Olympus Stylus 1030 SW

Bought thi camera to replace camera with broken lcd. For use mainly outdoors and wehn travelling.

Easy to use, took great photos. underwater was lots of fun in Hawaii. Service was good when the seal leaked. i expect some seal failur ein a camera like this we just hope it happens to someone else. My seal failed while swimming in hawaii. No poictures were lost on the sd card and Olympus warranties and sent me a brand new camera. Go Olympus, they did the right thing with no hassle at all.

No viewfinder. Seals leaked, but see above.

excellent.

Four out of Five maybe a little harsh for this piece of kit, but the delay between shots is my main gripe with an otherwise unparalleled camera.

Buying anything in Australia is always more expensive, but I had tried the camera in a shop and was so smitten I didn't have time to buy it online. So even at 25% more than you can buy it in the US or online, I am still delighted with it for the price.

Went on a trip along Western Australia's Coral Coast, to feed wild dolphins at Monkey Mia and swim with whalesharks at Exmouth. Later this year we'll head out for our first ski trip. And the 1050SW is really the only companion you could wish for on such trips. Charged each morning, it comfortably lasted all day without konking out of battery life, so even though my second battery has yet to turn up, we've not needed it.

Shooting underwater was very easy, with default settings for the expected depths you'll be at. A real blessing not to be festooned with expensive housings, extra strobes, etc. Okay, maybe the standard set up for underwater won't get you on the front of National Geographic, but if your other options are disposable 24-picture happy snappers, or spending the cost of this camera on a housing for your existing camera, it's a bit of a no-brainer.

Who should consider this camera?
There are, in my mind, two distinct groups who would love this camera.

The first is anyone who lives an outdoor lifestyle and wishes to capture elements of their adventures. Kayaking along the Delaware? Climbing in Yosemite? Skiing in Aspen? Diving in Monterey Bay? Surfing off California? This is the camera you need.

The second set it those of us who do a little of the above (and would love to do more), are not exactly expert at all those settings (but are okay if they are clear), but just want to have more options. Give it to the kids to take shots - it's fine if they drop it! And while it's great in extreme weather situations, what about those numerous rainy days? No need to shelter it while taking shots.

Who should't buy it?
The most technically-gifted of you out there who indulge in high levels of manual control, or if you need a longer zoom.


This camera is mostly kept in my wife's handbag, as I use a Fujifilm F50 for day-to-day shots, so the shock-proofing, 100kilo tolerance and extremes the 1050SW can undertake are tested to the full on a daily basis!

Very easy to use. The huge display at the back gives ample space for the on-screen instructions when changing mode. I'd highly recommend spending time with this as there are myriad options for types of shot, and surprisingly well laid out.

For the underwater shots we mainly went with two of the three standard underwater settings, which we also used when playing as a family in the swimming pool - getting those great half-in, half-out of the water shots with superb colour clarity and depth of field.

Love that the lens is covered when not in use. So many cameras overlook this essential, as every shot you take is wholly dependant on the quality of the lens. You may well have 12MB+ out there, but if the lens has picked up dust and debris, your shots will suffer.

Excellent wide angle. A must for underwater especially, but then I have always preferred a good quality wide angle over zoom. Zoom to small? Just move closer.

You'll feel justifiably great showing it off to your mates!

Since the whole point of digital is that you can take umpteen shots, then weed out the best ones, you do notice the delay between taking shots. There's a good possibility here that I've not chosen a specific setting that reduces this, but as most will use this roughly as point and shoot, it's worth noting. Would I have bought something else knowing this? No. The wealth of features far outstrip this one element.

The wrist-strap that comes with this is not the sort that can be adjusted, so when you jump into the water, you have to pay very careful attention to it at all times, less it slips off and sinks like a stone.

Some say it's a little heavy. Yes, that's true, but it's built to take a pounding, so you don't really need a case.