I did a lot of research before purchasing this camera. I was looking for a 5MP, compact size, with a large LCD screen, and lots of built in settings. This camera checked off on all with flying colors. The 20 preset modes are easy to navigate thru and give good descriptions of what each one is used for. As with many digital cameras, the indoor shooting can be a bit tricky to get just right. The flash on the auto setting is a bit strong (still not sure if I can adjust that yet). Outdoor shots are incredible! My favorite feature is the 2.5 LCD screen. There is no view finder, but the screen is more than adequate even in bright sunlight. The Stylus 500 is also weather proof which puts your mind at ease if there is a light drizzle coming down or you want to take it with you skiing (which I have done). If you are like me and love all the bells and whistles, this camera has plenty to offer. If you need an easy point and shoot, it can do that too. Overall this camera is fantastic. I hightly recommend it.

This 5.0 MP digital camera is so advanced, it's simple. That's usually a contradiction in the camera market, but Olympus has come up with a definite winner with this offering. Read the reviews and you'll come up with the conclusion that this camera offers a lot for the money, even though you'll probably not use 80 percent of the features. No problem, because the user friendliness of this camera makes it difficult to take bad photos/moving pictures in the "auto" modes. I purchased this camera to replace my Olympus C-5050 (internal battery died and memory feature lost). Because I had several xD cards already invested, my choice was basically limited to Fuji and Olympus. I was also looking for a smaller/lighter camera that is easier to use and has minimal shutter lag (this camera is super quick in all that it does, including shutter lag).

I'm very satisfied with this camera and although I have not used the Canon's, Sony's, Fuji's, HP's, etc., comparative reviews have stated that the picture quality (accuracy and natural tone/colors) of this specific Olympus digital camera is very good. Study for yourself via the internet and you should not be too disappointed with the findings and its value for the money (or your purchase).

I first bought the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T1 and was very unhappy with it. The pictures were dark and the red eye was terrible. I exchanged it for the Stylus 500 and after using it for a couple of weeks I am thrilled with this camera. It takes great pictures, it's pretty quick and is very easy to use. Also, compared to the Sony the 2.5 LCD is MUCH clearer. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that wants high quality images and an easy to use camera.

I've had good experiences with Olympus in the past, so I picked up this camera when I wanted to get into the 5 MP range. This is an outstanding value. The LCD screen is like none other I have ever seen. It is huge. I loved it when I first saw it, and I didn't realize until after I got the camera home that it doesn't have a normal viewfinder at all. The only way to take a picture is with the LCD screen on. That alarmed me because I worred about battery life, but the battery life has turned out to be very long. I've used the camera on many occasions without having the charge the battery. It's long lasting and reliable.

I like that I can charge the battery outside the camera, so I bought an extra battery and always keep my spare one charged up. Some other camera have to be charged with the battery inside, which makes keeping a spare harder.

This is super-light and small. It can be tucked into my purse and it takes up hardly any space at all. I adore the size.

One good test of a camera is how easily people unfamiliar with it can take pictures. I know that I never read the manual. It was immediately obvious how to take pictures or movies or review the old pictures, and other people have picked up on the use of this camera instantly, too. The on screen menus are informative and easy to follow without a manual. There are no obscure codes or symbols to decipher.

In the higher-end camera segment, this 5 MP with a sleek design is an exceptional buy. Highly recommended.

This is my first Olympus digital and I absolutely love it. My aunt has it and she is very picky about her cameras so I knew I could trust her recomendation. I figured everything out very quickly and every shot has been perfect. We have a 512mb card and it will allow you to take up to 25 minutes of video. We did a short 20 second clip and emailed it using the Olympus software. It was so easy and easily viewed by family on the other end. And the screen is awesome. Its nice not to not look so close at the screen anymore. I love being able to hit the quick view button to flip and delete through pictures while keeping it in photo mode and then hitting it again to resume taking pictures. So much easier then turning the dial everytime (although that is still an option). The only thing that I have learned my lesson on with this camera, is when when you have the USB cable connecting it to your computer, Disconnect it as soon as your transfer is done. I did my transfer and then left it connected all afternoon. When I went to turn it on the battery was dead. Even though the screen was not on it still drained. So as long as you don't leave it hooked up to your computer then everything is great. You won't regret this camera.

P.S. the cuisine mode is awesome

I researched a long time, was set to buy another camera, then went in to test it out and found out the shutter speed was excruciatingly slow. This camera, however, is great. I bought it mostly because of the shutter speed (and the 3x X 4x zoom), but everything about it is great. The menus take a little bit of getting used to--I keep hitting the "menu" button to select options, which isn't necessary--but it's hardly a complaint to say the options are more streamlined than usual.

The only real problem I've had is that the hinged cover for the battery and memory card is right where my thumb usually is, so more than once I've accidentally opened it (it opens quite easily). But this isn't really a big enough problem to be a big purchase decision breaker.

I've only had the camera two weeks, so I haven't made any prints yet, but the color is great and the pictures look wonderful online. I highly, highly recommend this camera.

Stay away from this camera. It lasted < 4 months and Olympus did not honor their "warranty". What a waste of money!

I love this camera so much. Two months after buying it I bought one for my mom. I never take out my video camera anymore! I keep the camera with me in my diaper bag and snap pictures and video all the time.

LOVE the large screen!
LOVE the ease of use!
LOVE the rechargeable battery- I take hundreds of pictures and only charge the battery about once a month or less.

I DEFINITELY recommend this camera!

I regret having to give this camera even "1" star. I see someone else below has had the same problem as me. It is a cheap camera case and Olympus will not stand behind their warranty. Unless you want to hire an attorney to enforce your warranty rights and waste your money on an inferior camera, I recommend that you spend your money on a sturdy and dependable camera such as Canon. Olympus is a waste of time and money.

I love this little digital camera. The Stylus 500 has everything I was looking for: small size, 5 mega-pixel resolution, ease of use, 3X zoom, and a LCD viewing screen that I can actually see. The beauty of this camera is what it offers beyond the basics. The body is waterproof (though not for underwater pictures), so getting caught in a downpour is not cause for panic; it also keeps sand out, making it great for beach use. The lens cover is built in, and it automatically covers the lens when the power is shut off, uncovers it when you turn the camera on. The rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery keeps its charge for a surprisingly large number of uses. Although you can start taking snapshots without reading the manual and navigating the menu, the camera offers a selection of scene options such as color enhancement for still life, shoot and select for moving objects, landscape and portrait shots for crispness in both foreground and background, a sport setting to capture action without blurring, beach and snow setting for to minimize glare, a selection for taking pictures of objects behind glass, and many other options. These scene features work well, and they deliver exactly what they are supposed to. This palm-size camera also records digital home movies, with audio, that you can play back either on your television screen or through your PC software such as iMovies.

The camera comes with a high-speed USB cable to transfer photos directly to the computer without intermediate hardware, an audio/video cables to hook up for film clip viewing, a semi-rigid black case, CD-ROMs for the software and user manual, and a 32 MB picture card. The photo transfer works on both Macs and PCs. The included software, Olympus Master, is adequate for photo management, although I prefer iPhoto. Adobe Photoshop would be even better for those who like to manipulate photos, though this kind of high-tech software is hardly necessary. You can also print directly off the camera if you choose to bypass your PC. The 32 MB XD picture card that comes with the camera is woefully inadequate for ev even average use, so plan on buying a 256 card at the same time. Those planning to take a large number of pictures or movies within a short period of time should consider getting a spare battery as well; because the battery charges outside of the camera, you can pocket a fully charged spare to take with you, or you can be charging one battery while the other is in use.

Especially for those buying their first digital camera, shooting photos with this camera can be slightly disconcerting at first since the user must depress the shutter button halfway to lock in to focus, then the rest of the way to shoot. The impulse is to press down harder to take the photo, which can result in a blurry picture. Taking pictures with a digital camera simply is not as instantaneous as with a 35 mm camera. Once the transition is made, however, the quality is superb. Red-eye is a huge problem with the flash, so users should remind themselves to switch to that mode when taking photos of people inside.

The Olympus Stylus 500 is a compact, versatile camera designed for people who shoot primarily snapshots. Its size and weather-proof case make it perfect for vacations as well as for everyday use.

Great digital camera, I bought it for it size. I already owned an Olympus C700 Ultra Zoom and wanted a compact camera for travel, this one is perfect. Great size and the weather proof is a nice touch. Also uses the same XD memory card as other Olympus cameras. You may want to buy an extra battery because it does not use regular AA, only a rechargeable.

I've used this camera for over a month now. In general, I like it and recommend it. It's all-weather, so you don't have to worry about taking shots in the rain. It has a handy, built-in lens cover that pops open lightning fast when you turn the camera on; start-up time is very short compared to every other camera I've used, so you miss fewer shots when you suddenly need to take a picture. The camera is also smaller than it looks in the online photos I saw of it (I bought it sight-unseen from Amazon), yet comfortable to hold. The large LCD is also nice, though I would prefer a viewfinder alternative. It doesn't have full manual settings, but I am totally ok with that. I've never used the full manual settings on any camera.

My complaints are few: it doesn't to well in low-light-level situations, such as museums, or in the evening. People look very yellow and orangish compared to a larger-aperture digital camera such as the Olympus C740 (which I also own and love). It also has the drawback that you need to remove the battery and put it in the charger instead of using the camera as a charger. The battery does last a long time, however, and the charger accepts worldwide power 100-240V, 50-60 cycles (though you need a small adaptor plug wherever you go, just not a voltage converter).

Another glaring design flaw (in my opinion) is that the camera never remembers any settings except time/date! If you prefer, for example, taking lower resolution pictures or have a favorite setting such as super-macro mode, you must navigate the menu system every time you turn the camera on. This is a real annoyance for me. You can't even turn the flash off as a default. The total-automatic setting is ok, but I feel that it should be possible to assign your own default. I have gotten over the initial shock of this problem and now flick through the menus when I need to change things.

My wife and I have taken some great photos with it, and I recommend the camera, but be aware of the above flaws before you decide.

It comes with a 32MB xD card, but you will need a larger one. Expect close to 1MB per photo. Therefore, a 512MB xD card will hold about 500 photos.

This camera was purchased for my wife as a simple point'n'shoot. That's what she did. 300 pictures in two days. It took a little experimenting to figure out what the "scenes" do, but any "mistakes" are quickly erased. Quick and easy review are two of the highlights...the screen is huge and very bright (comparing to my G6), so one can really review the results and make decisions.
There are only a few manual settings, e.g. white balance, and those are all that's needed for a camera like this. Auto settings and "scenes" work fine for almost everything. The "weather resistant" aspect is also a big plus. No fear of getting caught in the rain and more importantly, missing those great reflection shots when it's still drizzling.
I've given it a 4/5 only because the quality of the pictures could be just a little sharper. I'm used to the results of higher end Canon cameras, so I might be biased. By the same token, I'm using this more than my Canon simply because I can slip it into a pocket no matter where we go. Great little camera!

I would NOT recommend buying this camera. It's nice enough, but it's WAY too fragile. I dropped mine the first day I had it (not hard, and not so that it left a mark), and the lens cover no longer opened. This because te lens cover slides into the body of the camera, and the tolerance is so small that any little ding can prevent the cover from sliding cleanly. I was able to "fix" it by gently squeezing the body of the camera (again, with no detectable bending of anything, emphasizing the very small tolerance of the fittings), but that didn't last. I'm going to look for something sturdier.

I got this camera mainly because of the megapixels, screen size, the fact that you can see the screen from many angles other than just looking at it straight on, and the post-editing features on the camera itself. At first I was "iffy" because I had the Stylus Verve for a short time when it first came out and the pictures came out terrible. I was told by an Olympus customer service rep that the Stylus line is mainly for use outdoors, hence the weather-proof design. But I believed that this one would be better given that it was newer so I decided to give it a shot. I was pretty happy with the results at first but the more I used it the more I realized the things I didn't like about it, but let me say that most of my use with the camera has been indoors. The way the lighting appears on the screen isn't always the way the picture will turn out. Like many other digital cameras like this one, it doesn't do well in low-light settings. Many times it looks like there's enough light on the screen to take a good picture but then it comes out really dark. There are times it will come out okay. Large group pictures do not come out clear at all. Even though the camera is able to focus when taking the picture, faces will turn out quite blurry. Other than that, however, pictures in a good range & lighting come out fine. Another thing, I owned a Minolta Dimage G400 (4mp) before I got my Olympus. It was very fast in all aspects and it took great pictures, even when it wasn't able to focus in low-light. The Olympus has a pretty good start-up time but doesn't compare to my previous camera. The recharging of the flash takes too long in my opinion. I went to a graduation and took one picture of my fiance at one end of the stage and the flash wasn't ready until he had already crossed to the other end, so I missed so many important and great pictures! I always have issues with the time it takes for the flash to recharge when I'm trying to take multiple in-the-moment pictures. I'd have to say that's my biggest complaint about this camera. It really does make me mad at times. The Olympus isn't a bad camera but maybe it just doesn't suit what I've been using it for. The outdoor pictures I have taken with it have turned out fine. I just think that for what I paid for it ($350), it should still be a good camera indoors as well as outdoors. I wish I never got rid of my Minolta. By far it was a better camera. I really had no complaints about it as far as performance and picture quality.

The old point-and-shoot camera I'd had for years finally stopped working (got some sand in it at the beach), and I took the plunge into digital with this Olympus camera. I bought it specifically to take on a cycling trip through Tuscany, and I was not disappointed. The camera is small enough to tuck in the back of a biking jersey, takes GREAT pictures, is very easy to use, and is durable as anything. I took it cycling, to the beach, used it in the mountains, and it has given me nothing but terrific photos, and no user problems whatsoever.

The one suggestion I would make if you buy this camera, to forego the suggested leather case accessory. I bought a padded nylon camera case at my local Ritz camera (about $12) which worked much better, as it had pockets for extra memory and a spare battery as well as a sturdy shoulder strap. (I agree with the previous reviewer that, even though the battery life is exceptional, an extra battery is a good idea to have if you don't want any "down time" with your camera at all.)

After trying the Fuji FinePix, which was a nightmare, I am loving this camera. I owned an Olympus before (35mm) and it lasted almost 20 years. I hope to see the same return on this camera. Good battery life and large display screen are the biggest pluses for me and my needs. I basically take pictures of my kids. The only complaint I have is that the manual that comes with the camers is very basic and to get the more detailed manual, you have to download and print it. I wish it came with the camera.

This is my first digital camera, and it is so easy to use. There are only a few buttons to figure out, and it takes great pictures - they are clear and the color is great. The large screen allows you to get a good idea of the photo, so you can delete it right away if it's not a keeper. Great camera for any skill level.

This is not a good camera. When I bought mine (directly from the factory)I was excited because the reviews all raved about its excellency, but this camera failed to perform. When I first took it out, the camera was already broken so I returned it. I got another one but that one was broken too. When I finally got one that worked, it didn't take good pictures and was very fragile. Don't waste your money on this camera, buy something worth its money like the Canon Powershot S80. I now own this camera and it is way better for a lower price. It has 8 meagpixels!! But that not being on the subject of this camera I will stop talking about it. If you are looking for a camera, don't buy this one for it does not live up to our modern-day standards.

So far I feel this is a wonderful camera. I have never used a digital before and the ease of using the camera and quality of printed pictures is excellent; as are the ones downloaded to your computer.
One problem is that there is not a 'booklet' on how to work your way thru learning how to use the camera completely. You can read it on line but the script is not visually clear. You can order one, which I did, for $10.00. I'm also, after many attempts, not able to send an email from the Olympus photo center with picture attached. If any one can help me in that area, I would love to hear from you.

I love the pictures that this little camera takes, it is a perfect camera because it is nice and light and fits in my purse so I can take it everywhere. I have taken some wonderful pictures of my children with it. But any time that I have tryed to take a in door video clip it is so dark you can hardly make it out. If it the video's were clear and not so dark the camera would be perfect and I would give it 5 stars.

This is my third compact digital camera, and I have to say I have finally found one that gives me just about everything I'm looking for. My first, a Fuji Finepix was boxy, had bad shutter lag and had an annoying two-step start-up that was way to confusing to be useful. I bought it nearly four years ago, though, so I can forgive its shortcomings. A year ago, I replaced it with the Sony W1. What a disappointment! The thing that attracted me was the large (for the time) 2.5 inch screen, and it seemed to get good reviews. But not from me. That camera couldn't focus to save its life! While the shutter lag was almost non-existent (a definite plus) the number of pictures in all conditions that came out blurry was unacceptably high. Fortunately, I found someone smitten by the Sony name who was willing to pay me just about what I had paid. Good riddance!

On to the Stylus. Talk about exceeding expectations! I feel like Olympus has been the black sheep of the digicam world - unfairly. This camera does a great job of focusing (especially compared to the Sony), even though it doesn't have an IR focuser. It turns on instantly, has a 2.5 inch screen and it's small enough to slip in my pocket - all things that were important to me.

What I really love is the fact that Olympus is the only company that has gone to the trouble of weather-proofing this camera. I mean, the reason I choose a compact camera over an SLR is that I can take it with me anywhere. When we go hiking, or traveling, or even to kids' birthday parties, the camera is there in my pocket, ready to use. And I don't have to worry about coddling it, and making sure it doesn't get wet. That is my definition of useful technology - it works for you rather than you working for it!

My only complaint with this camer is its shutter lag. It's nowhere near as bad as my old Fuji was, but it's there. I find that if I prefocus (hold the button down half way) that takes care of the problem. But my wife complains about it because she doesn't want to go through that trouble (see my definition of useful technology!).

Overall, I'm very happy with this camera. And relieved to be be out of the overpriced Canon/Sony stranglehold!

I've had this camera for less than a year and am already dying to replace it. Durable? I laugh. The cover over the zoom is so easily dented. Mine got dented to the point where the cover wouldn't even slide open and they told me it was going to cost a couple hundred dollars to fix. Luckily I found a nice camera repair guy who fixed it, but within a week of getting it back it dented again (and the most harmful circumstances the camera was ever in was being put in my purse). So now I have to force the cover open and hit the camera a few times to get it to close.
On top of this, you cannot change the default size of your pictures, and the default size is HUGE (2560x1920), which is completely unnecessary and takes up far too much space on your computer, not to mention on the camera itself. At that size a 512 MB memory card can only hold 300-some pictures, but at a still large size of 1600x1200 the same memory card can hold 700-some photos. So every time I turn on the camera to take a picture I have to first force the cover open so the zoom can come out, then go through all the menus to change the picture size to something smaller and less space-consuming. At this point whatever I wanted to photograph is probably gone.
If the size issue isn't a problem for you and you find that you have better luck with the body of your camera, then by all means consider this camera. It takes fairly good photos, though I find the color on other digital cameras to be much better and brighter, and the LCD screen is a nice plus though most cameras are coming out with just as nice screens now. The nighttime mode isn't that great either. While it make come with a good number of shooting modes, they really don't do much to change your photo-taking abilities.
And while the sale price is good for the abilities of this camera, you could find better, especially if this camera weren't on sale.

I bought this last year for my birthday, and I love it. My favorite feature is the "Scene" selection. Sunset is great, Portrait is great, Landscape is great! They're all perfect and exactly what they say.

I've never had a camera with a timer, but this one has one for self-portraits, and I love it.

The precision of all photos on this camera are EXCELLENT, and it truly is a "point-and-shoot" digital camera, taking only seconds to take a picture, allowing me to take them quickly.

However, with the Night Mode (open shutter)...and all other non-flash pictures, I would highly reccommend a tripod.

All in all, I would GREATLY reccommend buying this camera!!

I bought this camera 4 months ago. The picture quality is excellent with 5MP. The scene selections give lovely shots, specially the ''candles'' selection. Outside pictures are just great. Whenever I send some pictures to my parents overseas, they are like ''wow'' because of the clear, sharp, and high quality. Thanks very much Olympus Stylus500

I personally own a Stylus 500 and purchased this one for work.

I like the camera and its features. The memory card that comes with the camera is inusfficient in size. I would recommend a larger memory to start with.

There is the typical digital camera delay in snap to image caputre.

I have had this camera for a little over a year and a half and have loved it until recently. All of a sudden, for no reason, the flash stopped working. The only way I can take a picture is to turn off the flash and then due to the slow shutter speed the picture is very blurry. There is no visible damage to the flash. When I talked with Olympus I could not get a price to fix the flash but they said it needed to be sent in for repairs which could take several weeks!!! We had another Olympus camera before this which broke as well. I am very disappointed. If you don't mind getting a new camera ever couple of years this is a great camera for you.

I've had this camera for a little over a year. I've taken so many pictures I've lost count. I'm currently running into some problems with it, but up until recently it did okay for me. I've NEVER run out of battery...it has lasted during marathon picture taking occasions of over 150 photos. The large screen is great and outdoor/ bright light pics come out nicely. I also like the weather proof feature.
I've seen that a lot of people in these reviews have had trouble with pics coming out well in low light settings. I've had this trouble and I've also had a lot of blurred photos that look fine on the LCD screen and then turn out blurry on the computer and in prints. I've had a lot of blurred photos, even when I felt I had a steady hand. Others who have taken photos with it have found that as well.
The worst situation I have now, is that when I take photos with flash, the photos are either over or under exposed. It will take me 4 or 5 tries to get a solid picture with the flash working normally. This started happening after I had the camera just over a year. It is frustrating as not everyone has the patience to stay in a pose until I finally get a picture to turn out...after 4 or 5 tries.
I might look into getting this fixed, but most likely I'll be moving onto the Canon Powershot very very soon.

Olympus Stylus Digital Cameras are great buys for the money. I have had a Stylus 410 and now the Stylus 500. I took the 410 to Italy and I have fabulous pics from it. And the 500, withstood being in Hawaii thrown in the sand and getting sprayed with water. I mean, this camera takes great pix and is weather proof! The only con I can say is that it takes alot of juice to use the flash for night time shots, and they don't come out too well. But other than that, it's a great buy for relatively a low price!!

Compact so it fits in you pocket, high tech enough to dance with it's bigger counterparts. This little camera does it all. I comparison shopped for several weeks comparing and contrasting multiple cameras from cannon, kodak, hp, sony, panasonic, and olympus, and none had features like this, a small size, and in this price range. The only disadvantage below the stylus 710 and 810 is the megapixel count and no image stabilization.

5 megapixels, 2.5 inch lcd viewing screen, and a low price for what you get. 3x optical zoom, 5xdigital (15x total) OH, DID I MENTION EXCELLENT PICTURES. I have played with this before for several days editing the photos, playing with the on-board and the computer imaging package, and I see nothing wrong with this camera for an everyday average user like me. And with it's weather resistence, nice for a clumsy average user like me. Also the battery life is very adequate, about 120 photos or more, with slide shows, editing ect... This is well worth the investment, saving your families memories in a fit and proper manner.

So if you feel you don't need more megapixels, go ahead and get this camera for the less money, but the major difference from a 710 or an 810 is the digital image stabilization. Check out the new 740's 750's and 760's also.

Also, the Olympus Mastersoftware is very easy to use, And with panoramic feature, 3d, and Extra ART Features unlocked by Olympus Brand-Olympus Stamped Type H HD, this camera becomes even more of a pleasure to own. you can edit photos on the computer, or right in the palm of your hand. Both ways, this camera will make you feel like a pro in no time.