Olympus Stylus SH-1
$449, olympus.CO m.au
More Monaco than Majorca, this is the stylish traveller’s choice
The retro, 60s-inspired look of the Olympus Pen and OM-D cameras now extends to its cheaper travel zooms. The SH-1’s leathereffect frontage and classic black and silver attire recall the old Olympus Trip. In fact, this snapper has a very similar ethos to the Trip: quality results from an easy to use, mass-market device. It handles just like more expensive Olympus cams, too, you just can’t change the lens.
The sensor is a run-of-the-mill 16-megapixel, back-illuminated 1/2.3-inch CMOS, but that’s matched to a broader than average focal range, starting out at 25mm courtesy of 24x optical zoom with a maximum f/3 lens aperture (one of the brighter lenses on test). You also get a powerful TruePic VII processor handling the grunt work and an autofocus response that can only be described as lightning swift.
The zoom is perhaps a little modest compared to the 30x reach of some rivals, but the Olympus fields the advantage of five-axis image stabilisation – tech that’s been passed down from the top-of-the-range OM-D, no less – allowing you to shoot wobble-free 1080p video at up to a whopping 60 frames per second for suitably cinematic results.
Despite its elegant look, this camera is no throwback, including Wi-Fi for getting online and a three-inch touchscreen that makes uploading pics directly to social networks or switching between the many manual options and filters a breeze. Art Filter, in particular, is great for adding extra pep to shots when conditions are drab.
The buttons and dials are perfectly functional and easy to operate, too, but you also get the option of firing off the camera shutter by tapping that nice, bright screen.
The Olympus SH-1 is a premium compact that offers enough style, and just enough substance, to make it first class, five-star choice for your holiday. Love Well-crafted design. Handles like pricier Olympus Pen interchangeable lens cams. Features aplenty Hate Shorter zoom than test rivals. T3 Says Classic looks and modern features, it’s the most premium of premium compacts