The Olympus Stylus 500 sports an impressive 2-1/2" HyperCrystal LCD which is as bright as it is big. The 5MP of image resolution and compact, durable all-weather body demonstrate that power and elegance can co-exist in a stylish package that delivers brilliant images. Other features include 3x optical and 4x digital zooms (12x seamless); 5.8–17.4mm lens (35–105mm 35mm equivalent); 23 shooting modes such as portrait and landscape; QuickTime Movie with sound; built-in flash; full-speed USB 2.0 auto-connect; 12-second self-timer; removable XD-Picture Card slot (card sold separately); and much more.

CNET today posted their review of the Olympus Stylus 500 Digital and wrote-

"The first of the weatherproof Stylus Digital line with a 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD and an automatic lens barrier, the 5-megapixel Olympus Stylus 500 Digital nevertheless lags behind the newer Stylus 600 and Stylus 800 models, with their built-in help guides, Olympus's Bright Capture technology, and the 800's manual-exposure modes. Still, the Stylus 500 Digital will fill the bill for snapshot photographers who want an affordable, basic point-and-shoot camera to accompany them on outdoor adventures.

A basic camera, the Olympus Stylus 500 Digital is a good option for outdoorsy snapshot photographers who don't want to worry about the weather or fuss with camera settings."

Olympus Stylus 500 Digital Camera

Stylus 500 Features:
* 5-megapixel effective CCD and 3x optical zoom lens
* Durable all-metal (all-weather) body lets you shoot in almost any weather condition
* Program (Auto), Movie, and Scene program modes for various shooting situations
* 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD with 215,000 pixel resolution and 160° viewing angle
* Movies at 320x240 or 160x120 with audio, length limited only by memory
* Add voice memos to still pictures
* Shutter speeds from 1/1000 to 1/2 second (up to 4 secs in night mode)
* Built-in flash with auto, fill and red-eye reduction modes
* ISO sensitivity; Automatic (64 - 400 equivalent)
* Built-in all-weather speaker and microphone
* xD-Picture Card media, 32MB card included
* Auto-Connect USB for quick and easy image transfer to computer
* Direct printing to any PictBridge compatible printer
* Lithium rechargeable battery and charger included