Here's a quick comparison of the latest three underwater cameras currently out in the market - the Olympus Stylus 850 SW and 1030 SW, and the Pentax Optio W60. This is just going to be all about the numbers as I have not been able to test out all three. It will give you a quick run down of all three for comparison.
| Olympus Stylus 850SW | Olympus Stylus 1030SW | Pentax Optio W60 | |
| Price (MSRP) | $300 | $400 | $335 |
| Price (Low) | $233 | $350 | |
| Resolution (MP) | 8.0 | 10.1 | 10 |
| Image Processor | TruePic III | TruePic III | |
| Colors | Black, Blue, Orange, | Black, Green, Silver | Silver, Blue |
| Focal Length (35mm) | 38-114mm | 28-102mm | 28-140mm |
| Optical Zoom | 3x | 3.6x | 5x |
| Digital Zoom | 5x | 5x | 5.7x |
| Image Stabilization | Digital | Digital | Digital |
| LCD Size (inches) | 2.5" | 2.7" | 2.5" |
| Built-in Flash | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Underwater | 3m / 10 feet for 1 hour | 10m / 33 feet for 1 hour | 4m / 13 feet for 2 hours |
| Shock | 1.5m / 5 feet | 2m / 6.6 feet | 1.5m / 5 feet |
| Temperature | -10 deg C / 14 deg F | -10 deg C / 14 deg F | -10 deg C / 14 deg F |
| Crush Proof | No | 220 pounds | No |
| Max Aperture | f/3.5 - 5.0 | f/3.5 - 5.1 | f/3.5 - 5.5 |
| Shutter Speed | 1/1000 - 1/2 second | 1/1000 - 1/2 second | 1/1500 - 1/4 second |
| ISO | 64-1600 | 80-1600 | 50-6400 |
| Burst Mode | Regular 1 fps (8MP) Up to 6.9 fps (at 3 MP) | Regular 0.7 fps (10MP) Up to 5.2 fps (at 3MP) | Yes |
| Movie Mode | 640 x 480 @ 30fps | 640 x 480 @ 30fps | 1280 x 720 |
| Interval Shooting | Yes | ||
| Timer | 12 seconds | 12 seconds | 2 seconds, 10 seconds |
| Macro | 2.8" | 0.79" | 1cm |
| Scene Modes | 24 Scenes | 24 Scenes | |
| Panorama Mode | Yes, 3 shots in camera 10 shots with software (XD card required) | Yes, 3 shots in camera 10 shots with software (XD card required) | Yes, 3 shots in camera |
| In Camera Editing | Yes | Yes | |
| In Camera Effects | Yes | Yes | |
| Other Modes | Smile Shutter, Blink Warning | ||
| Weight (body only) | 136g | 170g | 125g |
| Dimensions | 9.37 x 6.1 x 2.13 cm | 9.37 x 6.1 x 2.13 cm | 9.8 x 5.5 x 2.45 cm |
| Battery | Lithium Ion | Lithium Ion | Lithium Ion |
| Shots per charge | Approx. 190 | Approx. 260 | Approx. 205 |
| Memory Card | XD, micro SD, micro SDHC | XD, micro SD, micro SDHC | SD/SDHC |
All in all, from my review of the Olympus Stylus 850 SW, I am a bit disappointed with the camera. Sure I wasn't expecting something really awesome - I just wanted it for underwater shots, but there were other features that bugged me. 1. The Autofocus was loud and slow. 2. You can't take panoramic shots unless you have an XD card installed. The microSD in the XD card adapter will not suffice. 3. The Macro mode is also a bit lacking. 4. It's widest angle is 38mm. From the specifications, the 1030 SW is a lot more rugged than the 850 SW, and offers better features like a bigger screen, higher resolution, closer minimum focusing distance, wider angle lens - but it comes at about a $100 premium.
I can't say much about the Pentax Optio W60. They aren't in the top tier of cameras, but this camera has a lot of features to look forward to. It has a large 5x optical zoom, and is very wide at 28mm. It can shoot video close to HD at 1280 x 720 pixels and it can stay in the water longer. But at $335 its still a bit pricey. I'd wait for it to go sub $300 before trying this one out.
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