Olympus Stylus 'Tough' Cameras?

thank you, good stuff
Particularly good point about shooting during the “magic hours”.

Stylus 1030 SW
We have 2 Stylus 1030 SWs and it is a popular camera with paddlers I know. We’re pretty happy with them and find them very hardy. They live in our PFDs.



The research I did seemed to indicate that the 1030s have better optics than their successors. I’m on my second as my previous went missing/swimming off Boothbay last July. I bought mine on ebay.

question on IS
I’ve never had it on any photo camera. Are those of you commenting on IS commenting regarding video, or still photos?

Dependable, Rugged
Had mine for 3 seasons now, bought it rebuilt on ebay too! It’s a great little camera to stick in your PFD while paddling. Of course it won’t take picture of the quality of my Nikon D50 DSLR, but I never thought it would. It’s not bad for quick shots of friends kayaking next to you in some waves, or in situations where you wouldn’t want to chance soaking a DSLR. I love my little Olympus. Don’t hesitate for a minute in buying one of these little beauties!

Tough?
To answer the OP’s “tough” question, I say yes, very. I’ve had a 1030 SW for almost 2.5 years now. It has been in the ocean over 100 times with never more than a quick rinse in fresh water later that day. It is showing some signs of minor rust on some of the tiny screws and springs on the inside of the two doors (usb and battery) but has never flooded. It has also been dropped onto hard surfaces from 3 or 4 ft. two or three times. It is dented and scratched to heck but none of that has affected the performance. I agree with the above posts concerning the pic quality- it isn’t the best but is ok. I never knew about changing the exposure -0.3 and can’t wait to try that. I have had my best results shooting on the “sports” mode. Hope that helps.

Both for video and stills
On the Sony TX5 the IS works remarkably well when I hold the camera by hand on steady footing. Basically, I don’t think I had a single smudged photo due to my motion even in low light (my 6 year old managed to get some though). Could not have done that without IS.



However, I felt that the IS introduces some extra jerkiness when I was holding the camera while half submerged in water and beaten by small beach break waves. No way to turn IS off to compera though.



People are complaining about something similar with some other cameras and claim the Panny TS-2 has improved over its predecessor TS-1 in exactly that same area.



If my camera is mounted on my helmet I don’t see the need for image stabilization - my head does that trick -:wink:

thanks again everyone
You’ve convinced me to slow down a bit and consider my options. I was hoping to get the video option for ski season, but I have a crappy vid cam on it’s last legs and it’ll do fine as a sacrifice.

wildernesswebb

– Last Updated: Jan-06-11 4:28 PM EST –

if we can't get a collective "awwwwwww" for the fawn photo, this world is in heap big trouble

thanks

oh, I forgot, I have the 1030 and it is good for the wet shots and adequate overall. I wish the zoom worked better but not willing to risk a real camera on a kayak.

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
LOL!

Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
LOL!

Slightly OT suggestion
Given that a lot of people are using canned program modes, if you’re not satisified with the results, it’s worth studying the owner’s manual to see if you can change settings to your taste. It might take a few hours of reading and experimenting, but hey, it’s winter anyway.



EV compensation and white-balance adjustments always top my list of things to play around with. If your camera has manual white-balance capability (Pentax Optios do), check it out. Just as EV compensation allows you to create a different default exposure setting, using manual WB function allows you to make the image’s color exactly match what you are photographing. To me, this is THE main advantage of digital over film. You can directly compare your results on the spot, LCD to the real item, instantly.

Killed 2 in one week
We were headed to St Johns VI for some snorkeling and bought a 1030SW. On the first dive the monitor went black. We drove over to Cruz Bay, found a camera shop and bought a Tough-8000. Two days later while diving off Waterlemon Cay in rough water I dragged myself onto the Cays beach with the camera on and got sand and shell fragments in the lens and shut that one down.



Olympus was great about repairing both, and their both running strong. I take one where ever I go.

aw
You’re right. I left that out.

Hate it!!!
Olympus…For the most part…it’s going back.Nothing seems focused …zoomed or not. Sometimes i get so so images. Not worth the $$$$…but can’t afford to wreck my Canon either. Anywhoo…that’s my 2cents!

That’s the conundrum…
There are definitely better cameras out there, but you can’t get them wet. I have an Optio, and compared to a non-waterproof camera, the picture quality is marginal. So what - its digital photography. I take lots of shots. If only 10% of them come out, I still have plenty of good pictures.

I’ve had my 1030SW for over 2 years
and really like it. There IS a setting for stabilization. It is the symble with the “shaky hand”.

I purchased a PFD (foam strap) for it from the Olympus website and when dropped into the water, it pops right back up.There is a small loop on it, through which I place a carabiner and attach it to a shoulder strap and place it into the front of my PFD, and I’m ready go.

Sorry
But the SW1030 does not have true image stabilization. I believe the setting you are referring to only increases the shutter speed. What you need is optical image stabilization and the SW1030 does not have this. The Canon D10 has true (optical) image stabilization.