Olympus Stylus 1030SW 10.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Wide Angle Zoom (Black) by Olympus
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Digital camera reviews of Olympus Stylus 1030SW 10.1MP Digital Camera with 3.6x Optical Wide Angle Zoom (Black)
Digital camera Review: 1030SW is a Great Camera!
Summary: 5 Stars
After dropping/breaking my previous Olympus camera, I new it was time for a "not so fragile" digital. We also live on the lake and were always worried about dropping the camera in the water and getting our hands dry before using it. I don't know how many good shots I missed due to being wet. Problem solved. This camera is rugged and can withstand the weather. If you have been researching this camera, you know it is waterproof to 33' (with underwater snap shot and video modes), freezeproof to -14 degrees, crush proof up to 220 lbs, and shock proof to 6'. There is no other digital camera that can withstand this type of abuse.
I am extremely happy with this camera. Others have suggested the scene modes (on the menu) to be an extra step, but I like the way it outlines each mode, so you can have the right mode for the situation. The camera does great in auto mode and I've found the scene modes to be very helpful. The under water pictures are very clear and the scene options work well. My biggest surprise was the clarity on the "fireworks" mode. It really does great!
The only downside is the zoom. I'm used to 10x optical on my last Olympus while this one has 3.6x. However, the other features far outweigh the lack of zoom. You can't expect high optical zoom in a camera the size of a deck of cards.
If you buy this camera, you must get the M+ or H card. These high speed memory cards allow you to shoot video at 30fps for the entire length of your memory. Standard XD cards and M cards only allow for 10 second clips. My 2GB M+ allows for 18 minutes of consecutive video at 30fps. The XD M+ and H cards are also 1.5 times faster, so the "next shot" delay is shorter.
I would recommend this camera to anyone who is active. Standard digitals are just too fragile. Throw it in the boat, canoe, or ski pack and do "your thing" without a worry of breaking your camera.
Digital camera Review: A Great Point and Shoot
Summary: 5 Stars
After taking some time to research this camera, I went ahead and purchased it. On a recent trip to Cabo San Lucas, this camera survived a 2-1/2 to 3 ft. fall onto a marble floor, vibrations from an atv ride, the dust from said atv ride, and the rinse off of the dust. I also used it in the rain at a baseball game, something I would have been hesitant to do with a standard point-and-shoot. The pictures and video were of very good quality just in the normal settings, as I haven't gone through all the settings yet. High marks to Olympus for this camera.Digital camera Review: A must have camera!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had the Olympus Stylus 1030SW for almost a year. It is a great camera for the active traveler. It is small and rugged. Use it at the water parks, snorkeling, diving, and at the pool. You do not need to worry about kids dropping it. It is shockproof. It can go down under water 33 feet. Take it along snow skiing or on a tabogan ride. This camera can take a beating and it will keep on going strong. The quality of the pictures are great. It is not a portrait camera so do not expect that feature. It can do everything else.Digital camera Review: Amazing
Summary: 4 Stars
This camera is amazing. You can do so much with it. Drop it in water, throw it who cares. Awesome. However the first one I bought stopped working. I returned it and they quickly sent me a new one that works great.Digital camera Review: Be Careful: Does not work with card readers, and poor tech support
Summary: 1 Stars
This camera is OK. The wide zoom and durability features are great for the way my department it - to take pictures of construction sites. There is one big problem, though: Olympus built software into this camera that prevents the xD card from being read in anything other than an Olympus card reader.
When I called Olympus tech support for a solution, their response was rude and aggravating. The tech basically told me they did this because they sell a card reader, and if I wanted to use a card reader, I had to buy theirs. Or, I could plug the camera into the PC. I sent the letter below to Olympus tech support email. It will be interesting to see if/how they respond.
MY LETTER TO OLYMPUS TECH SUPPORT AFTER A BAD TELEPHONE SUPPORT EXPERIENCE:
I just bought a new Stylus 1030SW for my department. I thought it was a great little camera, until I needed some tech support.
Here's the problem:
This is a department camera. The goal was to make it available to all of my product managers, and let each of them have their own storage cards. We need the ability to read the storage cards through a card reader, because plugging the camera into the PC is not practical. I've never had a problem with this in the past, and I own an Olympus C7070 Wide Zoom that works fine. Unfortunately, with this new Stylus, when I plug into the card reader, I get an error message that the card needs to be formatted. If I format the card in the reader, when I put it back in the camera, the camera says it needs to format the card. Ugh!
I need a solution that does not involve plugging the camera directly into the PC (impractical because the camera might be out on another job) and does not involve buying an additional card reader (impractical because I already have a multi-card reader plugged into my PC, and I use it to read cards from other cameras, and I don't need any more network drive conflicts right now).
Please provide an acceptable solution. I would hate to have to return this camera, because I like the size and functionality. I just don't like the inclusion of proprietary software that doesn't add any consumer benefits.