The World’s Toughest Point-And-Shoot Underwater Digital Camera

Olympus Stylus 1030 SW Review

The Olympus Stylus 1030 SW digital camera might be marketed to scuba divers, mountain climbers and adventurers worldwide, but I am here to say that moms around the world should embrace the new 10.1-megapixel Stylus 1030 SW, hailed as the toughest point-and-shoot camera in the world.

Along with adventurers, what mom doesn’t need a camera that is shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof, crushproof and dustproof while delivering amazing images from everyday adventures, including life with your kids.

It can withstand a 6.6 foot drop, has an amazing 3.6-inch wide-angle optical zoom, an awesome 2.7-inch LCD screen and features like Face Detection and Shadow Adjustment Technology to help you make the most of every shot.

I felt so comfortable knowing the camera is so tough that I had no reservations about letting my kids use it. They shot photos in the water and out and made some incredible pictures.

Tough Enough for Moms
Afraid your camera might get crushed in your purse, sat on in the back seat of your car, or dropped by you or the kids. Never fear — the Stylus 1030 SW can withstand a 6.6-foot drop, and has a crushproof body.

Go Ahead, Get It Wet
I held my breath the first time I put it under the water but who wouldn’t? It sort of goes against your instincts to dunk a sophisticated piece of electronic equipment in a swimming pool but with this camera you can just go with the flow. A few seconds after I dunked it, I not only exhaled in relief, I giggled with excitement. Even though I shot with an underwater camera last year, the thrill of capturing what most cannot is fabulous. And you should see the photos!

The Olympus Stylus 1030 SW has a beautiful, lightweight, stainless steel and aluminum body with special rubber gaskets and O-rings to keep the water out. It can go down to 33 feet underwater. If you are a scuba diver, another cool feature the camera has is a built-in manometer, making it ideal for more serious underwater adventurers who want to know the depth of where their images were taken. It’s also a fun feature for the kids to see how far down they were when they shot a photo in the deep end of the pool.

There are four preset underwater scene modes which make it easy to take great pictures while snorkeling, scuba diving, or swimming in the pool. There is even an underwater movie mode which was a lot of fun to use. I found that by turning on the fill-flash mode I got the sharpest underwater photos with the best skin tones.

I was equally impressed with the Stylus 1030 SW on land. I have taken it just about everywhere this summer and have made some great photos. I even used it for night shots and was really impressed with how the camera was able to capture a lot of detail in a very dark situation.

Freezeproof and Dustproof
Unlike other point-and-shoot cameras that might stop working when the weather drops below freezing, the Stylus 1030 SW will still work even when it gets down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. So the 1030 SW is ready to travel with you when you climb a mountain or hit the slopes on that family ski trip.

Dustproof takes on a new meaning when you can rinse off your camera when it gets dirty. Just run it under your kitchen sink or even use a bottle of water when you are out on the town.

Look Out Shadows
Here comes Shadow Adjustment Technology. We have all found ourselves in a situation when shooting outdoors in bright daylight with extreme contrast between dark shadowed areas and bright sunlit areas. What we see with our eye is not what we get with our cameras. The Stylus 1030 SW compensates for extreme contrast where the shadow areas are too dark and helps you get great photos even at high noon.

Keeping Faces in Focus
It happens to the best of us. We take a photo of our family in front of an awesome background and when we see the photo, the background is sharp and the people are out of focus. Face Detection tracks faces within the frame and automatically focuses and give you the best exposure for the people instead of the background.

I have really enjoyed this camera and the list of features goes on and on. The battery charges in just about two hours, there are in-camera editing features to get even more from your photos, and for about $350 you can own one. If you are a mom in need of a tough camera that will make you a photo hero in the family, take a look at the Olympus Stylus 1030 SW.