Need A Rugged Camera? Check Out Olympus Stylus 1050 SW
If you are someone who enjoys the outdoors with gusto, or you are athletically inclined, chances are you need gear that will take punishment quite well. That holds true for digital cameras. At some point you’re going to need a reliable, durable camera to take shots with no matter the environmental condition or setting.
Olympus had you in mind when the company designed the Stylus 1050 SW, which is one of a few waterproof digital cameras on the market. This slim digital point and shoot camera is waterproof up to 10 feet below the surface and is also shock proof, meaning you can drop it at an elevated distance of up to five feet and not worry about it breaking. Nevertheless, you’re not going to play catch with it when you’re bored. It’s certainly rugged, but not destruction proof. I almost forgot to mention that it is “freezeproof to -10 degrees C” or 14 degrees F, according to the manufacturer, in case you happen to be in northern Canada on the lookout for Polar bears.
Anyway, the Stylus 1050 SW looks unappealing to me–basically it’s a flat square. There’s no sexy curves or styling to it whatsoever. It’s meant to be a tough little camera, but it doesn’t have to look pretty, and that certainly is the case. The fact that it comes in a variety of colors such as black, blue, gray or pink doesn’t matter very much. But it’s well made, with a metal frame and a body blending aluminum protective sides with a hard plastic case. The camera is fairly thin at 22 mm or 0.9″, so it’s extremely portable. Images are stored on a microSD or xD-Picture card.
And it gets the job done. It has a 10.7 megapixel sensor that is capable of taking photos in six different resolutions. It has a 3x zoom lens that can take shots very well up close. There are well over 20 scene moods to choose from, and you can set the ISO sensitivity if you don’t want it to be done automatically. You can also take movies with 640 x 480 resolution at 30 fps, but you’re limited to a fixed focal length while shooting.
One cool feature that the Olympus Stylus 1050 SW sports is something called Shadow Adjustment Technology. If the subject is partially cast in a shadow, the camera automatically compensates and brings out the detail in the dark. This option seems to work quite well. But remember that this camera is best used in daytime condition outdoors, since it is after all camera meant to be used in varying weather conditions. You may not get good results inside with the shadow adjustment.
In terms of authentic Olympus accessories for the Stylus 1050 SW, you’re going to need a carrying case for protection. Go with the soft and snug neoprene case (item #202066) that is especially suited for the Stylus 1050 SW. For reliable storage you can count on the Olympus 2GB Type M+ xD-Picture Card, which saves images quickly so that you can take the next shot as soon as possible. And if you do plan on using this camera in the water, you might as well bring along a floating strap that Olympus offers (item #202204) which helps prevent the thing from sinking in case you let go of it accidentally.
So if you need a tough little camera that is not afraid of getting wet, the Olympus Stylus 1050 SW should be exactly what you’re looking for.
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