Back to Basics

<p>Thanks, <strong>And</strong>y, and it <em>is</em> a great little camera. I share your sentiments regarding the "panorama" feature...<strong>JDM</strong>, you may know how to correctly pronounce the name; most of us seem to say "Mew", as in cat. <strong>Mike</strong>, the depth of your knowledge continues to impress; I've never seen a mention of the points you've raised, and they're now filed away for future reference. I hope you achieve some great results, <strong>Dave</strong>, and congratulations on the acquisitions. And <strong>Les</strong>, it's definitely a camera on the shortlist of "If I was allowed only one camera..."</p>

<p>There was, as often discussed even here, a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Vowel_Shift">major vowel shift</a> in the development of English, especially American English where it has gone further, where most of the vowels were converted into diphthongs (in Paducah, KY, 'triphthongs').<br /> It's interesting that the camera maker opted for the Mju: as opposed to Mu: pronunciation, isn't it? Well, it is to me anyhow.</p>

<p>Mike, it's amazing to me that anyone would know that much about a non-DDR camera. ;)</p>

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<p>I have the Stylus Epic and it's one of my all-time favorite cameras. It was the camera I carried everywhere that I didn't need or didn't want to carry a bag full of Nikon SLRs and lenses. More of my family's favorite snapshots have been made with this than any of my "serious" cameras and a fair number of serious pictures too. I now use a Nikon P&S digital as my carry-around camera but I wish I could find the digital equivalent of the Stylus Epic. One bit of trivia: when Helmut Newton died, all the papers carried a photo of him standing at the back of a photo show. The camera he is holding and about to snap a picture with is a Stylus Epic.</p>

<p>Nice anecdote regarding the great Helmut, <strong>Craig</strong>. I was initially a little sceptical about the worth of this forum, but it's fascinating to find just how many of us are coming out of the closet to discuss cameras that were previously "unmentionable"! To me, one measure of a photographer's worth is the ability to use and appreciate a variety of formats and cameras, and I might have to consider lowering the bar even more for future posts. Thanks for the observations on the pronunciation, <strong>JDM</strong>, though I feel obliged to point out that one definition of "diphthong" is "the somewhat cursory washing of underwear"...</p>

Also the Stylus Epic is one of few P&S cameras that uses the larger CR123 cell rather than the wimpier CR-2 cell.

<p>Fine job Rick! I have a Stylus Epic and it's my favorite (or should I say favourite?) pocket camera, hands down.</p>

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<p>one definition of "diphthong" is "the somewhat cursory washing of underwear"</p>

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<p>Not so much where I live. To judge from summer wear on campus, the use of underwear seems to have dropped out altogether.<br>

Please note that I love Paducah and its citizenry. My comments on the place are only in the good natured rivalry between the two varieties of Midland American English - the Ohio River is the dividing line between the "Y'all"s and the "You'uns" (- I am not joking about this).</p>

 

<p>I have a Stylus Epic I will not get rid of. A super camera and small enough that I have forgotten it was in my pants pocket a few times. The best reason for keeping it was that I took a set of evocative pictures of my late grandmother in her kitchen, with natural light, on 400 speed print film. Long live these cameras. </p>

<p>I really enjoyed this thread - thanks Rick. I got my Stylus Epic about 2 months ago to add to my pocket camera arsenal. I didn't know what to expect, aside from it's great reputation. What floored me was the elegant design work and super ergonomics. This is real industrial design. This little thing is a complete gem to behold and to hold and shoot. It makes my Nikon 35Ti seem like an old tin box.</p>

<p>I have only shot a few rolls, so I can't display much in the way of results, but I do love this thing, and I have been carrying it as my go-to pocket unit. I plan to give it a workout as the weather improves.</p><div></div>

<p>Thanks, <strong>David</strong>, it's episodes like the photography of your grandmother that make a camera special. And <strong>M</strong> (if I may call you that), that's a fine auto pic, with a small self-portrait in the chrome. You obviously share my appreciation of fine design; the Stylus epic has that rare combination of innovative conception, ease of handling, quality of manufacture, a minimum of superfluity and sheer good looks that elevates it to a position of "design icon". In <em>my</em> opinion, of course! Thanks, <strong>Donnie</strong>, I'm glad you enjoyed the post.</p>

<p>David, last time I saw my grandmother alive I was carrying around a Nikon FM with 50mm and a Vivitar 285. I was able to make some good shots. But there were so many others that I missed that I could have grabbed with the Olympus. That was part of what inspired me to buy the Epic when I did a couple of years later.</p>

<p>Wow, that Olympus is so sharp that I am considering giving my zoom lenses a vacation. Very nice. Olympus is one of the few manufacturers that is completely absent from my horde, for no particular reason. At this stage of my life (ancient) I am trying to avoid branching out, but if I ran into one of these at a low price I would consider it. They have always had a wonderful reputation. If I only had your artistic eye, Rick. I am pure engineer. My wife, who knows nothing technical about cameras, just wants to know how to turn them on and where the shutter is, takes much better photos than me. Of course, she is not color blind as I am, which kept me from becoming an Air Force pilot.</p>

<p>This was an interesting thread with not only fine photos, but discourses on language. I have attended a lot of colleges and have even been a professor, but I have never heard mu pronounced any other way than mew, which leads me to wonder if mju was intended for the j to have the y sound as with Jugoslavia. JDM represents the midwest of the US, which I consider begins at the Hudson River which flows past New York City. I am from western NY, Niagara Falls, and my accent is the same as my wife's, who grew up in Seattle. Nothing remotely close to the accent used in NYC or Boston. In NYC, y'all becomes youse. I love regionalisms. What I grew up calling a bottle of pop is a soda in NYC and a tonic in Boston. I suppose you all know that the toothbrush was invented in Arkansas. In most other states, it would have been called a teethbrush. </p>

<p>Interesting, <strong>James</strong>, and thanks for the comments. We don't have regional accents in our small country, other than a slightly Scottish "burr" in the deep south, where the majority of our Scottish immigrants settled, a century and a half ago. Much of the fun of this forum lies in the meandering path many threads develop!</p>

<p>I miss my Stylus Epic. Used it all the time for a few years, and then loaned it to my daughter, whereupon it got stolen from her. <br>

I learned to set exposure on that little thing by using the spot feature almost exclusively. I'd determine what I wanted exposed at about 18% gray, hopefully at the right focus distance, and then reframe and shoot. Got good results that way, and I still tend to do that with my digital point and shoots, although I can now see the effects on the histogram before shooting.<br>

I still use an XA, as well as a Ricoh R1e, or Rollei Prego 30 for AF. The latter operate very much like the Stylus Epic, and the R1e, though a cheaper version of the Ricoh R1, which itself was sort of a poor man's GR1, features a big brightline style viewfinder. The R1e is very slim and pocketable, but not quite the brilliant design of the Stylus Epic (or XA).</p>

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