Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

I got this sturdy camera for the action photos in my life. Trips to the waterpark, outdoor sports with the kid and just to have handy for every day moments. This is not a primary camera, but it takes beautiful pictures for the everyday activities without the worry of weather and regular bumps damaging it.
Pros: Small and compact so you can take it anywhere, fits in a pants pocket. Quick start up for taking spontaneous picture. Durable and safe for all users. Waterproof and shock proof give confidence to take camera most wouldn't take electronics. Clear action shots with many options for settings. Great resolution on pictures. Video feature delivers sharp clear results even in low light situations.
Cons: Limited zoom for distance pictures. Slow recovery after use of flash. Short battery life, normal vacation use will last a day or several weeks if used infrequently for spur of the moment shots. No travel charger or charging station as option, must remove battery to charge on home charger. Memory card requires adapter to be ready by most computers.

Bought this camera as a replacement for a Stylus 710 that broke (zoom lense). Have had it for 1 day and really like it. Photo quality is very good and I like that there is no external zoom lense to break! Was impressed with the speed it responds to the button being pushed.

I've had this camera for three years and never had a problem, I have recorded videos and taken underwater snapshots, then washed it carefully and put it back into my backpack without a problem. The only problem after all these years is the fact that some settings create white pixels on the pictures, but not even noticeable when printing or when plugged in for slideshows! The battery charger is not a hassle to carry around as some might say and the adapter that came with it made easy expand the storage capacity. I would not tell anyone to buy it because there are better options available, but for what it was designed, it does an excellent job! WARNING: Not following instructions might lead to drowned cameras!

I have had this camera for years and never had a problem with it. I used it underwater for three summers. Then my daughter borrowed it and said she dropped it from her lap and the screen on the inside is all cracked and black around the edges even though the outside seems fine and it still works. Now I am trying to replace it because I dont think it will work under water anymore. I just dont know what to go with since this model is no longer made and every other review says the underwater feature doesn't last.

I had this camera for 6 months and was in love with it. Until... I swam with it. The seals were still new and in great shape but for some reason 15 minutes in 4 foot of water was too much for this.

Olympus wouldn't honor the warranty because I did not keep my original box?

I was hoping for a nice little camera to snorkle with and use for any other picture taking. What I got was a 10 month time bomb.The camera worked great for the first 10 months, then drowned while snorkeling.Repairs just made it under the warranty, great I thought. Fast forward 10 more months.One more snorkel trip, one more drowned camera. Best Buy recomended a newer model, I don't think so. I'm hoping for better luck with another brand.

Please be aware, that this camera worked wonderfully for a year in all conditions. Apparently, the waterproof seals/gaskets don't hold up because we found out the hard way that it's no longer waterproof. The camera took on just enough water to completely fry everything. Just out of warrantly and nothing they will do at this point! $279 down the drain!

Great little camera to take with you when you don't want to take a larger camera. Performs well and takes better close ups than my Sony f828, especially when doing close-ups. I don't dunk it in the water so I don't know how it would hold up there. I do carry it to the lake for video on my Ski. Almost two years with no issues. If something happens after two more years I would be okay with it still.

The ONLY negative I have is that the battery has to be removed to charge it.

My camera died after about one year. We were rough on it, but that did not seem to be a problem. Then last week it stopped working. It simply will not turn on. Nothing happened to it. Very frustrating and very disappointing.