Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Great Camera!
I bought this camera a couple of weeks ago and used it for the first time at Disneyland. I'm thrilled with the results. Film: I used 800 Dx film (the type I always use)--1 roll of Fuji; 1 roll of Kodak. Both rolls came out great. About Me: I am an amateur camera user, not a professional. I have always used point-and-shoot type cameras for vacations, special occassions, etc. Convenience: The camera easily fits inside a fanny pack, along with a small wallet, comb, sunglasses and an extra roll of film. At only 9 oz, it is almost feather-light. The buttons are easy to use; you don't need a pencil or other pointed object to press them. Lighting Conditions/Features Tested: I tested all of the camera's features (except the timer) in a variety of conditions--through the windows of the Monorail both while stopped and moving, inside rides with the flash off, in bright sun, in the shadows and shade of Tom Sawyer's Island, etc. Splash Mountain proved an excellent place to test the camera's splash resistance. Photo Quality: Nothing seemed to fool this camera. All of the pictures came out crisp, sharp and clear with exceptional color, at all levels of zoom. People pictures came out unusually well with very true skin color. Windows: I am particularly pleased with the camera's ability to shoot through windows. It does not have a "landscape" or "infinity" mode, nor does it seem to need one. The camera consistently focused on objects beyond the glass, and pictures came back without glare. Flash Off Feature: Unlike other cameras that require you to activate the flash off feature each time (each shot) you want to use it, the Olympus Zoom 140 flash-off remains activated until you either switch to another mode or turn the camera off. In places where flash is not permitted, this allows you to take numerous photos without having to press the flash-off button each time. Viewfinder: Like many point-and-shoot cameras, the viewfinder is slightly above and to the right of the lens. But unlike other cameras I considered, the Olympus viewfinder has guides that help you allow for that...and prevent "chopped off heads" in pictures. The adjustable diopter is also very easy to use. It works beautifully except when the camera is zoomed all the way to 140, at which point it is slightly blurry. (But the pictures still come out great!) Zoom: The zoom is extremely easy to use and allows you to zoom to any point within the range. There are no preset zoom stops. Minor Criticism: My only slight criticism of this camera is that the window that displays the number of exposures and the flash mode is not lighted. But that can easily be overcome by carrying a penlight so that you can read the display in dim environments. Summary: This camera produces excellent pictures, is very easy to use, and is well worth the price. It has definitely exceeded my expectations.
Rating: - Nice quality pics, very good ergodynamics
I own a Nikon N6006 SLR and set out to buy a point-and-shoot for convenience. I bought both a Minox CD 140 and an Olympus Stylus Zoom 140 QD. I shot a roll of film with all three at once, then blinded sorted the the match sets of three pictures of each image based on which were best. My findings:1. The Nikon SLR was not consistently the best. In fact, the difference between the pictures from the SLR and the two point and shoots was remarkably smaller than I expected. 2. The Minox had somewhat better color, focusing, and contrast than did the Olympus. The difference, however, was slight. 3. The Olmpus was better designed than the Minox. The Olympus fit better in the hand, the clamshell cover gave more protection, it had a greater zoom range, the viewfinder was slightly larger and set back from the camera body (so your nose doesn't bump the camera as much), and the diopter adjustment was nice. On the plus side for the Minox, the placement of the Minox zoom buttons was more comfortable for me than than the Olympus ones, and the Minox turned on and off markedly faster than the Olympus. Also, the Minox case was more practical. Both point and shoot cameras would be excellent options. Get the Minox if picture quality is paramount; get the Olympus if you want more features and better comfort in your hands.
Rating: - Great quality product
I first bought this camera for a holiday where I didn't want to carry my bag of camera, lenses, and box of tricks.I find it very hard to go back after using this gem. It's ergonomics are very good. The metering has been almost faultless. I have shot many rolls of slide film, which requires much more accurate exposure, and they have come out well every time. So when the camera was stolen, I had no hesitation in ordering another one. I also ordered the extended zoom 170 for my wife, as that had just come out. After trying both, I prefer the 140 zoom. The 170's zoom is a little jumpy, and you can't always get the exact zoom length you want. The 140 zooms much more smoothly. As for build quality, I certainly can't complain. I recently accidently dropped the 140 from about 3 feet onto a concrete sidewalk. It scratched the camera's plastic case, but the camera was unphased, and continues to perform perfectly. If you want a versatile, great quality, good value compact camera, I can't recommend this camera highly enough.
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