes great pictures. The reason I bought another is my wife wanted another one. She really liked it.
I Feel Olympus comes out with some of the Best designed body styles in cameras , and this one is one of them .Even after all these years that camera looks like it was just designed ....Sleak , smooth lines ,Great hidden flash . Controls are easy to work and master WITHOUT having a manual .... I have two IS-20's, and a 3rd ,IS-50 and they are great ... Easy to use , comfortable .Look smart ... This camera has a lens that extends out from the body. When not in use , lens retracts back int the camera.Turn it on , and the lens extends out from the body automatically ... Only flaw on this design is the lens cap.It is attached to the Body, and must be flipped down by hand ,But Most people will forget to flip the cap down b4 turning it on . What does that do ?? It forces the lens to knock down the cap down. Over time , weakens the gears inside that works the lens , . A dead spot is created in the auto focus feature when the camera is first turned on . The lens fails to extend with out some assisting to operation mode ( pull it from the barrel) . After the lens is out , no problem with focus, or funtion .. .. This is a camera that will still look new and intersting 10 years from now Great Camera and can be picked up for a song ~Add one to your collection !!~...Read full review
I decided to buy this camera because I have a fully manual Minolta x370s 35mm SLR. I am very new to photography, but I know enough about aperture/shutter speed and things like that to work a camera. Although I am in LOVE with my Minolta, I wanted more. The Olympus IS-20 was it. It had an amazing autofocus system, and came with 4 VERY simple shooting modes. I loved this because my Minolta does not have TTL Depth of Field view, so taking portraits and action pictures would take a minute of thinking for me. I like to think and all, but thinking too much can result in a missed shot! The camera is on the heavier side, but I'm fine with that because it is shaped more like a traditional SLR than my Minolta is. The Autofocus is very crisp, much better than I can do with my manual focusing at times. The flash is also very adequate. To me, this is a good SLR for someone who wants to take beautiful pictures and practice BEFORE they get wrapped in all the shutter speed, DOF, aperture, spot metering talk. Unfortunately, I sold my Olympus for a digital camera. I already had a film SLR and when it came down to it, I did not need two. The reasons why I kept my Minolta over my Olympus IS-20 are: -The Olympus IS-20 takes not one but TWO 3.0v CR123A batteries. These are VERY expensive. the cheapest I can get them in a store are 2/$10 and thats only at walmart. You can forget about walgreens, they're like 2/$15 there! -Film processing is getting expensive, and there is just no use for two film SLR's for a beginner like me. - The flash can get VERY annoying VERY fast if the camera can not focus. The Camera flashed if flash is needed but the camera hasn't autofocused yet. then you can't predict WHEN the picture will be taken because of that. All in All though, this is a great camera. For more advanced photographers that do not want to hassle with changing lenses for a shot, or beginner's like me!Read full review
I wanted to get into photography beyond the point and shoot cameras without spending alot of money. Though it is a older camera that uses film, I had fun learning about the exposures, lighting and focus techniques needed to take accurate pictures. This is a great camera for what I needed! I was worried about developing and buying film- true the price of film is not always favorable compared to a memory card that you can put in a computer- but I was pleased that the local Walgreens could place the pictures on a CD for me under $10 :)