The Tech Review: The Stylus 7000

There are several companies with 12 mega-pixel compact cameras on the market. With the Olympus Stylus 7000 you get a variety of mid-level program settings along with intelligent auto with a large 3.0" LCD screen. With a 7x optical zoom, you are getting more than twice the magnification of a 3x zoom. Get closer to the action at the ballpark or a concert with this ultra-thin stylish body that easily fits into your pocket.

The intelligent auto feature automatically identifies the scene you're shooting - portrait, landscape, night portrait or macro - and adjusts the settings to optimize results.

This camera is perfect for parties, social events and fast-action sports. The lithium ion rechargeable battery lasts for 150 shots per charge. This camera also features an AVI movie mode with a 640/480 resolution at 30 frames per second.

The advanced face detection feature tracks up to 16 faces in a frame and automatically bringing them into focus. The shadow adjustment feature adjusts the exposure on faces and the background for optimal results, even in backlight situations. The dual image stabilization, standard in most new Olympus models, is like a 2-in-1 anti-blur solution. Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization, which keeps your shot steady by compensating for camera shake combines with Digital Image Stabilization to capture clear images in almost any situation. Here are the detailed specifications:

Image Sensor

12 Megapixels (effective), 1/2.33" CCD

Focal Length/Lens Configuration

6.6 - 46.2mm (37 - 260mm equivalent in 35mm photography)
9 Lenses in 6 Groups, 4 Aspherical Lenses, 1 ED Lens

Zoom

7x Optical Zoom + 5x Digital Zoom

Maximum Aperture

F3.5 (W) / F5.3 (T)

Display

3.0" (7.6cm) Hyper-Crystal TM II LCD with Backlight Boost, approx. 230,000 dots
5 Steps Brightness Adjustment

Focus System

CCD Contrast Detection

Focus Range (from lens surface)

Normal mode: 27.6" - infinity (0.7m - infinity)
Macro mode: Wide: 3.9" - infinity (0.1m - infinity) Tele: 23.6" - infinity (0.6m - infinity)
Super Macro mode: 0.79" - 27.6" (2cm - 70cm)

Focus Mode

iESP Auto, Spot AF, Face Detection AF

Shutter Speed

1/2000 sec. -1/4 sec. (up to 4 sec. in Night Scene mode)

ISO Sensitivity (SOS: Standard Output Sensitivity)

Auto, High Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600

Exposure Metering

Digital ESP Metering, Spot Metering, Face Detection AE (when Face Detection AF is selected)

White Balance Control

Auto, Presets (Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten and 3 Fluorescents)

Exposure Compensation

±2 EV steps in 1/3 EV steps

In addition to xD-Picture Card compatibility, the STYLUS-7000 comes with an adapter for micro-SD memory cards, an emerging electronic storage media for mobile phones, PDAs, and HDTVs. The in camera panorama feature captures three images and stitches them together to create one amazing panoramic picture by simply pressing the shutter button and slowly panning across a panoramic scene. Overall I would recommend this model for leisure, business or travel.