Olympus SW 790: Is this the best version of the Olympus SW series......?
323607
It is the newest, least expensive and I think the most attractive of the rugged series (720, 770 and 790). I think the 720 screen could be viewed better in direct sunlight, the 770 you can have in deeper water (waterproof 33 ft vs. 790's 10 feet). But of the three, the 790 is the one I'm buying- it looks the best and fulfills my need of being a camera I can take to the pool and on vacation and can even drop (having previously broken a Kodak and a Canon camera due to my clumsy nature) without ruining.
2100459
This camera has a mere 1/2.3" sensor. Image Quality is adequate with these sensors, but nobody has ever called a 1/2.3 sensor's quality "excellent" without "for what it is" in the same sentence. For the same price as this camera, you could buy the Canon S120 with it's great 1" sensor, over five times the surface area, much higher quality there! ... but without the waterproofing. Or you could buy the Nikon 1 AW1, waterproof AND with a 1" sensor ... but you'd be paying $750 and it won't fit in a pocket. For an intersection of waterproof and price and portability .. the Olympus TG-3 has great image quality ... for what it is. This camera has a mere 1/2.3" sensor. Image Quality is adequate with these sensors, but nobody has ever called a 1/2.3 sensor's quality "excellent" without "for what it is" in the same sentence. For the same price as this camera, you could buy the Canon S120 with it's great 1" sensor, over five times the surface area, much higher quality there! ... but without the waterproofing. Or you could buy the Nikon 1 AW1, waterproof AND with a 1" sensor ... but you'd be paying $750 and it won't fit in a pocket. For an intersection of waterproof and price and... » Read More This camera has a mere 1/2.3" sensor. Image Quality is adequate with these sensors, but nobody has ever called a 1/2.3 sensor's quality "excellent" without "for what it is" in the same sentence. For the same price as this camera, you could buy the Canon S120 with it's great 1" sensor, over five times the surface area, much higher quality there! ... but without the waterproofing. Or you could buy the Nikon 1 AW1, waterproof AND with a 1" sensor ... but you'd be paying $750 and it won't fit in a pocket. For an intersection of waterproof and price and portability .. the Olympus TG-3 has great image quality ... for what it is. « Show Less
2284472
I'm running the same research and here's the comparison, WX1: in addition to the HD video, its 24mm wide angle is precious in daily shootings (indoors, group pics, ...). It also has 5x zoom. And the CMOS sensor is supposed to be a notch better than CCD. The build quality is good and it's smaller than S90 except the thickness. It's also $100+ cheaper than S90. Battery life is rated at 350 shots v. S90's 220. S90: Manual everything; RAW; F2@28mm; SDHC card; external flash. The DSLR advantages have been the interchangeability for lens and flash. S90 takes another bite on those claims while providing the convenience and accessibility. If you're going up from Point&Shoot, WX1 is the winner; If you're going down from DSLR after the form factor, you'll miss less features with S90. Either is a great camera that will take wonderful pictures in the right hands.
1842080
I agree with your assessment. The image quality of the SP800UZ is only mediocre compared to previous Olympus SP series models. Specifically the focus is soft and the colors unsaturated so every photo taken with the SP800UZ needs to be edited in a photo program to make it look fairly good.
132645
I have the sony and love it. I particularly like the fantastic panoramic feature - I dont see a reference to that on the panasonic description here. I have had the Olympus variants of the waterproof cameras in the past and they were quite good. Have not taken the sony into the water yet - I assume it will be trouble free (as the olympus cameras have been in the past). The picture quality on the sony is a step up from my past cameras. Having not tried the Panasonic yet, I recommend the sony.
1163844
I was looking at the Panasonic, and a couple others, as well. For what I was going to use it for, the Olympus won out. I've not been disappointed. This camera takes wonderful pictures, on land and underwater, and it's 'bulletproof'.
1893354
Hello Amy. I see that you've not gotten a reply yet for a few days. I own the Canon SX130is camera that is nearly identical to that of the next version, the SX150is. I even owned the previous model of mine now, SX120is. THe only reason for the upgrade was to get HD video and stereo sound. Other than that, I loved that camera too. I've not studied the others you are deciding on but just looked them over. THere's not a "night & day" major difference between them. Differences of 2x zoom power is not major IMHO. Frames per second in burst mode shooting is. Size may be a factor too. But I can tell you why I like my camera. A manual flip up flash allows unmistakeable control over the flash and keeps the camera from waisting power charging for a flash that you didn't need for that shot. The option of complete manual settings is a must. And the advantage of using AA batteries gives you limitless flexibility of power. Don't let the negative reviews tell you that you cannot take lots of photos with this camera. If you get some high capacity rechargable batteries and enough for an extra set, you'll be good. Several here have recommended Sanyo Eneloop brand cells. That they come precharged and hold that charge for extended periods of storage time. A friend of mine used them and swears by them. I use Ansmann 2850 mAh batteries (which are higher capacity) and they give me nearly 200 more shots in my Canon SX20is than what is rated in the camera manual.
733382
I have a SB 800 and a friend let use his SB 900 for a portrait shoot when mine was in the shop. The flash rocked, if you going to be serious go ahead and pick one up. No sense in buying up incrementally if you know this is where your going to be anyway.
500335
Samuel - that was a good reply, thank you! However, did you mean to say the 1200 is your better bet for well-lighted quick succession photos? Also, you might have let your wife have the black one and settle for silver! I'm curious... what is CR rating at #1 and #2? Teresa, did they also tell you that the 780 is being phased out in favor of the SD1400IS? I've seen Amazon drop the price twice in the last month or so on the 780... those are the two models I've been trying to decide between, although Samuel makes some good points in favor of the 1200...
2100461
This camera has a mere 1/2.3" sensor. Image Quality is adequate with these sensors, but nobody has ever called a 1/2.3 sensor's quality "excellent" without "for what it is" in the same sentence. For the same price as this camera, you could buy the Canon S120 with it's great 1" sensor, over five times the surface area, much higher quality there! ... but without the waterproofing. Or you could buy the Nikon 1 AW1, waterproof AND with a 1" sensor ... but you'd be paying $750 and it won't fit in a pocket. For an intersection of waterproof and price and portability .. the Olympus TG-3 has great image quality ... for what it is.
349600
This is my second Olympus and it is use friendly as well able to be creative. The picture quality is crisp, colors bright and clear. I have seen pictures posted on Facebook with this camera and they look great. I love my Olympus, more than my Nikon D70, with inter changable lenses. Good luck
940338
I have upgraded my S90 to the new S120. I have used my S90 extensively as a second camera for traveling and decided to upgrade to the S120. I like the new camera size being smaller and the touch screen. Overall the S120 has a lot of new features which I haven't particularly used. The only gripe that I have is the image quality of the S120 is not as good as the S90. I taken alot of pictures with both and the S90"s pictures are sharper. It might not mean much to most people but I like my pictures razor sharp. My S90 is sharper than my 2 DSLR. Just my opinion.
989750
The Olympus E-510 was rated "the best entry level DSLR" on the Christmas 2007 issue of "What Digital Camera".I had this camera for a couple of weeks and the picture quality is amazing. (make sure to lower the intensity of the noise filter as recommended by most reviewers)
1163843
Also not familiar with the FT5. I did a lot of research before I bought the Olympus. I have been very happy with this camera. We have taken it to the Caribbean twice and used it extensively in fresh and salt water without any leakage of water. The pictures are great, and the modes available for underwater and beach scenes are amazing and far better than other more expensive cameras that I have. I have also used the camera in extreme cold while skiing and have had great success with no problems with either video or still pictures. One of the best purchases I have ever made. Sorry I can't help with the direct comparison to the Panasonic. Also not familiar with the FT5. I did a lot of research before I bought the Olympus. I have been very happy with this camera. We have taken it to the Caribbean twice and used it extensively in fresh and salt water without any leakage of water. The pictures are great, and the modes available for underwater and beach scenes are amazing and far better than other more expensive cameras that I have. I have also used the camera in extreme cold while skiing and have had great success with no problems with either video or still pictures. One of the best purchases I have ever made. Sorry I can't... » Read More Also not familiar with the FT5. I did a lot of research before I bought the Olympus. I have been very happy with this camera. We have taken it to the Caribbean twice and used it extensively in fresh and salt water without any leakage of water. The pictures are great, and the modes available for underwater and beach scenes are amazing and far better than other more expensive cameras that I have. I have also used the camera in extreme cold while skiing and have had great success with no problems with either video or still pictures. One of the best purchases I have ever made. Sorry I can't help with the direct comparison to the Panasonic. « Show Less
1864375
I have a 720 mju and I love it. I was also looking at the Pentax WP10... but I went with the 720mju for several reasons -There's a higher ISO sensativity. -Digital image stabilization(this feature is niiiice... no accidental blurry photos!) -Overall build quality. It just feels rock-solid which is good for me because I do lots of hiking/climbing and stuff. I know I'll manage to drop this thing on the ground eventually... the shock-proof feature is nice. I personally don't have a problem with the button sizing. It seems a bit small, but they're spaced far enough apart so you don't hit things accidently. Cheers.
1796829
@Coog makes good points for a new G series, however, my number one interest in the G12 is the viewfinder. This is simply where the S100 doesn't make the cut. The fully articulating rear screen on my S5 IS has enabled many, many otherwise unobtainable shots. Being able to hold the camera in positions where one's head can't go simply enables shots that would otherwise be missed. With that, I hope that Canon does continue the G series, swapping sensors and processors as prices come down. I need these sub-$400 cameras because I'm pretty hard on pocketables. The last two only lasted 4 months each.
1217456
Dpreview.com has some interesting comparison of the SD700 vs the 800. By the picture and the review, it looks like the 700IS beats the 800 hands-down on quality. I have the 700IS and the only complaint I have is that the movie mode uses up way too much filespace (ie, the movies are too big). Other than that, this is a great camera.