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Chip off the old polycarbonate: Size comparison of original Stylus, left, and Epic doesn't tell the whole story--Epic is considerably lighter. New camera also has a bit more separation between lens and flashtube, but redeye is still a read possibility. |
Okay, so what? Well, even if there is enough light for an available-light exposure, the Epic will pump out some fill flash if it detects fluorescent, in order to improve color temperature--in plain English, to reduce "greenface" in portraits. More on this in a bit.
| Picking up the Epic leads right to a controversial issue: Is the camera too small? The curvaceous clamshell, when opened, provides a nice, ergonomic grip for the right hand, but there's precious little space remaining for your left hand. The best policy for a steady grip with the Epic is the Sint Squint,our pro columnist's cradle grip which we have illustrated to the right. |  Steady as she goes: Grip may look odd, and feels a little ungainly at first, but it's effective in holding tiny cameras like the Epic steady. |
When loading the camera, you'll find that the back takes a pretty firm squeeze to close, due to the thorough gasketing for splashproofing. The Epic is satisfyingly tight all around: no rattling panels or loose fittings anywhere.
| The biggest shutter button in point-and-shootdom falls nicely underneath your index finger, although some users at first found themselves pressing on the edge of the clamshell cover instead of the button. After a while, though, finding the big, smooth, elliptical release becomes second nature. |  Shutter ellipse? Somehow, "button" is wholly inadequate to describe Epic's shutter release. |
The real-image finder is clear and bright, with a bit of barrel distortion evident at the edges. It requires less eye centering than most finders of this type, and eye relief is good enough that eyeglass wearers can see the full frame, edge to edge. Not so with the two indicator lamps, however. Located in the black surround just outside the picture area, the AF and flash lamps can be obscured from view unless you deliberately shift your view. They can be hard to see in bright light as well.