Olympus Stylus 1030 SW

Value (7.00)
This is a camera you're going to buy for its distinctive element-defying capabilities, and the more you make use of them, the better the $400 price looks. For its intended audience, then, we give the 1030 SW high marks for value.

Comparisons
None of the cameras featured here offers the ruggedized performance of the 1030 SW. With that as a given, though, let's look at how they compare based on photographic performance, feature set and value.

Canon PowerShot S5 IS – While it originally shipped for $500, the PowerShot Shot S5 IS today lists at $349.99, $50 less than the 1030 SW. Your investment buys you an 8-megapixel camera with a 12x optical zoom lens and optical image stabilization, an important capability the Olympus lacks. With its fast f/2.7 lens, impressive color and white balance performance and solid construction, the PowerShot is a heavyweight performer. It's also a heavyweight camera, though, at just under a pound, giving the 6.3-ounce 1030 SW a significant edge in portability.

 Nikon Coolpix P5100 – This Nikon is a 12.5-megapixel compact (compared to the 10-megapixel 1030 SW resolution) with a 3.5x optical zoom lens. It's also roughly the same size and weight as the Olympus, at 7.1 ounces, though the shape is more sculptured for easy gripping. Priced at $50 less than the 1030 SW, the P5100 offers the full gamut of manual controls that the 1030 SW lacks, along with a more sophisticated auto focus system and optical image stabilization.

Panasonic DMC-LZ8 – Priced at just $180, the DMC-LZ8 is an 8-megapixel point-and-shoot with a 5x optical zoom lens. While billed as an entry-level camera, it nevertheless incorporates aperture-priority, shutter-priority and full manual modes, plus optical image stabilization, all sorely lacking in the 1030 SW. The build quality of the Panasonic, though, has the cheap plastic feel we expect from budget cameras versus the solid sturdiness of the Olympus.

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Pentax Optio Z10– The $249 Optio Z10 is an 8-megapixel model, roughly the same size as the Olympus, but boasting a 7x optical zoom lens. Also like the Olympus, it lacks true image stabilization technology, relying on ISO boosting instead. In our lab testing, though, the 1030 SW turned in superior performance in nearly every way (only white balance was so bad the Pentax emerged victorious).

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters – The utter simplicity, extensive preset modes and helpful on-screen guidance while shooting make this an attractive choice for those looking for an easy-peasy camera. It's tough to recommend versus lower-priced competition, though, unless you're yearning for the simple life combines with an urge to put body and camera alike through wet, wild and/or freezing cold adventures.