Olympus Stylus 850 SW 8MP Shockproof Waterproof Digital Camera Review (Orange)

March 4, 2010 by admin
Filed under Digital Camera

I bought an Olympus Stylus 850SW because I wanted a durable point-and-shoot to carry in my motorcycle tank bag, so I could illustrate my blogposts from the road.
The shockproof/waterproof feature is what sold me and I am confident that this camera will survive whatever I can throw at it. The 8 megapixel images are plenty big for my purposes.
Keeping in mind that I’m a semi-pro photographer with lots of experience with Nikon SLRs, digital and film, I find a few things aggravating/inconvenient about the 850SW.
The shutter lag, which is common in point-and-shoots, can make you crazy if you’re shooting anything that is moving or might move or change from moment to moment.
The oddball xD memory card, which necessitates a sometimes hard-to-find card reader for transfer to a computer and its limitation to 2GB of memory.
The absence of a see-through viewfinder, making it necessary to compose your photo on the rear screen – very hard to see in direct sunlight.
The proprietary Olympus battery, making it necessary for you to pack the battery charger when you travel.
Like all digital point-and-shoots, you need to take some time to read the manual and learn the structure of the menus and the features they include. Yes, you can pick it up and take a picture, but after that, you’d better start reading the manual if you want to be proficient with this camera.
If I were looking for a digital camera to put in the hands of a child who might drop it, sit on it or step on it, this is the camera I’d pick.

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Product Description:
REFURBISHED The Stylus 850 SW is designed for active people who want a tough camera that can keep up with their on-the-go lifestyles. Incredibly durable, sleek and stylish, the Stylus 850 SW is a must-have vacation and party accessory. Features SHOCKPROOF (5FT)Accidents happen. A rugged metal body and revolutionary shock-absorbing construction are designed to withstand a 5-foot fall, drop or other mishaps. WATERPROOF (10FT)Innovative waterproof seals and gaskets allow you to take underwater movies and amazing pictures in a pool, lake or ocean. FREEZEPROOF (14 degrees F)Perfect for skiing, snowboarding, sledding and other winter fun, this camera is winterized to perform at below-freezing temperatures. FACE DETECTIONTracks faces and automatically focuses and optimizes exposure for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures. DIGITAL IMAGE STABILIZATIONWith high ISO sensitivity and faster shutter speeds you can freeze the action to capture sharp, blur-free images even if you or your subject is moving. SpecificationsImager:8.0 Megapixels (effective), 1/2.35 CCD (1.1cm) Lens:6.7- 20.1 mm (38- 114 mm equivalent in 35mm photography),10 Lenses in 8 Groups, 3 Aspherical Lenses Zoom: 3x Optical Zoom + 5x Digital Zoom (Seamless to 15x) Aperture Range -F3.5 – F5.0 LCD: 2.5 (6.4cm) HyperCrystal LCD, approx. 230,000 dots 5 Steps Brightness Adjustment Viewfinder: N/A Focus System: CCD Contrast Detection Focus Range: Normal mode: 19.7- infinity (0.5m- infinity), Macro mode: Wide: 7.9- infinity (0.2m- infinity),Tele: 11.8 – infinity (0.3m- infinity) Focus Mode: iESP Auto, Spot AF, Face Detection AF Shutter Speed: 1/1000 sec. -1/2 sec. (up to 4 sec. in Night Scene mode) ISO: Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 (equivalent) Metering Mode: Digital ESP Metering, Spot Metering, Face Detection AE (when Face Detection AF is selected) White Balance: Auto, Pr…