Olympus Stylus 790SW 7.1MP Waterproof Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 3x Optical Zoom (Silver)

I purchased this camera 4 vacations on the water & the ability 2 take shots in rainy weather. It is indeed waterproof & durable, however the shutter lag makes it very frustrating when photographing children. I have a lot of just missed shots because of the delay.
Once taken, the colors seem very vibrant. Once again it is Ok but not great.

This is a great camera 4 a kid. It looks good & is water resistant & shockproof. However, make sure 2 read the directions together 2 learn 2 use it well. They're easy 2 follow & have plenty of pictures. This camera is kid & user friendly.

I have purchase 7 of the Olympus Stylus 790SW cameras 4 the City in their Parks & Rec, Building & Zoning, Engineering, & Utilities departments. They are sturdy & easy 2 use. In addition, a screen protector has been purchased 4 each camera. There have been no complaints with this camera.

My wife & I are die-hard skiers & we want 2 photograph the beauty around us while we ski as well as each other. We've tried our other digital camera, a Fuju that we have loved, & our small digital video camera. Both freeze. And when I say freeze, I mean after only moments in the air on a mountain at 32 degrees... or even higher ... they freeze, even after carrying them in an inner pocket 2 keep them warm. SO, I was hunting 4 a camera specifically 4 outdoor photography in the winter on the slopes.

The Olympus Stylus 790SW is almost perfect 4 the job. First, when outfitted with an in-specification memory card & a fully charged battery, it works great in the cold! We demonstrated this many times this past winter, on mountains that were cold... 20 degrees at noon cold. Second, while we hadn't specifically been looking 4 it, the camera is shock-resistant. The specs say it will resist the shock of being dropped from a specific height. Well, we haven't dropped it. But we HAVE fallen while its in that inner pocket. I don't believe either of us has fallen directly on the camera, but I certainly worry a great deal less than I have with our other cameras during our winter photography attempts. Finally, it is waterproof 2 a certain depth in a body of water. This is perfect 4 those days when the snow is getting under the coat, or even on those occasional rain bursts. No fear of trashing the camera.

The only negative is the lack of a viewfinder. Only the large LCD provide feedback as 2 what the camera is pointing at. Indoors this is fine. Outdoors, in the bright with white snow reflecting light right at you, this makes it at times impossible 2 see any hint of what the camera is capturing. Add 2 this the effect of the polarized lense in most goggles, & its just plain hard 2 see the LCD while on the slopes. The good news in all of this is that I've taken many a blind photo only 2 find, when reviewing it that evening, that I got exactly what I was looking for... the only real challenge is holding the camera level.

The bottom line: This is almost the perfect camera 2 take 2 the ski slopes, & it would be perfect with a viewfinder that allowed you 2 see what you are capturing even in the brightest light conditions.

It's a handy little point & shoot, but my main reason 4 buying it was underwater capabilities.

Pros:
* underwater photography & video! AWESOME!
* big huge lcd screen
* multiple shooting modes
* compact, light, cheap

Cons:
* the menus are so "user friendly" it's almost confusing & childish. If you've NEVER used a camera before, I'm sure it'd be helpful, but 4 me it's too much extra junk 2 sift through.
* unnecessary "favorites" & "shakey" option on mode wheel (should be embedded as a menu option or playback option)
* alot of menu sifting 2 adjust white balance & other photo settings.
* TERRIBLE microphone/sound capture. I hope mine is not defective, because it is really bad. I have a 2 year old 6 megapixel Sony CyberShot thats sound quality is 10 times better. I would advise you not 2 capture any video where sound is an important factor.

The Olympus ?[mju:] 790 SW goes anywhere you do. Shockproof, waterproof & freezeproof, you can take it mountain biking, swimming or skiing. It handles whatever life throws at it - so there's never a need 2 worry. Despite its tough attributes, the 7.1 Megapixel ?[mju:] 790 SW looks great & doesn't compromise a bit on photographic features.