Camera advice

[rob]

I'm interested in the Olympus Stylus 720 SW. Anybody used this camera? I'm mostly interested in it for it's shockproof/waterproofing. But does it take OK shots? I'm totally ungifted with a camera.

 

Or, does anybody have any other good advice for a foolproof camera that won't break when I invariably sit on it, etc, that takes marginally good shots for completely incompetent photographers?

 

tia

[JosephH]

Cannon SD800 and a LowePro Rezo 10 case. Use a retractable keychain deal from a locksmith shop to leash it to some part of you...

[billcoe]

I had the last version of the olympus that Consumer reports rated the highest of all the 3.3mp they tested.

 

Turns out that most of those cameras broke due to a design flaw, ie, the telephoto would extend in and out each time you turned it on or off. Until it wouldn't extend, and then it cost more to fix than to just buy the new model. MFers.

 

Once, I needed to get the friggan driver and couldn't find my disk. Turns out that I needed the disk or the camera wouldn't work, Olympus did not post the drivers online like normal companies. So, I decided not to buy an Olypus and didn't look at them for my next camera. I got the Panasonic with the Leica lense and a 10X zoom. JH gives good advice as well.

 

I won't buy an Olympus because of my experinces, but of course, your results may vary.

[downfall]

I've had the Stylus 720sw since June. I can't stand it. The pictures are crap compared with other point and shoot cameras I've used and this is especially the case in low light. Every shot I take at lower wall at index or other similarly shady places are blury. Sometimes I can get some good exposure when there is lots of light but I almost never get a good shot in anything bug full sunlight.

 

Regarding the shock and waterproofness its not broken on me yet (though the lens cover sometimes sticks but I think that just cause i've gotten it durty) but I haven't dropped it from any great hieghts or exposed it to anything but drizzle.

 

Battery life is pretty good though.

[bearman14]

The Olympus camera takes very average pics, and it's biggest limitation, in my opinion, is the video feature maximizes at 15 fps.

 

A buddy of mine just bought the Pentax W20, and while I wasn't blown away by the image quality, it didn't suck either. And it's significantly cheaper than the Olympus. I've got some pics of a recent climb we did, but I can't figure out how to load them onto this post. It's waterproof, but not "shockproof". Personally, I've been pretty happy with my Panasonic FX01, and I've had no trouble using it in the snow and rain. You just need to take a little extra care with it, and have a good case, as was posted earlier.

[wfinley]

I have the option W10... it takes great pix in good light but can be blurry if you use the zoom in low light. However... it's a pretty good camera -- and if you want samples almost all the pix posted on my site from this past summer on were taken with it.

 

(Wanted to add... we did a safari trip this past fall and saw a rhino in low light. I pushed my film camera 3 stops and burned 3 three rolls of film but the only pic that came out was from the W10.)

[rmncwrtr]

I just got a Canon SD800is today. I did a bunch of research, it seemed to do what I needed a camera to do. It also has a wider-angle lens than some of the other point-and-shoot models.

[Buckaroo]

I like the Pentax Optio line. The first one I had was the Optio S. It weighs 4oz. with a battery and fits inside an Altoids tin. Now I have the Optio S4I. Takes good pics but it's a little fragile. Goes forever too, 150 full res shots on one battery.

 

My buddy has a generic 4MP Canon, one nice feature it has is that if the pic you take is blurry it will tell you it is and you can delete it right away.

 

A good camera salesman will show you what's available if you tell him what you want like light weight, durable. I wanted good quality pics and light weight.

 

When pricing keep in mind that most digital cameras don't come with enough memory to drain the battery one time. Like many only have enough memory to take 16 full res pics. You have to get more memory when you purchase.

[Jim]

I've had a Nikon 5200 for a couple of years and it has taken some great photos for a little point and shoot. I think Nikon has already updated their line of Coolpix, so I'm less familar with what they now offer.

[JosephH]

I use a Metolius 'Big Wall Gear Sling' all the time and the LowePro Revo 10 case attaches to the sholder strap great. I attach the key retractor dealy just below that and the camera is right there when I need it and I can just drop it if I ever have to (I have). The SD800 is a pretty fabulous unit and the wide angle setting is a nice extra that I use a lot.

[NYC007]

with a 3x optical zoom the shot will just be ok. if you want a small camera but great pics not many out there. check out some panasonic. I prefer canon though my self, I havent found a need for waterproof

[Coondog]

While I prefer to carry an SLR kit heavier than my tent, i understand some folks like lightweight.

 

The Sony point+shoots with the Zeiss optics take really high quality pics, and they're pretty cheap now. Most people I know who've got Canon Powershots like them, and their included software is pretty good.

[dbconlin]

i carry a pentax optio wp - 5 MP, 3x optical zoom, submergible (yes, I have). it is great because i take it backpacking, ice climbing, etc. and i don't have to worry about it getting wet. it is very compact and fits in a pocket. while climbing, i carry it attached to a neck lanyard (available at cell phone stores) and tuck it into a chest pocket, usually on one of my inner layers.

 

i don't find the minimal optical zoom to be too limiting. usually i wish i had wider angle, not more zoom. disadvantages to this camera that I have noticed are: no optical viewfinder, so it eats more batteries to use the digital screen. proprietary rechargeable battery only lasts a couple of days if you take a lot of shots and buying additional batteries is expensive. in cold weather lasts even less.

 

i haven't seen another camera currently made that i would rather have.

[bstach]

Check out this review...

 

http://www.dcresource.com/reviews/olympus/stylus_710-review/index.shtml

 

the 720SW is pretty much the same camera. Santa brought me the 740 this year(similar to 710 and 720SW, but with 5x zoom). So far its taken great pics of my Maui vacation.

[ClimbingPanther]

So far, I've been happy with my new Canon Powershot 710A

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=ModelDetailAct&fcategoryid=145&modelid=14117

My favorite part is that you can manually override just about everything. It's equipped to be a solid point-and-shoot while giving you room to grow as you learn more about cameras so you won't need a new one when you get better. I like.