The Stylus 710 digital camera from Olympus offers a handful of impressive features in key areas, which makes this model a good value. You shouldn't have any problems finding this model for less than $300.

The Stylus 710's 7.1 megapixels of resolution will give photographers professional-quality prints in sizes up to 13x18 inches (when photos are shot under ideal lighting conditions). Its resolution ranks near the top of the list when compared with other sub-$300 digital cameras. However, indoor image quality is below average for a high-resolution digital camera, but the Stylus 710's outdoor photo quality is very good. So the overall image quality isn't quite as good as other 7-plus megapixel cameras, but it's certainly in line with models in this price range.

One great thing about the Stylus 710 is that you'll be hard-pressed to find a model that's easier to use. The Stylus 710 works well as a simple point-and-shoot model. If you choose to employ some of the intermediate features, you can access detailed descriptions of each feature through the built-in Help guide and Shooting guide.

The 2.5-inch LCD could be sharper, but it is bright in all lighting conditions and is viewable from almost any angle. This is especially important as the LCD serves as the digital camera's only viewfinder. Surprisingly for a digital camera with a large LCD and ultra-thin body, the Stylus 710 is easy to hold.

You'll appreciate the response times, which, again, are outstanding for a digital camera with a sub-$300 price tag. Our tests showed that you can shoot your first photo about 2 seconds after pressing the power button. Shutter lag measures only a fraction of a second, and it's not noticeable. Shot-to-shot delays typically range from 1 to 3 seconds, although longer delays may occur when using the flash over long distances.

You will encounter a few extra expenses with this digital camera. You'll likely need to buy a second battery, because the Stylus 710 only runs from a proprietary rechargeable battery. The Stylus 710 also ships with 19.1MB of internal memory, which is handy, but you'll still probably need to buy a memory card.

Finally, when shooting in harsh conditions, such as rain, the Stylus 710 features a weatherproof camera body, which is a nice feature. If you're shooting in heavy rain, though, you may want to try the Stylus 710's underwater housing model PT-032 ($249) .


Pros: Outstanding value, very easy to use, feature list compares very favorably with others in its price range
Cons: Add-ons could be expensive, overall image quality could be better, LCD is camera's only viewfinder

Warranty
1 year, limited