Olympus Stylus 850 SW: Review

Posted to Digital Cameras 2009-05-14

Olympus Stylus 850 SW Review:

If you're looking for a durable, compact point and shoot camera, take a look at the new Olympus Stylus 850 SW. It's drop-proof (to 5 ft.), waterproof (to 10ft.), and freezeproof (down to 14°F/-10°C). And it comes packed with a host of useful features, including face detection autofocus, digital image stabilization, and an excellent macro mode. The camera uses the outdated xD-Picture card for image storage, but comes with an adapter allowing you to use microSD cards with it.

The camera's waterproof construction also makes the camera dustproof, so it can be used in just about any picture-taking situation. This is one of the few point and shoot cameras that's actually at home on the beach or high in the mountains. The Stylus 850 SW features 8MP resolution and a 3X optical zoom designed so that the lens does not protrude from the camera. It also features a 2.5" Hypercrystal LCD with 230,000-dot resolution and five brightness levels.

Rating:

4.6 out of 5

Quality

You have to give a camera that's drop-proof, waterproof, weatherproof and dustproof 5 stars for quality. It's built like a tank, and at a very reasonable street price. The camera does indeed survive a 5 ft. drop without damage, and time in the freezer and in the pool prove that it is indeed freezeproof and waterproof. The Olympus Stylus series has built a reputation for durability, and the 850 SW lives up to it.

Value

When you consider the price, features and construction of this camera, it's an excellent value for the money. While there are a few point and shoots in the same price range with more features and a larger display, they don't provide the durability of the Stylus 850 SW. About the only thing to complain about with this camera is that the image quality is not quite on par with point and shoot offerings from Canon and Nikon, but the fact that it can take pictures in situations where other cameras might not be able to at all is a big plus.

Summary

If you lead an active lifestyle, and need a camera that goes along with it, then give the Olympus 850 SW a good, hard look. You won't find a better constructed camera for the money, and it has enough features to make it a very usable camera. It's got an excellent menu system that doesn't' get in the way of using the camera, and the image quality in good lighting, while not quite on par with Canon and Nikon, is still quite good.

Pros

Drop-proof to 5ft.
Waterproof to 10ft
Freezeproof to 14°F
8.0 megapixel resolution
2.5" 230,000 dot display

Cons

There are no cons for this product