What people think about the Olympus mju 1030SW: (BETA!)
We compute this summary by analyzing 990 reviews from across the web.
image quality
1.5
- No optical image stabilization
- Image overall softness
- Image overall softness, especially corners
- Average image quality and performance
- Mediocre image quality has more noise than detail
- Compatible with both xD-Picture and microSD cards
- Good image quality below ISO 400
- Very good image quality
- Fancy panorama shooting mode (though ISO is boosted very high
- Decent image quality
- No image stabiliser
- Real optical image stabilisation would be nice (and useful in videos
- No image stabilization
- Uses xD-Picture Cards
- Image quality not as good as "non-rugged" competition
- Digital image stabilization isn't what it sounds like
- Image quality poor for this price range
- No mechanical image stabilization
- The higher ISO numbers create poor quality pictures
- The "shake" setting increases the ISO and also creates poor picture quality
- Picture quality
- The microphone or something is not really the best quality
- Had RMA issue with it, but even being replaced with another one - quality is still the same
- you just get the red icon when it is on its last legs
- I also find the movie limit of 10 seconds at the highest quality setting infuriating
- Video in highest quality appears to be limited to 10 seconds, too short since lower quality settings although not time limited produce poor quality images
- > even after upgrading to firmware 1.1 Movies in highest quality (640x480 30 fps
- but you can only get cards from Fuji/Sandisk with 2GB -> no panorama-features available
- Movie mode - 640x480 30fps the picture quality is average however the audio quality is next to useless
- Movie mode - 640x480 30fps the picture quality is average however the audio quality is next to useless, it's muffled and barely audible unless it's a very loud source
- Poor image stabilisation and antishake compensation
- for a person should be able to trust the quality of the product they buy
- Image quality
- hopefully it's quality is truely waterproof
- Bottom line: if you want good image quality
- Bottom line: if you want good image quality, you must always shoot in Program mode and select a reasonably low ISO
- They will combine three 10 megapixel snaps into a single 3 megapixel panorama output
- They will combine three 10 megapixel snaps into a single 3 megapixel panorama output, and they discard the original images
- My test panorama photos did show beautifully seamless merging in-camera, but I think that if I want a panorama I'll be using the "merge on PC" panorama mode in order to control the ISO and keep the resolution
- image quality inside with flash
- Overall - I am very dissapointed in the image quality and its "ruggedness" as well as teh customer service at Olympus
- In bright sunshine you can not see the image on the screen to take a picture
- Image quality not quite up there with the best compact cameras, but for something as almost indestructable as this, you have to overlook some things
- Average picture quality
- Average picture quality, low light pictures noisy
- image quality not as good as the canon ixus we also have
- Stabilization image less optimal
- photo quality is not so good
- onboard memory of 14.7MB, average picture quality
- Picture quality is weak
- Point and shoot quality pictures (but not bad at all
- Point and shoot quality pictures (but not bad at all)
- Image quailty yet to be perfected
- Poor image quality
- when handing it to someone else to take a picture they often get their finger in the picture
- Lens Location is easy to cover with a finger (Even if you can avoid it, when handing it to someone else to take a picture they often get their finger in the picture
- image quality is absolutely terrible without anti-handshake
- If taking picture with naked hand
- Terrific image quality
- Quality mode dial replaces mode button
- Helpful panorama modes
- good picture quality
- Great picture quality
- I find the picture/video quality to be pretty good
- good picture
- they tell you what you need to do to acheive certain condition and then you can even press the OK button and it sets it to that condition eg brighten image etc
- Guide are very good, they tell you what you need to do to acheive certain condition and then you can even press the OK button and it sets it to that condition eg brighten image etc
- The quality of photos are generally absolutely superb, especially when taken with the appropriate special function selected
- Buy the Olympus XD picture card for superb panoramic views
- Great video and picture quality
- good Quality camera.can have good quality Pics
- good image quality
- image quality is not so good
- good maker Image
- Ease of use, features, picture quality, waterproof, shockproof
- Only average picture quality
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price
1.5
- Pricey
- $399 price
- Need (expensive
- expensive to repair
- this did NOT come across clearly in the pre-purchase blurb
- Good value for money
- The Stylus 1030 SW is money well spent
- nice price
- nice price, good picture
- Great for underwater shots.and a good all round camara well worth the money
- price
- the price is still expensive
- rather costly price
- somewhat expensive
- average pictures for the price
- pricey, no direct AC connection, no optical viewfinder, average pictures for the price
- average pictures for price
- pricey, no AC connection, no optical viewfinder, average pictures for price, sinks like a rock
- Price is okay
- Price is okay, shockproof, 10MP
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performance
2.5
- slow burst mode
- Slow Burst mode
- some times its a little slow when i'm trying to take lots of pictures back to back
- Autofocus is a little too slow in low light situations (not totally unreasonable performance)
- Delay from pressing the capture button to when the photo is shot is kind of slow--like most digital cameras
- Quick performance - very quick switch on time
- Speedy performance
- Quick performance
- Snappy performance
- USB 2.0 High Speed support
- which only work with Olympus cards - than there are only 2GB M-Type Olympus cards (the ultra slow ones
- are limited to 10 sec becaus thes cards ar so slow
- If you take 2GB H-Type cards (the just a bit slow ones
- *High-Speed/continuous performance ist POOR (s
- modes (speed reasons
- heavy - will sink fast
- startup is fast
- quick processing of pic so you can take photos faster
- very fast at taking pictures :)
- good performance
- though physic, waterproof, good performance
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memory
0.5
- can't swap memory cards while using a tripod
- Very little built-in memory
- which are limited to 2GB storage
- Uses xD-Picture Cards, which are limited to 2GB storage
- xD memory cards only work with Olympus and Fujifilm compact digital cameras
- Face recognition, increased depth range, more mega-pixels, increased memory capacity and longer zoom range
- upgrade the firmware and assuming you have the correct type of memory and youll be able to record 30 fps until the battery dies or the card fills up
- Small buttons and Uses a primitive/more expensive memory card
- build-in Memory 2 or 4 GB and loading + datatransfer via 1 watersealed connection
- Requires proprietary olympus memory cards to take panorama shots and movies over 10sec
- than to force consumers to buy olympus memory
- (for no good reason, than to force consumers to buy olympus memory
- At least the memory card survived long enough for me to get my pictures
- everyone complains about it xd memory
- second, everyone complains about it xd memory
- Got confused thinking there was a memory card with it, installed as memory card, took camera out to my 50th birthday meal, took 6 pictures and said "memory full", then realised it was not a memory card - for the price would have expected at least a basic memory card
- onboard memory of 14.7MB
- Image quailty yet to be perfected, quirky about memory cards
- quirky about memory cards
- Be prepared to lose a memory card and battery in the process
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color
1
- Lacks manual / custom white balance
- Colour issues
- chromatic aberration problems
- Colour issues, chromatic aberration problems, slow burst mode
- white balance
- and white balance
- With a silicon skin it is just about bullet-proof
- Underwater shots were full of color and very clear
- Great colour capturing
- half-out of the water shots with superb colour clarity and depth of field
- A touch expensive, white balance, fringing
- Poor white balance performance in the studio (won't apply to most people
- Poor white balance performance
- Chromatic aberration
- Turning off the auto white balance generally will fix the yellow problem
- Its a little disappointing that there is no custom white balance--the canned white balances aren't that great
- I've slowly come to the conclusion that the poor handling of white balance in funny lighting is the most annoying problem -- this camera really needs a manual white setting
- 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
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focus
1
- No manual focus
- focus is a little slow in 15 feet of water (but what do you expect?)
- The auto-focus kind of sucks
- The auto-focus kind of sucks, but what would you expect with a point and shoot
- Poor focus
- focus
- LED illuminator for low light macro, focus, light when camera is off etc
- Face detection focus
- Shadow adjustment technology, Face detection focus
lens
3
- Integrated automatic lens cover can get clogged and stuck
- Strictly point & shoot, Small mode wheel hard to read underwater, Over-zealous underwater depth warnings, Tiny gray on silver labels difficult to read, LCD not always bright enough for underwater viewability, Elegant metal body can get scratched, Integrated automatic lens cover can get clogged and stuck, Included wrist strap does not tighten around wrist
- Lens is on the "slow" side
- Poor autofocus system
- Too easy to get finger in front of lens
- Helpful built-in guide and help system
- great screen and lens
- Good wide angle 3.6x optical zoom lens
- Built in help system - simply press the
- 28 - 102 mm lens
- Too easy to get finger in front of lens, Image quality isn't what I'd expect of a 10-megapixel camera, No mechanical image stabilization, No optical viewfinder, xD memory cards only work with Olympus and Fujifilm compact digital cameras, Mode dial rotates in pocket or case
- the water sealing system seems to be the same as the older models
- the water sealing system seems to be the same as the older models, O-rings must be difficult to adapt to the cover doors
- Lens is soft and photos below average
- No optical anti-shake
- just a small protection shield on lens been dropped down
- The lens is far too close to the top corner of the camera so I have captured a number of close-ups of my left forefinger
- Also, the design of the camera is such that if you hold it comfortably your finger is over the lens
- When surfacing from taking photos underwater you can get drops of water on the lens that need to be shaken off before a decent above water picture can be taken
- I also wish it had more of an f/stop range--maybe this is not possible with a small lens
- There is a lens cover that slides over the lens when the camera is powered off
- but it's annoying that the lens has a few droplets on it each time the lens is opened after that until the camera dries out
- No harm done, but it's annoying that the lens has a few droplets on it each time the lens is opened after that until the camera dries out
- The location of the lens is problematic
- it's not on the lens so
- light, it's not on the lens so, it could be on the sensor
- the placement of the lens and flash in the most upper corners of the camera is just asking for a finger to be placed infront of it
- first, the placement of the lens and flash in the most upper corners of the camera is just asking for a finger to be placed infront of it
- the rectangular frame around the lens fell off
- Also, suddenly and without reason, the rectangular frame around the lens fell off
- underwater in 6 months the paint in front flaked and the bump protecting the lens
- lens position- tend to put my finger over it as it is so close to the edge of th e camera
- after a while the lens got a bit foggy (cleared out fairly quick
- while using it under water, after a while the lens got a bit foggy (cleared out fairly quick
- Lens Location is easy to cover with a finger (Even if you can avoid it
- should be careful of sand on camera lens
- When you close lens cover (when switching off)
- you may end up scratching the outer lens
- When you close lens cover (when switching off), you may end up scratching the outer lens
- or at least has some flaws in the system
- not waterproof, or at least has some flaws in the system
- Wide-angle, 28 - 102 mm lens
- 3.6x lens longer than its predecessor's
- real wide-angle lens - yay
- Waterproof and nearly indestructible, Pocket-sized, Live histogram, 28mm, real wide-angle lens - yay!, Panoramic mode (requires Olympus xD card)
- wider angle lens
- Waterproof to 33ft, shock and crushproof, wider angle lens, underwater movies
- Wide lens is good
- Light weighted, good performance under water and at bright days , not bad pictures for this lens, good exterior
- lens is good
- great picture quality, amazing underwater photos, extremely tough exterior, lens is good, works in saltwater as well as freshwater with no need to worry about corrosion (as long as you follow directions including rinsing of the camera after use within an hour
- Underwater photos turn out really well when the flash is used or there is good sunlight - Never have any problems with water droplets on the lens after being in water - Great camera to take on holiday
- Underwater photos turn out really well when the flash is used or there is good sunlight - Never have any problems with water droplets on the lens after being in water - Great camera to take on holiday, if a little heavy and more bulky than other land-only cameras
- good lens clarity
- wide-angle lens
- wide angle lens
- Waterproof, small, lightweight, drop proof, crush proof, wide angle lens, internal 3.6x optical zoom, VGA movies at 30 fps
- Love that the lens is covered when not in use
- as every shot you take is wholly dependant on the quality of the lens
- So many cameras overlook this essential, as every shot you take is wholly dependant on the quality of the lens
- but if the lens has picked up dust and debris
- You may well have 12MB+ out there, but if the lens has picked up dust and debris, your shots will suffer
- Sealed well (no more getting dust under the lens
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zoom
2
- Sharpness and zoom
- doesnt have a good zoom
- Cons: If you want to use panorama - you have to buy their xD card which is annoying coz it's nearly 2x the $$ and doesn't go past 4Gb, and a bit more zoom would be great (although not necessary as it is 10.1 mega pixels so you can use digital zoom and keep quality, and 3.6 is useful in most situations, but for the next model I would expect to see an increase)
- could have been at least 7x optical zoom
- Will be good to have 5X optical zoom capability
- 3.6X 28-102mm optical zoom allows wide angle shooting
- 28mm wide-angle optical zoom
- The zoom isn't that bad considered its all internal
- 3.6x wide optical zoom (28-102mm for stunning close-ups
- internal 3.6x optical zoom
- optical zoom could be better
- The one that always gets me is that "fine zoom" (digital zoom limited to pixel size
- no zoom
- Zoom is poor
- but then I have always preferred a good quality wide angle over zoom
- A must for underwater especially, but then I have always preferred a good quality wide angle over zoom
- Zoom to small
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LCD
5
- LCD not always bright enough for underwater viewability
- Hard to see the screen in bright light
- Screen is kind of hard to see in strong daylight
- LCD very hard to see outdoors and thus take pictures
- Very usable LCD outdoors and indoors
- high-res 2.7-inch LCD
- sharp 2.7" LCD display with good low light visibility
- Large, sharp 2.7" LCD display with good low light visibility
- 2.7-inch LCD
- big LCD screen
- big LCD screen, tough, waterproof
- Screen is good
- I had the the Stylus 730 and it fell from about 4ft and the LCD monitor crack
- LCD screen is great
- Good size screen
- extreme active lifestyle
- very clear pictures and an large viewing screen
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video
3
- Watch the Olympus Stylus 1030SW Video Review
- the video quality is no good in the surf
- Out-right false advertisement concerning video recording with microSD
- The video mode did pretty good actually for a pocket sized P&S
- With a high speed card my wife took a 4:38 minute video at a shallow reef
- Records smooth video
- Rugged yet sleek design, Simple interface, Speedy performance, Records smooth video
- Takes underwater pictures and video
- Video is great
- great video &
- The video is washed out and grainy
- Video mode isn't great quality
- Truly rugged, waterPROOF, awesome pictures, great video &
- When paired with the M+ XD Cards you can stream video until the card fills up 640x480 30fps
- The streaming video excellent when compared to many other cameras
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design
5
- aggressive styling
- Looks like it's going to be sent into Olympus for warranty repair (replace
- These cameras must have a major design flaw
- average design
- Stylish
- Rugged yet sleek design
- design
- attractive design
- Compact, attractive design
- Waterproof and shockproof - looks good
- Looks good, waterproof, shockproof cool colours
- and the design of a dynamic
- and the design of a dynamic,
- very stylish
- design, look
- excellent design
- good design
- great design
- very nice pics underwater and nice looking
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menu
4
- Face Detection buried in main menu
- Menu's are a bit fiddly
- *Shockproof "beauty-case" is not really designed for rough treatment: Though you could let it drop from 2 meters height it then will be defenitly dented because there is no rubber protection (or similar protection
- The two-level Oly menu system is quirky but I got used to it
- Menu access to face-detect autofocus is contorted
- drop
- Scenes menu gives picture and a description of what it is
- Scenes menu gives picture and a description of what it is, and there are plenty of them for many situations
- Most adjustments can be easily made by pressing menu or the centre OK button whilst in auto mode
- drop proof
- and drop/shock proof 6ft
- You can drop it and it does not break
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battery
0.5
- Mediocre battery life
- battery cant be bought at the deli when your's is flat
- Proprietary battery
- Proprietary battery, charger & not-included AC adapter
- and had to buy a new battery which wasn't covered under the warranty
- battery lasts ages
- good battery life
- Battery life is great
- long time battery
- 10.1mega pixel , good allowy, long time battery
- I had to send it back to get fixed (pay for shipping), and had to buy a new battery which wasn't covered under the warranty
- Battery runs out fairly fast
- and the battery must be taken out of the camera to be charged (no power cord
- Battery runs out fairly fast, so you'll want to use the power save option (although this may cause you to miss a photo opportunity), and the battery must be taken out of the camera to be charged (no power cord
- The battery low warning is not progressive
- The battery low warning is not progressive, you just get the red icon when it is on its last legs
- *Battery Life is VERY poor
- Sometimes in deed you manage only to take 60 to 80 photos before the much to tiny battery pack (925mA -> the class leader fuji F31 manages to take about 500 with a 1800mA pack
- *The whole 'waterproof' package would be a lot more trustworthy if you hadn't to change Battery Packs and cards (-> e.G
- It did leak into the battery compartment
- buy a second hand Sony DSC-N1 and if you need to go underwater with it buy an MPK-NA marine pack to go with it
- I'd recommend not buying a 1030SW, buy a second hand Sony DSC-N1 and if you need to go underwater with it buy an MPK-NA marine pack to go with it
- The first time taken to the beach the water seal for the battery failed
- Even after careful preparation it leaked in the battery compartment on first immersion and died for good
- but when I went snorkeling it leaked in the battery compartment and
- stride, but when I went snorkeling it leaked in the battery compartment and
- Need to be careful to preserve battery life
- Battery level indicator only appears briefly after power on
- the battery indicator
- you don't know when you're out of batteries until the light comes on
- third, the battery indicator, you don't know when you're out of batteries until the light comes on, then you only have 2 shots left
- this is made more frustrating because you can't simply replace it the battery like other point and shoots that use AA batteries
- in stride, but when I went snorkeling it leaked in the battery compartment and
- You have to remove the battery to charge it
- The battery compartment has a waterproof seal and opening/closing it to charge the battery is going to eventually impact on the seals effectiveness
- Battery life not so long
- need to remove battery to charge
- will need maintenance to keep waterproof qualities,need to remove battery to charge
- If you don't install the BATTERY COVER SECURE LOCK it is bound to leak water
- battery life
- Proprietary battery, proprietary USB cable, battery life
- Small battery
- Short battery life
- battery life isnt great - buy extra battery
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shutter
1
- Significant shutter lag and long recycle times between shots
- I had the previous 7.1 megapixel version and as soon as the warranty ran out the lense shutter jammed up
- and the little motor which opens the shutter has burnt out
- Remedy this by using the hi-speed shutter setting
- due to the shutter button being right next to the microphone
- Snaps images almost precisely with shutter button
- Good instructions - advice on preventing the shutter jamming (learn to read Brendon)
- They may have improved the shutter issue Brendan
- The only other complaint I have is that the audio of every movie scene ends up with a loud CLACK, due to the shutter button being right next to the microphone
- shutter lag
- size, shutter lag
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usability
3.5
- No manual controls
- No manual controls, not even long exposure or custom white balance
- Manual leaves much to be desired (but at least it's printed)
- No manual exposure controls
- (Can use microSD cards too but requires an adapter to do so
- Simple to use
- Easy to handle
- Easier to use
- Versatile, easy to use and can be used in practically any situation
- how to clean it after sea water use
- No manual aperture and shutter speed controls
- use a cotton-bud or such-like to get down to the sealing face and clean in the corners
- After opening them, use a cotton-bud or such-like to get down to the sealing face and clean in the corners
- Controls hard to see, especially underwater
- Manual mode is not easy understandable and lack of settings
- Don't use it at 10 Mpix
- Don't use it at 10 Mpix, much better at 5 Mpix
- don't use it at all outside the water
- But generally speaking, don't use it at all outside the water
- I gave ease of use a 2.0 because using the Auto mode for indoors is completely out of the question
- if you want to use the highest capacity cards
- I#m really tired with the Olympus strategy now, becaus here you run into real technical problems/limitations, if you want to use the highest capacity cards
- You have 2 choices: Either you want to use the Olympus panorama features
- You have 2 choices: Either you want to use the Olympus panorama features, which only work with Olympus cards - than there are only 2GB M-Type Olympus cards (the ultra slow ones
- but it failed on my vacation where I intended to use it while snorkelling
- I would assume that it is covered under waranty, but it failed on my vacation where I intended to use it while snorkelling
- I had no itention to use with a dive
- I had no itention to use with a dive, as seem like pushing it
- I had read the manual cover to cover
- I had read the manual cover to cover, since I was nervous, and was extra
- Still no leaks despite a fair amount of underwater and even pounding under-waterfall use
- I use my Lumix DMC-TZ5
- easy to use camera for those of us that don't have much photography knowledge
- Having said that I think this is a fantastic, easy to use camera for those of us that don't have much photography knowledge
- minim setting manual
- Manual is terrible
- but as most will use this roughly as point and shoot
- 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
- and how to use the many features
- Good instructions - advice on preventing the shutter jamming (learn to read Brendon), how to clean it after sea water use, and how to use the many features
- All the different scene settings makes it easy to take good photos
- They also forgot to mention it's idiotproof coz I can use it without instructions and I'm poor at picking up new techonology lol
- easy to use
- can also use microsd
- easy to use, can also use microsd
- It handled the abuse from all 9 of the people on our trip
- yet still intuitive and easy to use
- excellent well built camera, pictures are excellent, loads of different settings etc, yet still intuitive and easy to use, overall very pleased and feels like it will last for ages
- very easy to use great pictures
- Strong build, easy to use, loads of features
- Easy to use, good picture quality and no need to worry about taking to the beach or the pool
- great for use underwater
- Easy to use, small, great for use underwater
- Buy the Olympus water proof case and straps to go with it - makes use in the sea/pools even better as the strap can go on your arm leaving your hands free when not taking photos
- ease of use
- it is very easy to use and water proof is so so much fun on holiday
- very small and easy to use and i think this is the best camera from olympus
- Easy to use, excellent features and looking forward to taking on holiday and into the water
- Super easy to use camera
- easy to use and simple pictures
- Strong, easy to use and simple pictures
- Easy to use for the kids
- Easy to use for the kids, although extensive options that I've yet to understand
- Features are easy to use
- controls are very easy to use
- very easy to use .can use underwater
- good camera resolution,very easy to use .can use underwater
- rugged, waterproof, easy to use, great design, wide-angle lens
- Easy to use, good battery life, superb pics in all situations
- 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
- Easy to use, took great photos
- Very easy to use
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flash
0.5
- Flash doesn't light image edges along with a center subject
- Slow flash recharge time (unless you're using the continuous shooting mode
- Flash sometimes overwhelms low-light shots
- Flash sometimes overwhelms low-light shots, No optical image stabilization, Reds and pinks sometimes appear muted, Flash sometimes overwhelms low-light shots
- Weak flash
- Handy LED lamp (for AF assist
- Handy LED lamp (for AF assist, macro lighting and torchlight
- Macro illumination lamp
- Get the super huge 2gb m+ flash memory card
- Get the super huge 2gb m+ flash memory card, and you'll be able to take hundreds of pictures on the highest setting, or thousands on the lowest
- Weak flash
- MUST use a flash indoors or its all blurry
- The flash without a diffuser causes a lot of scatter in shallow water where more sediment is
- In deeper water the flash worked great on macro and we got some really decent pictures of small coral life and fish
- Flash weak but this is a P&S
- The flash is too hot
- The flash is too hot, with no adjustments available
- longer shutter delay with flash on
- The capacity of the flash card supplied as standard is useless - for what they cost now
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build quality
5
- but this is not surprising given its robust construction
- It is also slightly larger and heavier than smaller equivalents, but this is not surprising given its robust construction
- Very sturdy construction: water
- Very sturdy construction: water, drop, crush and freeze proof
- solid build and design
- solid build and design, onboard Guide for beginners
- Bomb-proof build
- High quality construction
- hazard-defying construction
- Rugged, hazard-defying construction
- Rugged build
- Durability, reasonable quality photos
- and is durable as all get out
- It takes super huge pictures (10.1 mp is nice!), has some neat-o features, and is durable as all get out
- All weather build
- All weather build, great results
- Very strong and durable in all conditions
- Build quality is excellent feels really robust and classy
- Fantastic build quality
- Sturdy build
- Sturdy build,compact size, fun features
- Durability all the way
- Durability all the way, decent pictues
- Construction all weathers and shatterproof
- shock proof and durable
- waterproof,shock proof and durable
- durable
- wonderful features, excellent design, digital photography at its best, durable
- solid build and de
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energy efficiency
0.5
- so you'll want to use the power save option (although this may cause you to miss a photo opportunity)
exposure
2
- not even long exposure or custom white balance
- after salt water exposure
- Some features (such as long exposure
- Shadow Adjustment Technology works well but seriously overexposes unless you remember to dial in an Ev or so of negative Exposure Compensation
- Good exposure and color
- exposure
- Live preview of effects, exposure, and white balance
interface
2
- Clumsy interface
- was disappointing but fixed by an easily handled on-line firmware update
- the user interface for the camera is very complex
- finally, the user interface for the camera is very complex
- Simple interface
- SW line is the Only Affordable Water Proof line available
glare
5
- Brilliant for underwater snorkelling videos & pictures
viewfinder
0.5
- No optical viewfinder
- A viewfinder would be nice
- No viewfinder (no biggy
- view screen can be hard to see in sunlight
- Shame it doesn't have a viewfinder for when its bright, but then few do now
- Perfect Shot Preview is useful to view effects before snapping
- Calendar view and red-eye fix in playback mode are useful
- nicer to view
- Easier to use, nicer to view, etc
- Needs a separate viewfinder for those bright sunshine pictures
- And no view finder
- No viewfinder
- No view finder
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appearance
1
- Reds and pinks sometimes appear muted
- the only thing is taking night shots can appear to be grainy
- the only thing is taking night shots can appear to be grainy, but that depends on the settings
- just look good
- just look good, they aren't
- sleek
- Just took 800 shots on holiday which look great
- look
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resolution
0.5
- Slow burst mode when using full resolution
- Slow full resolution continuous shooting mode
- faster mode lowers resolution and boosts ISO
- disables 10Mpix resolution rather than vice-versa
- The two "in-camera" panorama modes produce much lower resolution photos than you would expect
- high resolution
- good camera resolution
- but I think that if I want a panorama I'll be using the "merge on PC" panorama mode in order to control the ISO and keep the resolution
- 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
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sensor
0.5
- Elegant metal body easily gets scratched
- Strictly point & shoot, Elegant metal body easily gets scratched
- Elegant metal body can get scratched
- Lacks orientation sensor
- Red-eye in group photos
- You can't notice it with the naked eye
- As for the fuzzy pictures, You can't notice it with the naked eye, even on an 8x10 enlargement
- The panorama also doesn't work quite as expected--you're better off with a good eye and some Photoshop skills
- xD cards above *You have to turn photos manually from landscape to portrait format (no sensor
- It would be better to have a larger sensor at 6 or 7MP
- it could be on the sensor
- No orientation sensor
- the face-detect AF doesn't seem to work well enough that you'd ever actually bother
- The wealth of features far outstrip this one element
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control panel
4.5
- because this small protection shield cloaking seal which protects electronic board
maps
1.5
- Pictures quality strongly depends on day time and weather conditions
- Tough & true weather proof
portability
4.5
- Mode dial rotates in pocket or case
- A bit too heavy to keep in your pocket
- The problem may have started because the paint got a few minor scratches from being in a pocket with keys
- Low-light is bad
- light
- Very robust compact metal body
- LED illuminator for low light macro
- Compact
- Pocket-sized
- Mostly I just like carrying it in my pocket and not having it die from dust invasion
- but I think that most compact cameras would have a list about as long (just different)
- That's a long list of minor annoyances, but I think that most compact cameras would have a list about as long (just different)
- slightly bigger and heavier than some - but still compact and pocket friendly
- too heavy
- Heavy (could be a problem if it sinks!)
- Heavy (could be a problem if it sinks!), Manual is terrible, Olympus proprietary standards (USB ports/xD), wrist strap non adjustable
- Some say it's a little heavy
- Its almost impossible to take a sharp picture on other modes without super steady hand under sunlight or tripod especially low light situations
- light and compact model is key
- Many scenery options to select from, good picture quality, light and compact model is key
- Compact and rugged for hiking/adventure in wet/humid/cold conditions
- The little LED light is super helpful
- compact and solidly built
- Waterproof,compact and solidly built
- if a little heavy and more bulky than other land-only cameras
- Bullet proof and pocket friendly
- Bullet proof and pocket friendly,
- Small enough for a pocket
- Small enough for a pocket,tough, waterproof and so far reliable
- Takes good pics for a compact
- compact size
- light weight
- light weight, good lens clarity
- lightweight
- Utility, Shock proof, water proof, compact
- Compact size, Ruggedness, Panarama is my favorite feature
- light with macro feature - good for underwater shots
- Excellent photos, compact
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connectivity
0.5
- the USB and batery covers are receced and store sand and salt
- Maybe there is a fix for this in the setting however as of yet I havtnt remembered to check the settings for the audio before filming in the water
- Proprietary USB cable
- Olympus proprietary standards (USB ports/xD)
size
0.5
- So when you claim it's water proof you really can with stand body sweat and a little rain
- A little pricey
- Buttons can be a bit fiddly for big fingers
- menus a little tricky
- Some photos seem to turn out a little darker than expected but that may be operator error, time will tell
- Large
- Cool little mode-wheel on back
- not much suitable with large hands because of its small and grouped controls
- somewhat expensive, not much suitable with large hands because of its small and grouped controls
- size
- Large landscape photography is not sharp
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screen
2.5
- I cleaned the seal and did a visual of the mating face--it leaked
- my unit was not waterproof and broke
- *Display performance under water or in bright light
- The display in general are not good/bright enough fpr very bright conditions *xD Cards
- It's flat out the best product in it's class
- great display
- Small, sleek, great display, good battery life, underwater features work well
- good display
- The huge display at the back gives ample space for the on-screen instructions when changing mode
product quality
0.5
- its finish and cosmetical ability to withstand "shock" is poor
- The anodized finish scratches easy
remote control
0.5
- External control identifiers difficult to read
- EDIT: I know for sure now that quality control is not up to par at Olympus
- No remote
sound
0.5
- Noisy high-ISO shots
- The sound recorder has a popping sound in the movie
- Low light shots very noisy
- In all my surf vids there is a constant thumping bass sound like you would get from a broken sub woofer
- low light pictures noisy
black level
0.5
- At the First day of my Hawaiian vacation all black color been washed out with ocean water without any efforts from my side
- the black paint was peeling off the front like a wet tissue
- At first, a few hairline scratches appeared on the glossy black plate on the front of the camera, and by the end of my trip, the black paint was peeling off the front like a wet tissue
- but asked if that was not possible to fix it and replace the black plate with the unpainted stainless steel fornt of the alternate version of the 1030
- but would not exchange the black front plate for the uncoated one