Olympus Stylus 1050 SW

Focus
Auto Focus (6.25)
The camera supports spot focus and what Olympus calls iESP, which identifies the most prominent subject in the frame wherever it's positioned and focuses accordingly. Face detection can also be selected for auto focus; up to 16 individuals can be recognized at a time.

Manual Focus (0.00)
No manual focus capability here.

ISO (9.75)
Available ISO settings range from 80 to 1600 and, while the jump from ISO 80 to the next-available 100 setting is barely a move at all, we did find some measurable improvement in image noise and dynamic range at the lower setting. Hands-on ISO control is limited to program mode. Full auto mode sets the camera to auto ISO, and image stabilization mode automatically boosts ISO to assist in fighting camera shake.

White Balance (6.50)
The 1050 SW offers automatic white balance plus six user-selectable white balance presets: sunlight, shade, incandescent, fluorescent1, fluorescent2 and fluorescent3, though there's no indication what type of fluorescent bulb corresponds to each of the presets. There is an on-screen active preview as you change the white balance setting, though, so you can see the effects of the changes you're making and judge accordingly.
 

There is no flash preset, and no option to set the white balance manually by shooting a neutral card under current lighting conditions. The flash preset is fairly unimportant, especially since the camera performed well on auto when shooting with flash, but we miss the ability to set a manual white balance, which is often found in cameras in this price range. 

Exposure (2.5)
While there is no manual exposure control, at least exposure compensation settings are available, in a ±2EV range. And like the white balance setting, you can see the effect of exposure compensation settings in a live on-screen preview, a worthwhile feature.

Metering (4.75)
Spot metering measures the lighting at the center of the frame, while the oddly named iESP mode meters the center and the rest of the frame separately and attempts to balance the two for a pleasing overall reading. Face detection mode is also available to prioritize exposure for the people in your pics.

Shutter Speed (4.00)
The shutter speed range is very limited. The fastest available setting is 1/1000, not really high enough when shooting fast action in blazing sunlight. The slowest is 1/2 second, though a 4-second exposure is available via the Night Scene preset. Considering the camera's poor image noise performance, we can understand why the maximum shutter speed is so limited, but more latitude would have been welcome, especially if you're thinking about tripod-mounted low-light shots to chronicle adventures in harsh climates.

Aperture (3.50)
The maximum aperture setting is f/3.5 at the widest lens setting and f/5.0 at maximum zoom. The relatively slow lens just serves to exacerbate the low-light-shooting limitations of the 1050 SW. The camera actually fared pretty well in our low-light lab tests, but that employs tripod-mounted shooting. When shooting handheld, a faster lens lets you shoot at a higher shutter speed, making image blur from shaking hands less likely – but this is not a fast lens, and the camera's lack of optical image stabilization only magnifies the problem.

Modes	Page 9 of 15		Image Parameters
Olympus Stylus 1050 SW Digital Camera Review Navigation
Intro	Physical Tour	Color and Resolution	Noise and Video
Speed and Timing	Components	Design / Layout	Modes
Control Options	Image Parameters	Connectivity / Extras	Overall Impressions
Conclusion	Sample Photos	Specs / Ratings