Olympus IS-1000

[eric_s7]

The IS-1000 was a very interesting camera. It caught my attention with its unusual shape and it was the one camera that got me attracted

to Oly. Unfortunately for me, I could hardly find any information about this camera anywhere. Would anyone be able to share something

about this camera? Say your experience with it, your opinion, or anything that you know about it? Your input will be greatly appreciated.

[george_shihanian]

I had two of them over the years. The first one was new and I had to return it immediately as the zoom action made a grinding noise. The replacement was fine for a number of years and then the flash tube suddenly exploded. I was apparently not the only person to have both of these issues with the camera. They were a good option in it's day, and took good photos. I'd use one if someone gave me one, but I wouldn't pay good money for one. They're too old now to be considered reliable, IMO.

[john_hermanson2]

Also known as the IS-1 and the L-1. Was the first of the IS series. IIRC, auto focus was a little slow and could not lock onto a moving subject. This function was MUCH improved in the IS-3. John, www.zuiko.com.

[lex_jenkins]

Another Zuikoholic used to provide incredibly detailed info on his website for virtually every bit of Olympus gear, including the iS-series cameras. Unfortunately mass downloads exceeded his bandwidth and he had to clamp down. I think it's still available on CD tho'.

 

The iS-series "ZLR" concept (zoom lens reflex) was a brilliant concept and influenced an entire generation of digital cameras by all makers. The iS-1 (iS-1000) wasn't the best of the bunch but definitely worth using. I still have an iS-2 that I snagged for under $100 used before it was discontinued. Excellent TTL flash. Advanced enough to suit me, easy enough in snapshot mode for my mom to use.

[bill_delehanty1]

There is a lot of information at:

 

http://www.vanveluwen.nl/eSIF/is-series/is-series.htm

[lex_jenkins]

Thanks, Bill. I thought Hans had taken most of that info offline, tho' it's been awhile since I'd looked.

[eric_s7]

Hi everyone, many thanks for your responses.

[hal_hagan2]

<p>I have two of these, and gave my third to my nephew. <br />Personally, I really love the results one can get with one of these cameras. The ED Lens is really excellent, the flash is amazing and very powerful. Flash metering calculation is based on distance, not reflected light, so it doesn't get confused if you're photographing a white face surrounded black clothing, or vice versa. Light falls off as the square of the distance, so by calculating the distance it calculates the correct flash power to apply. Regardless what the subject matter is, it will be correctly exposed.<br />The lens could be both a bit shorter and bit longer and that would have been great, but I have got some really great, flattering portrait shots with this camera, and I find the meter is spot on in all but the most difficult scenarios.<br />On the whole, a very worthwhile camera to have if you only want to carry one around. Sure it could be smaller/lighter, but these "Bridge" cameras are intended to be an all-in-one replacement for an SLR.<br />Sole complaint: Because the film path is so unusual (the whole back swings away - it's about 1 1/2" thick, and the film winds <em>into</em> the back (effectively toward your cheek as you have the camera to your eye), these can be very fussy to get the film to load because it wants to curl up and get away from the inadequate film hold-down in the gate area. <br />I usually visit the local Starbucks and grab a bunch of wooden stir-sticks, and use one of them to hold the film flat until I have the back totally closed and the film held in place by the back, then I slide out the stir-stick and squeeze the back to latch it. After a couple of tries, it works like a charm. One day I may add some kind of flat plastic guide into the gate area to help hold it down during load - it's not a great design as it is.</p>

[russellmcneil]

<p>I spotted this camera in a Thrift store display case about a month ago (December, 2015). I paid $50 for it even though I wasn't exactly sure what it was. Olympus called it a ZLR (Zoom Lens Reflex) - an SLR with a fixed 35-135mm zoom lens! Unlike digital cameras, all 35mm film cameras have the same "sensor" size whether they are full featured SLRs, compacts, or bridge (like this IS1000). If the lens and light are good a slim 35mm compact can produce stunning images (my 35mm compact Contax T2 1:2.8 38mm never fails to do so). This now 25 year old Olympus camera is a great performer.</p>

<p>At 31 oz. it weighs a bit more than a modern dSLR (with kit lens) but not that much more (and basically the same if you count the second dSLR lens you would need to carry). Today I wore the IS-1000 around my neck using its broad and comfortable strap. In the field, it feels very much like a regular dSLR. The zoom is fast and the focus quick and reliable - quick enough for my nature walks. P, S, A, M and auto modes are easy to switch to, and I get no feel at all that this is an "old" camera or "vintage" design. It was well thought out and it looks great still. The 4.5-5.6 zoom is pretty much as fast as most current kit zooms. The distance based on-board flash is good out to 35 feet with red-eye reduction and fill-in. The lens quality is very good. The first roll of film I used (Kodak ISO 200) had expired in 2000 (fifteen years ago). This image of moss on the top of a fence post shows nice bokeh and sharpness. The colour is a bit off because of the film's age: <img src=" alt="" /></p>

<p>Being a hobbyist collector I use a lot of gear - film and digital - and I can honestly say that if this was the only equipment I had I'd be quite content. A 1.5 teleconverter attachment converts the on-board zoom from 35-135mm to 50-200mm and that's the range I generally work with 95% of the time. If you still like to shoot film it's a great camera.</p>

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