I had been waiting to buy this camera since it was announced last month. Just got it yesterday and everything was as expected until I tried to do video in VGA (640x480) resolution. The camera wouldn't take video for longer than 10 seconds in this mode. I called Olympus support, and they confirmed that for VGA resolution it will only shoot that long because of buffer issues.

This may not seem like a big deal to some, but the whole point of this camera for me was to have something I could shoot stills AND video in for most environments. If all I cared about was the quality of still shots (what Olympus told me they were focusing on), I would have bought something other than this "do everything camera."

My cheap Cybershot that I got 4 years ago will do VGA for as long as I have memory space. Too bad, because I was really looking forward to this new Olympus, but now it has to go back. I gave it a three because the other functions appeared to operate as expected.

So i purchased this camera to take with me on my trip to cancun where im planning on doing some snorkeling, although i still have not taken the camera on the trip i have already used it and know what its capable of. The camera has the BEST image stabalizer and anti-blurr system i have ever seen, my brother took the camera to a nascar race and took a picture of a car going over 175mph right infront of him and there was no blurr. It has a great macro setting to take close up pictures, i took a picture of a quarter on my desk from about 1 1/2 inches away and it looked amazing, same with a picture of a flower (the built in LED bulb for macro shots helps a lot!). The VGA with 30fps only takes 10 seconds of video which sucks, but it u do VGA with 15fps (frames per second) you can do up to 30 minutes, and i could not tell a difference between the two when i uploaded two similar videos i shot to test it. The camera takes great pictures, and the 20+ shot modes help out sooo much. (candle lit mode for that special night, sunset mode, fireworks mode, underwater wide and 2 other underwater modes, night mode, portait, everything u can think of.)I tested it under water at my local pool and it works great, very fine underwater pictures, the lens has a metal lens cover that closes when u turn off the camera and its very durable (ex. when my dog grabbed it from my hand and ran off with it) nothing but a few minor scratches. sorry for the long review but i wish i had a long one when i bought it, would have helped me make a decision much faster. Camera only goes 10ft so the underwater case is a must if you are going scubadiving, i will at the end of march and ill update the review to let u know how that is. Hope this helps, all in all, this is a great camera!

Small, beautiful, lightweight, this camera is perfect for my uses: in the garden, for my business, on family trips and vacations. I am not a "tech-savvy" person and needed a camera that would not break, that I could find in my bag, and that would keep taking picture after picture. It has great clarity and simple features. I learned to use it in 10 minutes.

This product seriously dissapointed me, with so much talk about unbelievable clarity and outstanding photos, this camera produces photos that match just about all pocket digital cameras out there. However, where it really hurts me is in the sound and video area. The sound quality is a crying shame. I wouldn't stamp this product as capable of shooting video, I would say it is able to takes lots of pictures quickly with static sound wrapped around it and the Very VERY faint sound of your voice screaming into the front of it. Thumbs down for me, WAY down. Also, when you pump up the resolution on the video option it only tapes for 10 seconds, cant buffer fast enough, Final straw for me, My first Olympus camera after using Canon for 5 years, and I'm going back!

First off, the cons, since they're most important

-XD Picture Card.
This is the biggest thing that irks me, since XD is a dying brand and Olympus refuses to give it up. However, since working with it, i've found nothing really bad about xd, only that it's like sd but just a tiny bit bigger, so don't worry about this.

-Doesn't come in orange.
Oh well, I think i'll live with silver (which is very nice by the way)

-Has an odd "favorites mode" i probably won't use*
*see below for disclaimer

-Panorama only works in P mode
Who cares, i take all my pictures in that mode anyway (But it took me a while to learn that)

-Low battery
For some odd reason, i get a low battery signal even when i know i've got a couple of hours left. No big deal, i carry an extra battery with me all the time.

Uhhh, i truthfully can't think of anything else

Pros:

-Rugged
This camera is a beast. I don't think you can break it. i saw C-net freeze two of these things in a block of ice and when i was at National Camera Exchange, they literally swept it off the counter and let it crash to the floor. It also feels really sturdy in your hands

-Waterproof
What can i say, built in waterproof. Does that mean i don't have to worry about the rain or snow? Yes. Yes it does.

-Compact
For all it's ruggedness, this camera is small. Thin, with a lens you don't have to worry about protruding.

-Easy to use
Comparing it to some Cannon brands at a store, this camera was WAY easier to use and was a lot faster in selecting modes, types of shots, ect.

-Panorama
Has an in camera panorama that is amazingly easy to figure out. First time i tried it, i got exactly the type of shot i wanted, no learning curve. Stitches three pictures together in camera. Perfect for those spectacle nature shots and whatever else you need to capture. (note: Panorama only works with an xd card, and not compatible with the micro sd to xd converter that you get in the box)

-LED lamp
Super bright white LED on the front for those really dark shots. You can also turn it on when the camera isn't on, really useful if you need it in a cinch.

-Surprising Video
Can take video in 30fps, which came out really good. Option of 15fps as well.

-Quick shot view
has a button to press while in camera mode to quickly view shots. When finished, press shutter half way and it zips back to camera mode.

-Very, VERY fast
Even when it wasn't pre-focused, the shot time was in under a second. When pre-focused, the speed really was instantaneous. (as in feeling like an SLR speed)

-8mp
Excellent image quality. Outshot cannon models in outdoor shots bar none. Indoor, we found cannon did it a little better, but that was digitally zoomed in all the way, comparing it side by side with some hesitation. ergo, it's so small, who cares, and even then the quality was still amazing. But if you're that passionate about perfect pictures, you need an SLR.

-3x zoom
Not kidding, a 3x OPTICAL zoom with a lens that doesn't protrude from the camera. Since it's 8mp, i don't think i'll use the zoom, but wow, it really does work.

-Fast startup
With no external lens to push out, startup time is blazingly fast.

-Favorites
If you set a picture in your favorites, it can never be erased from the camera (unless removed from favorites) even when formatting internal memory as well. Plus, you can set one of these pictures to your menu background, which is a nice touch.


What else can i say, this camera really took me by surprise. It has everything i could want in a camera, plus it's amazing durability. Great buy, suggest getting one of the packs that Amazon offers if you want a really good price. If you want to see it, compare it, hold it, test it, whatever, i suggest heading over to National Camera Exchange. They should have it, and they really know they're stuff.

I've been waiting for this line of cameras to come out for a while so I was really excited to get it. I opened the box and put the battery in. I thought I'd done it the right way, but it turned out that I put it in upside down (I'd still managed to match up the negative and positive sides). After a lot of shaking (thanks shock protection) I couldn't get it out!
At this point I looked at the manual and it said something along the lines of "careful if battery is placed in camera incorrectly you will not be able to remove it and must have it serviced at an olympus service center." What the f**k!!?! I know I was dumb for putting it in wrong, but come on, Olympus can anticipate that most of us feel confident enough to put the battery in w/o the owners manual. And that most of us will assume if put in incorrectly it will come back out.
I call olympus. They tell me I can mail it to a service center in CA or NY (I live in Chicago) and that I'd get it back in a mere 7-10 business days. All this for a battery put in upside down? Instead of crying or throwing the camera against a wall (which I really wanted to do) I decided to try using some tweezers to get kinda pry it out. Whaddya know, worked right away, didn't damage anything. Thank god! I was close to tossing it in a fit of rage and vowing to never buy olympus again.
I consider this to be a huge design flaw. Despite the warning in the manual and an additional warning (later discovered) on a light pink half sheet of paper, I'm sure a lot of people will make the same mistake. If Olympus should put a big red sticker on the camera itself.
Hopefully the camera will work as promised in a view weeks when I'm on vacation.

I lost my previous great Konica Minolta camera after it got wet by an ocean wave, while sailing on a boat. The Olympus camera is definitely waterproof. I swam with it in the ocean in Kauai, and it worked.
The quality of static photos is acceptable for a waterproof camera.

A disappointing surprise is the software. Since there is no view finder, if you need reading glasses, it is difficult to adjust the photo size with zoom. You need to take a wider picture and crop. The camera let you crop... but you cannot save the cropped photo! The camera records the date and time... But you cannot date stamp the photo! Things that any old average digital camera does!

There are special functions with nice displayed illustrations to select that do not work, like a displayed marathon runner function to select for photographing fast moving objects. It didn't work. The photos of moving objects are blurred and you need to press the shutter button a few seconds in advance and pray that the object would be in the frame when the shutter open. If you try to photo a moving car, horse or fish, you generally get an "abstract art". No mention in the booklet that you need a faster memory card, or the camera is just slow.

The worst part is Customer Service. The technician told me that it is a new camera which she didn't know and read the booklet while my cellular minutes run for 30 minutes. Her supervisor is an expert in making you feel that you know nothing and just bother him, and didn't volunteer information, like they did in Konica Minolta (the brand does not exist anymore) when I bought their camera and called them six years ago, in order to explain how to take great, fast, date stamped, but not waterproofed pictures that I could crop and save.

I was looking for an 'unbreakable' camera for my hopelessly clumsy 10 year old who begged me for one as a birthday gift. Considering that my dad trusted me with an SLR when I was 10, I decided to give her a chance too - but with precaution. I've read many reviews that the picture quality of the Olympus 850 SW was not so great - and that's true if you're so used to Canon and Nikon (we have both in point and shoot and dSLR).

However, the greatest features of this camera are it's capability to take shots under water and it's being shockproof (6-ft drop). Taking shots in rain, snow, or other wet conditions - as well as wild conditions - is worry-free. If the picture quality is not as important as HAVING pictures on those occasions, then using this camera is a no brainer. The 24-scene modes, framing, labeling, shadow fix, etc. are just bonuses in my opinion - though my daughter loves experimenting with them. It does not offer much in the way of manual control, but I guess that's the point of a point-and-shoot.

She's taken it swimming many times now and it always amazes me to see our own smiling faces under water! Maybe the pictures are less vivid than I would have hoped - but for that, I would have to buy an underwater case for my Nikon D80 - and spend twice the cost of my original camera :) So until I'm an avid underwater photographer, I can settle for my daughter's Olympus 850 SW.

I must add though, that the battery life is quite mediocre. It must be charged after only less than a hundred shots in VGA mode. Opt to get a second battery.

This is the best camera I've ever owned. The color is beautiful and the pictures are so clear! The shockproof and waterproof aspect add extra security that is extremely refreshing. It's definitely worth its price!

This camera is excellent. I really love it, and the picture quality is outstanding!! I'd highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for a new great quality camera.

Started to use it immediately and very happy with the simplicity of the operation.
Held up fine in the pool and ocean.

We just got back from Jamaica. This camera was awesome! From snorkeling to hiking up a waterfall this camera got it all.

This camera is exactly what I was looking for and I have been looking for some time now. I have had an Olympus camera before and liked it so it was no surprise that I love this one. I am not a person that usually likes pink but I could not resist this color either.

I bought this product for my family trip to Disney in August. I needed something that was waterproof so I can use in the waterparks, and it had to be small since I don't want to be carrying around my purse. So far it is great. It fits into my little wristlet so I know that I can walk around these parks without a bulky purse. I used it to our recent trip to an aquarium and the pictures taken inside without the flash were pretty good. It was dark in some areas, so those pics were a little blurry but I still need practice with the camera and all of its features. The other pics taken in the low light conditions were very good, and outdoor pics were great! I can't wait to use it underwater!

I have been in photography for 20+ years. I use both pro and point and shoot cameras depending on where I am and what I am shooting. I recently purchased this camera as a go anywhere camera and tried it out on a trip to bermuda after reading all of the great reviews. I should have taken a back up camera. First the battery lasts about 10 minutes of shooting time. (about 50-110 shots depending on the flash) It is lower if you try to use the video mode. I would say faulty battery but several other people have told me it is just the battery, buy a spare. The lens is about the worst on the market. It has a really bad curve to it and has a hard time focusing if the subject is 30+ feet away. The antishake is great ....except for the fact that the picture is too grainy to be of any use. I was really excited about the underwater feature..... unless you are in a clear pool with no movement forget it. I hate to write such a negative review on a product that seemed to have a ton of potential but if you need a good camera look at others or wait until the second gen of these come out with some fixes.

Well, got this camera last week. So far, so good. I'm happy with my purchase.

Pros:
1 - Waterproof, freezeproof and shockproof. Although, I'm still reluctant in trying to freeze or drop it (hey, the camera is brand new, ok?). I'll try those camera features later when I accidentally drop or use this in snow. I'm really really excited to take this to the beach. You will also enjoy watching people's reaction as you wash this under a faucet, hehe.

2 - Looks stylish. I was originally going to get the 1030SW, but for me, that model looked ugly. Yeah it has more megapixels, it can go deeper underwater, crushproof,... basically, just better features. But like I said, I didn't like the style of the 1030. It looks too utilitarian. Personal choice my friend.

3 - Large and bright LCD screen. I haven't tried testing the battery life under normal use. I have a habit of always carrying a spare battery.

4 - The scene option is awesome. Lots of options there.

Cons:
1 - The camera menu system is not as intuitive. Actually, that is a problem with all digital cameras I've seen, not just Olympus. I have yet to see a menu system that is intuitive. But anyway, I digress.... The 850SW menu system takes some patience to know where and how to use every option/features. I actually called Olympus tech support cause I could not get the panorama*** option to work even though I have an Olympus brand Type M+ xD card (panorama icon was disabled in the main menu). Turns out, the camera has to be set to PROGRAM AUTO as oppose to the default AUTO. For those getting this camera, that will be useful info, and it will save you time digging through the manual (which by the way does not mention this info).

2 - The sound is hard to hear when watching a video on the camera. I've read people say the video quality is not great. Well to me, it's really not a big deal, if you really want quality video playback/recording, you should not be doing that on a digital camera.

***panorama feature only works if you have an Olympus brand Type M xD card. Actually, they also came out with a newer (and more expensive) card called Type M+. According to them, it is faster then the M version. Using the M+ version, you can take videos longer than 10 seconds at 30 fps (M version is limited to 10 sec at 30fps).

I spent an additional $26 buying a wall charger, because what use is a rechargeable camera battery without a charger?! The camera came today (quick shipping as usual from Amazon!) and there's a charger IN THE BOX! Nowhere on the site does it say that the thing ships with a charger.

Even if the merchant (through Amazon, but not Amazon) takes it back I'm out the $8 S&H for a thing I never needed in the first place plus whatever it costs to send it back!

The camera is smaller than I expected, real pretty, and once the battery is charged, I'll try it out. There are precise directions for what to do to maintain the water proofing, but they don't seem to be too onerous -- we'll see when I actually try it.

I originally bought the 850 sw for a trip to Mexico, but the charger that came with it didn't work. Olympus promptly sent me another, but not in time for the trip. It makes me ill when I think of the cenotes, reefs, ocean, jungle, four-wheelers, and the wedding and friends I wish I had pictures of.

Then, roughly two months later, I had still taken less than 30 pictures with the camera when the screen went completely white the Olympus failed to work altogether. I spoke with a representative over the phone who informed me that I had to ship the camera--at my cost--to California, where it was supposed to take 7-10 days to repair. This happened about a week before the camera was supposed to debut at an annual kayaking trip (the activity I bought it for in the first place). Needless to say, I again missed a priceless opportunity due to the Olympus' poor reliability.

Incidentally, Olympus required a reciept--which I no longer had--and had to obtain from the retailer, USA Bargains. Despite repeated e-mails, they refused to ever respond. Fortunately, the people at Amazon were much more helpful, and provided me with an invoice within the day.

I have yet to use the camera outside of the house, but it seems to take decent pictures. And I doubt that all of Olympus' products suffer this many problems. But still, at this point I have to wonder, if I were to buy another Olympus, and the same problems all over again, would they be to blame or would I?

First off this camera comes with a micro-sd to xd card adapter which means you can use micro-sd cards in this camera.

Use must use 4 gb or higher micro-sd card to film video longer then 10 seconds. My new 4 gb one holds 3 hrs of video.

Camera can be charged through usb and included wall unit.

I purchased the silicon skin to protect against and scratches or dents from dropping it.

I have taken hundreds of above water and underwater pictures. This camera has all the features and scene settings you need.

More features then more expensive cameras.

I was scared to buy after reading the reviews, but after using the camera, I believe most people disappointed with the quality of their pictures did not know how to change to proper settings. The features on this camera makes for endless pictures in any environment.

The only thought you should have is what flashy color to get to be like an alarm to tell your family and friends "I am the waterproof camera." I would suggest picking a color no one else in your family has.

I personally liked the yellow and orange the best for that purpose and I purchased the orange one.

You buy this camera for what it is designed for, to take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. And that's just what it does. Outdoor shots are fantastic, I take video alot and it is ok, but the sound is really quiet (probably because they had to waterproof the microphone). I've really put this thing through it's paces though at Lake Powell, Mexico, a family trip to California, and a week at a Boy Scout Camp. All those with it usually in my back pocket. That is what I love about it, I get a lot of fun pictures that I didn't with my other cameras because you wouldn't have thought to take a digital camera with you out on a tipsy Sea Kayak for example.

Cons
Sound on Video
low light pictures are sometimes blurry even with the image stabilization on which means you have to use the flash

Pros
indestructible, it's been on the beach, sat on all around the cruise ship, dropped on the house boat, usually in my pocket at lake powell, sandy, muddy and often wet
Love the underwater picture taking, they are more fun than useful though as they are usually low light pictures

This camera does not take the finest pictures in it's class. It's not particularly tiny or lightweight. But today I took VGA res 30 fps movies of my son and I going down the water-slide together at the waterpark! All the way down! Last week I took shots of my buddy and me surf-fishing in the gulf. I let my 5 year-old son have it whenever he wants. He dropped it in the sand at the beach; He dropped it on the tile floor in the kitchen. No worries! You can take this camera where you would never have taken a good camera before. Water, sand, mud, rain, no problem. I have a good Canon for when I need to get the perfect shot(I lost a Rebel to a little bit of sand on an Australia trip a couple of years ago- unrepairable and not covered by warranty they said). I have this camera to get the shots in places where I never could before.

Two gripes -
1. XD cards, hard to find and expensive compared to SD. The camera comes with an adapter for micro-SD cards, but 30 fps VGA movies are limited to 10 seconds with this memory.
2. The USB connector on the camera is a non-standard one I've never seen before. Don't lose that cable! This makes no sense.

Point of info: You can record unlimited length (well, until your card is full anyway) 30 fps VGA movies if you have an type M+ or H XD card and version 1.1 of the firmware. This is a fact; I have done it.

Truly the camera OLYMPUS STYLUS 850SW 8MP who buys, is the worst purchase I made, with the following:
1. The image quality is the worst I've seen, no matter if it is 8 megapixels, never compared to the SONY in any of its models.
2. I can not use the zoom because the blurred picture emerging, the face of people can't be distinguished. The zoom does not help at all.
3. The battery lasts for only about 120 photos, the worst battery that is used in activities that I have done, I've never been able to take all the photos because the battery is exhausted.
4. and for the quality of images is a camera truly expensive
5. the storage capacity for the video is very poor considering that is 2 GBS,

I decided to buy a OLYMPUS STYLUS 850SW 8MP that I thought it was a chamber of "excellent quality" but I never thought it wrong, AMAZON.COM could sell a product of such poor quality.

My brother who is also a user AMAZON.COM wanted to buy a camera and just after seeing the quality of the photos said that it will not.

Since this e-mail only what you see and not the other buyers, it would be good that the removal of its inventory sales.
Sincerely


MAURICIO GALDAMEZ



Verdaderamente la cámara OLYMPUS STYLUS 850SW 8MP que compre, es la peor compra que hice, por lo siguiente:
1. La calidad de imagen es la peor que he visto, no importa si se trata de 8 megapíxeles, nunca en comparación con la SONY en cualquiera de sus modelos.
2. No puedo utilizar el zoom ya que la imagen es muy borrosa, el rostro de las personas no se pueden distinguir. El zoom no ayuda en absoluto.
3. La batería dura sólo alrededor de 120 fotos, batería que se utiliza en las actividades que he hecho, nunca he sido capaz de tomar todas las fotos porque la batería está agotada.
4. y por la calidad de las imágenes es una cámara realmente costosa
5. la capacidad de almacenamiento para el video es muy pobre teniendo en cuenta que es el 2 de GBS,

Decidí comprar una OLYMPUS STYLUS 850SW 8MP que yo pensé que era una cámara de "excelente calidad", pero nunca pensé mal AMAZON.COM podía vender un producto de tan mala calidad.

Mi hermano que es también un usuario AMAZON.COM quería comprar una cámara y después de ver la calidad de las fotos dijo que no.


MAURICIO GALDAMEZ

Photography has been a hobby of mine for thirty five years. My first demand is the camera takes quality photos. They must be ultra sharp with good color balance.
I am usually a Nikon and Canon brands fan. I purchased a Olympus high end point and shoot twenty years ago on advice of a good friend motorcycle rider. Hated that camera! Prints were fuzzy, color was terrible. Still have it, like new and in the box. So, this fathers day I opened my present from my wife and guess what a Olympus 850SW. I thought, oh no. I presently own a Nikon 4600 subcompact which takes substandard photos, a Canon Powershot SD 1000 which takes good but not great photos and Nikon D40X SLR which takes great photos.
We had a weekend outing with the grandkids. A good time to try out this Olympus thing. Well, I was very pleased. After taking about one hundred pics. The picture quality is very close to my Nikon digital SLR. Lag is almost none. It beats the Canon SD 1000 and the Nikon 4600 very badly. I am very impressed with this little camera. I haven't tried the movie mode because I hardly ever take movies with a digital camera. I have a movie camera for that purpose. I will be going to Hawaii soon and will test the underwater part of this camera.Will keep you posted.
Anyway, very pleased and would recommend it very highly. The only thing I would like would be a viewfinder, but you can always find something to gripe about. Hope this review will help you.

This camera is amazing! Not only is it a gorgeous pink shade, the quality of it is impeccable! The pictures come out great, above and under water. It's also surprisingly very lightweight. I brought the camera with me to Las Vegas, and brought it in the pool, and by the end of our trip, I had convinced at least 25 people to buy this camera, including my own friends. AMAZING!

I took my son on a rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. Two days before we left, my wife gave me this camera as a b-day gift. (I'm usually a Canon type of guy). The camera worked great for the first 4.5 days, until I went swimming with it in Havasu Falls. The camera remained at least a foot from the surface, nor did I leave it underwater for more than a few minutes. Later that evening, as we were setting up camp, I pulled it out to take a pic of a scorpion. The image on the LCD was a complete fog (when I returned home, the pic was also a fog.) It took several days until the LCD showed a clear image. Now I'm hesitant to use it for what it was intended for, and the camera store that my wife bought it at has a 10 day return policy, and it's been longer than that, so I might, or might not, be able to return it.
All other functions worked well.
I was able to take over 300 pics and 3 minutes of video on the fully charged Li-ion battery. (An after-market battery fared considerably worse, only allowing 50-60 pics.)

This camera is well worth the money!!! I wanted it to have fun at work (I am a lifeguard) and we are always in the water with it. It takes quality pictures that more expensive cameras does. For only 299$, the camera is a bargain.

We wanted a camera that was waterproof and shock resistant, primarily for backpacking and canoeing. We took the camera on a 7 day backpacking trip to Isle Royale in early June and it performed very well. It is a battery hog, tho. A second battery was a necessity. We used it in pouring rain with no problems and it survived the week bouncing in my pack and cargo pocket just fine. Since then I've held it underwater taking pictures of fish as they were coming to the net, again, no problems. Cons: battery life, lack of manual control over shutter speed/aperture, settings options default to original on power down. For the price, tho, it is a good point and shoot that is also waterproof and shock resistant.

My wonderful father sent me this camera as a complete surprise and I couldn't be happier with it! It's lightweight, easy to use, and so far I've had no problems with droppage (as in I've dropped it and it's remained in perfect working condition!) as well as it takes great underwater pictures. I would recommend this camera to anyone who enjoys taking pictures.

The Good:
With the quality and dependabilty individuals have come to rely on for years, Olympus has done it again and come out with another wonderful camera. The Stylus 850 SW is WONDERFUL! It lives up to every expectation I had of it so far, and is still suprising me. Some people have been saying the picture can be grainy and yes, it can be... if you have it on some strangely high ISO setting inside for no real reason! This camera comes with all the presets you could ever want, including settings for candlelight, behind glass, online auctions, regular portraits, self-portraits, food, AND fireworks! The 'favorites' menu is genius; ever want to show someone a picture you took and you have to go through all 286 vacation photos to find that ONE picture? No more! With 'favorites,' you can set pictures that you have taken as a favorite, and then when you want to get directly to them, simply turn the selector wheel to the star ('favorites') and all your favorite pictures are in one place, no searching required. There is even editing available right on the camera so you don't have to wait to get home to take out the red eye or shadows in that great shot of Aunt Martha. With the fun 'frame' edit, you can even put her newly red eye free picture in a 'frame,' right on your camera! Then just hook it up to a printer at a local computer place and voila! Great for the accident prone short person such as myself. Being 5'4", I'm probably not going to drop the camera from more than 5', which just happens to be what it is rated for so this is a match made in heaven. Simply simple, simply AMAZING!

The Bad:
- Some reviews have stated that if you do happen to take this camera on an underwater adventure, to be sure and keep a good hold on it because it sinks like a lead weight. I can see why. Not the lightest camera ever made. Lighter than my 3mp Olympus from the dinosaur age by a number of pounds, but they make the floating strap for a reason.
- I'm a little saddened by the battery situation. Every time you need to charge it, you have to take it out of the camera, which makes you reset the date and time every time you put the battery back in. Not a huge issue, just may get a little annoying after awhile. Plus, repetitive removal of the battery could lead to dust or other particles getting in the battery door, making the waterproof function, well, MAL-function. Just be very careful, read the directions and follow them to a T.
- Didn't come with a screen protector. Traditional screen protectors aren't waterproof, so I'm wondering how expensive its going to get to buy screen protectors for this camera... It isn't a big deal since the camera is waterproof so you can just wash off anything icky that may get on it, but it would be nice for scratches and such. They do make silicon protectors for the outside of the camera that fit it like a glove, which is great for protecting the body.

Just got this camera after doing lots of researching of underwater cameras. This camera is awesome for the price! Love that it has a rechargeable battery and so many different shooting modes! It's really easy to set up and get started...even my kids love using it! Purchased a bigger memory card right away and am getting a silicone skin as well. I've been recommending this camera to everyone!

I bought this camera after our Sony was stolen in South Padre and I couldn't be happier. Yeah I was sad that we lost all our pictures from a week long vacation but it is almost worth it. Along with the camera I have purchased two extra batteries (you will need them) and 2GB xd card and a 4GB micro sd card. On normal mode the xd card holds about 1000 pics. We have updated the software and the videos are amazing. The picture quality is great, at first I didn't like the night pics but once I put it on the correct setting the pictures were wonderful. With my old Sony I never used the scene settings bc I never noticed a difference, with this camera the settings make a huge difference. The panorama was easy to use (but only in P mode)I was one that would never read the instruction manual but with this camera it helped so much.
Also the floating strap is a must, it will sink!! We have put it in water several times with no problems, I check the battery and usb doors every time to make sure there isn't anything in there. We haven't had ideal underwater opportunities just yet, but when we used it we had a blast with it.
I love this camera and have turned many people on to it! And if you are looking for an orange one Best Buy had it.

We actually purchased this camera for our teen daughter, but have ended up using it as much as she does. She loves the underwater capability and has used it often to take pictures in the pool and at the lake. I love all of the available options and great picture quality. We recently purchased another camera, but chose to take this one on vacation. If there is one downside to the camera, it is that you must have the Olympus software program installed on your computer (comes with camera) to upload pictures. As far as the weird sized memory card that comes with the Olympus goes, we just use the micoSD (which is also used in cell phones) card instead. If you are looking for a fun camera that takes good pics, especially if you want the underwater capability, I think you will enjoy this one.

I received this camera a couple of days before leaving for a month long vaction in Spain. 2 days after arriving in Spain I went online to update the firmware of the camera so that I could take longer videos. Within a minute of completing the update and making sure that the extended video function worked, the camera shut off. Thought the battery ran down so I recharged it and the camera simply will not start now. Called Olympus long distance from Barcelona and they said I had to send it in for repair. Told them I needed another camera stat and they basically said tough luck. Told them that I would need to leave a negative review on Amazon and they couldn't care less. So, if you're looking for a dependable camera, look somewhere else.

I bought this camera for my son's HS graduation. He just took it on a trip to the Bahamas, and uses it for his construction business. It takes great pictures, and can take a beating from an 18 year old boy!

I bought this camera mainly for it being waterproof. It really is waterproof too. I've taken it with me im the ocean, lakes, and pools. I havent really taken any underwater pictures, I just use it to take pictures of my friends and myself while we are in the water and it works great! Ive also taken it to concerts and it takes great videos and pictures. The only problem I've had with this camera is that the options on the little wheel selector are rubbing off so I can't see what the different modes are just by looking at it. Overall it is an excellent camera and I'm very happy with my purchase.

If you don't care about video quality, I like the waterproof-ness and the price.

However, I do like taking small videos with my camera and when I transferred it over to the computer, the sound quality was poor... you have to increase your volume to hear it.. which I don't mind. But I do mind the random "thump!" noises that come out of it.

Also, you can't hear the video well on the camera itself, which I'm okay with. Just make it stop thumping!!

I was thinking about geting a water proof camra for a long time so I looked it up on amozon to see what i could get. At first the reviews scared me off. However, after reading them, the negutive ones semed flaky. People expecting alot out of a camra that was ment to beet up, I realized that people WERE trying to use it like a $700 canon, and its not, then leaveing reviews that said ' This camra cant take pictures that are top of the line quality, DONT BUY IT'. Hello, its a water proof camra ment for haveing a good time, not takeing a picture worth a thousand words. I mean its not a canon, or a vidio camrs. The frames arnt that fast, the resalution isnt a canon, but it can realy go.

Any way, i got the camra a few days ago and ive already droped it, taken it down to the bottom of my 9 foot pool, taken houndreds of pictures and hours of videos, and no flaws yet. Its a great little camra, and i would definetly buy it agin. (ps: dont buy it if you are a picture person, buy a more expensive one, think $700.)

This camera is real good for the money.
Takes great pictures, first time I used it I was at a lake.
First time I was fishing, and tried to take pictures of the fish, latter in the day went swimming and brought the camera right in the water.
With a 8MP it takes great pictures in and out of the water. I have a fly fishing guide service, and can't wait to use it on clients, and not worry about dropping it or getting wet.
Got it at a good price also.

The convenience of being able to jump into the pool or lake with this in your pocket by far outweighs the average photo quality, which by no means is bad - it's just not quite as good as my non-compact Canon or my previous compact. Features are very intuitive. I have been very impressed with the quality of underwater photos and videos - being able to take photos at water level or slightly in the water adds a new perspective. Microphone is not great even out of water, but I think that's a consequence of the waterproofing.

This was the perfect father's day gift. Take it on the boat deep sea fishing if it gets splashed with salt water or dropped on the deck, no worries. Take it to the pool with grandkids. Freezing conditions hunting, fishing, skiing, sledding. With 8.0 megapixels and 3x internal zoom didn't sacrifice quality of pics and capability either.

Easy to use! My Dad can't remember how to check voice mail on his cell phone but had no problem with the self explanatory icons and point and shoot technology. Later models like the 1030 only add technical advancement more megapixels more zoom etc.

Only one external moving part the shutter cover. Instructions actually say to submerge in fresh water to clean it before opening. Especially after being in sandy, salty other dirty debris environments.

One very durable, yet technically satisfying product!

I bought this as my "field" camera while out hiking, trail running, X-Ctry skiing, etc when I don't feel like carrying our normal load of camera gear. It also goes with me when deployed and field exercises with the Army.

Other than dropping it, I have put it through its paces and it continues to take quality photos. The stabilization feature works well for photos in daylight but longer exposures have noticable shake. The pictures are crisp, telephoto is more than adequate and basic macro photo is possible with this camera. It is lightweight and slim enough to be a truly portable, go anywhere camera. It really is waterproof and produces very good (but not excellent) underwater shots. The quality of photos surpasses my expectations of a point and click digital and captures plenty of detail for memorable photos. For the price, I don't think there is a better camera on the market with these features.

The only point against this camera is the battery. It does not last long enough and if you put it in backwards or upside down it will get stuck and be nearly impossible to remove (see other reviews and their own manual). This is just poor engineering/design; a simple change in the shape of the battery would prevent this flaw.

I love this camera. It takes really good pictures. Awesome for taking out on a friday night. The underwater feature is awesome. However, if you are looking for a better zoom feature this is not the camera for you.

Overall great camera that is easy to use but takes great pictures in any condition!

It's a great little camera. I use it for the quick grab shots of friends,family and activities and I purchased it for it's ability to be used in different environments. I had upgraded from the 720SW due to some additional features. It seems like I'm always on a river or around water. I like the Olympus cameras as they are easy to figure out and use. Results are good and the true test came when I went on a float trip down a river with a bunch of friends. We were all on inner-tubes which means no-one is holding still for a picture. I'm constantly moving and the subject is constantly in motion. I put it on the stabilizer setting and got a lot of sharp images.

I went river rafting down the Colorado River in May and used the 720sw and again the shots were absolutely great!
Both cameras got dunked under water on these trips so for me this is a great series of cameras.

I bought this camera for hiking and canyoneering. My last camera I had to keep in a dry box and carefully remove it to take pictures. This camera I can just keep in my pocket, swim, go through waterfalls, etc, and then just whip it out and take a picture.

The picture quality is about what you'd expect from such a small lens, (i.e. not as good as my 4 year old 8MP Coolpix 8700), but in a **much** smaller and tougher package. The quality is good enough for web sites and printing pictures.

I highly recommend getting the soft skin for it to protect the outside. I don't recommend getting the more expensive "M+" cards, the extra features they provide aren't worth it. The Panorama feature in the camera isn't that great, better to just take pictures and combine in Photoshop.

Why only 4 stars? The first one I got after about 2 weeks developed a spot in the images that was not on the lens. After some research, I determined it was a spot on the CCD, but I returned it Amazon with no hassles and got a new one.

I think this is a good quality camera for the price,but the pictures can come out a little burry when the anti shake is not on.

I am not sure why people complain about this product. I am satisfied with the performance of the camera. underwater pictures are nice. and battery life is also quite fine.

Used it in all weather situations and it paid off. So much that I got two of them.
Battery life appears surprisingly low. Movie's sound recording goes easily off scale. The videos keep changing brightness suddenly and without an apparent reason. The stabilized shooting is not always available. But you can shoot in torrential rain.

I was wanting a digital camera that I could use while fishing and not be afraid to get it wet. Not only could this camera take moisture, but it could also take some awesome underwater shots. I even accidentally dropped it while on the boat and it didn't suffer any damage. The picture quality is great. I especially love the "panoramic" feature that helps you to compose easy and beautiful panoramic shots. So far, I am very well pleased with this camera.

All the features are great, except battery duration, and the fact that you need to take off the battery to get it charged.

This camera is great, it's had good quality pictures, and I love the waterproof functionality. I am very much a water person and I have brought it canoeing and whitewater rafting. If you are outdoorsy at all I would recommend this simple point and shoot camera.

Additionally it has a nice panorama feature that works very well in most situations.

My roommate had this camera and I loved it. We could take it to the beach and get some of the best photos on our dogs in the water in action. I should post that photo. It could take video under water. We could take it snowboarding and not have to worry about it. Best Camera for the outdoors kind of person that goes everywhere. Oh did I mention the photo quality. IT IS FANTASTIC!. so you can't go wrong. easy to use and so much fun. If was in the market for a point and shoot I would get it. But sadly we bought a Sony 6mp before we knew about this GEM.

AWESOME CAMERA. Endless photo opportunities.

I have had this camera for a few weeks and really love it! I have taken it to the pool with my godsons and gotten some really fun shots although not perfect clarity. I also took it to a concert and got some video. The picture was clear and the sound was surprisingly good! Overall I am very satisfied with this camera.

Both my husband and I purchased this camera (he in black, me in pink) and we've had them for about four months. We just returned from a rafting trip in Montana - and all I can say is - AMAZING!! Our cameras spent hours in and out of the water, his even got bounced on some rocks - and the photos they took are absolutely superb! We also purchased the silicone covers and float straps just for added protection. I laugh at anyone who reviews this camera for the video - I haven't even tried it out to be honest - if you want a video camera, by a video camera! This little snappy is FANTASTIC for adventures in the water & outdoors - anywhere you need something that can take a splash and tumble and still take fantastic photos!

I needed a digital camera that is compact, easy to use and able to withstand outdoor use. My son, who is a photographer, suggested the Olympus Stylus 850SW. It is waterproof to 10 feet (great for my snorkeling and canoe trips), easy to use, takes great pictures and is colorful and fun. A good value for the money.

I have been very satisfied with my stylus 850sw. It has been on the construction jobsite with me as well as the jungles of Central America in the back of a truck. Both in the rain and mud and has performed flawlessly. If you can put up with the odd xD memory card, it is great.

I got this camera to take on a trip to the Yucatan. We did some snorkeling, but a lot of sightseeing as well. The camera did GREAT! I have videos of sea turtles, as well as some great shots of Mayan pyramids, monkeys, sunsets. Last time I was on a trip to the beach, my husband and I couldn't both swim at the same time, or we were risking losing our camera. Or, we just couldn't bring it. Well, not any more. We brought this to the beach, swam with it, threw it in the sand, washed it off, and it is still ticking. It has some great features (an alarm clock with snooze that works when the camera is off was really helpful on vacation- one less thing to pack). I was sometimes annoyed with the scene function as it is a bit tricky to switch between settings. Also, the screen is not visible underwater (could be the light we were in). I still got a lot of good shots, but also lost many because i didn't have it focused right. Overall, a great, rugged camera, though it isn't perfect. I bought the xd m+ cards, and the panorama function DOES NOT WORK to stitch the pictures together in the camera. Once i put the pics on my computer, the program did it fine, but I spent a lot of time trying to get it to work on the camera, and it just doesn't.
So, if you are not a professional photographer but want a good all around camera to have pictures you can show off- this is a good one. I met a diver from South Africa and he was very taken with this camera (and more so with the price). Having home movies of sea turtles and manta rays is too cool- and a fun way to impress friends :)

I have had a Canon for years. I decided to purchase this camera because I have a 2 year old daughter, and thought it would be safe, since it is so durable. I don't scuba dive or anything like that, just thought it would be fun to play with in the water. I am not a professional photographer but I do like to take nice pictures. This camera is just plain awful and I'll tell you why....

Well, let me start out with the pros:
1. Tthe beautiful blue color
2. Of course, it does go underwater.

Now for the cons:
1. The photo quality is decent, at best. The photos are grainy, and blurry in most settings.
2. It might as well not have a video function. They are the worst videos ever. The sound is almost not even there. This was important to me, even though I have a video camera, because this is the camera I always carry, so it is the one available in the moment when I need it.
3. The software that comes with it almost crashed my computer. My computer shut down and went into some sort of DOS/Safe mode, despite reinstalling the software about 10 times.
4. The vertical photos don't rotate automatically when they are transfered to the computer. I had to go in and manually change each vertical photo.
5. The software is awful. It makes you put the pictures in some weird file, and is overall just worthless. It also doesn't sort out the videos from the pictures, it just mixes them all together and makes it difficult to find stuff later.
6. You can't put a date stamp on the photos. (Might not matter to some, but is important to me)
7. The camera, while fairly easy to use, is not set up well. There are so many different options and settings, but they are all in different places, some within other options... it is a big mess.
8. Some of the functions in the camera are not available unless you use an Olympus memory card. (Which of course, I did not know when I bought a different brand)

Now maybe I am just spoiled because I have had a Canon for so long, and they are the best cameras out there, but I expect certain qualities in a camera. For having 8MP, this camera has the photo quality of, MAYBE, a 4MP. It is a pretty camera, and I tried hard to like it, but it is just terrible. I returned it and purcahsed a Canon 790 for about $[...] more and could not be happier. Or course, it doesn't go underwater, but oh well. I can buy an underwater disposable for $[...] if I ever need it.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY: DO NOT BUY THIS CAMERA. SAVE YOURSELF THE TROUBLE OF RETURNING IT LATER AND JUST BUY A CANON NOW!

Good size to carry in your pocket and produce a nice snapshot. The color is really good for this size camera. The size make it a liitle hard to hold for men with large hands. This is my ABC camera (alway bring camera)
I can take this small camera in places that I wouldn't be able to take the Canon 40d or the E-1 olympus that I use for photo shoot. The 850sw is easy to use and has good menu system. Mine is yellow and it is easy to find when I lay it down. The battery life good but if you want to shoot more than 300 picture you will need to have 2 battery. The charger that comes with it is very slow....aperturefocus.smugmug.com

I purchased this product before I went on vacation, as I wanted a camera I could take with me everywhere and not worry about it getting wet. For a novice photographer it was very simple to use and took surprisingly good underwater pictures while snorkeling. However, on day three of the vacation, while snorkeling, the screen on the back of the camera went off and would not come back on. I was still able to take pictures, but I could not see what I was taking since the screen is the only viewfinder on the camera. I had kept the camera around my wrist while snorkeling and never took it down more than 6-7 feet (rated for 10 feet). It dried out that night and the screen began to work again, however, when we went snorkeling the next day, the same thing happened to the screen. I opened the usb port after I got out of the water and had dried the camera off and it appeared that some water had gotten through the rubber lining. Needless to say, I was displeased, as I bought this camera mainly for the underwater/waterproof functionality. I would warn others to be careful before purchasing this product if you plan on using it underwater extensively. If you are buying it solely for the underwater capabilities, you might take a look at the more expensive 1030 that is rated for a greater depth. I can only assume that water somehow got through one of the two seals and was interfering with the connections that power the screen.

Were it not for the fact that the camera's screen went out on me, I would have been very pleased with this product. It took great outdoor photographs, I was able to get a nice collection of scenery photographs and never had to worry about how the salt spray from the ocean would effect the camera, as I could just dunk it in the sink to wash it off later that day. I also got quite a few really nice underwater photos (the flash is helpful, even though the underwater scene presets don't usually use it). I found that the image stabilization setting really helped underwater, especially in the ocean, as the waves tend to move you around just when the perfect picture opportunity presents itself. Before purchasing, please take a look at your other options if you plan on using this camera for a lot of underwater photography. The more expensive model (1030) or an underwater case for another digital camera might be better options if that is the case.

I got the Olympus Stylus for my birthday. When I first opened it I thought what a stylish camera for the price. It has great picture quality and has lots of settings. You can use settings for nighttime, landscapes, portraits, and even things like taking pictures of text and fireworks! It is also water proof and can be used in ten foot deep water!!!! But the one thing that makes this camera stand out is that it's shock resistant. I've dropped this camera 50 times, and it still keeps strong. I think this is the best possible camera you can get for this great price. Go get it now.

Don't buy this camera!!!

I really wanted to like this camera.

As someone who spends 90% of my free time in, or near the water the prospect of just grabbing my camera and jumping in was tantalizing. Unfortunately after just a few short days it has failed on all fronts.

A cursory look of the specs for this model would definitely have disqualified it had it not been for the purported ruggedness. $300 is overpriced, 8mp is at the back of the pack for resolution, XD memory is odd ball and expensive, no viewfinder, small screen, counter intuitive menus and settings, ect, ect.

But it was built to last. Said so right on the box...

So I bought one on my way to the airport for a quick trip to Kauai last week. Here is were I have a few positive things to say. Despite the smallish screen and lack of customization it did take some decent shots. They all needed color correction and a few erred on the hot side but overall image quality was acceptable for a point and shoot. A comparably priced Cannon or Sony camera would probably have taken better shots but not bad.

Implicitly following the directions to insure water tightness I got more comfortable with the camera. Day one babied it, day two had it in my pocket near the water, day three took a few pictures of shore from the water, and by day four I was sipping a Pina Colada in the pool with my new best friend strapped to my wrist. All was well obligatory Jaws videos were being filmed, a killer sunset picture was shot from underwater. I was happy with my stunted but tough camera...

Then it failed entirely.

Even after my anal following of the simple instructions it allowed water in and destroyed the camera completely. I was swimming in a pool which should be considered normal use in my opinion.

The store I bought it from won't take it back, stating that even though it says waterproof on the front water damage is not a product defect. So I'm stuck trying to get Olympus to replace it but hitting dead ends so far. Even if they do repair or replace it I'm never going to trust it in the water again so I'm left with a clunky, obsolete, overpriced, and ugly camera. Great.

Learn from my mistake don't buy it!!!

I LOVE IT!! I got the pink one and its beautiful! Also it takes pictures REALLY fast and thats one of the most important thing for me bc i have twin two year olds and its pretty impossible to get them to both look at me so anything to make my life a little easier is GREAT:) Also i love that its waterproof, dust proof, shockproof.. ive dropped it once and its fine, brought it to the beach and pool but havent gotten it wet yet.. i was on vacation and didnt want it to not work and then not have a camera haha! I will use the water feature soon though! So far so good!!

I bought my daughter this camera before surf camp this summer. She loves it. Underwater pics are great. Overall, very good picture quality.

I love my camera, it takes very nice pictures but when you want to zoom in on things it frankly sucks. Your better off just taking a zoomed picture and then zooming in on what you want when you go home. Otherwise my only other complaint would be is that I ordered a black on and they sent me a blue one. I like the color of the blue one but at first I was frustrated. The pictures are very nice, and the waterproofness of the camera works very well. I've also dropped it a few times, by accident, of course. I'm also in college so this thing has survived hours of continuous use. I don't know why other people complained so much about the battery life. If you let the camera go dead and then charge it, the battery will learn how to last longer. This is the kind of battery that it is. If you put it on the charger too soon it will think that it starts to go dead at the time and the battery life will then decline. I have no other complaints beyond the zoom. If olympus could make a better zoom with maybe a digital zoom then the camera would be more worth the 300 spent on it.

If your getting a camera for a college student (as I did) whose previos camera bit the dust (as our's did) at the beach, try this one. It's sealed against water and sand and dust. The pictures have been excellent. You can read about the rest of the features and specs on the Olympus and Amazon websites. Get a spare battery with a higher mAh.

PRO's: Excellent picture quality, very nice slim design, waterproof, shockproof, resistant to cold, very versitile camera that can go anywhere and be used by almost anyone. Camera menus are in my opinion easy to navigate, and the manual features are nice. For inexperienced photographers the stylus has a mannual setting for almost any situation. Of course the auto setting does very well too.

CON's: The video feature on this camera is poor. The picture quality of the video is good, but the sound is poor, and you can only film for 10 seconds at a time. I didn't buy the camera for video, I already have a nice compact HD video camera (Canon HG-10) that meets my needs.

Other Thoughts: The camera takes fantastic underwater pictures, and I am very impressed with what this little camera can do. However, be aware that when you take pics underwater, water or dirt/film can get in between the lens and the lens cover. This will cause some blurring of your pictures. Be sure and clean the internal lens from time to time to ensure the clearest pictures.

I have owned and used several DSLR's. For the money, this is about the best and most versatile camera I have ever had. I can take great pictures anywhere, my wife can use it on auto, and my 2 year old can throw it around or douse it in water. Perfect Camera in my opinion, there is nothing else like it.

i really am disappointed with this. i was excited because it was waterproof and drop proof which i took as being "college proof" since i've ruined 2 cameras by either dropping them or getting them wet. however it's almost not worth the crappy pictures it takes. they're all blurry, have this weird glowy haze, HORRIBLE night picture, like absolutely horrible, and it either makes you look really really pale or really really like reddish brown depending on your skin color. i really hate this camera. maybe it's just mine?

I love this camera! I bought it right before a trip to Hawaii and took some (300+ in all) really great pictures! It is easy to use and takes beautiful pictures. I love that it can go under water - the main reason I bought it. It does take better pictures in the pool than in the ocean, but I just ended up taking lots of pictures at the pool! I now have a video of my daughter (who swims like a fish) swimming under water! That alone is worth the price of the camera for me. There is no way I could ever capture that! The still pictures, above and below the surface, are great too! The battery lasted long enough. It did run out but only after taking lots of pictures. I did recharge the battery every night. But that's no big deal. Also, the battery should only be put in one way, but as long as you are careful and look at both the camera and the battery, you shouldn't have a problem putting it in wrong. Just be careful I read someone put it in wrong and had a hard time getting it back out. The only drawbakc to this camera, although not a big one, is that the XD card does not fit in either my 4 year old desktop or my brand new laptop computer. You have to connect via the USB port and download directly from the camera, again, if it takes a long time the battery life can be an issue.

All in all, I still feel it is the most fun camera I have ever owned! If you need a new, compact camera that can take pictures absolutely anywhere and under any conditions, buy this camera!

I bought this camera so I would have a small one I could easily drag around with me and also for its indestructible qualities because I have 2- and 4 year-old boys. I've been pleasantly surprised by the picture quality and functions, especially the Shadow Adjustment feature, which allows you to shoot during very sunny days. The response time is pretty good. I still prefer my Canon Rebel SLR for quality indoor photos, but this cute little camera is great for treks, and I can let my 4-year-old use it without too much fear. Be sure to buy the newer M+ Olympus card or you will only be able to take 10 second videos. The M+ 2GB card allows for about 18 minutes of 30 fps video and is supposed to be faster than the M type.

I bought this camera to replace a Canon that recently broke. I read the other reviews and this camera is worth it. Great value.

I especially like the underwater feature and I've taken plenty of quality videos at the beach and in the pool. People can't believe you're taking a camera into the water.

Shutter speed could be faster in some cases where low light is there an I've had a couple of blurred shots. Overall, pictures are sharp, good battery life.

There is one stupid proprietary thing Olympus requires. The M or H Picture card IS REQUIRED if you want video longer than 10 seconds. The camera comes with a microSD adapter but they limit video on SD to 10 seconds. With the M or H PictureCard, it can take video for as long as you have storage. This is the only negative.

WATERPROOF - Felt funny putting it underwater the first time, but I was truly impressed by the quality of the pictures. One added advantage I never thought of or heard about was rain. I was always used to protecting my camera in the rain, but now I couldn't care less!
QUALITY - So far, I have taken several hundred pictures and the few disappointments have been my fault. The quality is great.
EASY TO USE - Everyone in my family has taken great pictures. The menu system is intuitive and simple.
ZOOM - 3x zoom is a slight drawback, but the other features make it worthwhile.
MOVIE - Pretty decent. The ability to take underwater picutres is great. Nothing like taking a movie of yourself jumping in the pool and having the camera catch the action above and below water.
OVERALL - I am very happy with my decision to buy this camera.

The camera equipment is fine...

However, the "Scene" and "Panorama" modes are locked to an Olympus branded memory card.

Those functions will not work without an OEM card.

That is the reason for my poor rating.

this camera is a blast. fun and enjoyble. pictures with an amazing quality, easy to use, its really water proof.

We bought this camera before our trip to Belize. On the first day we were already in love with it. It was the perfect camera to take to the beach and on snorkeling trips. We got so many more pictures on this trip since this camera could go everywhere with us. Absolutely love this camera.

I also bought the underwater housing (Olympus PT041) for my scuba trips.

I love this camera. It is so durable and so much fun to take in the pool. It has great editing features and I like that you can edit the picture before you even hook it up to your computer. The only thing that I can say is that I wish the battery lasted a little longer or that it came with a cradle so it was easier to charge. Other than that I love it!

It worked great. Then it stopped working. I sent it in to Olympus for repair, they fixed it no questions asked, and returned in 2 weeks. Just a receipt from Target was needed. They even replaced screen because of scratch that wasn't under warranty.

I purchased the Olympus 850SW on 8-25-08 for my trip to Sea World. I was impressed how easy this camera is to operate. This is one of the best camera I have ever had. The pictures come out very sharp and clean. I just the anti-shake option for all my pics, and everything came out clear. Shamu came out very clear as he was jumping thru the air. I love the large viewer display it was easy to see what I was taking a picture of. Even in bright light!!!!I love the fact it shock proof, water proof. so you don't have to worry about any of that kind of stuff. Even tranfering the pictures from the camera to my pc was a breeze. I highly recommend getting this camera you will not be dissappointed.

I bought this camera on August 30, 2008. I bought it from [...] with the 2GB memory card only because I could use my Best Buy credit card for the purchase. The entire reason I wanted this new camera was my old camera was 8 years old (Also an Olympus) and it was just time for a new one. I wanted it in September because I would be going to a few New Kids on the Block concerts (Don't knock 20 year love!) and really wanted a good camera I could take to the shows to take photos and video.

I received the camera on September 4, 2008. The color is BEAUTIFUL. The camera was so light. It was fantastic. So I took the battery out and I took the camera out and I went to put the battery in.

Mind you, I did not look at the directions because who really needs to look at the directions to put in a battery!?

So I try to put the battery in, it wouldn't fit. So I turn it around. Still won't fit. So I turn it another way and the battery slides right in.

I close the door, but the battery door won't close. Hrm. maybe I put the battery in wrong? Wait? Why won't the battery come out!?

I get out the directions and lo and behold there's a big X indicating how NOT to put the battery in and a little note that says "If you put the battery in the wrong way, you will not be able to get it out".

I had my camera for 5 minutes and I had to send it immediately to the shop to get it fixed. I had to spend my own money to ship it UPS (about $10) on September 5th but fortunately it was covered under warranty and I got it back on September 17th.

Maybe I am the only person out there who would figure that if a battery slides in easily, it means it's the right way... and figures that batteries won't fit in the wrong way. But I think the fact that, if you put a battery in WRONG and it won't come back out unless you send it to the shop, is absolutely ridiculous.

Aside from that, I have had no issues with the camera. Except the battery does say it's low when it's really nowhere near being low.

Basically, I'm just giving you a fair warning that if you're an idiot like me, make sure you put the battery in the right way :)

I've always wanted a digital camera and one day I went to the beach with a friend. she had this cute little camera that i thought was amazing already. we went in the water and I noticed she still had the camera so I yelled "O my God your camera"...she then informed me it is waterproof. So after finding that out, I was hooked. The icing on the cake was finding out it comes in pink!!! I LOVE this camera!!!!!!!!!

Well, I bought this camera soely for my Cancun trip so to take it with me for snorkeling. The first 3 days the camera works perfectly, even under water. But starting the forth day, somehow the water has gotten into the camera (I used it properly, which all slots are closed and didn't go under water deeper than 5 ft) and started to fog up inside the len and the screen. I tried to dry it in the hotel but still didn't work. I end up went to snorkeling and some other places without a camera. I returned now and looking to buy a "normal" camera, don't trust those underwater camera again.

When the 790SW first came out, I read a positive review in a newspaper on it. At the time, I decided that its ruggedness & water resistance were worth having but I wasn't in the market for a new camera at the time.

This summer, I started researching the Stylus SW's and decided to buy an 850 from Amazon, based mostly on what I read here. I took it on a two week cruise to Europe as soon as I got it. The xD card is not a problem for me - even my local supermarkest carries them. I bought my 2 gig one from Target but would have bought online if I'd had the time. I've had the camera since October 8, 2008.

In Italy and Croatia, xD cards were readily available in the local camera shops.

A bigger problem for me is the battery. It is tiny and fairly easy to recharge but I found I need to recharge it every day that I use the camera. My next purchase will be two additional batteries. I would accept a bit more camera bulk for a more capatious battery and the ability to charge it without removing it from the camera.

You DO need to be careful not to put the battery in the wrong way but if you look CLOSELY at the camera, it's pretty obvious. I wonder how long the tiny red plastic catch that releases the battery so you can get it out, will last?

Picture quality is plenty good enough for my purposes and I take all my pix on the 4MP set