I thoght I would de-lurk to offer some input on this one:
I bought a Stylus (Mju) about 5-6 years ago. I was impressed by the compact
design, and I thought it would be a great camera to acrry along everywhere
for spontaneous photo opportunities. It has spent most of its life on the
shelf, though, mostly because I have never been able to come to terms with
its shutter lag. Like other AF compacts I have tried, it does not begin to
move its lens into shooting position until after you fully depress the
shutter button. There is always a significant delay. This has proved very
frustrating, and I found the camera almost unusable for candids, especially
with animals and children. Any camera will have some shutter lag, but I
found that the Stylus exceeded by ability to anticipate on a regular basis.
The "decisive moment" was usually lost by the time the camera moved its
lens into position and fired. (I don't know if the Stylus Epic is any
better in this regard.) The camera works fine for static subjects and "say
cheese!" type posed photos, though.
Also. I was annoyed by the lack of any information about what the camera
was doing (shutter speed, aperture, focusing distance) and the lack of any
way to alter those settings.
I recently bought a 35 RC, and it seems to suit my compact camera needs
admirably. The shutter fires immediately (and quietly) when you press the
release. You can focus on what you want, and it stays focused there until
you change it. It feels solidly built (I love metal cameras!). It is small,
though admittedly not as compact as an XA or Stylus. It will fit nicely in
a jacket pocket. You can choose from full manual or shutter-priority AE.
You can even use filters and lens hoods (although the 43mm size is not easy
to find).
There are a few problems, though: The foam seals turn to goo, just like in
old OM's, so they will need to be replaced if they are original. Also, it
uses the increasingly-hard-to-find 625 mercury cell as a power source (for
the meter only). I sent mine to Camtech to have it modifed to usea 1.5v
silver cell.
As far as durability is concerned, The Stylus still works fine after 5+
years, but I hardly ever use it. The 35RC, like my OM1, is still working
fine after 20+ years. I don't think you can expect the new breed of
plastic, all-electronic cameras to last over 20 years, but, on the other
hand, the newest 35RC's, etc. are already getting old. I suspect the
mechanical cameras will continue to have superior reliability and
repairability. I have an old, all mechanical Exakta (circa 1956) that still
works fine.
Perry Bain
bainp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Simon E wrote:
I have been considering a Mju II (aka Stylus) as a go-anywhere backup to my
OMs. It boasts spot metering and an aspheric element, it's tiny & weighs
nothing. Just the ticket... however, reliability is a concern. All AF
compacts seem to pack up and then cost almost as much to repair as to buy.
I have thought of an XA or even one of the old 35RC/RD rangefinders, which
are likely to be more solidly built. Does anyone have any experience with
any of these, and how do they last? Thanks,
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