Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

By Hamish Gill

I originally published a review of the The Olympus mju-ii back in 2013. There’s been a few times since then that I’ve thought about updating that review with a few more recent thoughts. Instead, I’ve decided to keep the original intact, and post this follow-up to bring the original post up to date. If you’ve not already read the original, you can find it here

In 2019, the Olympus mju-ii – also know as the Olympus Stylus Epic – has gained quite a bit of a cult following. It was regaining popularity back in 2013 but since then it’s popularity has grown exponentially. I have, on more than a few occasions, been accused of fuelling the fire of that popularity by writing a review that – but for a highlighting a few shortcomings – asserted that this camera is perhaps the “ultimate point & shoot camera” and pretty much the default recommendation to anyone looking for such a thing. These few years on, I figured I should update those thoughts – especially as they are feeling a little bit passed their best-before date.

In my original review I highlighted a series of reasons I felt that it was the ultimate point & shoot. This included its size, the quality and speed of the lens, its level of reliability in terms of its automatic exposure and autofocus, how easy it is to use, its weather resistance and how easy they are to come by. None of these things have changed, which is largely why I still think the Olympus mju-ii is a good, if not great, camera.

Wales 2018
A shot from a recent holiday in Wales – I was on a bike ride and the Oly just slipped into my shorts pocket and did a great job at capturing the day

Unfortunately, I no longer think that it’s the “ultimate”, and nor do I see it as a default recommendation to those looking to buy a point & shoot camera. What’s sad, is that this is mostly down to the one factor I can no longer include in that list of pros.

Value (vs. Worth)

The other factor in my original list of pros was the price of the Olympus mju-ii on the used market. When I first wrote my review, they could still be had for £30 quite readily, even on eBay. These days, you can quite often multiply that by 5 if you want to buy good one from the same place. Alone this bothers me, but in paying that heavily inflated price, you also have to accept they’ve aged a further 6 years. And – whilst there might quite literally be millions of these things out there still happily clicking away – an additional 6 years could be quite a lot in the lifespan of a product that’s entirely dependent on electronics.

Fortunately, as far as point & shoot cameras go, the Olympus mju-ii isn’t the least reliable point & shoot out there – there are much worse! That being said though, I do come across reports of irreparable-failure quite often, and have even experienced it myself a couple of times. In fact, the last one that crossed my path died within seconds of me putting a battery into it. I pressed the shutter button, the lens extended, and then stayed extended. The electronics had failed completely and the camera was therefore irreparably dead. Fortunately for me, it wasn’t mine – its owner wasn’t too pleased though. Not because he wanted to shoot it; he was hoping to sell it and wanted me to give it the once-over first. Luckily for him, he bought it a few years ago, so he didn’t lose as much as someone would have if they bought one and this happened today.

It is this combination of increased cost and increased propensity to fail that has meant that I’ve completely stopped recommending the Olympus mju-ii. As I talk about in a recent post, I struggle to recommend many cameras these days, but the Olympus mju-ii was one that I used to recommend a lot. In actual fact, if I’m asked about a point & shoot now and the subject of the Olympus mju-ii comes up, I quite often suggest people steer clear of it, and go for something cheaper.

The unfortunate reality is, for £30 it was a bit of a bargain. Even for £75 it was still a pretty good camera, but for £150+ it just feels a little average to me. Having recently surveyed a bunch of other grumpy arseholes on a Facebook group I’m a member of, I know I’m not the only one who feels this way too. The problem is, whilst it does have the merits I outlined at the beginning of the post, it’s not without a few quite specific shortcomings.

The Common Complaints

As I outlined in my original review, the most common complaints with the Olympus mju-ii are the tiny viewfinder, the slightly awkward handling, and the fact that flash settings are forgotten when the camera is switched off. Something I didn’t really touch on in my earlier review was the eagerness of the flash when it’s switched on.

The Eager Flash

This was first pointed out to me by Graeme on the Sunny-16 podcast a few years ago. But more recently, when asking the question about what people don’t like about this camera on the aforementioned Facebook group, I had more people highlight it again.

The issue is, for those who don’t like to shoot with a flash, not only does the Olympus mju-ii require the flash to be turned off every time the camera is powered up, but when it’s on auto-mode it tends to fire more readily than you might expect. This was never a problem for me, as I habitually turned the flash off whenever I used it. But for those who don’t, or those who forget, they find the flash to cause them an issue by firing quite unexpectedly.

portrait of man with Olympus mju ii
As far as flashes go, it does a pretty good job – even if it is a bit eager

This is further compounded by the fact that the Olympus mju-ii doesn’t really allow you to keep it switched on. With some cameras that require the flash mode to be set each time it’s switched on, it’s possible to leave them powered up in your pocket to increase shot-readiness. With this camera, not only does the clamshell easily get knocked shut, thus switching off the camera and resetting the modes, but – as I discovered when I tried to hack the camera – if you leave it switched on for long enough it hangs and needs the battery taking out to reset it.

The result of all of this, is that you have to be on the ball if you don’t want the flash to fire. Now, as I said, I didn’t ever really notice this issue when I first reviewed it, and even now still have the habit of cycling the flash modes when I first turn it on. But for some, it’s an issue that firmly adds to the categorisation of this camera as fairly “average”.

Copy Variance

Unfortunately, whilst this covers off most of the points highlighted to me when I recently asked for peoples views on Facebook, I also have my own issue to add to the list of shortcomings. That being copy variance in the lens. Funnily enough, this perspective, at least in part, also comes from other conversations I’ve seen and commented on in online forum threads and social media.

Since the mju-ii gets talked about so much, I’ve seen a lot of comments online about the quality of the lens. These range from highly positive comments claiming that it’s one of the best lenses ever to be put into a point & shoot, to others claiming that it’s inferior to some much more affordable offerings out there.

When I first reviewed it, I was of the opinion that it’s a great lens, and for a while found myself a little confused about the negativity. I’ve subsequently shot and seen shots from different copies and spotted differences in the quality of the results. My current copy, for example, seems to have much softer corners.

Wales trees Olympus mju ii
My current copy – soft/smeary corners
digger Olympus mju ii
My older copy (that died on my years ago) – notice the bricks in the top corner. Given the scene – one would assume a similar chosen aperture

Of course, copy variance is nothing new, or particularly unusual, but with often strong variance in opinion when it comes to the optical quality, I do wonder just how much variance there is.

Skip To The End

As I’ve said, when I first reviewed the Olympus mju-ii, I didn’t fall foul of the eager flash, nor was I aware of the copy variance. But, even if I had been, looking back at a time when these cameras could be had for £30, I still don’t think I would have quibbled too much. All cameras have compromises and shortcomings that the photographer has to work with, and in the case of this camera the pros it brought to the table used to outweigh the cons.

Unfortunately, now the price has risen to what it has, the weight of the cons bears down much heavier on the pros. For £150 the Olympus mju-ii just feels a lot more average than it used to – especially as it’s getting older and more likely to brick.

The really frustrating thing is, there really isn’t any other camera that offers the same package of features, so it’s not like I could recommend a specific alternative, even if I wanted to. But because this is exact set of features isn’t worth the cash it’s on offer for – as I’ve said – I just can’t find it in myself recommend the Olympus mju-ii anymore.

These days, the more wise option when looking for a point & shoot film camera is to spend a lot less cash on something that doesn’t have a cult following. There are stacks of point & shoot film cameras that can be had for less than £30 – and whilst they might not offer exactly what this camera offers in terms of features, at the price point, their respective pros will likely outweigh the Olympus mju-ii when taking into account its current price point.

In short, don’t get suckered in by the hype – good camera, but its really not worth the money they now sell for!

Share this post:

Find more similar content on 35mmc

Use the tags below to search for more posts on related topics:

Contribute to 35mmc for an ad-free experience.

There are two ways to contribute to 35mmc and experience it without the adverts:

Paid Subscription – £2.99 per month and you’ll never see an advert again! (Free 3-day trial).

Subscribe here.

Content contributor – become a part of the world’s biggest film and alternative photography community blog. All our Contributors have an ad-free experience for life.

Sign up here.

About The Author

By Hamish Gill
I started taking photos at the age of 9. Since then I've taken photos for a hobby, sold cameras for a living, and for a little more than decade I've been a professional photographer and, of course, weekly contributor to 35mmc.
View Profile

Comments

Jack Ryder on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

I use mine regularly, bought new around 2000. Window for see what cassette one has has fallen out, filled with Sugru. Agree flash comes on too often. I have just finished a roll of 800asa and it came on for that, not always but it was a surprise. Nice smooth case means it is easy to carry around in a pocket without a case. Reliabilty is good, as is battery life. I wear glasses and find the viewfinder fine. However, I would not pay a silly price for one. Bought a lesser Olympus for £1 at a boot fair last year and for general snap shots pictures look OK.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

Sugru is wonderful stuff! I’ve fixed a good few cameras with it too!!

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Alan Yahnke replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

My wife used super glue on one of mine. Perfect. I don't know how she does it.

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

rich replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

I’m still considering buying one... as imperfect as they are, i can’t seem to find any alternative that seems to have a reputation for being reliable (in terms of not bricking). I’d rather go for an XA or similar, better features rangefinder, but every time i find an alternative i find reams of forum posts about the various ways that they’ve given out. i don’t know if this is true but it just seems like they are robust and hopefully will keep going for at least a good few years yet. the real worry is that the longer we go on, the more expensive all half decent pocketable 35mm shooters are going to get, till eventually there are hardly any left at all! with that in mind, i’m tempted to shell out on the one that i think will last the longest, even if it isn’t necessarily the best deal in terms of features/cost ratio.

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

If it's the right combination of features and functions for you, go for it! Buying one from somewhere that guarantees what they sell might be a good idea though

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rahat_si_pula on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

Useless rant.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

Useless reply

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

BenHeijermans on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

well.. I own my late mum's mju-ii and so I will never sell it for an 'inflated' price.. I had my best Stylus' photo's on my 2001 India tour blown up to gigantic prints and those look fantastic! The weird thing is: I have another point&shoot that was my mum's as well! And that is the Pentax PC35AF... does ALSO perform really nice! Now because I have these 2 mum-given gifts, I decided that I 'had' to buy nr 3 and that is a Pentax 35AF-M SE, it's basically new, for a bargain price. In terms of handling, I like the last one the best. It is just the right size for my big hands and has a real nice protruding rubberized grip on the right hand side. I just like those little bricks from the 80's & 90's, IMHO they are real.. well, say .. FUNKY.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

My Pentax was given to me by my dad - great camera!

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Rob on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

I bought one of these at a flea market a few years ago for €12. I bought it to replace the one i bought on eBay for €30 and had lost somewhere. the €12 model got stolen out of my car and so i searched on eBay for another, since it was such a great vacation and street camera (if you remember to switch the flash off ;) I picked one up for About €50. I still have that one but I scratched off all the silver paint and discovered the clamshell wasn't black underneath but a rather ugly Grey, so I thought I might look for a junker online to salvage a body from. Now this is only a year later and the Junkers were selling for, literally, more than the one I had bought just a year before! WTF!!! MJUIIs in good condition were sometimes selling for €300! I've seen them for more and I started trying to see if I could eventually nab a junker for cheap, but I'm never in time for the bid, or maybe I just don't care anymore.
The same phenomenon has happened to the Pentax Espio Mini and the Konica Big Mini. Even the MJU Zooms are going up in Price, leaving me to really wonder if the demand for film is really dead. I think there are a lot of Folks out there who would really love to see there photos coming from film even if they are just snapshots from vacation. There's something About holding an actual camera that makes the memories more valuable to look at. Hell you can get a decent Rollei 35 made out of metal and to, at least, the same standards for less money nowadays.

Thanks for the article. Hope it helps a few people make a better decision
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

Cheers - yeah, the demand for film is definitely growing again now!

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Mike Connealy on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

I couldn't agree more with your assessment of the mju II - way over priced these days for what it offers. I have one that works perfectly except that one of the little tabs for closing the back is broken off. I could shoot it with enough black tape to seal the back, but it hardly seems worth the bother. I do think the original mju is a very viable alternative. I'm really doubtful that the image quality difference between the two cameras could be objectively determined, and I've made more pictures with my mju than any other p&s. I've picked up several mju in thrift shops over the years and never paid more than six or eight bucks for them.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

At those prices, you’re definitely on to a winner! I’ve not shot the original in a long time - I meant to pick one up for a while, but the price has risen too high now...

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Terry B on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

Hamish,
I've read your original review for the first time, I hadn't come across your site back then.
As for the review itself, I found this very fair and summed up nicely what the mju-ii was, and wasn't. It was never an upmarket pocket rocket such as the likes of the GR1, T4 and 5, Contaxes, and others of its own ilk, the Konica A4 comes to mind, and was simply a better specified camera for the family. I ask, for whom else? At its, then asking price for a used camera of this spec, your review, for all practical purposes, was bang on.
Today, I get the impression that people know the price of everything but the value of none. And this is why many seem happy to buy at what are, to others, silly prices for what's on offer. However, it is supply and demand, after all, these cameras are no longer being made.
So don't beat yourself around the head, Hamish. ???? 2013 is not 2019.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

Hah, cheers Terry

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Malcolm Myers on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

I managed to get a Gold Olympus Mju II for a bargain price recently. I have to say I didn't really like the shape of it, it sort of tapers off on the left hand side and I find my left hand slipping off it. Photos are ok but it missed autofocus a few time. I have to say, I think I prefer the Mju I. Should I sell the II whilst prices are high? Probably, but I'll give it one more go before I decide.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

I doubt prices will fall - even with me moaning on

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Zach Zimmitti on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

I recall when I finally bought one about two years ago and was thoroughly dissatisfied. I found the lens (like most aged AF Olympus compacts) to be unusably soft even when it nailed focus. (TLDR, I shot myself in the foot by comparison to my rangefinder glass)
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Michael Kay on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

Yes Hamish, I couldn't agree more. I'm always amazed at how quick people are to jump on a bandwagon and then pay way over the odds for something, just because they've kidded themselves into thinking that it will be so much better than an alternative. The Yashica T4/5 is another good example. At a better quality level, but suffering the same hyper-inflated prices we have the Pentax K1000. I bought a new one in 1984. I sold it long ago but notice that they sell for £200 for a mint one on eBay. Perhaps I should have kept it as it was mint when I sold it. Yet I've just bought a Pentax KX instead.

These being the better, higher spec model from which Pentax derived the 'budget' K1000 version. It is the same camera with Depth of Field preview, mirror lock up, and both the shutter speed selected and the aperture selected displayed in the viewfinder. And as the battery only powers the meter, if that doesn't work the camera still will.

As these were short lived models, the ME Super and MX having replaced them because the market wanted small, they are fewer and further between. They were however made of metal, with metal (brass) cogs and they were made in Japan, unlike the K1000 which was only made in Japan for a few years before they moved production to Hong Kong and later China to cheapen the manufacturing costs. They also changed the internals making cogs out of nylon, again to cheapen production costs, but the prices remain ridiculously wild at the moment.

My Voigtlander Vitomatic lla only cost me £30 and works perfectly and is mint condition. It's Tessar formulation lens is the same as the mju ii in a body which is miles better made and will last forever. OK a rangefinder, not a point and shoot. But you can control it. You can find that the viewfinder prisms can separate, but they are dirt cheap and that viewfinder has a 1:1 magnification, i.e the ideal 100% magnification.

You're right to highlight the folly of buying a mju ii today. I actually bought a mju 80 zoom a few years ago, which I know isn't as good, but because of its perceived lack of appeal, I won the bidding paying only the starting price of 1 penny. OK the p&p cost 260 times that, but hey, I coped. The camera turned out to work perfectly, though it has the same design issues as the mju ii.

Buy wisely - buy cheaper and make better choices I say!
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

Quite right!!

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Shaun on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

Thanks Hamish. I get your point about the avaliable examples being older now and very much pricier. Pretty much every P&S is equally more aged so it’s horses for courses, price is simply supply and demand, none of us shoot film for its value or it’s reliability in terms of equipment. I would suggest the Canon MC or even an Olympus XA (first version) as good 2.8 alternatives. However if you can afford £150 for an MJUII and accept the frailty of 99% of exisiting film cameras, well why not, they are great little performers.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

Yeah, I agree to a point - I said as much in my post about buying film cameras recently

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

FunkFresh on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

When I realized, after shooting them side by side, the incredibly inexpensive zoom point and shoots to be comparable in quality to the cult cameras I sold my fancy them real quick. With the sale of one of my Yashicas I got an entire Sinar F2 4x5 kit with lenses and film holder. Image telling someone in the 1996 that you trade them you Olympus for their Sinar kit. Haha.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

I know. It’s a mad world!!

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Neilson on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

I used these for a long time, from when I got my first one in the 90's, up to when my last one broke a couple of years ago. To the list of complaints I would add that the focus can be unreliable and that you can't see where it is. One cool feature that I rarely see mentioned is the night time flash mode. It's a pop and drag, the flash freezes the action but you get a longer exposure picking up ambient light. If you move the camera during the drag you can get some cool effects. https://flic.kr/p/559yMD
The argument can be made that no analogue point and shoot is worth paying a lot of money for because given their age they're prone to break and then they can't be fixed. One more thing, I hate to be a grammar stickler, but it should be "too expensive" in the title of your post.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

Yeah I agree - the fun is finding the really cheap ones these days. Spotted the to too late myself, thanks :)

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Andrew Townsend on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

Hamish, great article. I love your re-review. Though I (respectfully and humbly) disagree that specifically the mju-ii is overpriced, I feel the price of the entire line of Olympus mju (or Stylus) cameras have been inflated beyond its value. Any of the zoom cameras from the line were practically given away on Ebay, and it was easy to find the original mju for a steal. Anecdotally, two years ago I won three zoom models and the original mju, along with many other cameras, for $30. Now, it's hard to find an Olympus mju, of any model, for less than $40 as a starting bid.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

I agree - it’s dragged the whole range up with it!

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Michael Kay on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

I knew when I saw your "to" spelling mistake in the title, that it wasn't gonna be a great article. Let the young kids buy the hype cameras & give us older farts some pension money. Then I remembered you're a Pom & you guys always whinge. Hah!
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/03/2019

You know I’m part of a podcast call The Hypersensitive Photographers Podcast - I REALLY love a moan and a groan!

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Crispin on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 19/03/2019

Were they ever all that good? As a kid in the 80s I saw them on sale at the local chemist! So, the rabid bidding on eBay for such a basic device is viewed suspiciously. No one is trying to hoard up electric toothbrushes or trendy hairdryers of the same period and there's no input from Zeiss or Leica. I should visit my parents to rummage for an old Kodak 35mm I shot maybe 3 rolls of film with and see if it still works.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

eric on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 19/03/2019

I am agree with article. For the price is better to buy a Canonet Q 17, a Minolta Hi Matic 7 Sii in mint conditions. Lense is better and fun also.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Xxx on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 19/03/2019

Only mjuii worth paying for is the one with zeiss optics
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

iGlad on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 20/03/2019

I had a Mju II, which i bought it for £5 (2013) and it took some very fine pics but it was too small and fiddly for my fat fingers. However I have an A1 size poster shot with the Mju ii and it's looks so good you'd have thought it was shot with an SLR. I sold it last year for an inflated price on Ebay and it was bought by a dealer who then doubled the already inflated price!! It's a good point & shoot but not worth more than £30 imho. I'm not complaining about prices as I have been selling off my camera collection (far too many not being used and the missus is happy). Also my GAS has now gone but the prices I have been getting sometimes made my head spin as it proves film is very much alive.

My point and shoots of choice are from the Pentax Espio range, yes i know there are many but be selective. I only now only have the 928 (black plastic body), 120mi, 80, Mini, AF Zoom and the 170Sl. They are all great cameras but the 928 is my favourite and I can't help noticing that prices for some cameras in the Pentax Espio range (excluding the Mini) are now starting to creep up.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

eric on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 22/03/2019

This camera is too expensive and not so very good.
For the price, it is easy to get a better camera which will live long time with a great lense like a Canonet Q17 III, or a Minolta Hi-Matic 7Sii. You will have more fun, and you can use manually if meter does not work !
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Guy Wheater on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 22/03/2019

I have had two of these. First one was stolen and I replaced it (that says a lot). A true "compact" and brilliant for spontaneous shooting "from the pocket" (rather than the hip). The second camera started jumping frames and I could not fix it. I would buy a third one if it was £50-60 (that's about the right price). Agree with Hamish, you can get a lot more bang for buck elsewhere.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Steve Ember on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 24/03/2019

Thanks, Hamish, for an even-handed review of yet another camera whose appeal to the easily-led the hype-machine has aggrandized.
In 1993, I was given the more modest Stylus with the perfectly adequate f/3.5 lens as a birthday present. Thus, it was bought new at '93-typical price. I always took it along with my SLRs for snapshots and photos to send to people met along the way (using color negative films). Aside from its "stubborn" flash (as with yours, it had to be re-set each time you turned on the camera), it was pleasant enough to use. I even did some "serious" shooting with it, mounted to a tripod, and I must say that little f/3.5 lens allowed me to display some of the results in rather impressive large prints.
The little guy developed a light leak around 2000 and, while Olympus no longer supported them for repairs, they did offer discounted refurbs in their Customer Loyalty program, so I bought one slightly less deluxe in trim (no silly quartz date to mess up photos if you mis-set it to on) but otherwise same lens and functionally identical, and continue to use it today. Favorite small 35? No way, as I do prefer cameras made of metal that can be repaired if they fail!
But I appreciate my Stylus for what it is and the pictures it can deliver...and happy to say there was no hype-frenzy in its purchase.
Guess I'm a lucky guy in that area, as I bought my lovely Dark Titanium Contax T2 (which I do consider an outstanding example of camera design and manufacture) in 2012...before the craziness set in. And I don't intend to sell it ;-)
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 24/03/2019

Yeah, I sorta wish I hadn't sold my Contax compacts...

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

The Olympus mju-ii - is it the Ultimate Point & Shoot? - 35mmc on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 26/03/2019

[…] Edit: Since writing this post in 2013, I have updated it with a follow-up post. If you would like my full opinion of this camera, please read on, then read the follow-up here […]
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Simon on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 04/04/2019

It's a great little camera but the current prices are ridiculous. It prompted me to sell mine earlier this month, since it was getting very little use and I can spend the money on more film for my venerable Olympus SLRs (and maybe the Werra 3 I many years ago). I had got increasingly frustrated with the lack of aperture control and, to a lesser extent, having to make the otherwise excellent spotmeter set focus & exposure simultaneously. It felt too much like guesswork and a distraction.

I know I'll miss it. The size and shape is great for carrying everywhere, the spotmeter works really well and I have never had a problem with the flash (I habitually turn it off when opening the clamshell). I hope all those buying them find them fun and rewarding, I am certainly glad I had mine to hand over the last 15 years.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Art on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 25/04/2019

I totally agree. But most mju ii’s that ive seen have the soft corners so I don’t necessarily see it as a defect especially considering that it only happens when shooting wide open and with tree branches lol. Also ive seen this behavior on my XA in very specific scenarios, such as with tree branches, so its not limited to the mju ii. Its best competitor is probably the yashica t4 super/t5 but that camera is in the 400-500 range easy.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Colin Templeton on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 30/04/2019

I bought an Olympus mju2 in 1998, shot it casually for a year or two, and then digital cameras came out. I remember trying to sell the mju2 on eBay years later, and nobody wanted it.

Fast forward to 2019, and I found the mju2 at the bottom of a box at my mum's house. I'd forgotten all about it.

I bought a battery, put it in, and the camera sprang into life. Nearly 20 years at the bottom of a box in a garden shed, and it was ready to go. I've run a few films through it, and got two shots I'm really pleased with. On a roll of Delta 400, I got a shot of the concrete bridge supports of Glasgow's Kingston bridge in the fog. The image is really quite beautiful - as much down to the film as to the very sharp lens.

But the prices for Olympus mju2 cameras are ridiculous now, I agree. Its a shame. If the camera breaks, you might as well throw it away. It's not worth £150. I think it's because film has become popular, and nobody is making a pocketable camera to take advantage of the trend. Bellamy Hunt was looking into creating a camera to answer the demand, but that was a year or two ago, and perhaps that's not going to come off now.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

craig on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 02/09/2019

I open the front, switch flash off and then don't shut the front til i need to put the camera away.

Mine doesnt require removing the battery, it just goes into standby mode and the lcd goes blank, half press the shutter and its back and the flash is still switched off.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Ed on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 23/11/2019

The free market has driven these 'objets d'amour' to comical prices, especially when one considers how little a Nikon F100 (£120) or Canon EOS (£100) can be purchased, big but both of far more reliable build. Hell, a Leica R8 (£350) becomes viable.

Ricoh, are you hearing this? Drop a film carriage into the GR III....
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

GK on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 18/05/2020

I had a pair of these that I bought dirt cheap in 2011 and sold them a year ago for over $250 a piece. At that price, I wanted to get rid of them before they inevitably failed. These things were designed to be disposable products, so it's only a matter of time.

I did hold on to my XA which is still working great and as of yet doesn't command the ridiculous Stylus Epic prices.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 18/05/2020

Funnily enough, I've never been able to find an XA that works for very long. I have had 3 fail on me so far

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Michael Hatton on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 20/05/2020

Hi Great website, great information.
I purchased my Olympus mju-ii new when they first came out. It was my back up camera to my bulking Nikon 35MM. The Olympus mju-ii takes great pictures if you use it properly and it "get a good enough" photo if you just point and shoot. Your photos prove it take s great photos. I think the answer is Olympus needs to start making them again but update the quirks. Off button for the flash, bigger viewfinder, a little quieter, etc. Keep the winning parts, small, fast lens, water resistant, clamshell, pocketable, inexpensive. With improved manufacturing this is a win win.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 20/05/2020

I totally agree! I would buy one for sure!

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

tom on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 07/02/2022

I think the complaints about price for this camera are themselves overblown. I mean is 150-200 really a lot of money for this camera these days? I'm by no means a man of means, but still, if I was in the market for such a thing I wouldn't be put off by that price, particularly considering what you can pay for something with a more treasured heritage that wouldn't give you any better results.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Hamish Gill replied:

Comment posted: 07/02/2022

Finding one for £150 is a tall order now, unfortunately

Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Adrian Jones on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 10/03/2022

I have just seen a tweet from Harrisons Cameras in which they question whether it is hype or a collectors piece and the price is now £260 amazing how the price just keeps climbing and climbing on these.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Andrew Wong on Olympus mju-ii Review (pt2) – Great Camera, But Too Expensive For What It Is!

Comment posted: 15/10/2022

I just bought one today for 5 USD at a local thrift store, I don't think I would have bought it if it was going for the hype prices, but at 5 bucks it's a no brainer, especially with the issues I've read about on them like those light leak issues (which a quick test the copy I bought has a few), which for 5 dollars I can tolerate.
Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *