Olympus Stylus 1050 SW Digital Camera Review

Olympus Stylus 1050 SW

Digital Camera Review

Nov 28, 2008 - By Steve Morgenstern
1.8 The 10-megapixel Olympus Stylus 1050 SW is the latest addtion to the company's line of ruggedized point-and-shoot cameras. It doesn't match the level of indestructibility achieved by the brawny 1030 SW we reviewed earlier this year, but it's fine for the pool or ski slope, with waterproof performance to 10-foot depths and freeze resistance down to 14 degrees F (-10 degress C). We like the style and strong metal construction, but our lab testing was not kind to the 1050 SW. And while Olympus is proud of its admittedly innovative Tap Control system, we found it more gimmicky than practical. For the full story, click through to the complete review.
Advertisement
Latest Camera Reviews
DSLR Point & Shoot
Samsung
NX10		Panasonic
DMC-TS2
Olympus
E-P1		Casio
EX-G1
Nikon
D300S		Panasonic
Lumix DMC-FZ35
Pentax
K-X		Sony
Cyber-shot DSC-TX5
Nikon
D3000		Samsung
TL500
Recently Viewed Products
Nikon
Coolpix S620		 $195
Sony
Cyber-shot DSC-T100		 $500
Kodak
EasyShare P880		 $400
Sony
Alpha DSLR-A100		 $800
Top Point & Shoot Cameras
Max Price: $1050
$0 $262.5 $525 $787.5 $1050
Filters
All
Canon
Casio
Fuji
Kodak
Nikon
Olympus
Panasonic
Pentax
Samsung
Sony
All
Compact
High-End
Pocket
Ultra-Zoom
1.Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX1
Ultra-Zoom		$420
2.Canon SX1 IS
Ultra-Zoom		$499
3.Panasonic DMC-ZS3
Compact		$260
4.Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ35
Ultra-Zoom		$400
5.Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX7
Compact		$350
Stylus 1050 SW Prices
External Reviews
Steve's Digicams
Olympus Stylus 1050 SW

Conclusion
This is a well-constructed metal-body camera that looks stylish and sophisticated while boldy going where a less ruggedized model would fear to tread. We like the multitude of scene modes, the high-speed still mode (albeit at reduced resolution) and the panoramic photo modes, which are easy to use and turn out fun results. However, image quality isn't what it should be for $300, and there are other ruggedized cameras (including Olympus' own Stylus 1030 SW) that outperform this one at very similar prices.


Likes 

- Well constructed metal body
- Handsome, practical design
- No worries about spashes, cold or minor falls

Dislikes

- Poor to middling image quality test results
- Lack of manual controls
- No hardware image stabilization

Overall Impressions Page 13 of 15 Sample Photos
Olympus Stylus 1050 SW Digital Camera Review Navigation
 
Advertisement