Olympus Stylus SH-1 in the test

The Olympus PEN design on the Stylus SH-1 has something nostalgic. But it feels good, the small compact camera with 109 x 64 x 42 mm weighs whopping 270 grams. The middle part of the camera stand is covered with structural material with “Lederanmutung” and ensures a good hold. The upper and lower parts of the housing of the Olympus Stylus SH-1 are recognizable from metal. The mode dial on the right side of the digital camera is half-sunk and free to rotate on the right side. It snaps exactly. The buttons on the back of the camera are small, as is their identification. It is pleasantly tidy, only four keys and a four-way switch. A part of the settings of the Olympus Stylus SH-1 can be carried out on the display, which saves control elements.


The main menu of the Olympus Stylus SH-1 offers many adjustment possibilities, very many. There are many menu items, which have to be reraised anew each time to reach corresponding menu items. It is much easier to use the settings of Effects, Flash, Exposure Compensation, White Balance, ISO Value, Single or Continuous Image, Image Resolution, Aspect Ratio, and Video Resolution


Conclusion


These values ​​are displayed on the right side of the monitor and can be set directly using a four-way button. However, here again and again the whole series must be swept through. The Olympus Stylus SH-1 does not remember the last setting unfortunately. This is tedious and annoying. The 3-inch display has about 153,400 RGB pixels. The brightness can be adjusted in plus-minus two steps, but the effect on the display is hardly seen.


The touch function for the display has to be activated in the menu and a few menu points later also calibrated. Once it has been done, it works well. In the shooting mode, the focus point can be selected and triggered with a fingertip; in other modes, other functions can also be controlled by touch.


The focal length of the optics ranges from 25 to 600 mm (KB) and is therefore more than adequate for everyday practice. The light intensity from 3.0 to 6.9 is rather limp. The flash functions can only be accessed if the small flash is unfolded. Available, flash off, fill flash, red eyes and car.


The serial image function of the camera is exceptionally fast with initially more than 12 frames per second. WLAN for wireless image transmission as well as a powerful 5-axis image stabilizer round off the successful equipment. PEN-Like, on the other hand, is not the loveless labyrinth of the plug connections.


Also the Olympus Stylus SH1 leaves points with the image quality points, because the processor goes over the work. In wide-angle and low-sensitivity, the visual assessment still satisfies, but above ISO 400 it goes into the basement. There the telequality is beyond all sensitivities, even with ISO 100 in the center of the image the SH1 does not scratch in the resolution of the 1000 mark.


The Olympus Stylus SH1 is a nice travel zoom camera with good equipment and usable picture quality in the wide angle. However, the menu needs a revision.


Olympus Stylus SH-1