Is The Olympus MJU II Zoom 80 Any Good? Full Review

I’ve shot with a lot of Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80’s over the years and now I’ve got a lot of experience with this cult classic point-and-shoot camera.

The Olympus Stylus Epic (MJU II) Zoom 80 is a great 35mm point-and-shoot camera that is extremely versatile with a good lens. Following the amazingly popular Olympus Stylus Epic, the Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80 was a more versatile alternative to the Stylus Epic. The Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80 is good, but it’s hard to say if it’s worth it when compared to other similar point-and-shoot cameras.

If you want to see this camera compared with other cameras, find out common faults, how to use it and much more then read on!

Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80 Specs

Exposure System: Auto Exposure

Shutter Speeds: 2-1/600s

Battery: 1 x CR123a

DX Coding: ISO 50-ISO 3200

Rewinding: Auto winding – Auto & Manual Rewinding.

Weight: 185g

Size: 115x59x39mm

Lens: 38 – 80mm – F/4.5 – 8.9

Focusing: 0.6m – Infinity

How Much Is The Olympus Stylus Epic Zoom 80 Worth?

Just a heads up, I’m going to start referring to all of these Olympus cameras by MJU rather than Stylus, these cameras are all known as MJU throughout the rest of the world, they’re only known as Stylus in the US.

The Olympus MJU II Zoom 80 is currently worth around $200 or £150. This camera can be purchased for less from thrift stores or flea markets if you’re lucky, you could also find it for less online but there is some risk that you may not get a quality camera.

In reality, the MJU II Zoom 80 shouldn’t really be quite this much, I think its value is mainly due to its relation with the Stylus Epic. The Stylus Epic Zoom 80 is more like a $120 in today’s market.

Comparing the MJU II Zoom 80 With the MJU II And MJU Zoom

The biggest difference is between the MJU II Zoom 80 and the normal MJU II. There is much less difference between the MJU II Zoom 80 and the normal MJU Zoom. Given how different they are in value at the moment, I would say that although the Olympus MJU II 80 is nearly twice the price of the MJU Zoom, it is not twice as good. Also, the classic MJU Zoom is a little more durable than the MJU II Zoom 80.

What Kind Of Photography Is The Olympus MJU II Zoom 80 Best For?

The Olympus MJU II Zoom 80 is best for travel, documenting life and nightlife photography. Since the MJU II Zoom 80 is quite a versatile point-and-shoot camera, it is ideal for travel as it has zoom capabilities, it’s compact and easy to carry and it’s got great autofocus.

The MJU II Zoom 80 is not really ideal for things like documentary photography, street photography or editorial photography, as it is just not quite good enough a camera for those kinds of photography. This is not to say that you could not use this camera for those things, or that you absolutely should not it is just not really best suited for this kind of photography. 

What Kind Of Film Stock Is Best For The Olympus MJU II Zoom 80?

The best film stop for MJU II Zoom 80 is Kodak Portra 400 because it’s a very versatile film stock with a great dynamic range. You could also use something like Kodak gold if you want something cheaper, Portra 800 if you want something for low light, or Ilford HP5 if you want something black and white. 

If you want to buy some film but you’re not sure what to buy or where, then this article will solve all of your problems. 

How To Use The Olympus MJU II Zoom 80

The Olympus MJU II Zoom 80 is very easy to use, you simply have to load a battery load some film on point and shoot at your subject. Of course, it’s not always that simple if you are not accustomed to the camera.

To turn the camera on you just need a CR123a battery, pop that into the compartment on the side of the camera. Then slide the door open all the way then your lens should extend And the flash should pop up. 

To take pictures and change the settings is easy, on the top there’s a button to shoot and there are two small buttons by the display, one is to change settings and one is for the self-timer. On the far right of the top is a switch that reads W&T and that is for zooming in and out. 

To load film is quite easy you just have to ensure that you have the film all the way to the red tab. If you’re unsure you can watch this quick video for some confidence.

To unload film from the an MJU zoom there’s a small rewind button on the bottom which has to be poked with something small to get it to manually rewind. Alternatively, it can rewind after you finished the entire roll automatically.

Common Faults With The Olympus MJU II Zoom 80

There aren’t very many faults with the Olympus MJU II Zoom 80 because it’s a very reliable camera.

Powering On, sometimes there’s an issue with the front sliding door, it may not work properly, which means you’ll have to open the door a bit further to ensure that the camera turns on properly. This is not a major issue but it can be annoying and it could turn into a bigger issue in the future. Sometimes, if you pull the door open too hard, you could actually pull the door off.

A Loose battery door is a common problem with nearly all MJU cameras, this isn’t the worst problem because the battery is still very secure, it’s more that it’s a bit annoying. I think you can replace battery doors fairly easily, although most MJUs aren’t made to be easily taken apart.

Flash not popping up is quite common for all MJU zooms, I think overtime they just become a bit worn out, usually if you just flick it up a bit yourself, it still works just fine.

Otherwise, you may just have some of the same issues that most point and shoots tend to have. Sometimes you may just receive a dead Olympus MJU 2 Zoom 80 because it has some form of electrical fault. That being said the MJU II Zoom 80 is a very reliable camera and it doesn’t have faults too often.

Final Word

In my opinion, the Olympus MJU II Zoom 80 is an OK camera but for the cost you can certainly get cameras of better quality, that will produce far greater results. This camera is probably as expensive as it is due to its sharing its name with the Olympus MJU II, realistically in today’s market it should probably only be around £120 or $150.