*waterproof
*shockproof (although not meant to thrown like a doll)
*digital stabilization good when on anti handshake
*solid built
*macro is ok
*light with macro feature - good for underwater shots
*good multi shot/sports mode

*heavy - will sink fast!!! must attach a float if you are boating. A friend learnt the hard way in a murky river while kayaking
*paint comes off! - just buy the chrome version to save the unpleasant truth
*image quality is absolutely terrible without anti-handshake. Its almost impossible to take a sharp picture on other modes without super steady hand under sunlight or tripod especially low light situations. If taking picture with naked hand, you will need to use the timer since the camera will shake when pressing the button.
*single timer mode - 2 choices would have been better
*when using anti handshake, you cannot set ISO. The auto ISO gives terrible noise for night shots. Indoor shots isn't great either. If using not using anti handshake, expect blur images.
*battery life isnt great - buy extra battery
*should be careful of sand on camera lens. When you close lens cover (when switching off), you may end up scratching the outer lens.
*reduction in resolution when selecting different features in the camera. 10.1 doesnt mean all images or video's can be shot in that high resolution

I've had this camera for over 6months now and have been rather disappointed with my purchase and the quality offered by Olympus. I run a web based adventure advisory. The job takes me outdoors to mild cold areas and the hot tropics, hence, the reason to have a point & shoot camera that can take some beating and wet conditions. There aren't many choices out there (short of using some sort of casing) so i settled on 1030sw after researching reviews here and other web locations. As soon as i brought it home, i realised the true quality and have continued to be disappointed with it until now. I do take care of all my equipment and no less for this camera. What prompted me to write this review was the recent event (last week) where the paint came off the the front face!
I do not have super high expectations for point and shoots but this camera is sub par and isnt worth the money paid for brand new unit. The number of wasted images i have with this camera is surprising! I have used sony, canon and panasonic cameras, and i am confident to mention the better image quality comes from this 3 manufacturers in the point-shoot category. Panasonic has now a rugged camera co-built with olympus - i hope the quality is better than this.
No reviews out there will mention what i have to say about the following. Buyer beware.

Excellent photos, compact

not waterproof, or at least has some flaws in the system.

No view finder

difficult to take macro shots

Pretty upset that this thing is not waterproof. Takes fantastic pictures, and does work underwater a little, have some great action shots of friends surfing, but this is the third olympus camera that has broken on me underwater and am getting tired and fed up....

Customer Service

was pretty good, got the 850 sw fixed twice almost immediately by olympus, had to pay the outgoing post both times... but they then sent me the 1030 sw to africa for free so was stoked... unfortunately though, it has broken now!

Similar Products Used:

the earlier waterproof version 850 sw

I thought it was strong

Isnt actually water proof

I bought SW1030 for outdoor adventrue shots where i didnt have to worry about water damage.. i finally gota chance to use it in water... in less than a 50cm of water the camera got water in it and I've lost a week of photo's.. the battery cover didnt open in the water and there didnt appear to be anthing around the rubber seal..

Compact.
Shockproof (I dropped it once, it seemed to be OK after).

Poor image quality.
NOT Waterproof.
Poor focus.
Short battery life.
LCD very hard to see outdoors and thus take pictures.
Zoom is poor.

I purchased the Olympus Stylus 1030 SW last spring hoping to find the perfect camera for using during outdoor activities that would stand up to that use and still take quality images. The info on it sounded impressive. Having used Canon SLR's for years (and just getting into digital in the last couple of years) I had to learn how to use a camera that had less creative control and one without a viewfinder (I still like a viewfinder better). I thought it would be awesome to use on the once in a lifetime hike I did over the Chilkoot Trail from Alaska to the Yukon last summer. The area is rugged and wet and the scenery spectacular and wild. I was so disappointed in the quality of my images and how soft they were compared to what I had seen with my own eyes. Focus seemed to be hit and miss as well. Upping the ISO in low light conditions produced terrible noise. The other people with me all got better pictures on their cameras. Then the final straw came when I took the camera with me on a holiday to Ixtapa, Mex. last week. While snorkelling, within the first 5 min. and less than 60 cm. of water, the battery/card cover came open. Luckily the memory card wasn't damaged and I did manage to get the pictures I had taken before from it. I had done everything as directed, cleaned it, made sure there was nothing in the battery compartment. Now the camera won't work and I think 2 batteries are ruined. I will be getting my pictures of the snorkelling (and the little stingray) from my friend who had purchased a disposable waterproof film camera to use; the same type we had both used last year that had produced reasonably good pictures.
After looking at reviews of this camera, I see that the problems I've had are a common thread. I wish there would have been reviews out there last year when I was researching my purchase, but it was just released on the market. ( I will never again purchase anything newly released.) I have contacted Vistek who advised me to contact Olympus directly. Judging from what I have read in the reviews I may not be getting any satisfaction from that. What I do know is that I would NOT RECOMMEND this camera to anyone and will be looking to purchase a high end Canon digicam that I feel I could use outdoors and be happy with the image quality.

Similar Products Used:

Purchased the expensive floating strap.

Compact size, Ruggedness, Panarama is my favorite feature.

Digital Zoom produces the worst picture quality of any P&S camera I have ever owned.

I purchased this camera to take Mtn Biking. I find it easy to use and carry.

Customer Service

Never needed them

Similar Products Used:

Sony 2MP and 6MP

good photos for eight days

it leaked

used this camera for 8 days in maldives then said card door open stopped working
sent it back when returned home to simply electronics who in turn sent back to
manufacturer they sent back to us saying we had misused/neglected camera
and would not give refund i have now had it independently inspected and am
in the process of going back down the same route safe in the knowledge that others have had similar problems the camera is rotten inside due to massive water damage

Customer Service

disgraceful

Similar Products Used:

none

Only average picture quality. The dials are fiddly to use in outdoor situations wearing gloves and it also rotates when being placed back in its bag or a pocket.

It leaks, and this will not be covered by the warranty. Be prepared to lose a memory card and battery in the process

I too was attracted to purchase the Olympus stylus 1030 from the description of its toughness in outdoor situations. After four months of use and immersion in water on only three or four occasions my camera flooded destroying a battery and memory card in the process. It appears that this is an all too common problem with this camera. I have now read of many users experiencing the same problem. My camera failed whilst snorkling in less than 1m of water.

Customer Service

SimplyElectronics and Olympus have provided poor service and refused to honour the warranty. SimplyElectronics kept my camera for over a month before claiming that the camera had been misused (which it had not). They then invited me to pay £165 for a repair which should be covered by the warranty.

Needless to say I cannot recommend this camera as Olympus do not warranty their waterproof cameras when they leak. Stay well away from Simply Electronics. They may appear cheap but when things go wrong they do not offer good service at all.

Easy to use, took great photos. underwater was lots of fun in Hawaii. Service was good when the seal leaked. i expect some seal failur ein a camera like this we just hope it happens to someone else. My seal failed while swimming in hawaii. No poictures were lost on the sd card and Olympus warranties and sent me a brand new camera. Go Olympus, they did the right thing with no hassle at all.

No viewfinder. Seals leaked, but see above.

Bought thi camera to replace camera with broken lcd. For use mainly outdoors and wehn travelling.

Customer Service

excellent.

Very easy to use. The huge display at the back gives ample space for the on-screen instructions when changing mode. I'd highly recommend spending time with this as there are myriad options for types of shot, and surprisingly well laid out.

For the underwater shots we mainly went with two of the three standard underwater settings, which we also used when playing as a family in the swimming pool - getting those great half-in, half-out of the water shots with superb colour clarity and depth of field.

Love that the lens is covered when not in use. So many cameras overlook this essential, as every shot you take is wholly dependant on the quality of the lens. You may well have 12MB+ out there, but if the lens has picked up dust and debris, your shots will suffer.

Excellent wide angle. A must for underwater especially, but then I have always preferred a good quality wide angle over zoom. Zoom to small? Just move closer.

You'll feel justifiably great showing it off to your mates!

Since the whole point of digital is that you can take umpteen shots, then weed out the best ones, you do notice the delay between taking shots. There's a good possibility here that I've not chosen a specific setting that reduces this, but as most will use this roughly as point and shoot, it's worth noting. Would I have bought something else knowing this? No. The wealth of features far outstrip this one element.

The wrist-strap that comes with this is not the sort that can be adjusted, so when you jump into the water, you have to pay very careful attention to it at all times, less it slips off and sinks like a stone.

Some say it's a little heavy. Yes, that's true, but it's built to take a pounding, so you don't really need a case.

Four out of Five maybe a little harsh for this piece of kit, but the delay between shots is my main gripe with an otherwise unparalleled camera.

Buying anything in Australia is always more expensive, but I had tried the camera in a shop and was so smitten I didn't have time to buy it online. So even at 25% more than you can buy it in the US or online, I am still delighted with it for the price.

Went on a trip along Western Australia's Coral Coast, to feed wild dolphins at Monkey Mia and swim with whalesharks at Exmouth. Later this year we'll head out for our first ski trip. And the 1050SW is really the only companion you could wish for on such trips. Charged each morning, it comfortably lasted all day without konking out of battery life, so even though my second battery has yet to turn up, we've not needed it.

Shooting underwater was very easy, with default settings for the expected depths you'll be at. A real blessing not to be festooned with expensive housings, extra strobes, etc. Okay, maybe the standard set up for underwater won't get you on the front of National Geographic, but if your other options are disposable 24-picture happy snappers, or spending the cost of this camera on a housing for your existing camera, it's a bit of a no-brainer.

Who should consider this camera?
There are, in my mind, two distinct groups who would love this camera.

The first is anyone who lives an outdoor lifestyle and wishes to capture elements of their adventures. Kayaking along the Delaware? Climbing in Yosemite? Skiing in Aspen? Diving in Monterey Bay? Surfing off California? This is the camera you need.

The second set it those of us who do a little of the above (and would love to do more), are not exactly expert at all those settings (but are okay if they are clear), but just want to have more options. Give it to the kids to take shots - it's fine if they drop it! And while it's great in extreme weather situations, what about those numerous rainy days? No need to shelter it while taking shots.

Who should't buy it?
The most technically-gifted of you out there who indulge in high levels of manual control, or if you need a longer zoom.


This camera is mostly kept in my wife's handbag, as I use a Fujifilm F50 for day-to-day shots, so the shock-proofing, 100kilo tolerance and extremes the 1050SW can undertake are tested to the full on a daily basis!