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[OM] ( OM ) The Saga of the Epic ( or is it the Epic Saga?)

Subject: [OM] ( OM ) The Saga of the Epic ( or is it the Epic Saga?)
From: "Brian Swale" <bj@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sat, 1 Nov 2003 23:11:13 +1300
Hi everybody,

First film back from the $8.50 (USD) Olympus Infinity Stylus Epic DLX 
Quartz (there's not enough room on the front for all that name so some of it's 
on the back).

Surprise, surprise, it works !!

All functions seem OK as far as I can figure out. Time setting, flash on or 
off, 
film load, film rewind, autofocus, exposure control. Haven't tested the radio 
remote release as I don't have one.

5 x 7 inch enlargements of Konica 100 VX Super (on special) print film are  
every sharp (with qualifications) and contrasty. The flash, tested both indoors 
and outdoors seems quite powerful.

Focuses down to about 12 inches ( 30cm). Full frame 35mm.

Such a small camera I find is quite difficult to hold steady. There's really 
not 
space for two hands. If you sit it on or against a rest there's no space to get 
your eye up to the viewfinder  (very clear by the way). Perhaps the best way 
is to hold it in the right hand, press against the right cheek and nose, and 
use right eye in the viewfinder.

Auto focus is difficult to use, and I find the (gross) delay between wanting to 
make the exposure and the actual shutter release, annoying - after the 
practically instantaneous shutter release of the OM10 and  the OM 1,2 & 4T.

I'm still learning where to point the autofocus sensor to get the best result.

Apart from where you point the focus, and how still you hold it, there's no 
control over features. Lower-light closeups show shallow depth of field. I have 
no idea what the range of speed and aperture are that it has at its disposal.

The worst (only?) defect is a light leak, not equally on all frames, hardly at 
all 
on some. It seems to come from the bottom side, about the middle of the 
frame. It's there daylight or dark.

I can see no defect in the rubber seal, and I wonder if there is an additional 
seal missing. Between the outside bottom rubber seal and the film chamber 
there is a shiny plastic rail that seems to be a light trap, and between that 
and the film rail is a channel about the length of a 35mm frame and ? 1.5mm 
wide and 1.5mm deep (guess as there's film in there again and I didn't 
measure it.) It looks to me as though a foam baffle could be fitted in there 
and I wonder if such is normally fitted, and has mine been lost?
Can somebody with one of these little marvels comment on this?

Anyway, after reading about this camera model for so long, it is great to have 
one to use, and test. Could be a very handy carry-everywhere snap-shot 
camera.

Brian

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