Olympus Stylus 1030 SW Underwater Preview

[Photo-John]

I had a chance to take a look at the newest Olympus Stylus SW cameras at PMA and posted a short preview article about the 1030 SW. I will be getting one for review as soon as possible. In the meantime, for those who are interested, you can read my preview in our PMA coverage.

Olympus Stylus 1030 SW Preview >>
2008 PMA Tradeshow Coverage >>

[barb_48]

Hi John, Hope to get your review before I leave for vacation in May. I am seriously looking to purchase the camera for my son, but $399 seems like alot of money.
Thanks

[Photo-John]

Hi John, Hope to get your review before I leave for vacation in May. I am seriously looking to purchase the camera for my son, but $399 seems like alot of money.

I actually just started testing the new Olympus Stylus 1030 SW. I've done one day of shooting with it so far. Below are a few photos I've taken with it so far. I understand that $399 seems like a lot of money for a point-and-shoot camera. But the Olympus Stylus 1030 SW is no ordinary point-and-shoot digital camera. They're nearly indestructable. I have seen them dropped and dunked and I've even dropped one on the pavement myself. The Olympus Stylus SW cameras truly have no competition. There's nothing else available that's anything like them.

While you're waiting for me to test the camera and write my review, take a look at my review from a couple of years ago for the original Stylus SW camera:

Olympus Stylus 720 SW Review >>

And here's a link to a video we made of one of the Stylus SW cameras being abused at the PMA tradeshow, a couple of months ago:

Olympus Pachinko Machine Video >>

Click any of the images below to see a larger version in the gallery. (Warning: the last image is the original resolution - HUGE!)

[ms_pammy]

Hello,

Im very interested in getting either this or the 820 one, however I read that you can only get 10 sec of video even with a memory card....do you know if this is true. My current camera you can take video as long as you like as long as you have room on your memory card.

Thanks
Pam

[another view]

I have a 720SW that I bought when it first came out, so I got it for $399 as well... The 1030SW is the upgrade I've been waiting for but I think I'll give it some time to come down in price seeing as I don't really need it but we'll see... I use it for sea kayaking which has been a pretty good test of durability - and it's still going strong.

Never tried the video with it, sorry can't help on that one.

[Photo-John]

Im very interested in getting either this or the 820 one, however I read that you can only get 10 sec of video even with a memory card....do you know if this is true. My current camera you can take video as long as you like as long as you have room on your memory card.

You can only get 10 seconds of video at 30 FPS and VGA quality (640x480). With a large enough memory card you can get up to half an hour of continuous video at 15 FPS and VGA - or - 30 FPS and 320x240 resolution. But at maximum quality there is a 10-second limit. I just tested the camera to make sure.

[ms_pammy]

You can only get 10 seconds of video at 30 FPS and VGA quality (640x480). With a large enough memory card you can get up to half an hour of continuous video at 15 FPS and VGA - or - 30 FPS and 320x240 resolution. But at maximum quality there is a 10-second limit. I just tested the camera to make sure.

would that 1/2 hour been good enough quality for snorkeling?

Thanks
Pam

[Photo-John]

would that 1/2 hour been good enough quality for snorkeling?

I don't do any video. Plus it would depend a lot on your expectations. It might be a good idea to post another question on our video forum. The guys there can tell you a lot more about video quality.

[Justintoxicated]

Anymore on this camera? I'm thinking about picking it up as a pocketable camera for Desert/Dune Trips I read the new firmware allows it to record streaming video 640x480 until the XD card is full (but you have to have a certain speed XD card).

That would probably be my main use of this camera, so I can stop woring about my old S410 it gets dust under the lense...Which it does very easy, although its ebay value is now only $60, maybe its time to break it and take it back to bestbuy under warranty lol...I'm also digging the large LCD for showing other photos?.

I'll be getting an SLR for my quality shots, but a new cam for when I go riding would be nice. The only downside is I guess I have to buy a special XD card reader or plug the camera...Or maybe i can use my SLR in the future to transfer pics to CF card then use CF card reader...not very practical though.

Is the image quality at least on par with my 4 year old Can S410? Does the zoom work well? And is there anything to cover the lense?

[I_Dralion]

I've just gotten the SW1030 and feel I absolutely made the right decision in buying it. I wanted a camera I could take Salmon and Steelhead fishing and would not have to worry so much about it. Right out of the box you can feel this camera is different. It has a stoutness to it that says abuse me. First chance I had I took it out and put it to the test and took it for a swim in the Eel River. For a beginner I thought it took pretty nice pictures and was able to hang with hiking and abuse. The polished stainless steel did get a little marked up, so I suggest buying the silicone clear sleeve. The sleeve looks like it's a snug fit and will provide that extra bit of cosmetic protection. All and all I'm very happy!!!

[Greg McCary]

I've just gotten the SW1030 and feel I absolutely made the right decision in buying it. I wanted a camera I could take Salmon and Steelhead fishing and would not have to worry so much about it. Right out of the box you can feel this camera is different. It has a stoutness to it that says abuse me. First chance I had I took it out and put it to the test and took it for a swim in the Eel River. For a beginner I thought it took pretty nice pictures and was able to hang with hiking and abuse. The polished stainless steel did get a little marked up, so I suggest buying the silicone clear sleeve. The sleeve looks like it's a snug fit and will provide that extra bit of cosmetic protection. All and all I'm very happy!!!

Thanks for all of the info. I am glad you are happy. Be sure and write a review here at PR. That's what we are all about, sharing info for all.

[dumpy]

That video was great!! I like to see companies (especially in the consumer electronics market) building stuff that is meant to last. I'd much rather pay more for something up front that I will have for a longer period of time. Plus it keeps waste out of landfills.

[Photo-John]

I've just gotten the SW1030 and feel I absolutely made the right decision in buying it. I wanted a camera I could take Salmon and Steelhead fishing and would not have to worry so much about it. Right out of the box you can feel this camera is different. It has a stoutness to it that says abuse me. First chance I had I took it out and put it to the test and took it for a swim in the Eel River. For a beginner I thought it took pretty nice pictures and was able to hang with hiking and abuse. The polished stainless steel did get a little marked up, so I suggest buying the silicone clear sleeve. The sleeve looks like it's a snug fit and will provide that extra bit of cosmetic protection. All and all I'm very happy!!!

Thanks for posting about your new camera, Matt! You can post a review for it in our user reviews, here:

Read and write Olympus Stylus 1030 SW user reviews >>

You should post some photos, too. I'd love to see some pictures you've taken with your new camera. I haven't actually been able to use the test camera underwater because I haven't had the opportunity to anything more than stuck it in a hot tub.

[I_Dralion]

Once I get familiar with the camera and can actually give input on what I think "works" and "doesn't work" I'll be sure to post something. Being new to digital cameras it'll take me a moment to translate the included manual into terms I'll be able to understand:mad2: . A little technologically challenged I am. Oh, Photo-John, underwater hot tub pictures might be pretty inspiring, depending on the circumstances .

[Rampage]

I am looking for a camera that can work underwater for snorkling. I was looking to get the 1030sw but my G/F just wants to get some disposable waterproof cameras. So I guess I am trying to get peoples opinions on witch would be better? Is it worth spending the xtra money for the 1030. Will the pictures be better? I can buy a whole lot of disposable cameras for the price of the 1030 but will I be happy with the results?

thanks for your time

[urubullino]

Hi
I´m from brazil and I need to know if my 1030 sw is broken...
The pictures shot in high speed drive mode are very different than shot in normal mode.
The pictures seem like cellphone pictures.
Is it normal or is my camera broken?
PIC 1 - NORMAL
PIC 2 - HIGH SPEED DRIVE

[Airamei]

I am looking for a camera that can work underwater for snorkling. I was looking to get the 1030sw but my G/F just wants to get some disposable waterproof cameras. So I guess I am trying to get peoples opinions on witch would be better? Is it worth spending the xtra money for the 1030. Will the pictures be better? I can buy a whole lot of disposable cameras for the price of the 1030 but will I be happy with the results?

thanks for your time

I just bought the 1030 and completely love it. I have used it at the pool in Vegas and snorkeling here in California. The picture quality is good with the Underwater settings (much better than the disposable). I'm not the type to mess with the settings manually, but I'm sure the picture quality can improve even more for those who are tech savy. I have used the disposable waterproof cameras before and they also get the job done. So if you just need it for that one time, then I would stick with that. But if you are shopping for a camera, then I would definitely spend the extra money for this camera. Whenever I take it into the water, people are always watching with amazment and fear because they think I'm about to ruin my camera. Once I show them its waterproof, they immediately say they want one. I would say the major plus is the video you can record. I love all my underwater video much more than my pictures. The only downside is this knocking noise my camera makes when recording. I'm not sure if it is a defect or if it is from the water.

One last thing, I would highly recommend some sort of floating device (Olympus makes one for this camera). I had to wrap this sucker around my wrist real good. This camera is pretty heavy, so try out the device beforehand and with plenty of time to return and buy one that will work!

[bitflogger]

Hi,

Has anybody had use of this camera and the Pentax W60 that came out since?

Thank you.