Olympus Stylus 790SW

The Olympus Stylus 790SW is the manufacturer’s third waterproof digital camera. It has common point-and-shoot specs: 7.1 megapixels, 3x optical zoom lens, and a 2.5-inch LCD screen. It also aims to be trendy, as it comes in five different colors. The durable 790SW adds face detection to its résumé and retains the shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof, and dustproof body. At $299, the 790SW is the least expensive of the three waterproof and shockproof Olympus digital cameras.

Physical Tour

Front (8.5)
The front of the Olympus Stylus 790SW looks similar to its predecessors. It is shaped like a rectangle, although when viewed from the front, the right side is curved just a bit more than the left. This is a turn from convention: most ultra-compact digital cameras that have a curved side have it on the right to make handling more comfortable – not that it really helps that much.

Most of the camera’s front has a brushed silver look, but there are chrome elements and a few matte black surfaces to mix things up. The Olympus logo graces the left edge with a tiny finger grip to its right. The finger grip consists of a smooth sliver of chrome that protrudes a few millimeters and is flanked vertically by a matte black line. That black surface matches the black edge on the far right of the front, along with the black metal lens cover. To the right of the finger grip is the Stylus 790SW logo printed alongside "Shock + Waterproof" text.

Above the model name is a built-in flash that is the width of a pinkie. To its right is a framed and oddly-angled autofocus assist/self-timer lamp. Below the light is a tiny hole for the microphone. In the upper right corner of the front is an internal lens with a chrome rim that protrudes slightly from the top of the camera. Along the lower portion of the rim is this text: "Olympus Lens AF Zoom 6.7-20.1mm 1:3.5-5.0." The camera’s resolution, 7.1 megapixels, is printed on the far right edge of the camera body.

Back (9.0)
The back panel of the 790SW has been redesigned. The older 770SW has separate zoom control buttons and an overall disorganized look, and lacked a mode dial. The new Stylus 790SW has a cleaner look.

The back panel of the camera is brushed silver, with silver buttons and a 2.5-inch LCD screen. The bottom of the screen is labeled with the manufacturer name, Olympus, and its brand of LCD, HyperCrystal LCD. The LCD sits on the left side of the back and the buttons are crammed onto an inch-thick strip to its right. In the upper right corner is the zoom control, a single oval-shaped button that rocks right and left to zoom in and out. The mode dial is below it, surrounded by a thick black casing that makes it almost look like a tire. The edge has wide grooves so it’s easier to turn. Around the dial are icons and text for these modes: Playback, My Favorite, Movie, Guide, Scene, Digital Image Stabilization, and Auto. To the left of the dial is an indicator light that shows which mode is in use, when the camera is writing and reading a memory card, and other functions.

Below the mode dial are a host of tinier buttons with a central cross-like multi-selector. The middle of the multi-selector has an OK/function button, while each direction of the cross-type selector has an icon on it. The top has an exposure compensation icon, the right has a flash icon, the bottom has a self-timer icon, and the left has a flower macro icon. There are four tiny buttons beyond the corners of the multi-selector that form a square. To the upper left is the menu button, and to the upper right is a playback/print button. To the lower right is a shadow adjustment/delete button, with a display/info/flashlight button to the lower left.

Left Side (8.0)
The left side has a matte black surface with two bolts holding it together and "3.0x optical zoom" embossed on the surface.

Right Side (8.0)
The right side has two small holes near the center for the included wrist strap. Above these holes is a door with a sliding lock in the center. This opens to reveal the USB/AV jack. The springy door has a rubber seal that fits around the jack when the door is closed. Below the wrist strap holes is the built-in speaker, shaped in a flower pattern with seven holes. At the bottom of the right side sits the hinge for the battery compartment.

Top (8.0)
The top of the camera has an interesting combination of chrome, brushed silver, and matte black surfaces. The left half of the top has a stripe of matte black that extends upward from the left side and spills over the top of the tiny lens barrel. On the right half of the camera is an elongated chrome oval with two buttons in it: the power button toward the center and the bigger shutter release button placed closer to the edge.

Bottom (8.5)
The left half of the Olympus 790SW’s bottom is consumed by the battery compartment, with its hinge on the outside edge. There is a sliding lock near the center of the bottom that opens the rubber-sealed compartment and shows off the battery and memory card slots. Slightly right of the center is a plastic quarter-inch tripod socket.