Olympus Stylus 850 SW 8MP Shockproof Waterproof Digital Camera (Orange)
From Olympus
REFURBISHED The Stylus 850 SW is designed for active people who want a tough camera that can keep up with their on-the-go lifestyles. Incredibly durable, sleek and stylish, the Stylus 850 SW is a must-have vacation and party accessory. Features SHOCKPROOF (5FT)Accidents happen. A rugged metal body and revolutionary shock-absorbing construction are designed to withstand a 5-foot fall, drop or other mishaps. WATERPROOF (10FT)Innovative waterproof seals and gaskets allow you to take underwater movies and amazing pictures in a pool, lake or ocean. FREEZEPROOF (14 degrees F)Perfect for skiing, snowboarding, sledding and other winter fun, this camera is winterized to perform at below-freezing temperatures. FACE DETECTIONTracks faces and automatically focuses and optimizes exposure for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures. DIGITAL IMAGE STABILIZATIONWith high ISO sensitivity and faster shutter speeds you can freeze the action to capture sharp, blur-free images even if you or your subject is moving. Specifications Imager: 8.0 Megapixels (effective), 1/2.35 CCD (1.1cm) Lens: 6.7 - 20.1 mm (38 - 114 mm equivalent in 35mm photography),10 Lenses in 8 Groups, 3 Aspherical Lenses Zoom: 3x Optical Zoom + 5x Digital Zoom (Seamless to 15x) Aperture Range - F3.5 - F5.0 LCD: 2.5 (6.4cm) HyperCrystal LCD, approx. 230,000 dots 5 Steps Brightness Adjustment Viewfinder: N/A Focus System: CCD Contrast Detection Focus Range: Normal mode: 19.7 - infinity (0.5m - infinity), Macro mode: Wide: 7.9 - infinity (0.2m - infinity),Tele: 11.8 - infinity (0.3m - infinity) Focus Mode: iESP Auto, Spot AF, Face Detection AF Shutter Speed: 1/1000 sec. -1/2 sec. (up to 4 sec. in Night Scene mode) ISO: Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 (equivalent) Metering Mode: Digital ESP Metering, Spot Metering, Face Detection AE (when Face Detection AF is selected) White Balance: Auto, Pr...
- Amazon Sales Rank: #7273 in Camera & Photo
- Brand: Olympus
- Model: Olympus Stylus 850SW
- Display size: 2.5
Easy to carry, durable, a good choice for rough travel
I bought an Olympus Stylus 850SW because I wanted a durable point-and-shoot to carry in my motorcycle tank bag, so I could illustrate my blogposts from the road.
The shockproof/waterproof feature is what sold me and I am confident that this camera will survive whatever I can throw at it. The 8 megapixel images are plenty big for my purposes.
Keeping in mind that I'm a semi-pro photographer with lots of experience with Nikon SLRs, digital and film, I find a few things aggravating/inconvenient about the 850SW.
The shutter lag, which is common in point-and-shoots, can make you crazy if you're shooting anything that is moving or might move or change from moment to moment.
The oddball xD memory card, which necessitates a sometimes hard-to-find card reader for transfer to a computer and its limitation to 2GB of memory.
The absence of a see-through viewfinder, making it necessary to compose your photo on the rear screen - very hard to see in direct sunlight.
The proprietary Olympus battery, making it necessary for you to pack the battery charger when you travel.
Like all digital point-and-shoots, you need to take some time to read the manual and learn the structure of the menus and the features they include. Yes, you can pick it up and take a picture, but after that, you'd better start reading the manual if you want to be proficient with this camera.
If I were looking for a digital camera to put in the hands of a child who might drop it, sit on it or step on it, this is the camera I'd pick.
Sturdy standby
I got this sturdy camera for the action photos in my life. Trips to the waterpark, outdoor sports with the kid and just to have handy for every day moments. This is not a primary camera, but it takes beautiful pictures for the everyday activities without the worry of weather and regular bumps damaging it.
Pros: Small and compact so you can take it anywhere, fits in a pants pocket. Quick start up for taking spontaneous picture. Durable and safe for all users. Waterproof and shock proof give confidence to take camera most wouldn't take electronics. Clear action shots with many options for settings. Great resolution on pictures. Video feature delivers sharp clear results even in low light situations.
Cons: Limited zoom for distance pictures. Slow recovery after use of flash. Short battery life, normal vacation use will last a day or several weeks if used infrequently for spur of the moment shots. No travel charger or charging station as option, must remove battery to charge on home charger. Memory card requires adapter to be ready by most computers.
Good value
Bought this camera as a replacement for a Stylus 710 that broke (zoom lense). Have had it for 1 day and really like it. Photo quality is very good and I like that there is no external zoom lense to break! Was impressed with the speed it responds to the button being pushed.
