Olympus Stylus 850SW 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom (Yellow) Reviews

• Superb

  
  By A36UV9RVMTN7ZW on 2008-03-08
  First off, the cons, since they're most important
  
  -XD Picture Card.
  This is the biggest thing that irks me, since XD is a dying brand and Olympus refuses to give it up. However, since working with it, i've found nothing really bad about xd, only that it's like sd but just a tiny bit bigger, so don't worry about this.
  
  -Doesn't come in orange.
  Oh well, I think i'll live with silver (which is very nice by the way)
  
  -Has an odd "favorites mode" i probably won't use*
  *see below for disclaimer
  
  -Panorama only works in P mode
  Who cares, i take all my pictures in that mode anyway (But it took me a while to learn that)
  
  -Low battery
  For some odd reason, i get a low battery signal even when i know i've got a couple of hours left. No big deal, i carry an extra battery with me all the time.
  
  Uhhh, i truthfully can't think of anything else
  
  Pros:
  
  -Rugged
  This camera is a beast. I don't think you can break it. i saw C-net freeze two of these things in a block of ice and when i was at National Camera Exchange, they literally swept it off the counter and let it crash to the floor. It also feels really sturdy in your hands
  
  -Waterproof
  What can i say, built in waterproof. Does that mean i don't have to worry about the rain or snow? Yes. Yes it does.
  
  -Compact
  For all it's ruggedness, this camera is small. Thin, with a lens you don't have to worry about protruding.
  
  -Easy to use
  Comparing it to some Cannon brands at a store, this camera was WAY easier to use and was a lot faster in selecting modes, types of shots, ect.
  
  -Panorama
  Has an in camera panorama that is amazingly easy to figure out. First time i tried it, i got exactly the type of shot i wanted, no learning curve. Stitches three pictures together in camera. Perfect for those spectacle nature shots and whatever else you need to capture. (note: Panorama only works with an xd card, and not compatible with the micro sd to xd converter that you get in the box)
  
  -LED lamp
  Super bright white LED on the front for those really dark shots. You can also turn it on when the camera isn't on, really useful if you need it in a cinch.
  
  -Surprising Video
  Can take video in 30fps, which came out really good. Option of 15fps as well.
  
  -Quick shot view
  has a button to press while in camera mode to quickly view shots. When finished, press shutter half way and it zips back to camera mode.
  
  -Very, VERY fast
  Even when it wasn't pre-focused, the shot time was in under a second. When pre-focused, the speed really was instantaneous. (as in feeling like an SLR speed)
  
  -8mp
  Excellent image quality. Outshot cannon models in outdoor shots bar none. Indoor, we found cannon did it a little better, but that was digitally zoomed in all the way, comparing it side by side with some hesitation. ergo, it's so small, who cares, and even then the quality was still amazing. But if you're that passionate about perfect pictures, you need an SLR.
  
  -3x zoom
  Not kidding, a 3x OPTICAL zoom with a lens that doesn't protrude from the camera. Since it's 8mp, i don't think i'll use the zoom, but wow, it really does work.
  
  -Fast startup
  With no external lens to push out, startup time is blazingly fast.
  
  -Favorites
  If you set a picture in your favorites, it can never be erased from the camera (unless removed from favorites) even when formatting internal memory as well. Plus, you can set one of these pictures to your menu background, which is a nice touch.
  
  
  What else can i say, this camera really took me by surprise. It has everything i could want in a camera, plus it's amazing durability. Great buy, suggest getting one of the packs that Amazon offers if you want a really good price. If you want to see it, compare it, hold it, test it, whatever, i suggest heading over to National Camera Exchange. They should have it, and they really know they're stuff.
  
  

• Amazing

  
  By A2WYM02M9943EY on 2008-02-26
  So i purchased this camera to take with me on my trip to cancun where im planning on doing some snorkeling, although i still have not taken the camera on the trip i have already used it and know what its capable of. The camera has the BEST image stabalizer and anti-blurr system i have ever seen, my brother took the camera to a nascar race and took a picture of a car going over 175mph right infront of him and there was no blurr. It has a great macro setting to take close up pictures, i took a picture of a quarter on my desk from about 1 1/2 inches away and it looked amazing, same with a picture of a flower (the built in LED bulb for macro shots helps a lot!). The VGA with 30fps only takes 10 seconds of video which sucks, but it u do VGA with 15fps (frames per second) you can do up to 30 minutes, and i could not tell a difference between the two when i uploaded two similar videos i shot to test it. The camera takes great pictures, and the 20+ shot modes help out sooo much. (candle lit mode for that special night, sunset mode, fireworks mode, underwater wide and 2 other underwater modes, night mode, portait, everything u can think of.)I tested it under water at my local pool and it works great, very fine underwater pictures, the lens has a metal lens cover that closes when u turn off the camera and its very durable (ex. when my dog grabbed it from my hand and ran off with it) nothing but a few minor scratches. sorry for the long review but i wish i had a long one when i bought it, would have helped me make a decision much faster. Camera only goes 10ft so the underwater case is a must if you are going scubadiving, i will at the end of march and ill update the review to let u know how that is. Hope this helps, all in all, this is a great camera!
  
  

• Disappointed

  
  By A2WC27GHQNKIVH on 2008-02-13
  I had been waiting to buy this camera since it was announced last month. Just got it yesterday and everything was as expected until I tried to do video in VGA (640x480) resolution. The camera wouldn't take video for longer than 10 seconds in this mode. I called Olympus support, and they confirmed that for VGA resolution it will only shoot that long because of buffer issues.
  
  This may not seem like a big deal to some, but the whole point of this camera for me was to have something I could shoot stills AND video in for most environments. If all I cared about was the quality of still shots (what Olympus told me they were focusing on), I would have bought something other than this "do everything camera."
  
  My cheap Cybershot that I got 4 years ago will do VGA for as long as I have memory space. Too bad, because I was really looking forward to this new Olympus, but now it has to go back. I gave it a three because the other functions appeared to operate as expected.
  
  

• had high hopes

  
  By A89M6BNS32AHX on 2008-05-11
  I have been in photography for 20+ years. I use both pro and point and shoot cameras depending on where I am and what I am shooting. I recently purchased this camera as a go anywhere camera and tried it out on a trip to bermuda after reading all of the great reviews. I should have taken a back up camera. First the battery lasts about 10 minutes of shooting time. (about 50-110 shots depending on the flash) It is lower if you try to use the video mode. I would say faulty battery but several other people have told me it is just the battery, buy a spare. The lens is about the worst on the market. It has a really bad curve to it and has a hard time focusing if the subject is 30+ feet away. The antishake is great ....except for the fact that the picture is too grainy to be of any use. I was really excited about the underwater feature..... unless you are in a clear pool with no movement forget it. I hate to write such a negative review on a product that seemed to have a ton of potential but if you need a good camera look at others or wait until the second gen of these come out with some fixes.
  
  

• Great for older kids!

  
  By AH5OOA24SNMBF on 2008-04-02
  I was looking for an 'unbreakable' camera for my hopelessly clumsy 10 year old who begged me for one as a birthday gift. Considering that my dad trusted me with an SLR when I was 10, I decided to give her a chance too - but with precaution. I've read many reviews that the picture quality of the Olympus 850 SW was not so great - and that's true if you're so used to Canon and Nikon (we have both in point and shoot and dSLR).
  
  However, the greatest features of this camera are it's capability to take shots under water and it's being shockproof (6-ft drop). Taking shots in rain, snow, or other wet conditions - as well as wild conditions - is worry-free. If the picture quality is not as important as HAVING pictures on those occasions, then using this camera is a no brainer. The 24-scene modes, framing, labeling, shadow fix, etc. are just bonuses in my opinion - though my daughter loves experimenting with them. It does not offer much in the way of manual control, but I guess that's the point of a point-and-shoot.
  
  She's taken it swimming many times now and it always amazes me to see our own smiling faces under water! Maybe the pictures are less vivid than I would have hoped - but for that, I would have to buy an underwater case for my Nikon D80 - and spend twice the cost of my original camera :) So until I'm an avid underwater photographer, I can settle for my daughter's Olympus 850 SW.
  
  I must add though, that the battery life is quite mediocre. It must be charged after only less than a hundred shots in VGA mode. Opt to get a second battery.
  
  
• Awesome
  By A2QQ6DUQGVHLKA on 2008-05-19
  Well, got this camera last week. So far, so good. I'm happy with my purchase.
  
  Pros:
  1 - Waterproof, freezeproof and shockproof. Although, I'm still reluctant in trying to freeze or drop it (hey, the camera is brand new, ok?). I'll try those camera features later when I accidentally drop or use this in snow. I'm really really excited to take this to the beach. You will also enjoy watching people's reaction as you wash this under a faucet, hehe.
  
  2 - Looks stylish. I was originally going to get the 1030SW, but for me, that model looked ugly. Yeah it has more megapixels, it can go deeper underwater, crushproof,... basically, just better features. But like I said, I didn't like the style of the 1030. It looks too utilitarian. Personal choice my friend.
  
  3 - Large and bright LCD screen. I haven't tried testing the battery life under normal use. I have a habit of always carrying a spare battery.
  
  4 - The scene option is awesome. Lots of options there.
  
  Cons:
  1 - The camera menu system is not as intuitive. Actually, that is a problem with all digital cameras I've seen, not just Olympus. I have yet to see a menu system that is intuitive. But anyway, I digress.... The 850SW menu system takes some patience to know where and how to use every option/features. I actually called Olympus tech support cause I could not get the panorama*** option to work even though I have an Olympus brand Type M+ xD card (panorama icon was disabled in the main menu). Turns out, the camera has to be set to PROGRAM AUTO as oppose to the default AUTO. For those getting this camera, that will be useful info, and it will save you time digging through the manual (which by the way does not mention this info).
  
  2 - The sound is hard to hear when watching a video on the camera. I've read people say the video quality is not great. Well to me, it's really not a big deal, if you really want quality video playback/recording, you should not be doing that on a digital camera.
  
  ***panorama feature only works if you have an Olympus brand Type M xD card. Actually, they also came out with a newer (and more expensive) card called Type M+. According to them, it is faster then the M version. Using the M+ version, you can take videos longer than 10 seconds at 30 fps (M version is limited to 10 sec at 30fps).
  
  
  
• olympus camera
  By A2DHUF86CG8UGZ on 2008-03-02
  Small, beautiful, lightweight, this camera is perfect for my uses: in the garden, for my business, on family trips and vacations. I am not a "tech-savvy" person and needed a camera that would not break, that I could find in my bag, and that would keep taking picture after picture. It has great clarity and simple features. I learned to use it in 10 minutes.
  
  
• Lots of Talk very little walk
  By A3OFACH1SUE6KH on 2008-03-06
  This product seriously dissapointed me, with so much talk about unbelievable clarity and outstanding photos, this camera produces photos that match just about all pocket digital cameras out there. However, where it really hurts me is in the sound and video area. The sound quality is a crying shame. I wouldn't stamp this product as capable of shooting video, I would say it is able to takes lots of pictures quickly with static sound wrapped around it and the Very VERY faint sound of your voice screaming into the front of it. Thumbs down for me, WAY down. Also, when you pump up the resolution on the video option it only tapes for 10 seconds, cant buffer fast enough, Final straw for me, My first Olympus camera after using Canon for 5 years, and I'm going back!
  
  
• OLD CAMERA NUT LIKES CAMERA
  By A35SQKG09EQYCZ on 2008-06-23
  Photography has been a hobby of mine for thirty five years. My first demand is the camera takes quality photos. They must be ultra sharp with good color balance.
  I am usually a Nikon and Canon brands fan. I purchased a Olympus high end point and shoot twenty years ago on advice of a good friend motorcycle rider. Hated that camera! Prints were fuzzy, color was terrible. Still have it, like new and in the box. So, this fathers day I opened my present from my wife and guess what a Olympus 850SW. I thought, oh no. I presently own a Nikon 4600 subcompact which takes substandard photos, a Canon Powershot SD 1000 which takes good but not great photos and Nikon D40X SLR which takes great photos.
  We had a weekend outing with the grandkids. A good time to try out this Olympus thing. Well, I was very pleased. After taking about one hundred pics. The picture quality is very close to my Nikon digital SLR. Lag is almost none. It beats the Canon SD 1000 and the Nikon 4600 very badly. I am very impressed with this little camera. I haven't tried the movie mode because I hardly ever take movies with a digital camera. I have a movie camera for that purpose. I will be going to Hawaii soon and will test the underwater part of this camera.Will keep you posted.
  Anyway, very pleased and would recommend it very highly. The only thing I would like would be a viewfinder, but you can always find something to gripe about. Hope this review will help you.
  
  
• CAREFULL- Don't put the battery in incorrectly
  By A3C4KACPUEYK4E on 2008-03-25
  I've been waiting for this line of cameras to come out for a while so I was really excited to get it. I opened the box and put the battery in. I thought I'd done it the right way, but it turned out that I put it in upside down (I'd still managed to match up the negative and positive sides). After a lot of shaking (thanks shock protection) I couldn't get it out!
  At this point I looked at the manual and it said something along the lines of "careful if battery is placed in camera incorrectly you will not be able to remove it and must have it serviced at an olympus service center." What the f**k!!?! I know I was dumb for putting it in wrong, but come on, Olympus can anticipate that most of us feel confident enough to put the battery in w/o the owners manual. And that most of us will assume if put in incorrectly it will come back out.
  I call olympus. They tell me I can mail it to a service center in CA or NY (I live in Chicago) and that I'd get it back in a mere 7-10 business days. All this for a battery put in upside down? Instead of crying or throwing the camera against a wall (which I really wanted to do) I decided to try using some tweezers to get kinda pry it out. Whaddya know, worked right away, didn't damage anything. Thank god! I was close to tossing it in a fit of rage and vowing to never buy olympus again.
  I consider this to be a huge design flaw. Despite the warning in the manual and an additional warning (later discovered) on a light pink half sheet of paper, I'm sure a lot of people will make the same mistake. If Olympus should put a big red sticker on the camera itself.
  Hopefully the camera will work as promised in a view weeks when I'm on vacation.
  
  
  
  
• Excellent camera!!
  By ADOT8VBMXGJ3 on 2008-05-04
  I bought this product for my family trip to Disney in August. I needed something that was waterproof so I can use in the waterparks, and it had to be small since I don't want to be carrying around my purse. So far it is great. It fits into my little wristlet so I know that I can walk around these parks without a bulky purse. I used it to our recent trip to an aquarium and the pictures taken inside without the flash were pretty good. It was dark in some areas, so those pics were a little blurry but I still need practice with the camera and all of its features. The other pics taken in the low light conditions were very good, and outdoor pics were great! I can't wait to use it underwater!
  
  
• Almost perfect
  By AU4J6NRWNPMO0 on 2008-07-22
  I bought this as my "field" camera while out hiking, trail running, X-Ctry skiing, etc when I don't feel like carrying our normal load of camera gear. It also goes with me when deployed and field exercises with the Army.
  
  Other than dropping it, I have put it through its paces and it continues to take quality photos. The stabilization feature works well for photos in daylight but longer exposures have noticable shake. The pictures are crisp, telephoto is more than adequate and basic macro photo is possible with this camera. It is lightweight and slim enough to be a truly portable, go anywhere camera. It really is waterproof and produces very good (but not excellent) underwater shots. The quality of photos surpasses my expectations of a point and click digital and captures plenty of detail for memorable photos. For the price, I don't think there is a better camera on the market with these features.
  
  The only point against this camera is the battery. It does not last long enough and if you put it in backwards or upside down it will get stuck and be nearly impossible to remove (see other reviews and their own manual). This is just poor engineering/design; a simple change in the shape of the battery would prevent this flaw.
  
  
• Real Waterproof with less Quality
  By A52OX40CHY99W on 2008-03-26
  I lost my previous great Konica Minolta camera after it got wet by an ocean wave, while sailing on a boat. The Olympus camera is definitely waterproof. I swam with it in the ocean in Kauai, and it worked.
  The quality of static photos is acceptable for a waterproof camera.
  
  A disappointing surprise is the software. Since there is no view finder, if you need reading glasses, it is difficult to adjust the photo size with zoom. You need to take a wider picture and crop. The camera let you crop... but you cannot save the cropped photo! The camera records the date and time... But you cannot date stamp the photo! Things that any old average digital camera does!
  
  There are special functions with nice displayed illustrations to select that do not work, like a displayed marathon runner function to select for photographing fast moving objects. It didn't work. The photos of moving objects are blurred and you need to press the shutter button a few seconds in advance and pray that the object would be in the frame when the shutter open. If you try to photo a moving car, horse or fish, you generally get an "abstract art". No mention in the booklet that you need a faster memory card, or the camera is just slow.
  
  The worst part is Customer Service. The technician told me that it is a new camera which she didn't know and read the booklet while my cellular minutes run for 30 minutes. Her supervisor is an expert in making you feel that you know nothing and just bother him, and didn't volunteer information, like they did in Konica Minolta (the brand does not exist anymore) when I bought their camera and called them six years ago, in order to explain how to take great, fast, date stamped, but not waterproofed pictures that I could crop and save.
  
  
  
• includes charger and micro-sd adapter
  By A3GFPG708P2S on 2008-05-30
  First off this camera comes with a micro-sd to xd card adapter which means you can use micro-sd cards in this camera.
  
  Use must use 4 gb or higher micro-sd card to film video longer then 10 seconds. My new 4 gb one holds 3 hrs of video.
  
  Camera can be charged through usb and included wall unit.
  
  I purchased the silicon skin to protect against and scratches or dents from dropping it.
  
  I have taken hundreds of above water and underwater pictures. This camera has all the features and scene settings you need.
  
  More features then more expensive cameras.
  
  I was scared to buy after reading the reviews, but after using the camera, I believe most people disappointed with the quality of their pictures did not know how to change to proper settings. The features on this camera makes for endless pictures in any environment.
  
  The only thought you should have is what flashy color to get to be like an alarm to tell your family and friends "I am the waterproof camera." I would suggest picking a color no one else in your family has.
  
  I personally liked the yellow and orange the best for that purpose and I purchased the orange one.
  
  
  
  
• Fabulous Camera
  By A3L4EC5V9NY2E1 on 2008-04-07
  This camera is excellent. I really love it, and the picture quality is outstanding!! I'd highly recommend this camera to anyone looking for a new great quality camera.
  
  
• Great functioning, Easy to use
  By AECKVJIV3AN1V on 2008-04-23
  Started to use it immediately and very happy with the simplicity of the operation.
  Held up fine in the pool and ocean.
  
  
• Awesome!
  By A19ZDTTDA4Z0RI on 2008-04-27
  We just got back from Jamaica. This camera was awesome! From snorkeling to hiking up a waterfall this camera got it all.
  
  
• crushing, crushing dissappointment
  By A2YEA67ABXCY0I on 2008-06-05
  I originally bought the 850 sw for a trip to Mexico, but the charger that came with it didn't work. Olympus promptly sent me another, but not in time for the trip. It makes me ill when I think of the cenotes, reefs, ocean, jungle, four-wheelers, and the wedding and friends I wish I had pictures of.
  
  Then, roughly two months later, I had still taken less than 30 pictures with the camera when the screen went completely white the Olympus failed to work altogether. I spoke with a representative over the phone who informed me that I had to ship the camera--at my cost--to California, where it was supposed to take 7-10 days to repair. This happened about a week before the camera was supposed to debut at an annual kayaking trip (the activity I bought it for in the first place). Needless to say, I again missed a priceless opportunity due to the Olympus' poor reliability.
  
  Incidentally, Olympus required a reciept--which I no longer had--and had to obtain from the retailer, USA Bargains. Despite repeated e-mails, they refused to ever respond. Fortunately, the people at Amazon were much more helpful, and provided me with an invoice within the day.
  
  I have yet to use the camera outside of the house, but it seems to take decent pictures. And I doubt that all of Olympus' products suffer this many problems. But still, at this point I have to wonder, if I were to buy another Olympus, and the same problems all over again, would they be to blame or would I?
  
  
• Amazing Camera!
  By A26VXOF33ZUSXF on 2008-04-06
  This is the best camera I've ever owned. The color is beautiful and the pictures are so clear! The shockproof and waterproof aspect add extra security that is extremely refreshing. It's definitely worth its price!
  
  
• Takes a licking and keeps on ticking!
  By A1S8K4IW19WZPL on 2008-06-19
  This camera does not take the finest pictures in it's class. It's not particularly tiny or lightweight. But today I took VGA res 30 fps movies of my son and I going down the water-slide together at the waterpark! All the way down! Last week I took shots of my buddy and me surf-fishing in the gulf. I let my 5 year-old son have it whenever he wants. He dropped it in the sand at the beach; He dropped it on the tile floor in the kitchen. No worries! You can take this camera where you would never have taken a good camera before. Water, sand, mud, rain, no problem. I have a good Canon for when I need to get the perfect shot(I lost a Rebel to a little bit of sand on an Australia trip a couple of years ago- unrepairable and not covered by warranty they said). I have this camera to get the shots in places where I never could before.
  
  Two gripes -
  1. XD cards, hard to find and expensive compared to SD. The camera comes with an adapter for micro-SD cards, but 30 fps VGA movies are limited to 10 seconds with this memory.
  2. The USB connector on the camera is a non-standard one I've never seen before. Don't lose that cable! This makes no sense.
  
  Point of info: You can record unlimited length (well, until your card is full anyway) 30 fps VGA movies if you have an type M+ or H XD card and version 1.1 of the firmware. This is a fact; I have done it.
  
  
• Waterproof, but only for a while
  By A2NPVTN5BX1W7O on 2008-06-27
  I took my son on a rafting trip down the Grand Canyon. Two days before we left, my wife gave me this camera as a b-day gift. (I'm usually a Canon type of guy). The camera worked great for the first 4.5 days, until I went swimming with it in Havasu Falls. The camera remained at least a foot from the surface, nor did I leave it underwater for more than a few minutes. Later that evening, as we were setting up camp, I pulled it out to take a pic of a scorpion. The image on the LCD was a complete fog (when I returned home, the pic was also a fog.) It took several days until the LCD showed a clear image. Now I'm hesitant to use it for what it was intended for, and the camera store that my wife bought it at has a 10 day return policy, and it's been longer than that, so I might, or might not, be able to return it.
  All other functions worked well.
  I was able to take over 300 pics and 3 minutes of video on the fully charged Li-ion battery. (An after-market battery fared considerably worse, only allowing 50-60 pics.)
  
  
• Why don't they tell you?!?
  By A3N0KQSPPMAZF7 on 2008-05-29
  I spent an additional $26 buying a wall charger, because what use is a rechargeable camera battery without a charger?! The camera came today (quick shipping as usual from Amazon!) and there's a charger IN THE BOX! Nowhere on the site does it say that the thing ships with a charger.
  
  Even if the merchant (through Amazon, but not Amazon) takes it back I'm out the $8 S&H for a thing I never needed in the first place plus whatever it costs to send it back!
  
  The camera is smaller than I expected, real pretty, and once the battery is charged, I'll try it out. There are precise directions for what to do to maintain the water proofing, but they don't seem to be too onerous -- we'll see when I actually try it.
  
  
• A little pricey, but what Olympus isn't?
  By A1I9PCPMT3GSKG on 2008-07-02
  The Good:
  With the quality and dependabilty individuals have come to rely on for years, Olympus has done it again and come out with another wonderful camera. The Stylus 850 SW is WONDERFUL! It lives up to every expectation I had of it so far, and is still suprising me. Some people have been saying the picture can be grainy and yes, it can be... if you have it on some strangely high ISO setting inside for no real reason! This camera comes with all the presets you could ever want, including settings for candlelight, behind glass, online auctions, regular portraits, self-portraits, food, AND fireworks! The 'favorites' menu is genius; ever want to show someone a picture you took and you have to go through all 286 vacation photos to find that ONE picture? No more! With 'favorites,' you can set pictures that you have taken as a favorite, and then when you want to get directly to them, simply turn the selector wheel to the star ('favorites') and all your favorite pictures are in one place, no searching required. There is even editing available right on the camera so you don't have to wait to get home to take out the red eye or shadows in that great shot of Aunt Martha. With the fun 'frame' edit, you can even put her newly red eye free picture in a 'frame,' right on your camera! Then just hook it up to a printer at a local computer place and voila! Great for the accident prone short person such as myself. Being 5'4", I'm probably not going to drop the camera from more than 5', which just happens to be what it is rated for so this is a match made in heaven. Simply simple, simply AMAZING!
  
  The Bad:
  - Some reviews have stated that if you do happen to take this camera on an underwater adventure, to be sure and keep a good hold on it because it sinks like a lead weight. I can see why. Not the lightest camera ever made. Lighter than my 3mp Olympus from the dinosaur age by a number of pounds, but they make the floating strap for a reason.
  - I'm a little saddened by the battery situation. Every time you need to charge it, you have to take it out of the camera, which makes you reset the date and time every time you put the battery back in. Not a huge issue, just may get a little annoying after awhile. Plus, repetitive removal of the battery could lead to dust or other particles getting in the battery door, making the waterproof function, well, MAL-function. Just be very careful, read the directions and follow them to a T.
  - Didn't come with a screen protector. Traditional screen protectors aren't waterproof, so I'm wondering how expensive its going to get to buy screen protectors for this camera... It isn't a big deal since the camera is waterproof so you can just wash off anything icky that may get on it, but it would be nice for scratches and such. They do make silicon protectors for the outside of the camera that fit it like a glove, which is great for protecting the body.
  
  
  
• ITS A GREAT CAMRA!!!
  By A1N64604T6665G on 2008-07-17
  I was thinking about geting a water proof camra for a long time so I looked it up on amozon to see what i could get. At first the reviews scared me off. However, after reading them, the negutive ones semed flaky. People expecting alot out of a camra that was ment to beet up, I realized that people WERE trying to use it like a $700 canon, and its not, then leaveing reviews that said ' This camra cant take pictures that are top of the line quality, DONT BUY IT'. Hello, its a water proof camra ment for haveing a good time, not takeing a picture worth a thousand words. I mean its not a canon, or a vidio camrs. The frames arnt that fast, the resalution isnt a canon, but it can realy go.
  
  Any way, i got the camra a few days ago and ive already droped it, taken it down to the bottom of my 9 foot pool, taken houndreds of pictures and hours of videos, and no flaws yet. Its a great little camra, and i would definetly buy it agin. (ps: dont buy it if you are a picture person, buy a more expensive one, think $700.)
  
  
• Great camera for tough environments
  By A27XA3ZARX6BGC on 2008-07-24
  I bought this camera for hiking and canyoneering. My last camera I had to keep in a dry box and carefully remove it to take pictures. This camera I can just keep in my pocket, swim, go through waterfalls, etc, and then just whip it out and take a picture.
  
  The picture quality is about what you'd expect from such a small lens, (i.e. not as good as my 4 year old 8MP Coolpix 8700), but in a **much** smaller and tougher package. The quality is good enough for web sites and printing pictures.
  
  I highly recommend getting the soft skin for it to protect the outside. I don't recommend getting the more expensive "M+" cards, the extra features they provide aren't worth it. The Panorama feature in the camera isn't that great, better to just take pictures and combine in Photoshop.
  
  Why only 4 stars? The first one I got after about 2 weeks developed a spot in the images that was not on the lens. After some research, I determined it was a spot on the CCD, but I returned it Amazon with no hassles and got a new one.
  
  
  
• Fantastic
  By A7QF6IH2ALYEB on 2008-04-29
  This camera is exactly what I was looking for and I have been looking for some time now. I have had an Olympus camera before and liked it so it was no surprise that I love this one. I am not a person that usually likes pink but I could not resist this color either.
  
  
• Pretty great for what you're buying it for
  By ALOKKWN5YQK2Z on 2008-06-19
  You buy this camera for what it is designed for, to take a lickin' and keep on tickin'. And that's just what it does. Outdoor shots are fantastic, I take video alot and it is ok, but the sound is really quiet (probably because they had to waterproof the microphone). I've really put this thing through it's paces though at Lake Powell, Mexico, a family trip to California, and a week at a Boy Scout Camp. All those with it usually in my back pocket. That is what I love about it, I get a lot of fun pictures that I didn't with my other cameras because you wouldn't have thought to take a digital camera with you out on a tipsy Sea Kayak for example.
  
  Cons
  Sound on Video
  low light pictures are sometimes blurry even with the image stabilization on which means you have to use the flash
  
  Pros
  indestructible, it's been on the beach, sat on all around the cruise ship, dropped on the house boat, usually in my pocket at lake powell, sandy, muddy and often wet
  Love the underwater picture taking, they are more fun than useful though as they are usually low light pictures
  
  
• Not Idiot Proof!
  By A3DOVXKQMN0047 on 2008-10-02
  I bought this camera on August 30, 2008. I bought it from [...] with the 2GB memory card only because I could use my Best Buy credit card for the purchase. The entire reason I wanted this new camera was my old camera was 8 years old (Also an Olympus) and it was just time for a new one. I wanted it in September because I would be going to a few New Kids on the Block concerts (Don't knock 20 year love!) and really wanted a good camera I could take to the shows to take photos and video.
  
  I received the camera on September 4, 2008. The color is BEAUTIFUL. The camera was so light. It was fantastic. So I took the battery out and I took the camera out and I went to put the battery in.
  
  Mind you, I did not look at the directions because who really needs to look at the directions to put in a battery!?
  
  So I try to put the battery in, it wouldn't fit. So I turn it around. Still won't fit. So I turn it another way and the battery slides right in.
  
  I close the door, but the battery door won't close. Hrm. maybe I put the battery in wrong? Wait? Why won't the battery come out!?
  
  I get out the directions and lo and behold there's a big X indicating how NOT to put the battery in and a little note that says "If you put the battery in the wrong way, you will not be able to get it out".
  
  I had my camera for 5 minutes and I had to send it immediately to the shop to get it fixed. I had to spend my own money to ship it UPS (about $10) on September 5th but fortunately it was covered under warranty and I got it back on September 17th.
  
  Maybe I am the only person out there who would figure that if a battery slides in easily, it means it's the right way... and figures that batteries won't fit in the wrong way. But I think the fact that, if you put a battery in WRONG and it won't come back out unless you send it to the shop, is absolutely ridiculous.
  
  Aside from that, I have had no issues with the camera. Except the battery does say it's low when it's really nowhere near being low.
  
  Basically, I'm just giving you a fair warning that if you're an idiot like me, make sure you put the battery in the right way :)
  
  
• is the worst I've seen
  By A2XTP6D8OBF1E9 on 2008-06-23
  Truly the camera OLYMPUS STYLUS 850SW 8MP who buys, is the worst purchase I made, with the following:
  1. The image quality is the worst I've seen, no matter if it is 8 megapixels, never compared to the SONY in any of its models.
  2. I can not use the zoom because the blurred picture emerging, the face of people can't be distinguished. The zoom does not help at all.
  3. The battery lasts for only about 120 photos, the worst battery that is used in activities that I have done, I've never been able to take all the photos because the battery is exhausted.
  4. and for the quality of images is a camera truly expensive
  5. the storage capacity for the video is very poor considering that is 2 GBS,
  
  I decided to buy a OLYMPUS STYLUS 850SW 8MP that I thought it was a chamber of "excellent quality" but I never thought it wrong, AMAZON.COM could sell a product of such poor quality.
  
  My brother who is also a user AMAZON.COM wanted to buy a camera and just after seeing the quality of the photos said that it will not.
  
  Since this e-mail only what you see and not the other buyers, it would be good that the removal of its inventory sales.
  Sincerely
  
  
  MAURICIO GALDAMEZ
  
  
  
  Verdaderamente la cámara OLYMPUS STYLUS 850SW 8MP que compre, es la peor compra que hice, por lo siguiente:
  1. La calidad de imagen es la peor que he visto, no importa si se trata de 8 megapíxeles, nunca en comparación con la SONY en cualquiera de sus modelos.
  2. No puedo utilizar el zoom ya que la imagen es muy borrosa, el rostro de las personas no se pueden distinguir. El zoom no ayuda en absoluto.
  3. La batería dura sólo alrededor de 120 fotos, batería que se utiliza en las actividades que he hecho, nunca he sido capaz de tomar todas las fotos porque la batería está agotada.
  4. y por la calidad de las imágenes es una cámara realmente costosa
  5. la capacidad de almacenamiento para el video es muy pobre teniendo en cuenta que es el 2 de GBS,
  
  Decidí comprar una OLYMPUS STYLUS 850SW 8MP que yo pensé que era una cámara de "excelente calidad", pero nunca pensé mal AMAZON.COM podía vender un producto de tan mala calidad.
  
  Mi hermano que es también un usuario AMAZON.COM quería comprar una cámara y después de ver la calidad de las fotos dijo que no.
  
  
  MAURICIO GALDAMEZ
  
  
  
  
• Wonderful Camera
  By A25CDI5OSH7WN5 on 2008-07-08
  I bought this camera after our Sony was stolen in South Padre and I couldn't be happier. Yeah I was sad that we lost all our pictures from a week long vacation but it is almost worth it. Along with the camera I have purchased two extra batteries (you will need them) and 2GB xd card and a 4GB micro sd card. On normal mode the xd card holds about 1000 pics. We have updated the software and the videos are amazing. The picture quality is great, at first I didn't like the night pics but once I put it on the correct setting the pictures were wonderful. With my old Sony I never used the scene settings bc I never noticed a difference, with this camera the settings make a huge difference. The panorama was easy to use (but only in P mode)I was one that would never read the instruction manual but with this camera it helped so much.
  Also the floating strap is a must, it will sink!! We have put it in water several times with no problems, I check the battery and usb doors every time to make sure there isn't anything in there. We haven't had ideal underwater opportunities just yet, but when we used it we had a blast with it.
  I love this camera and have turned many people on to it! And if you are looking for an orange one Best Buy had it.
  
  

• Vista Explorer 60" Lightweight Tripod with Tripod Bag
• Adobe Photoshop CS4
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 7
• Corel Photo Album 7 Deluxe
• PhotoPlus X2 Digital Studio

• Olympus 2 GB xD Picture Card Type M 202170
• Olympus Neoprene Soft Digital Camera Case
• Olympus SKIN SILIC 790 & 850 SW CLEAR
• Olympus 202027 2GB M Type Xd Card (Retail Package)
• Olympus LI-42B Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery