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

Timely

7/31/2008

I bought the camera for my daughter who had just purchased a kayak. Thought it would be perfect for capturing wildlife pics along Michigan streams without fear of water damage.

The order arrived on my doorstep within minutes of the time that she drove up with the new boat on top of her car. Perfect timing. That weekend she toured the Kalamzoo river with friends and managed to swamp the new boat in fast water. Suddenly realized what a worthy gift this was. Certainly the ideal camera for any boater because we all get wet one way or another at one time or another. And the quality is everything they said. Jewelry beautiful as well.

All are happy and satisfied.

Dave Wallace
ainsco@iserv.net

Is useful despite drawbacks

7/24/2008

I bought this camera to use while backpacking and canoeing. I was attracted to the waterproof and shockproof features, and it is indeed waterproof (I haven't dropped it yet, so I don't know about the shockproof part). The picture quality is good, but not outstanding, and the various shooting modes are very useful when I remember to use them. It has some serious drawbacks, though. The battery life is poor, so a week-long trip would require at least two extra fully charged batteries. The LCD display is barely visible in bright sunlight and there is no optical viewfinder as an alternative. Finally, like all cameras this size, it's easy to hold it crooked, shake it while taking the picture, or get a finger in front of the lens. I don't regret buying it and I'll use it a lot, but I wish it didn't have these drawbacks.

Great for underwater shots, lacking in optical zoom

7/21/2008

I was a little nervous to purchase this camera due to some reviewers who had obviously purchased faulty (leaky) cameras.
I am happy to say that this camera took fabulous underwater shots on my recent cruise to the Bahamas. The shots are clear and perfectly focused.
I knew going in that the optical zoom was not great, but I bought it specifically for the water resistance and am not disappointed.
Another plus is that you can use it straight out of the box - charge up the battery, purchase a card and start shooting. No need to read the manual first.
You do, however, need to submerge the camera in fresh water after taking underwater photos. As I was at the beach, I simply poured drinking water over the camera and set it in the shade to dry. I submerged it in fresh water later back on the ship.
Simple to use, great underwater shots, great in motion shots, good price.

Photo quality decent, underwater feature --> Amazing

7/17/2008

So the LCD screen got really scratched up the first time I used it (went tubing down a river so it's mostly my fault). It has shown to be very shock and water-proof. It is really tough to figure out how to take black and white shots.

Great camera for active college student

7/7/2008

I bought this camera for my daughter. After she had gone through several other cameras that she had broken, I decided that she needed a camera that would hold up to her active lifestyle. This one was the only one that I found at a reasonable price that was shock resistant and waterproof. For anyone that loves the beach and loves to snow ski this is the perfect camera.