ˌɪntɹədˈuːst ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti sˈɛvən, ðɪ əlˈɪmpəs stˈaɪləs ˈɛpɪk fˈɑːloʊd ɐ lˈɔŋ lˈaɪn ʌv fˈɪkst fˈoʊkəl lˈɛŋθ, bˈʌdʒɪt pɹˈaɪst, kənsˈuːmɚ lˈɛvəl, pˈɔɪnt ænd ʃˈuːt kˈæmɹəz fɹʌm əlˈɪmpəs ðæt tˈɛndᵻd tʊ ɐpˈiːl tʊ ɛnθˈuːziˌæsts ænd pɹəfˈɛʃənəlz hˌuː wˈɔntᵻd ɐ kˈæmɹə smˈɔːl ɪnˈʌf tə fˈɪt ɪn ɐ pˈɑːkɪt.
Introduced in 1997, the Olympus Stylus Epic followed a long line of fixed focal length, budget priced, consumer level, point and shoot cameras from Olympus that tended to appeal to enthusiasts and professionals who wanted a camera small enough to fit in a pocket.