Olympus Stylus Epic (mju) I & II
The Olympus Stylus or Olympus µ[mju:], known as the Epic in North America, is an obvious progression in the Olympus 35mm, P&S family when you look at it in the context of the 35 RF and XA families. When launched it was the camera to own. The original and smallest mju came with a fixed, 35mm focal length lens and a fast f3.5 aperture. The Mju II gained a faster f2.8 lens and selectable, spot light metering. Later it received a slight face lift but it is still the same camera underneath.
Quickly, the Stylus gained bulk and lost speed with the addition of zoom lenses but it continue(s/d) to be a best seller for Olympus. The Epic II is still available, although in a slightly different case than the orginal, and is something of an unsung, cult-ish, pocket camera among photogs. It is hard to live up to the hype that developed about this camera but the mju tries its solid, best. As long as your expectations aren't overblown when you pick up this camera, and you use some knowledge and skill when using it (just because it's a P&S doesn't mean you should stop thinking), you shouldn't be disappointed.
Links
µ II (Epic II, Stylus II), newer model
- Photo.net article
- User opinions at PhotographyReview.com
- Jim Tardio's user opinion
- Lionel's Olympus mju:-1 page in french at 35mm-compact.com
