Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(98)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(14)
2 star:		(15)
1 star:		(18)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.