Name: Arthur Held
Location: Missoula MT
Date: 2008-05-27
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Point and Shoot - Special features balance make it great
Comment: This camera is NOT a replacement for a good DSLR. If you aren't expecting that, you won't be disappointed by this Point and Shoot (P&S) camera.
This camera offers strong features for a "take it anywhere" camera - water PROOF (to 30 feet) drop proof (to 6 feet) and dust proof. After a month of dragging it everywhere, I think the claims are real. I've gotten it soaked, dropped it, and been in wind-blown dirt without any damage or crud appearing on my shots.
The camera also offers numerous metering modes for shooting. The auto exposure is current with today's best P&S technology. Once you learn the menu system, you can get a good shot almost anywhere, and the default setting works well almost anywhere.
Yes, it is 10MP. No, it won't rival shots from a Canon 40D (unless you have really cheap glass on it). But you will get shots that don't fall apart into blurriness when you crop them or blow them up a bit, the colors will be good, and you'll have it with you, in your pocket, not home in the camera bag.
Downsides? Sure, there are a few, and they will probably vary by personal taste. Mine include:
1. There is NO finder window, you MUST use the view screen to frame your shot. It's awkward for those of us accustomed to a view finder. But I've learned... (and I'm over 50, so you probably can too ;))
2. The menus are not complex, but there are a lot of options. There are settings that work for "instant" shots. But for more challenging situations there are great options - especially useful is the "portrait flash" options that let you highlight a face while not losing the background. It actually works as advertised.
3. The lens is limited in aperture. This type of camera does not let you stop down to f/11 for that "perfect" depth of field shot. You are shooting around f/5 and changing the exposure time as you select different settings. What it sees is what you get.
4. It's small. I have several great shots -- that feature my finger over the left 1/3 of the lens.
5. it has the usual metering delay of P&S - so you can't take a TRULY instant shot - but there IS a feature called SHOOT&SELECT - which takes about 8 shots in "motor drive" mode - you then pick one or more that you want to keep. (you must do it NOW - before going on to the next shot, and it does take a moment for them to save.) But for action shots of kids, its fun and works well.
SUMMARY: For a camera you can throw in your kayak, drop off your bike, keep in your jacket pocket, and let your kids take pictures from the monkey bars without worrying about, this is the perfect fit.
Name: J. W. Vincent
Location: St. Paul, MN
Date: 2008-04-12
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Lovin' It
Comment: Bought this a little over a week ago, just after testing my underwater housing for my Canon S30 and finding it was leaking. We were leaving for five days of snorkeling in Cozumel and I wanted to be able to take underwater pictures. The Stylus 1030SW really fit the bill. Got a 2GB Olympus card and spare battery. The card was more than enough capacity and I was really pleased with how many shots I could take on a single battery charge. Over the 5 days I took over 800 photos and one battery usually lasted most of the day, even though I had the camera on most of the time I was in the water. I'm sure I surface dove to 15 and 20 ft a number of times, so, the 1030 was a better solution for me than the 850 would have been. I also really like the wider angle (effective 28mm). Camera worked great underwater and for other vacation shots. I usually turned the flash off underwater since shots taken with it would have lots of spots from reflection off all the little bubbles and stuff in the water, but, got some real nice fish & coral photos anyway. It can be tough to see the LCD in real bright conditions, and, the black is just paint (one time when getting out I got trown by a wave and slammed the camera into the coral bottom scratching the paint but otherwise the camera was uneffected). I'm very impressed with the quality of the photos this little camera is giving me, the range of adjustments, and, after a fairly short learning curve, the ability to adjust the settings pretty easily. I also got the floating strap which does keep this heavy little beast from going to the bottom if you happen to lose hold of it. I'm very pleased with this camera so far and looking forward to using it a lot, particularly taking it along biking, hiking, camping and other active outdoor uses.
Name: David Heitman
Location: Afghanistan
Date: 2008-06-08
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Camera for the Desert
Comment: I'm a soldier over in Afghanistan and I have to say that this is the perfect camera for this enviroment. The camera's durability, especially it's toughness and ability to keep out dust or in my case sand is perfect. I also really like it's setting that allows you to take pictures when your moving and have the picture come out clear. I would highly recommend this camera to anyone.
Name: D. Henderson
Location: Hartford, CT
Date: 2008-05-30
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Great camera
Comment: This is my third Olympus camera and I love the flexibility of not worrying about water. I broke one camera when I accidentally sat on in with the lens open. Since this one is completely contained, there is no risk.
If you want a camera that you can take to the beach, on a kayak trip, skiing, etc. This is the one for you. I will be trying it on a scuba trip later this summer.
The photos I am getting are really clear. I had a 7 Mega pixel camera before, but I can crop farther with this one.
The digital zoom seems to work OK, but it limits the resolution of the photos.
I have been using this camera for a month now and still have not had to recharge the battery, so I guess battery life is going to be good.
Name: Cpl Vallette
Location: Iraq
Date: 2008-06-08
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Take a beating
Comment: I am a Marine in Iraq, this camera has stood up to the dust storms, sweat, wind, and a pounding from it's owner. This camera is extremely tough and rugged, and the battery life is good. A great buy for anyone who wants a camera that can stand up to anything. I only wish it used SD like everyone else.
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