I bought the green Olympus Stylus 1030SW after losing a 770SW that I had for 6 months. Yes, its crush proof, ice proof, heat proof, drop proof and water proof but not loss proof!

It seems Olympus have fixed all the bits I did not like about the previous model. The fidgety controls and menu system are now much easier to use. The spec has been significantly upgraded with the widescreen lense (not so wide that you notice a huge different but nice all the same), 3.6x zoom and much better video capabilities as well as the ability to take 10MP shots. There is a huge array of scene modes for every possible need with a helpful multi multi-devided screen view for trying out different ISO settings.

From 3 days of playing with it I really like what I see, its very rugged although i would have liked a viewfinder for those moments in the wilderness where the battery is dying or sun is shining on the LCD. The green model is much nicer in reality then it looks online (British Racing Green is the color-name in the UK FYI). It comes with a helpful MASD connector so if you have a microSD card lying about, it will fit the xD style adaptor and fit in the camera. So far it hasnt slowed the camera down at all. I cant wait to get it out kayaking or skiing some day to really put it to the test.

Just got the green version last week as a tougher and easier-to-carry replacement for my Canon S60, then went on a weekend trip to the beach with the family. We split our time and pictures between hotel room, pool, and beach, so we got pictures in a bunch of different settings and lighting conditions.

Overall, I have to say the pictures all leaned toward muddy, with weak color, and simply not so good. Slow focusing was a consistent problem. Maybe I have been spoiled by my earlier cameras (this is my first non-Canon compact digicam), but Olympus has no excuse for making such a mediocre camera in this price range. I know they can do better, they just don't seem to be trying. If Olumpus is skimping on the camera to pay for making it tough and still hit the $399 MSRP price point, they should consider just putting in the effort to make it a good camera and charging $449. I would have given a good camera a better review (I only pay for the camera once, but I use it 8,000 times).

I gave it an extra star for being so immersable and droppable, which is totally cool. It made me feel better when my five-year-old would pick it up and start snapping.

For the nearly $400, I simply expected a better camera. This one will get returned.

I, after much research, purchased this camera about a week ago. Since then I have shot about 100 pictures both indoors and out, on cloudy and sunny days. I have also shot quite a few macro photos on both manual and automatic settings. I have experimented with some the scene modes. I have not tested the movie mode and have not dropped it, frozen it or submerged it yet (however I am going snorkeling in the Bahamas next month). The build design is definitely rugged and the fit and finish is excellent. This is the best built point and shoot I have ever handled. The LCD is big and bright and the buttons and menus are well designed and laid out. Flash seems consistent with other point and shoots in this category (so-so).

Photo Quality: For the most part I am pleased with the photos, especially those taken close up using all three of the macro modes. Outdoor pictures in sunlight were sharp and clear. Cloudy day photos lacked a little sharpness that I felt I got more of with my Canon 870 however I also think that I need to experiment with the spot metering focus mode versus the ESP metering mode. I know my Canon had 9 point AiAf focusing which seemed to make more objects in the photo in focus. I don't think this camera has the same type of focusing system. I haven't really tried the face recognition feature that much but it did work when I tried it in the store prior to purchasing. The color reproduction seems accurate to me and the photos I took outdoors on a sunny day seemed to really pop. Indoor photos seemed overly noisy however this has been consistent with other point and shoots that I have owned (Canon S500 and 870).

Value: The price of this camera is admittedly high however it does offer features that other point and shoots in this category don't. The crush, freeze and water resistant features are compelling. I typically have very high expectations for items that I purchase and initially was a little disappointed with this camera. However as I use it more and take more pictures with it I am becoming increasingly satisfied. It's not a digital SLR and it doesn't have a lot of manual controls, viewfinder, light-up-the-night-sky flash, etc. It is a very well built, extremely rugged and water proof (to 33ft) 10MP digital camera with a decent LCD, zoom and software that takes good point and shoot quality photos.

I will update my review as I learn more about it. But straight out of the box I love it so far. Easy to use, the pictures I have taken so far are great quality, and it takes much quicker shots than my Sony Cybershot DSC-W90. Happy so far and there is still so many things to test on it.......like the waterproof aspect.

I received this camera a few days ago and have been putting it through it's paces. I live in Hawaii, so have been using it while at the beach and free diving. For me, this is an ideal point and shoot camera.

I feel that the image quality is great. I may not have a very good eye to judge this, but my experience says that most cameras produce good images when used correctly. Poor images are more due to the user than the camera. I was impressed with the menu controls and how much explanation is on the camera itself (I especially like the on camera guide). Compared to my other cameras (Canon SD600 and Sony DCR-PC350 video camera with 3 MP still support) the menu system is much improved and easier to use. This is my first Olympus camera, so I can't compare it too prior models. I really like how I can use the full auto feature for simplicity, but the camera can guide me through more detailed situations using either the scene menu or the guide.

Physically, I was impressed with this camera. It is rather heavy, but feels very solid. For the first time, I feel like I can take a camera anywhere with little worries. I already dropped it on a hike in some mud and just pored some water on it and kept shooting. This, to me, is well worth the slight price premium for this camera. I simply couldn't get these pictures before without an expensive housing. The dial on the back of the camera is difficult to use, but a minor inconvenience.

I was rather impressed with the in camera panoramic function. If you take your time, it can give you good results.

I bought this camera because of the ability to plunk it in the water. . . But I'm still returning it as you will read.

I consider myself a skilled serious amateur photographer and currently own two Panasonic Lumix cameras (LX-1 & LX-2). When I shoot photos I am apt to change the exposure value for photos, consciously choose the f-stop and shutter speed when the conditions are less than ideal, and I am highly conscious of lighting and framing issues.

But I swim and wanted to take underwater movies for my stroke analysis. I earlier bought a DiCAPac plastic enclosure for my Panasonic but decided to stop using the enclosure after the plastic began to tear along the opening seam. So when I found the Olympus 1030SW I thought great! I can shoot underwater movies without a housing!

The Good. . . . I really like the shadow compensation technology. You can actually accomplish it in the computer but it is kind of cool to have it as a feature in the camera. I also like the length of time that the battery lasts before it needs to be recharged. The camera has a led light that you can choose to illuminate macro shots. This is a great feature if you intend to do close up macro shots. You can use the led as an emergency small light in the hotel room on vacation (if you can find the button). There is also a built-in alarm clock that could be quite handy. THe arrow pad control was intuitive. The camera has built in controls to modify or manipulate images (black and white, cropping, framing it, color manipulation) for those who don't have a computer. I do, however, question the ability to actually see the image well enough on the camera screen to intelligently modify the image in the camera.

The not so good. . . . The most annoying feature of the camera is that you must be very careful that you don't put your finger in front of the lens window. It's very easy to do; I know, I did it even though I was aware of the problem.

I do understand that this camera is designed to be used by the occasional photographer, but at $350 (I paid $400 at Amazon when it first came out) it seems that there should be at least some ability to consciously choose some settings without having to go into the "Mode Dial" "SCN" selection menu to find a comparable scene.
The Mode Dial has the following settings:
AUTO: "Shooting pictures with full automatic settings. The camera determines the optimum settings for the shooting conditions automatically" It changes ISO [sensitivity and color balance settings I think] - This is basically the point and shoot mode.
Program auto: "Set the optimum aperture value and shutter speed. The camera automatically sets the optimum aperture value and shutter speed for the brightness of the subject." I didn't really try to figure it out, but I never did understand the difference between AUTO and PROGRAM AUTO modes.
IMAGE STABILIZATION MODE: "Shooting pictures using digital image stabilization. This function reduces the blur caused by a moving subject or camera movement when taking pictures." So I wonder why there is a mode just for this rather than having a single button to turn it on and off? So is it like the Program Auto, or the Auto mode with image stabilization? Quien sabe?
SCN mode: "Shoot pictures by selecting a scene mode according to the situation. You can shoot pictures by selecting a scene mode according to the situation." So there are more than a dozen "scenes" that you are supposed to scroll down through to find one similar to the one you are going to shoot. Here's the list "PORTRAIT / LANDSCAPE / LANDSCAPE +PORTRAIT / NIGHT SCENE*1 /NIGHT+PORTRAIT*1 / SPORT / INDOOR / CANDLE*1 / SELF PORTRAIT /AVAILABLE LIGHT*1 / SUNSET*1 / FIREWORKS*1 / CUISINE / BEHIND GLASS /DOCUMENTS / AUCTION*2 / SHOOT & SELECT1*2 / SHOOT & SELECT2*3 /BEACH & SNOW / PRE-CAPTURE MOVIE / UNDERWATER SNAPSHOT*4 /
UNDERWATER WIDE1*4 / UNDERWATER WIDE2*4*5 / UNDERWATER MACRO". So what is a poor bloke to do? I know. "Oh wait! Let me shoot the picture of you, Johnnie, blowing out the candles. Margot! Tell him to wait! Now, Hmmm. Where was that mode? I know there supposed to be a way to take a picture of my kiddie blowing out a candle if you'll just give me a minute to find it. . . . "

Methinks the various scenes that you can select thru the SCN mode probably address lighting issues, light color issues, etc. But still! It is too impractical to use it. I doubt many will ever use it though Olympus may try to push it as a selling point.

Now, we come to the reason that I returned the camera. I play golf as well so today I went to use the camera in the movie mode for the first time in order to record my swing on video[swimming was to be later this week]. I had already set the camera to the VGA movie mode but when I pushed the button it turns out that you can only record ten seconds of video in VGA mode! That's ridiculous. There must be a lack of horsepower under the hood that it can't stream that resolution to the memory card, but it can in the QVGA mode since the resolution is less good. So, when I go to Hawaii in a couple of months and I want to shoot a video of my wife snorkeling with the dolphins in the water I'll be able to get ten seconds of video. Sounds peachy keen! That combined with the the dismal ability to choose the aperture and f-stop make it a sure returner for me. So sorry. . . :(

So, I'm returning it despite the fact I bought a silicone skin, two extra batteries and two 2gb memory cards.

This camera is OK. The wide zoom and durability features are great for the way my department it - to take pictures of construction sites. There is one big problem, though: Olympus built software into this camera that prevents the xD card from being read in anything other than an Olympus card reader.

When I called Olympus tech support for a solution, their response was rude and aggravating. The tech basically told me they did this because they sell a card reader, and if I wanted to use a card reader, I had to buy theirs. Or, I could plug the camera into the PC. I sent the letter below to Olympus tech support email. It will be interesting to see if/how they respond.

MY LETTER TO OLYMPUS TECH SUPPORT AFTER A BAD TELEPHONE SUPPORT EXPERIENCE:

I just bought a new Stylus 1030SW for my department. I thought it was a great little camera, until I needed some tech support.

Here's the problem:
This is a department camera. The goal was to make it available to all of my product managers, and let each of them have their own storage cards. We need the ability to read the storage cards through a card reader, because plugging the camera into the PC is not practical. I've never had a problem with this in the past, and I own an Olympus C7070 Wide Zoom that works fine. Unfortunately, with this new Stylus, when I plug into the card reader, I get an error message that the card needs to be formatted. If I format the card in the reader, when I put it back in the camera, the camera says it needs to format the card. Ugh!

I need a solution that does not involve plugging the camera directly into the PC (impractical because the camera might be out on another job) and does not involve buying an additional card reader (impractical because I already have a multi-card reader plugged into my PC, and I use it to read cards from other cameras, and I don't need any more network drive conflicts right now).

Please provide an acceptable solution. I would hate to have to return this camera, because I like the size and functionality. I just don't like the inclusion of proprietary software that doesn't add any consumer benefits.

After 5 years with a 5MP Olympus Camedia C-50 with the underwater housing, I decided it was time to upgrade. We only used the underwater housing to protect the camera from the elements when we went sailing. We used it a couple of times to go snorkeling, but it wasn't worth the bulkiness of the housing.

So, that being said, I went looking for another camera that was waterproof--we could take it on the boat or for the occasional swim without buying an underwater housing. The options were limited with the Pentax and the Olympus. I went for the Olympus because we were happy with the old camera and still have a few xd cards. I went for the 1030sw since it is the latest and greatest. So far I am glad with my choice.

In the box: The camera, USB cable (not the same camera connection as the old one), audio/video cable, microSD converter (put the microSD card in to fit into the xd space), Olympus Master Software, battery, and wall plug-in charger (no more cord--although the manual says in some areas a cord is still used). No xd-card is included.

I took the camera right out of the box and started playing. I took videos of my dog and plenty of pictures of him, too. I loved it! It is strange to me not to have an eye viewfinder, but I am getting used to it. It is super easy to use and I had so much fun dropping it in a bowl of water to test it out and having it work! I've ruined a camera before because it got wet, so this was the coolest feature!

I bought the camera even though I knew it only took VGA video at 30fps for 10sec, which was a disappointment, but I figured I could live with it. Well, after registering the camera a couple of days ago, I got an email this morning saying that an update to the firmware was available that would allow longer video at 30fps! Yea! I upgraded the firmware (through the provided software) and tried it out and it didn't work. Then I re-read the email--an M+ or H xd card is required. The older (or cheaper) M xd cards don't allow for the longer videos at 30fps. So, I ran out and bought a 2GB M+ xd card and sure enough, I can take VGA videos at 30fps for as long as the card can hold. That does away with that negative!

Let's get down to the pros and cons:
Pros:
*small & lightweight,
*takes nice pictures,
*easy to change settings (a quick click on the "ok" button and you can change settings,
*lots of available features on the camera itself (it even has a selection that will "guide" you for certain things),
*nice big LCD

Cons:
*the xd card--just about every other camera out there uses an SD card and computers don't have built-in xd reading capability,
*it doesn't have a remote to take group photos--the c-50 did and I loved it because I didn't have to set the timer and run into the picture--I'm going to miss that,
*it is easy to get your finger in front of the lens--I will have to learn to keep my fingers off to the side.

It doesn't have all the features of an SLR, but hey, it isn't an SLR! For a point and shoot, it does enough for me. I have the SLR for the "big" projects and this is for the times when I don't want something bulky and want to take pictures. I can't wait to take it on the boat or snorkeling!

I highly recommend this camera for someone looking for a sturdy camera that is waterproof (not just all weather) and easy to carry around. Go for the M+ xd card for the video capability (I went for the 2GB). I would also recommend protective covering for the LCD (I'm thinking about the silicone cover, too). An extra battery is always nice, too, but it doesn't seem necessary so far--I've been playing with it for 3 days running around taking videos and pictures and it still shows a full battery even though I don't think I even charged the battery all the way when I first got it because I was so excited to play with the camera.

I spend a lot of time on and in the water and I bought this camera to stick in my pocket and go. It is very good for that. For general purpose use though it is poor-to-mediocre in comparison to other point and shoot digitals at this price that I looked at. I usually shoot slide film/ SLR, but I figured for the price this camera would probably take acceptable pictures.

The good: the macro mode works very well and is fun to use. The underwater thing is as cool as it sounds. The camera is well built and rugged and easy to carry around. The battery life is outstanding. All in all it should be a great outdoors person's pocket camera

The bad. The biggest problem (and it is a huge one) is the horrible program modes. The lack of an aperture or shutter priority setting is a major, major issue in light of the bizarre pre-sets on this camera. The camera sets the aperture as close to wide open as possible, no matter what you're actually trying to take a picture of. I shot about 150 pictures in "Landscape" and "Portrait & Landscape" modes last week and 90% of the time the camera set the aperture to f 3.5. This is mind-boggingly stupid. It means that the only thing in focus in most of the photos was a tree-branch in the foreground or some guy's hat. There is no manual override.

I've tried to force it to shoot stopped down but it steadfastly refuses to. Only by taking some shots in bright noon-day sun on the water did I get a reasonable depth of field in Landscape mode. Even if the camera chooses and appropriate f-stop, it tends to increase the ISO instead of increasing the shutter speed to compensate for low light. This is particularly annoying in the Macro mode. A speed of 1/4s with ISO 2000 is pretty useless in terms of getting good handheld underwater macro pictures vs speed of 1/250 and ISO 200, for example. Using the LED mode seems to fix this in the Macro mode but in other modes the camera insists on reducing shutter speed and opening up the lens inappropriately. It regularly sets the speed to 1/40 and cranks the ISO to 800 or above when in landscape mode. The resulting pictures are blurry and noisy. If I manually set the ISO to 200-ish the camera compensates by increasing shutter speed to 1/250-ish and I get a 100% better picture which is what it should be doing in the first place.

It is possible that there is something wrong with the camera I have as I can't imagine anyone designed it this way (right?). I plan to go to the store and check out a few more. If they are all like this I'm going to have to give serious consideration to returning it and taking a chance on a Pentax.

Other issues: highlights blow out easily, pictures are noisy in anything other than optimum conditions and the video is not good, only 10 seconds can be taken at 30fps, which is worse than my cell phone.

I bought this camera for an upcoming trip to Costa Rica for 3 months. I wanted something lightweight and rugged - and this fit the bill. I normally use a Canon Powershot S2 IS - this is my first camera outside of the Cannon family, and I've had quite a few dating back to the Canon AE-1 SLR. I was sold by the Olympus 1030SW because of its underwater capabilities, and it's "crushproof"-ness. My Canon Elf traveled around in my pocket to all the college clubs and parties, and eventually the LCD screen broke. Since that, I have been more aware of how neglectful I can be of my electronics, so I was willing to pay the $$ to have a camera that is practically indestructible. I have yet to test the underwater capabilities.

I looked at the 790SW model, but was interested in greater underwater depth capability, and after checking them both out at my local retailer, I liked the feel of the 1030 - it just seemed to be more heavy duty.

I have been very impressed with the pictures I've taken so far. For a point and shoot, I really like the range of options I have. The macro function performs nicely, in both low and high lighting conditions. The "natural light" mode is by far my favorite, I personally dislike photos that look whitewashed by a flash when it's hardly necessary to the photo. On auto the pictures look good - your average point and shoot. The shutter speed is much better than my Cannon S2, and so far the battery life has been great as well. Many of the features I haven't had a chance to use in the month I've had the camera, but if I have any issues I'll be sure to update this review!

I'm giving it 4 stars because of the price. You pay a premium at this point because it was just released and for all the "shockproof/waterproof/etc" capabilities. If that's what you are looking for, then it's great. If you are looking for excellent quality photos, and don't care much about where the camera goes and what conditions it works in, then I'd shop around for a more affordable option.

I'll update this post CR with results from the trip...

Wow, I'm glad I waited. This is a fantastic camera. Easy to use, many features, easy to carry. Too bad it didn't come with a camera case, though.

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.

The camera has cool features that you will not find on most digital cameras including the fact that it is crush proof, water proof, and freeze proof. These are all great but the quality of the pictures is lacking. I tried many different settings and set the size and the quality to the maximum size but the quality still suffered. I gave this camera 2 stars out of 5 because of the poor quality which is unacceptable for a camera at this price range and also the fact that this is the 3rd generation of these cameras. The quality of the pictures is more important to me than all of the features I mentioned above which is why I returned this camera and purchased a Canon Powershot SD790-IS. My previous camera was a Canon which I loved so I decided to stick with what I know will not disapoint me.

If somewhat grainy and fuzzy pictures do not bother you and you need something that can handle rough terrain, kids, or clumsy hands than this camera is for you. If you are like me and prefer nice quality photographs than I recommend you steer clear.

This was my first digital camera so I have not fully mastered the learning curve yet, but what I see so far is good. I found I could download pics without the Olympus software which is great. I discovered that I cannot see through the viewfinder AT ALL when trying to take outdoor pics - how do I fix that?!?!? It is like shooting blind for heavens sake. Resolution on pics is AWESOME. I gave it a dunk and it performed as advertised. Tough to find accessories but hopefully that will improve with time. I dislike being forced into Olympus brand accessories and need a car charger too but no luck so far. Guess that comes with jumping on a totally new camera very early on

This camera was recommended to me by daughter who loved her similar Olympus camera. this camera has surpassed my expectations. I was very happy with my Canon digital camera but as we spend a lot on time in our boat and love snorkeling this water proof camera intriged us...we Love it. Wonderful clear pictures and very user friendly.

Having just returned from a trip to Costa Rica and being disappointed with my older Kodak digital I started looking for a new camera. The problems with the Kodak, which served me well for a number of years, were: didn't zoom enough, LCD screen was awful (I always used the viewfinder), horizon that was always off, battery life was good, but to recharge you had to lug the dock with you. Another problem was the on/off lever, which, inside my day bag, kept getting turned on by mistake and wasting battery.

I looked at the Olympus because my favourite old film SLR was an Olympus manual. This camera has a 3.6 optical zoom along with a digital zoom that takes it to 18-23X depending on your settings. The menu is much easier to go through and I like the "idiot proof" sample pics on the menu to tell you exactly what each setting will mean. There's even sample pics through the viewfinder of the different light settings. The on/off button is a much better design than the old Kodak. The flash on/off is very easy. I also like snorkeling and thought that having a camera that could serve both above and underwater would mean having to lug one less camera along with me on trips. I also liked the fact that the recharger was much, much smaller than the Kodak. I was pleased to discover that it will also take underwater movies. The LCD screen is large and very easily viewed in all conditions. My first pictures taken with the camera were very pleasing. I tried a bunch of lighting conditions and the camera did well in all. The only drawback that I can see is that when you push the camera up to 18-23X the pictures get a bit grainy, but that happens with all other cameras that I've used and is to be somewhat expected. The menu has such useful settings as: "through glass", indoor, night, candle, etc.

For those who like to do top notch HD zooms, this is not the camera for you and why would you be looking at this anyway. For those who like a camera that will go anywhere with you and do most of the stuff a much larger camera does, this is a great buy

I saw this camera at a dive show. The Olympus rep placed the camera flat and then hit the LCD with a closed fist. I've broken many a point N shoot, so after seeing that, I figured this one would last a bit longer. I just returned from Little Cayman. The camera was dropped, it still worked; submerged in salt water, still worked; submerged in a pitcher of beer, still worked; and subjected to normal stresses found on a bouncing boat and it still works! The battery lasted for several days prior to needing a recharge. The UW pics turned out ok. Most required some color correction but nothing horrible. I'd like if the camera would record in RAW. For snorkeling, this would be great or shallow dives.

We bought an Olympus 1030 for a family trip to the Florida keys which included some snorkling. The camera quit working half way thru the trip with only 3 to 4 hours in water. We were very dissapointed and missed a lot of good photo opps. It is going back.

My wife has the habit of sitting on cameras and cell phones or putting them through the washer. I bought this camera for that reason. She loves the camera. It does great macros of her flowers and great all around shots. It is the first electronic item that she has found easy to operate. For what I bought it for is gets 5 stars.

Great camer to take on trips. Awesome for pool parties...No need to woryy about breaking it and it takes very good quality pictures.

I will have to return this camera unless I am seriously not understanding something. I plugged my fully-charged camera into my laptop via USB and within 20 minutes the battery was completely dead.

Then I noticed page 62 on the Instruction Manual where is says: During the conditions described below, power is consumed continuously and the battery becomes exhausted quickly: - The camera is connected to a computer or printer.

So, connecting the 1030 via USB doesn't charge the battery as anyone with a cell phone or PDA would expect, it actually kills it! Quickly! Connecting the camera and getting distracted for a few minutes means you have a dead battery and no more shooting for 2-3 hours while recharge it! This has to be the dumbest "feature" I've ever seen on an electronic device. Am I just missing something?

Purchased Olympus 1030SW mainly for waterproof/freezer/drop features. My vacations are watersports and wintersports. So now I don't have to worry about climate and environment factors effecting my pictures or making sure the camera is inside a ziploc bag.
BUT ... the image quality is sacrificed. My old Canon S400 4MP camera image quality is better, I mean way better. Sharper + better color. Even the Canon flash pictures don't look so "white". Since I don't print anything bigger than 5x7, I can live with it for now.

Bought this product about one week before a ten day vacation in the British Virgin Islands. Tested the camera beforehand. Have shot exclusively in Digital SLR for last four years. Wanted a waterproof camera for snorkeling and the beach. The 10 megapixels was a plus. Minimal shutter-lag was also a plus.

Here was the big downside . . . the LCD quit working after four days. We took the camera in the water each day. Never exceeded the fine print of only one hour in the water at a time. Nor did we exceed the depth recommendations. However, the lcd quit after taking it to a pool for about one hour on the 3rd day of the trip.

Tried to contact tech support at Olympus, which promptly sent an automated reply that I would hear within 48 hours. Over one week later, I received a disappointing email that stated I could send the camera back and may be responsible for the expense.

The camera shot great pictures . . . when it worked. A brand new camera as well as a new product for Olympus should not be so unreliable. Perhaps your purchase will not react the same way . . . but buyer beware. Buy at your own risk!

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.

ALL I CAN SAY TO THE PEOPLE WHO MAYBE BEEN THIKING ABOUT BUYING A CAMERA
DON'T BUY THIS ONE IT'S F*^%$KEN GREAT

Olympus Stylus 1030SW 10.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Wide Angle Zoom (Silver)

This is a nice camera if you're looking primarily for a camera that is small, rugged, and waterproof. However, if you're looking for a camera that takes great pictures - keep looking. The image quality is terrible so forget the 10.1 mega pixel feature. And since the 3.6 optical zoom is hardly enough to zoom in on far away objects the poor image quality becomes a big deal. When you crop a photo in an attempt to "zoom" digitally, you can see terrible pixilation, grain, and blur.

I considered sending the camera back to Amazon, but decided to keep it for taking photos in the water. If I didn't want that feature I would have definitely returned it for something else.

This camera is really great. I typically hate having to take pictures on vacations with my family. I usually end up carrying the equipment and hate having to be careful not to damage it or get it wet while still trying to enjoy the my vacation to its fullest.

I specifically purchase the Olympus 1030SW because of I wanted a rugged waterproof camera which would allow me to take picures of our vacation and still allow me to participate in all the action. This camera really fit the bill and I was able to take some really great action pictures while participating in the action. I actually enjoyed carrying the camera and snapping all the great pictures.

I just have a couple of suggestions that could be made to improve upon the the camera. First, add a view-finder to the camera. The view screen becomes useless under bright sunlight. The addition of the view-finder would help on these occasions. The second is to, of course, improve upon the view screen when in bright sunlight. On these occassions I was able to take the picture by aiming the camera in the general direction. Most of these pictures came out fine, but a view-finder would really help.

Other than this I am glad I purchase this camera and can't wait till our next outing.

You can take it anywhere (beach, snow, underwater) and do not have to worry about it getting damaged.
I have tried it 28 feet under water, went rafting, kayaking, canopy, and recorded videos while diving into the water and it still works.
Good quality pics, up to 10 MP, lots of digital functions for you to play with in different environments.
Flash is not that strong, but is does the work.
You have to clean your camera every day after any extreme sport because dirt tends to get inside the water seals and in may lose its waterproof features. It's an easy clean up though.

Hey, it's waterproof and shock proof. Nice for travel with the kids!!! Just wish the zoom was a little better for a 10 mp camera.

Everything they say it is!
Worked great, takes exceptional wide pics; I use it for taking pics of my jobsites and homes that I am estimating. I can typically fit in the entire house in one shot.
Built very well; a bit heavy, but worth it!!
Best value for the money!!

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.

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.

Purchased this camera and within a month of snorkeling on weekends (live in Hawaii) the camera was full of water without going deeper than maybe 5ft. The product was purchased directly through amazon.com versus through one of the other vendors available through amazon.com so the return policy was easy & uncomplicated - they even paid for the return shipping costs & made a full refund. My next camera purchase is the same model through amazon.com as well (return process was so easy always check vendor if possible) as the picture clarity is great, camera is so simple and easy to use, and is compact enough you can swim without it being too bulky or heavy. New order should arrive this week - check to see in a month if the last one was just a fluk defect or if this camera is flawed as a quasi-underwater camera for novice photographers. I look forward to purchasing the underwater housing...then it can come along on scuba days too!

I just returned from a kayaking and white water rafting trip in Colorado. I bought this camera when my last digital stopped working after a trip to the beach. I wanted to make sure that didn't happen again and I liked the fact that the 1030SW is waterproof/dustproof/freezeproof/shockproof. As advertised it was exactly suited to my trip. I'm happy to report that the camera worked out fine. Even after being knocked about and complteely submerged it still took wonderful pictures and is none the worse for wear. The pictures are not as crisp as I thought a 10 MP camera would be and there are undoubtedly better cameras available. But if you have an active lifestyle that includes snorkling, rafting, or other chalenging environments, then this is a perfect choice. Better a very good picture with this camera than no pictures and maybe no camera with something less durable.

I did a lot of research looking for a replacement for my aging Pentax 43WR. I wanted rugged, waterproof, compact & capable of unlimited 640x480x30fps video with sound as we go rafting, to the water park, etc and movie clips of good times are a must with us. The earlier Olympus SW series didn't meet all my requirements but the new 1030SW looked very promising, especially with the firmware update that allows for unlimited video when using the Olympus M+ xD memory card. Now that I've had it for awhile, here are my thoughts:
Pros: Small, rugged, waterproof, easy to use for most simple point&shoot shots, good pics (not as good as my DSLR shots but then it goes where the DSLR can't) & good videos w/sound.
Cons: Uses proprietary battery & memory card if you want unlimited video (annoying but minor), no optical viewfinder for those rare times the LCD display washes out, battery drains quickly when transferring pics to computer (I suggest the optional DC power supply & adapter, adapter should be part of the basic camera kit but isn't).
Bottom line: If your emphasis is on rugged/waterproof & small enough to take anywhere then seriously consider this camera. Pics aren't DSLR quality but then it's not made to compete w/DSLR's and the handiness, ruggedness & video capabilities more than make up for pic quality for my needs. If it had an optical viewfinder I'd give it 5 stars in spite of the proprietary battery, adapter & memory card.

I ordered a green camera but the merchant Amazon assigned shipped me a silver one. Reason? They didn't have one. They asked me to return it for credit but by that time I needed a camera. Now I am stuck with a camera I did not want.

Just bad people.

this camera is great. it's a wonderful overall do anything camera. I have a sony cybershot and also a cannon digital camera and features wise, this one rocks. it has so many pluses, let me just go over the parts i didn't like.

1.wrist strap. i wish they would of gave us a locking wrist strap. i mean come on! this is supposed to go anywhere.
2.water bubbles. i was taking some videos in the water ( a river) and noticed when i switched to picture mode that there was huge watter bubble right in the middle of the lens!!!
3.no video zooming. no video zooming, this sucks, i want to be able to zoom when i take video, is that soo hard!!!
4.panorama mode blurs. I love panorama mode, but half the time it will mess up. it just takes soo long, and when it does mess up, i just delete the picture and I don't feel like retaking it... maybe the free space isn't a bad thing.
5. xd card. i hate xd cards, and now i want to get the high speed card just to take 30fps video... oh well, i guess i will live with the lower speed.

well, those are the only negatives i can think of. if this camera survives the ocoee river (rafting trip) i will post back another review. all in all, it is a great purchase, especially if you often do watersports.

Canon, Sony or Nikon do not offer a waterproof digital camera. So it was a no brainer that if I were to finally hang up my trusty old Nikonos waterproof underwater camera and get a replacement it would have to be an Olympus. I have used my Nikonos as an all purpose outdoor camera mostly for my fishing trips taking pictures of my quarry in the rivers or the salt water flats. I rarely went diving and don't really need an underwater camera, like the Nikonos, that is waterproof up to 300 feet. Waterproof cases are bulky and expensive and therefore it was not an option for me to consider. I recently took my new Olympus 1030SW to my Bonefishing trip in the Bahamas and was pleasantly surprised at how advanced and user friendly the features are. There are three features that are new to me that I find innovative. Panorama - combining three shots into one in camera. Guide - shoot with effects preview, allows you to compare previews of different effects such as variations of exposure, zoom, color temperature, thirdly super macro - allows you to shoot super close ups.

There isn't really anything I dislike about the camera. The compact size is great, the battery last more than a day of constant shooting (without flash), writing to the memory card is abit slow and can get in the way if you need to take multiple shots quickly, Using the faster M Plus card, which I should have bought, may speed things up.

I highly recommend this camera to all anglers and others sportsmen near water, you can hang it around your neck or put it in your pocket and not worry about it until you need to take a picture. Having a camera with you at all times, instead of putting it back into a waterproof bag, ensures that you don't miss out on any photo opportunities

I am aware that the reviews rate this camera inferior to others. However, if you want a camera that you can use anywhere, this is the camera for you. it take great underwater movies and I am quite satisfied with the Quality of almost all the shots I took. I took pictures in the water of a tow banana boat that I could not let go of more than one hand and they turned out great. Of course I didn't know that until after the ride.

After dropping/breaking my previous Olympus camera, I new it was time for a "not so fragile" digital. We also live on the lake and were always worried about dropping the camera in the water and getting our hands dry before using it. I don't know how many good shots I missed due to being wet. Problem solved. This camera is rugged and can withstand the weather. If you have been researching this camera, you know it is waterproof to 33' (with underwater snap shot and video modes), freezeproof to -14 degrees, crush proof up to 220 lbs, and shock proof to 6'. There is no other digital camera that can withstand this type of abuse.

I am extremely happy with this camera. Others have suggested the scene modes (on the menu) to be an extra step, but I like the way it outlines each mode, so you can have the right mode for the situation. The camera does great in auto mode and I've found the scene modes to be very helpful. The under water pictures are very clear and the scene options work well. My biggest surprise was the clarity on the "fireworks" mode. It really does great!

The only downside is the zoom. I'm used to 10x optical on my last Olympus while this one has 3.6x. However, the other features far outweigh the lack of zoom. You can't expect high optical zoom in a camera the size of a deck of cards.

If you buy this camera, you must get the M+ or H card. These high speed memory cards allow you to shoot video at 30fps for the entire length of your memory. Standard XD cards and M cards only allow for 10 second clips. My 2GB M+ allows for 18 minutes of consecutive video at 30fps. The XD M+ and H cards are also 1.5 times faster, so the "next shot" delay is shorter.

I would recommend this camera to anyone who is active. Standard digitals are just too fragile. Throw it in the boat, canoe, or ski pack and do "your thing" without a worry of breaking your camera.

I read the reviews about poor, grainy picture quality-they all sounded like they came from more experienced photographers so I figured an amateur like myself would never notice. WRONG! We bought this camera because our old Sony wasn't taking pictures like it used to after being abused by our two young boys for 5 years-even after all that, our old Sony takes better pics at the lowest resolution (under 1 megapixel)in bad lighting than the Olympus at the highest megapixel (10.1) in good lighting. We tried everything and couldnt get a picture that wasn't grainy, at best. Also, DON'T EVEN TRY to take pics at a sporting event-the shutter speed and reset is so slow that I took a picture of my 5 year old son getting handed the football at the 20 yard line and it didn't reset until after he was done celebrating in the end zone. At his Kindergarden graduation he had to walk 100 feet to the podium...I could only take one shot it was SO SLOW. Definitely a DO NOT BUY...a terrible shame considering how cool the Shockproof, Waterproof features are.

I took this out on father's day. I used it to take some surfing pictures in the ocean and some wine tasting pictures in Temecula and all turned out great. It's very easy to use and I really like the casing.

Bought as replacement for old Konica-Minolta Dimage Xg (broken display).
So far happy of this optimised purchase when looking for sleeky design and increased protection level.
Optical viewfinder + manual focusing function would make this camera perfect = having everything I need.

We purchased this for a trip to the Bahamas. It worked fine for about 2 days of mostly land shots. We did try a few underwater shots and got what we expected from a P&S camera. I liked the Scene selection menu for camera settings, it was helpful and improved my ability to take decent shots in a variety of conditions without thinking about settings too much. Solid package, nice controls, would buy again...if I trusted it. We had to buy disposable cameras for the remainder of our trip because in 15 minutes in a 4ft 5in pool (taking photos just below the surface for fun and mostly just using it like I would a water resistant camera, it leaked water into the lens housing. This wasn't enough to fry the electronics...just enough to make the picture all white when taking pictures (foggy is a good descriptor). It also affected the controls because it would zoom in fully automatically each time I turned it on.

I was VERY conscientious of checking the seals for debris or defect and ensureing the memory card and battery were fully seated (because I had read reviews saying people had leaks and others saying they weren't careful enough). It still leaked and it did it around the lens housing (there's no user operated seal there, it's just built in).

The search for a replacement ensues.

I recently bought this camera mainly because I was sick and tired of accidentally breaking more fragile point and shoots. As many reviews state, this camera is a tank but (IMHO) very well designed and visually appealing. The photos are good but not great for a camera in this price range. However, the way I look at it, you are paying for the durability and underwater capabilities over picture quality.

The shooting options and settings are varied and flexible and the "scene" and "guide" modes are a great addition for newbies who either don't know how or don't wish to bother with manually changing the ISO, white balance etc. Also, this camera produces nice video both in and out of the water as well.

Overall I am pleased with my purchase EXCEPT for the following facts which I feel that I need to point out and which really disappoint me about Olympus:

1) When taking video in VGA mode at 30fps you are limited to only 10 seconds of recording time!! Well, that is unless you purchase one of Olympus's new xD Type M+ cards. In that case you can record up to the limit of the card but there is still a catch; the new xD Type M+ cards only go up to 2gb. This limits you to only 18 minutes of record time. Plus, even though this camera accepts 8gb microSDHC cards (with the included adapter), Olympus has decided that you can only record at that setting for longer than 10 seconds on their own, proprietary card. Also, even when shooting at lesser settings, Olympus caps your videos at 29 minutes REGARDLESS of the storage capacity of the medium. On top of all this is the fact that the documentation on the camera, though "technically" accurate, is very misleading on this point. Nowhere in the documentation does Olympus ever state 29 minutes is the maximum recording time. If you look at page 54 of the manual, it shows a 1GB card maxing out at 29 minutes, but doesn't show the limits of a 2GB or higher card...this leaves the average consumer to think that larger cards could record longer of course.

2) Another feature that is disabled unless you are using one of Olympus's proprietary cards is the panoramic function. This is disabled when using a micro SD card for storage. Why would Olympus do this? IMO both of the above situations are just Olympus's way of pressuring the consumer to buy their memory cards. Overall this wouldn't be that big of issue (well, besides the whole shadyness of the tactic) but Olympus's cards are too small and too slow when compared with the newer generation of microSDHC cards that currently can hold up to 8gb and move data at up to 6mb per second. Plus, why not allow standard SDHC cards which can hold up to 32gb and can be MUCH faster? Heck, I wouldn't necessarily mind buying and using an xD card but Olympus really needs to up their storage capacity and speed in order to compete with SDHC and MicroSDHC instead of attempting to hold the consumer hostage by means of petty, unnecessary function limits.

I was worried that this camera would not have the quality of pictures that it does due to some reviews. I like the features and is really easy to use. The size is nice, and fits well in a pocket. I've taken super pictures with the macro setting. It is also nice when there is a bright light behind the object of focus. I have only taken it about a foot underwater so far, but has taken decent pictures in murky water. I am active outdoors, I scuba dive, snorkel, raft, snowboard etc. and I think this camera is ideal for me. It is a point and shoot and has limited capabilities, but I was not looking for a SLR camera.

I've owned a few stylus over the years due to their durability. This one is the new and best yet even offering 3.6x Wide Angle Zoom and a much nicer image quality then past models of the camera. Feels like a tank, have little fear of damaging on adventures do to crush proof features. Just plan a lot of fun to use to.

While owning a dSLR for a long time I've been interested in getting a compact camera but never did it. Once my son started swimming I thought how cool it would be to get a compact camera that can take pictures while in the pool... Finding very limited selection I was concerned over the quality of the camera but after receiving it all of my doubts have left me!

The camera is not as lightweight as it might seem from the images. It is compact and can be carried in a pocket but it is durable. I have not tested the "shockproof" aspect of the camera but from its construction I assume it lives up to the hype.

As for the pictures there are positives and negatives. Any outdoor picture taken has been great - including the underwater photos. The color is good and rich, action shots (taken in the right mode) turn out great and of course the big reason to get this camera, the underwater photos are stunning. Swimming is an all new experience with this camera and its a lot of fun to get this special pictures that you can't get with most cameras! The negative side are indoor pictures. While the pictures are still good and usable for prints there is visible noise in the pictures in many of those pictures - even when using the flash. The camera is usable indoors but it is at its best outdoors.

I haven't taken many videos yet. Having a hi-def camcorder I didn't buy this camera for its video feature... Of course, you can take video underwater with this camera which is also fairly unique I just haven't done it yet. Note that in order to get the maximum resolution and FPS for the camera you need to specificly get the Olympus M+ media card. Non-Olympus or non-M+ Olympus cards will restrict the video to 10 seconds at maximum resolution/fps...

Everyone that I have shown the camera to, the pictures and then told them the price were amazed at it and have talked about ordering one as well. A great buy to get some very special pictures!

This is a GREAT camera. Takes nice, clear, well detailed pictures that show well on a computer and make lovely prints. Functions are easy to understand and use. Have taken it to the pool and it is waterproof as claimed and the underwater pictures it took were just fabulous. Only complaint is that the power button and the shoot button are awfully close together which makes it easy to accidently turn the camera off instead of shoot a picture. Also, the lens is in kind of an aquward place if you have larger hands, so you have to watch where you are holding the camera or your fingers will find their way into the picture. Wouldn't hesitate to buy it again!

The reference camera is excellent. My wife has the older version, 720 SW, and this is improved and more rugged for my clumsey hands. The zoom lens never extends beyond the plane of the case so there is no chance of damage if dropped like my last camera. It is easy to operate.

and is easy to use...great user interface. Underwater movies with sound is a cool feature. Just when you think you have all the features you need, you read the instructions and find that there are many more that are easily mastered and a lot of fun. Get the floating wrist strap and take it on a snorkeling trip.

Great product! I purchased this for a trip my wife was going on and she loves it. It takes great pictures and completely lives up to the product description in terms of toughness. Highly recommended.

I've been using a Sony camera for a few years and was fairly happy with it. My first digicam was an Olympus and I loved it, I'm still not sure why I bought a Sony after that??? Well, I'm happy to say that I'm back with Olympus again in this fine camera!
Compared to the Soney Cybershot T-9, the Olympus is just slightly bigger and heavier, but not much of either. I really like the way it is put together, feels solid and well made. I've only used it for about a week now so I can't report thoroughly on it but here are my first impressions...
The Good: Solid, well made feel. Large LCD screen is very clear and easy to see in daylight. Waterproof feature is great! The macro functions are very nice, there is an LED light that can be turned on to highlight the subject. It works well in Macro mode but not good for much more. I'm not a pro but I think it takes awesome pictures. The underwater shots I took on the first day (in the pool) were fantastic. Everybody that sees them thinks they are great too! I also took some underwater video and it came out great. The underwater settings seem to work well but I haven't tried any other settings underwater yet. One thing I want to try is video with sound underwater just to see what it picks up. I am not using the software that came with the camera so I can't comment on that, but I will say that it comes with Olympus software that is pretty extensive. I remember the version on my old Olympus was pretty good but now I just use what's included with Windows Vista, which is fine for me right now.
The Not So Good: The controls are a bit small so it is sometimes difficult to get my chubby fingers on the right buttons. Just a minor annoyance though. The wrist strap that comes with the camera is nice but for a camera whose main feature is Waterproof, they should have included a beefier strap that could cinch up around your wrist. If I were a to take this camera in deeper water I would want a better strap to ensure it wouldn't come off and sink to the bottom.
That's all I have for now. I've had no problems at all so far and the waterproof features are working well. Just remember to flush the camera with fresh water after you take it in the pool or ocean and make sure all the seals are intact before you dunk it in any water!

I took this camera on a few kayak trips. It performed great, is easy to use, and had excellent battery life. One problem was that the camera insisted the battery cover was open, although it wasn't. It took a hair dryer for a few seconds to the open battery compartment to straighten things out. The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is that the lcd and the face of the camera were scratched for no apparent reason other than the normal exposure to gear and elements of a kayaking trip. A camera that is supposed to be tough shouldn't scratch so easily. I would suggest getting the silver as the scratches may be less noticeable if you plan to take it along on a similar trip.

After taking some time to research this camera, I went ahead and purchased it. On a recent trip to Cabo San Lucas, this camera survived a 2-1/2 to 3 ft. fall onto a marble floor, vibrations from an atv ride, the dust from said atv ride, and the rinse off of the dust. I also used it in the rain at a baseball game, something I would have been hesitant to do with a standard point-and-shoot. The pictures and video were of very good quality just in the normal settings, as I haven't gone through all the settings yet. High marks to Olympus for this camera.

Great camera if you want/need a waterproof/shockproof camera.
The image quality for pictures taken outdoors is great. But it is really not good for indoor pictures with high ISOs, the pictures becomes extremely pixelated and grainy. I wish they had used a better processor for higher ISO pictures. But if waterproof is the ultimate goal this is definitely the way to go. I took some great pictures underwater and outdoors in general. Nice size and robust built. High recommend for its purpose but if artistic/great shots is your goal, go for a DSLR. This is a bit pricey too, and I got it because I broke my last two cameras because of water spills.

I am not happy with this product at all. It is supposed to be a waterproof camera and that is why you pay a little more when you buy it. It is supposed to be good at 33ft. under water but the first time I used it inside the swimingpool with the kids it was full of water and stopped working. I don't call this a waterproof camera so don't buy it if that is what you want to use it for.

very good camera! rivals my nikon d80 shots! great for beach pictures and when raining/drizzling outside!
This was a great buy!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1AEEPYVR3DL9J Love the Olympus 1030SW - it matches my lifestyle... rough, tough & ready for anything, especially water. Shot a short video of me jumping in a lake, which obviously doesnt phase the camera whatsoever.

I researched all the point and shoot cameras and found the Olympus Stylus 1030SW has the most to offer for the money. Besides the obvious features no other cameras can match like the Water Proof, Crush proof and so on is the overall quality of the camera. It looks and feels very well made. The pictures are sharp and clear and the menu and buttons are easy to understand and operate. One of the truely best point and shoot cameras out there.

I just got this camera for my birthday and i been looking at the reviews on amazon saying that this camera takes bad pictures. HELL NO IT DOESNT! It is probably the easiest camera to use. I think the problem with people getting bad shots is that they dont know how to use a camera in general. I mean the settings are right there for you to use. Honestly if you cant choose the pre settings that are available then just switch it to auto. lol

I dont know what other people are talking about with the battery. If someone is saying something negative about it then they just got a bad one. Hey, it happens. When I got my camera, I put the battery in right away and used it for 15 min. After 15 min it said it was gonna die. I recharged it for 3 hours. The next day I took it to the water park for 6 hours. And during the six hours it was probably turned on for 5 because i hardly turned it off. I was taking so many pictures! Also if you need to know, the camera was in the water pretty much the entire time possible. Gave me no problems. So after 5 hours of it being on, I checked the battery life on the screen. GUESS WHAT!?!?! Still FULLY CHARGED!!!

Taking video.. On VGA mode yes only ten seconds. But on QVGA at 30fps IT LOOKED GREAT!! and it records as long as you have space on your memory card. Sound could be a little better but its a camera for a reason. to take pictures.

Great camera. I would recommend this camera to anyone looking to get their moneys worth.

I bought the camera for my sister, as she travels all of the world doing mission and relief work in central and south America, and this camera is perfect for her. IT is durable, shock resistant and waterproof.

This camera is amazing. You can do so much with it. Drop it in water, throw it who cares. Awesome. However the first one I bought stopped working. I returned it and they quickly sent me a new one that works great.

I researched this camera heavily before purchasing it. I was even a bit skeptical with its claims of being waterproof, shockproof, etc. But in the end, I decided to give it a shot and I have not been disappointed.

This camera lives up to its promise. I tested it underwater and it took very nice pictures! Although, one thing you do need to keep in mind is that for the camera to stay functional, you need to follow the very simple upkeep instructions.

Image quality: Absolutely amazing. I bought a 2gb xd for the camera and on 10mp normal resolution you can take about 400 photos. I set my photos at 10mp fine resolution. I really like this feature because on my older camera, I had to convert the image to high-res after it was on the computer.

One thing with the image quality that you might need to watch out for: if you are shooting macro or super-macro, you'll probably want to use a tripod. You can get a decent shot without one, but a tripod makes it soo much easier.

Another great thing about this camera is the battery. I wasn't sure I was going to like having a battery you had to plug into the wall to charge but its great to not have to keep buying AAs all the time. The battery keeps a charge quite a few hours of fairly heavy use (constant zooming, turning off/on, viewing images, etc.) You can find replacement batteries for fairly cheap too. I found an offbrand battery for $[...] and free shipping on [...].

Also, in researching this camera, I found some links to the possibilities of photography with this camera.

Photos taken with Olympus 1030sw: [...]

Videos taken with Olympus 1030sw:[...]

Looking for a durable camera for your thru-hike? You've found it. You can't find another camera with comparable features, this has everything you need to make it from Mexico to Canada and then some. Make the right choice and get the one that will make it all the way with some really adverse conditions to go through and keep on working. You don't want to miss any shots or worry about that last river crossing so get the camera that will get the job done and very well at that.

This is an excellent camera. My husband bought it for me for our trip to Hawaii after my Pentax waterproof camera broke. It takes great terrestrial photos as well as underwater photos. The battery lasts fairly well, and the charger is small and compact. It has many options of different modes, including a few different choices for underwater modes -which is great. It was a convenient size to make it easy to take anywhere. I also use Nikon D300 and this is great for when you just want to take snapshots and don't want to take along a big camera.

This is a great product. Really clear photos underwater, quick-ready so you can grab it and snap a photo in seconds. Feature-packed. I really like the create calendar feature. The only changes I would make to the design? Add a viewfinder for use with action scenes and video; also it might be better to have the lens in the center of the camera instead of where fingers naturally get in the way.

Battery life is very long, microphone is accurate for audio reproduction and this thing will take a beating. I used it for a month in Costa Rica in all sorts of weather, in hot springs and on the beach/salt water. Zero problems. A really great camera! Just what I expected from Olympus.

I used my new Olympus 1030 SW on a trip to Grand Cayman, after the first use in water it kept reading a message that there was a compartment open, which I could not see. The next day I was able to use it and I took hundreds of pics. Some were awesome and others grainy, but then again it stopped working saying there was a compartment open. I returned it; got a new one. Took some really great pics out of water, then the first time in the water after taking a few pics it just turned off and turning it on did not do a thing. I am returning it luckily within 30 days. But I am extremely disappointed in this product.

I'm not a camera expert by any means, so this is not a very technical review. I bought this camera to take to the Caymans for vacation. It worked great for underwater and regular shots. I bought a microSD instead of the Olympus XD and it worked fine. The only advice I can tell you is make sure you swap modes once you get back out of the water or else your pictures will look weird. Also, watch your thumb when you take pics.

Got this camera in anticipation of lots of snorkeling in Maui, Hawaii. Great pics above and below water for 5 of 6 days of the trip. On the 6th day, the best snorkeling spot the camera would not work. Water had gotten inside the camera. So I'm conflicted in the review. Thrilled with the pics I got, really, really upset I missed taking pics on the last day of my trip.

I like this camera for a 'FUN CAMERA'. The zoom isn't very good at all. The audio is horrible. But I do like how long the video clips can be and I LOVE the waterproof and shockproof feature. I bought the 'silicone skin' for a cover and it's basically my 5 year old boys camera. He enjoys playing with it and I have no worries.

WARNING! I bought this camera to use on a trip to Anguilla & the camera leaked!!
This is not a user error, I was very careful! It happened not once but twice & the second time the camera stopped working.

Another couple on our snorkel trip had the same camera they had also bought for their trip & it too leaked. They were able to recover their photos after drying it out but the screen had water in it & the photos all had a blurry area in the same location on all the photos from water.

It would be a great camera if it worked but I would NOT trust it with your vacation photos. Olympus clearly needs to work out some bugs before this is ready for purchase!

I just received the camera, bought together with the 2GB XD memory card because someone said that 2GB was all the camera could support. Wrong. The version 1.1 camera firmware update, already installed on my camera when it arrived (no need to have it downloaded with the Olympus Master 2 software - although there is an update available for that as well), allows support of memory cards greater than 2GB. The camera comes with an adapter to convert microSDHC cards (8 GB for example) to the XD format needed for the camera.

I was impressed with the ease of navigation through the camera settings using only one hand to hold and navigate at the same time.

I'm very happy with this product overall. I think it has some great features and takes nice pictures. I haven't used it underwater yet but will be in a couple of weeks. My only complaint is the zoom is not that impressive. My previous point and shoot camera's have had a much better zoom. But I'm still happy with the product.

Do not buy this camera!!!! it is the worse camera ever. We were at the lake and the camera stopped working and you can see some water had entered the camera. I sent the camera in to Olympus and they told me that I have to pay $120 to get fix after I paid $400 for it and they actually told me that I have to send the camera every year to get it refurbish. After complaining about the misleading advertisement, the lady actually told me you can go to the web and express your feelings!!!! EVERY YEAR PAY $120 - IT IS NOT WORTH THE MONEY - AGAIN DO NOT BUY!!!!!