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 Olympus Epic |
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Lens: |
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35 mm f/2.8 |
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| Exposure Control: | EV 1.0 to EV 17 | |||
| Maximum shutter speed: | 1/1000th sec | |||
| Battery: | DL123A | |||
| Dimensions (inches, WxHxD): | 4.3 x 2.3 x 1.5 | |||
| Weight (without batteries): | 135 gm / 4.7 oz |
By far the Olympus Infinity Epic is the best point and shoot camera for putting in a small camera rocket. It is small enough to fit into the 2.63" body tube and has one of the fastest shutter speeds of any point and shoot camera (1/1000th second!). At about $90 it is affordable too.
Olympus put a fast (for a point and shoot camera) f2.8 lens on it and therefore allowed the shutter speed to be increased over many other cameras. Some, non-rocketry photographers, criticized this lens because it decreased the depth of field for the camera, but for rocket aerial photography that is not a factor since the camera always needs to be focused on infinity anyway.
It does have the disadvantage that the modification for bringing out the shutter button wires requires the shutter button to be removed, something I prefer not to do. But the small size and fast shutter speed make it fantastic for rocket aerial photography.
I have flown eight of these cameras on my Level 3 certification flight in My Minds Eye and later in the Eyes in the Sky camera rocket. I am glad that I have so many of the Epics that I will be flying them for a long, long time.
