Olympus Stylus 790SW 7.1MP Waterproof Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 3x Optical Zoom (Orange) - Stylus 790SW Orange

Waterproof, shockproof, idiotproof

3/19/2008

While I knew there were trade-offs to this camera, namely slightly less megapixels, a weaker zoom (the biggest trade-off), and less bells and whistles than similarly priced camera's, to me the shock/water/sand-proof nature of the camera far outweighs any drawbacks.

I got to experience this first hand on the camera's first major test - a two week spring break that involved everything from skiing to camping. This camera was dropped off a ski lift into the snow below and still kept going (and the black color made it simple to find the thing!). It survived a dunk in the hot tub as well as a dusty campsite. All the while I could relax a little because I knew this camera was tough.

I'm not a shutterbug and wont pretend to know if the color balance is good or if the noise levels are unacceptable, but I know I have plenty of great pics of my trip. Like any camera, not every picture comes out right, but I got to know the setting buttons and menus which I think are well laid out for quick adjustments on the fly, and this problem disappeared. The camera itself is quite sleek-looking and is thin enough for most pockets. Another plus is it seemed to have a quick startup time for unexpected action shots, as opposed to my old camera whose lens had to extend and withdraw each time, which became agonizing when a good shot passed you by.

In summary, if you foresee abuse, accidents, and general mishaps happening to your camera (within reason, of course) this is the one for you. If you'd rather not worry about your camera's health on your travels, this is the one for you. If you none of this matters to you, yeah, perhaps look at your other options first. But being free from worry is well worth the trade-offs in my book.

Good Camera

3/17/2008

I bought this camera as an upgrade to my old Sony Cybershot, which I had for about 10 years. This is a good camera for a family because it will stand up to most of the abuse dished out by kids. It also has decent picture quality and is easy to use. I have taken it to the pool and taken it fishing and skiing several times. No problems with water, shock or temperatures. I don't think I would take this camera scuba diving. It just isn't a dive camera. So I have to laugh when I see other reviews here by tards who took the camera diving and then wondered why it malfunctioned.

Pleased

3/13/2008

I purchased this camera after reading very good reviews. Although while waiting for my camera to arrive i found a negative review and began to worry. This person said it is an awful camera that takes blurry pictures. Been there done that and I didn't want to do it again. I received the camera yesterday and was amazed by the clarity of the pictures. I was able to take amazing shots of my animals inside with very dim light. With my other more expensive camera my dog would have been blurry and dark or far too light. I love my camera so far and would advise others to ignore that one negative review I came across.

Horrible pictures

3/9/2008

This camera takes mostly blurry pictures. Most of our vacation pictures are ruined and now I'm stuck with this camera after buying the 2GB picture card and an extra battery. I went to Bestbuy to ask if there was anything I was doing wrong in regards to taking blurry pictures. The on site expert told us this is the worst camera he's seen and would never recommend it to anyone. He said they have more returns on that camera than anything else.
I'm normally not a negative person but please do yourself a favor and don't buy this camera. I'm going to contact Olympus directly and see if they can exchange it for a different model.

Don't make my mistake!

3/7/2008

I bought this camera after a 5-foot drop killed my wonderful Casio Exilim. I got it precisely because it is rugged and waterproof, and figured that was worth the extra money. And it is - if you don't mind the TERRIBLE PICTURE QUALITY.

The Casio excelled at taking pictures in low light. If you turned off the flash and set it to anti-shake, it would warn you about low exposure, but it would still take the picture with quick shutter speed to minimize blurring. It was perfect for concerts, campfires, candlelight, any time you didn't want a flash.

This camera is USELESS in low light. As soon as you turn of the flash, it slows the shutter speed waaaay down. I have tried using the presets for "candlelight," "available light," and "night scene," and they all slow the shutter speed and recommend using a TRIPOD (yeah, sure, got one in my pocket). You can't even MANUALLY speed up the shutter with the flash off. It overrides your settings and you end up with blurry pictures. Any time you're not in direct sunlight, or taking pictures with the camera's auto-flash, expect to take multiple pictures, cursing and fiddling with settings, and still ending up blurry. It's terrible.

Not only that, but it has a far shorter battery life than the Casio Exilim and seems to loose its charge even when not in use.

Not only THAT, but it takes a weird proprietary XD memory card. I have a brand new laptop with a reader that takes 4 different formats, but not this one. Don't expect to pop the memory stick out and put it in your reader -- don't lose the USB cable!

I want to cry when I think of the Exilim, which cost $100 less than this doorstop of a camera. I'm stuck constantly charging the battery, endlessly messing with the settings -- this is only a point-and-shoot camera in broad daylight with the subject ten feet away. It's laughable. I wish it would break so I could justify getting another Casio, which makes its ruggedness a drawback at this point.