Features & Controls

Olympus has provided the Stylus 7040 with a 7x optical zoom lens with a 35mm equivalent of 28-196mm. This lens is combined with a dual image stabilization system that combines shooting with higher ISO settings and a sensor shift system to provide crisp images that are free from image blur and camera shake. When the camera is not powered up, the lens retracts into the body for protection.

Focus:

At the time of this review (April 2010), the effective flash distance has not been specified by Olympus. While shooting with the camera the flash worked well within 10ft. of your image at mid-telephoto (ISO Auto). At ISO 64, it was not powerful enough to give us a correct exposure from 7ft. away mid-telephoto. The flash operates in Auto, On, Off and Red Eye Reduction modes.

Framing and viewing your images is accomplished with the 3.0-inch, 230,000 dot HyperCrystal II LCD screen. This screen does an excellent job of reproducing the bright, vivid colors that you see when you capture the image. It is very bright and can be seen easily in most lighting conditions. Reflections can easily be seen on the very reflective surface.

For the Stylus 7040, the controls on the back of the camera have been designed to be very easy to understand and operate. At the top you have the zoom control lever. Next is the dedicated Movie Record button. Directly above the 4-way controller you can see the playback button. The 4-way controller/scroll wheel has a unique design. Pressing it up changes the amount of info you see on the screen while shooting or viewing your images. Pressing down allows you to delete images in Playback mode. Pressing down or either direction in  REC mode will take you to the quick menu. At the bottom you have the MENU button and the camera/menu guide button.

On the right side of the camera you will find your input/output ports, one for USB 2.0 and the other is a mini HDMI port for viewing your images and HD Movies on a HDTV.

Olympus has really stepped up and replaced the useless internal memory that you find in most digital cameras that only hold 2-5 full-sized images and given the Stylus 7040 a 2GB internal memory. This allows you to shoot without an SD/SDHC card for an afternoon, or allows you to continue to shoot well after filling any memory cards that you might have with you.

Specifications Physical Views Features & Controls

Record Screens & Menus Playback Screens & Menus Steve's Conclusion

Sample Photos