Olympus Stylus 710 Digital Camera Hands-On Preview

We're getting rolling on our review of the Olympus Stylus 710 and wanted to give you our initial impressions of the camera.  Announced at the end of January, the Stylus 710 features a 7.1 megapixel sensor, 3x optical zoom, 2.5 inch LCD, and the now familiar weatherproof features of the Stylus line.

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Initial Impressions

The camera is very slim and compact, making it very pocketable.  If you typically shoot one-handed, I would definitely recommend putting the included lanyard around your wrist for safety.  (This doesn't sport the shockproofness of the Olympus Stylus 720SW).  The build quality is top notch - the camera feels solid.  You will notice the weather proofing when trying to open the battery compartment and very snug access door to the USB jack.  Rubber O-rings help keep the water out.

The controls are easy to use.  A mode dial sets the "top-level" mode and a cluster of 4 buttons plus a 5 way directional provides access to the camera functions a settings.

Start up time is acceptable, somewhere between one and two seconds.  Shutter lag is average - not the quickest, but will be acceptable to most.  One nice feature is a high speed continuous mode that bumps down the resolution, disables the flash, and takes several frames per second.  Focus time is fairly quick, and it seems like this camera does some focusing continuously (at least a coarse focus) since you can hear the mechanism inside the camera working as you point the camera at different subjects.

If you have questions about this camera that you'd like me to address during my review, please use the "discuss this article" link at the top and bottom of the article.  I'll do my best to answer them.  In the full review, I'll address the image quality and more in-depth detail on the aspects of operating the camera.  Stay tuned!

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Olympus Stylus 710 Summary Specifications

• 7.1 megapixels
• 3x optical zoom
• 2.5 inch LCD
• Bright Capture Technology
• 28 shooting modes
• Focus range: Normal mode: 23.6" -- infinity; Macro Mode Wide: 7.9" -- infinity; Macro Mode Tele: 19.7" -- infinity; Super Macro mode: 3.2" -- 23.6" (8cm -- 60cm)
• ISO options: Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 (equivalent)
• Lithium-ion rechargeable battery
• Memory slot: Accepts xD-Picture Card
• Weight: 3.6 ounces without battery or memory card
• Dimensions: 3.7" W x 2.2" H x 0.8" D