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Olympus Stylus 1030 SW

Digital Camera Review

This review is organized into 13 pages

Next: Page 1

Physical Tour

August 08, 2008 By Steve Morgenstern

1 Comments
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Section The Good The Bad

Tour

Solid metal construction, effective waterproof seals

Mushy shutter release

Testing/Performance

Solid results for resolution and image noise

Color accuracy and white balance scores lag the competition

Components

Clearly legible menu display

LCD washes out in bright light, tiny flash

Design/Layout

Small size yet easy to handle

Multifunction buttons increase learning curve

Modes

Plethora of custom presets, text-based shooting guide

Slow continuous-mode shooting

Control Options

Useful on-screen preview for white balance, exposure comp

Lacks manual controls

Image Parameters

Extensive in-camera effects, panorama shooting

Old-fashioned designs in frame and label modes

Connectivity/Extras

Decent included software

Limited battery life, xD memory card format

The Olympus Stylus 1030 SW is one tough little camera. The company claims it will shoot 33 feet underwater, withstand temperatures down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit, survive a 6.6-foot drop and 220 pounds of pressure. We didn’t make it down quite that deep (yet), but the other claims certainly, um, hold water. Most people aren’t going to buy a digital camera just for those high-stress occasions, though – we want the same camera to shoot weddings and laughing children as well as snorkeling trips and snowboarding runs. That’s why we put the dauntless 10.1-megapixel 1030 SW through our harrowing laboratory testing. And the result? The feature set and controls are limited compared to other cameras at the price, and roughly equivalent photo quality can be achieved with a much less expensive camera. On the other hand, if you value imperviousness to the elements and are willing to pay a premium to get it, the 1030SW can certainly do double duty in comfy environments with reasonable, if not spectacular results.

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