Am curious to know if anyone has this camera yet and if so how you like it?
We have never had a digital camera and are looking to purchase a waterproof, digital, point and shoot. Would also like to be able to use it for our main camera for land pictures.
We are obviously not expert photographers, but would still like something that is versatile and takes good pictures.
Any thoughts or comments on this camera, either positive or negative, would be appreciated. Thanks.
Learn how to take pictures without a …
viewfinder. Stabilize the camera by pressing your elbows against your chest (don’t hold the camera out at arms length). Before you press the shutter, exhale and relax. Squeeze the shutter release like you would the trigger of a gun. Don’t move the camera until you know it has taken a picture (it is easy to ignore the preliminary stuff and move the camera just as the shutter clicks). Be aware that if the camera is wet then there are probably water drops on the lens. Remove them. Consider attaching your camera to something more stable than your arms, like a paddle shaft. The camera itself performs just fine if you use it correctly.
Got one this week
on sale from amazon. I have been playing around with it and still learning all the features. Took it kayaking Saturday and I am pleased so far with the pictures. Fits in PFD pocket, my old canon in in waterproof housing was big and bulky and I had to keep in tied to the front deck. This works much better. I will post pictures when I have had more time to use it.
I’ve been thinking about getting one
more for using on my motorcycle though. I want a camera that can be set for a fixed focus to take quick snapshots, doesn’t take a long time to “boot up” and doesn’t have a lens that extends from the body. I want to be able to wear it on a lanyard around my neck and simply pick it up and click as I am riding. In your opinion, would the Stylus SW fill that bill?
nice camera but I like the SD world
SD cards work in so many other applications…I realize its microSD capable too but my fingers and eyes are too old to deal with the micro card…other than that it look like an awesome camera
I have an Olympus 725 SW
It’s a capable waterproof and shockproof camera. I find it to be versatile, compact, and lightweight. It’s video capable and underwater pictures were better than expected. I would suggest buying an extra micro SD card for additional photo storage and perhaps a spare battery, too. Also, this camera doesn’t float…get a floating strap or a camera PFD! Silicon protective casings are another option.
The one thing I find annoying is the lack of a viewfinder, but it’s necessary in order to increase the watertight integrity of the camera. The large color viewing screen works well, although in bright sunlight you will have to create some shade to use it.
Overall, it’s a good camera when water is in the picture.
How Do
you find the pictures when you are not in or around the water? We plan on using this as a “land camera” as well, so it will not be used strictly around water. Thanks.
Olympus out of water
In reality, most of the pictures taken with WP cameras are not with the camera submerged. I have a 720 (early generation) and it works just fine. I keep my camera on a retractable tether anchored inside a PFD pocket, and just pull it out to take a pic and then ZIP, back into the pocket.
Picture quality is fine for my purposes.
Jim
Retractable tether
that’s a great idea!
Digital cameras
Whatever you purchase make darn sure the camera has a viewfinder. I learned the hard way that trying to take action photos using just the LCD screen no matter how large it is just doesn’t work well in bright daylight.
The Problem
is that I have not yet been able to find a waterproof camera that has a viewfinder.
Nah, not needed
with these 8+ Megapixel digitals you can set the max resolution and take a wide angle shot. Then crop to the shot you really want later using your photo editor. Just make sure you have a big honkin’ SD card to hold all those pixels…
the best compact waterproof camera
out there.
Seriously excellent pictures can be taken with this camera. I have a SW720 (older model) but very similar in performance to the 1030 you a re looking at.
I was going to purchase a 1030 but the movie mode is a bit average.
To view a collection of images on Olympus waterproof camera go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/gnarlydog
A final word on the water droplets on the lens: Olympus spent some time developing a technology that prevents most of times water sticking to the lens cover. A very samll amount of my pictures actually are ruined because of it. Compared to other brands that my paddling buddies have is like chalk and cheese.
Gnarlydog
Thank you
For your response. Your pictures look great. I do have a couple of questions however.
One person I spoke to told me their spouse had the same camera you have and it did not perform well in low light conditions. Do you find any trouble with how your pictures turn out when they are taken in low light?
As well, I have just recently learned that there are two kinds of image stabalization. There is apparently both digital and optical stabalization. I am told that this camera has digital stabalization and that optical stabalization would be preferred.
Do you have any difficulty with how the pictures turn out when you are taking them from the kayak in less than perfectly calm water?
Am I glad my Canon has a 2.8 lens
and true optical stabilization. It’s true, the plastic waterproof case makes it no Elph at all, but I’ve been able to take good pictures one-handed in spite of whitewater conditions and a fair degree of age and medication related tremor.
low light with any compact digital
camera is a challange!
The chip that records the image is pretty small comapred to a full size DSLR camera.
With the curreent technolgy just about any compact digital camera will have fairly “noisy” (grainy) pictures when the available light is low.
However if the picture on my flickr site of late sunsets and candle lit dining is satisafctory for your standards then you should be OK.
I have 5 compact digital cameras and a DSLR. Obviously the larger camera takes way better pictures (resolution and saturation of black shadows/low ligh) however I would never be able to take the pictures I do on the water with a DSLR in a waterproof case (bulky and heavy and water droplets problem).
Unless you are planning photgraphic contributions to National Geographic or some other high end publication the Olympus 1030 will give you excellent results.
It’s not what you have but it’s how you use it…
Gnarlydog