Olympus Stylus 790 SW Review

The Olympus Stylus 790 SW is the ideal camera to match your active lifestyle. Its waterproof casing makes it perfect for trips to the beach and snorkeling activities as it can shoot up to 10-feet in water. And if you fancy a skiing trip, the Stylus 790 SW can operate in temperatures as low as 14oF (-10oC) and tough enough to survive drops up to 5-feet.

Although made for rough terrain, its smooth design with plastic accents and vibrant colors makes you think otherwise. This slim and compact camera comes in variants of black, silver, blue, orange, and lime. The Stylus 790 SW fits well in your hand and slips easily into a jacket pocket, purse or backpack with its sleek dimensions of 3.7 in (w) x 0.8 in (d) x 2.4 in (h) and weight of 4.8 ounces (136 grams).

Sporting a 2.5-inch high-resolution HyperCrystal™ LCD with a 176o viewing angle in all directions, the Stylus 790 SW allows for easier composing and sharing of images. It is equipped with an Olympus aspherical glass 3x optical zoom lens and a 10x digital zoom with a lens aperture of f3.5-f5.0. The Stylus 790 SW carries a 14.7 MB internal memory and a slot for an SD Picture Card™ for the additional storage capacity. It is powered by a pack of LI-42B 3.7v 740mAh Li-ion battery.

The Stylus 790 SW boasts innovative features and technologies that guarantee sharp and clear images each time. Starting off with their anti-glare technology, the Stylus 790 SW has enhanced visibility in bright light, such as sunlight, capturing sharp and clear images on its 7.1 megapixel LCD screen. Its Face Detection technology detects human faces in the view and automatically adjusts the exposure, ensuring clear and vivid images. When shooting outdoors and in bright light, the Stylus 790 SW’s Shadow Adjustment technology balances the acute contrast between bright and dark areas of the image, pulling out clear, apparent details. On the other hand, its Bright Capture technology lets you shoot and capture clear images even when light is inadequate. It works together with the LED Illuminator. Working like a tiny flashlight, it enhances the focus and exposure of the image, especially in underwater shots where light is often limited. The Stylus 790 SW’s Digital Image Stabilization (DIS) technology helps avoid blurred images, often caused by shakes or a moving subject, by increasing the camera’s ISO sensitivity and shutter speed. Another useful feature is the Perfect Shot Preview, which lets you see all your chosen effects applied on an image before you take the shot. And lastly, the Stylus 790 SW is fitted with a TruePic III Image Processor to provide clear images with precise colors.

Shooting pictures with the Stylus 790 SW is easy because of its selectable shooting modes. These allow you to shoot an image in just about any condition, even underwater! You can choose from the Auto mode, digital Image Stabilization mode, or one of the preset modes, such as Portrait, Landscape, Landscape & Portrait, Night Scene, Night & Portrait, Indoor, Candle, Cuisine, Sport, Self-Portrait, Available Light Portrait, Sunset, Beach & Snow, Fireworks, Behind Glass, Documents, Auction, Shoot & Select 1/2, Under Water snapshot, Under Water Wide 1/2, Under water macro, Underwater Movie. You can also edit an image such as removing red eye before saving an image, stamp text on the image, change the color of the image into black and white or sepia, and even add an artistic border. Still images are saved as JPEG.

The movie mode in the Stylus 790 SW lets you record AVI 640 x 480 at 30 frames per second with audio, AVI 320 x 240, and AVI 160 x 120 at 15 frames per second with audio. Saved video clips can be viewed on the camera’s LCD or television with an audio/video cable.

Summary of Olympus Stylus 790 SW features:

• Underwater Depth: up to 9.8 ft
• Operating Temperatures: 104 °F )max); 14 °F (min)
• Weight: 4.8 oz
• Dimension: 3.7 in (w) x 0.8 in (d) x 2.4 in (h)
• LCD: 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD
• Resolution: 7.1 megapixels
• Sensitivity: Auto, ISO 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600
• Lens: Zoom lens - 6.7 mm - 20.1 mm - F/3.5-5.0
• Focal Length: 6.7 mm - 20.1 mm
• Aperture: F/3.5-5.0
• Optical Lens: 3x
• Digital Lens: 5x
• Shutter Speed: 1/1000 sec (max); 4 sec (min)
• Digital Video format: AVI (640 x 480, 320 x 240, 160 x 120)
• Still Image Format: JPEG (3072 x 2204, 2560 x 1920, 2304 x 1728)
• Memory/Storage: 14.7 MB internal memory, xD Picture Card
• Flash: built-in, with 8 in - 12.5 ft effective range
• Microphone: built-in
• Connectors: USB, composite video/audio cable, DC power input
• Power Source: Li-ion rechargeable battery

PROS: The most obvious upside to this camera is its hardiness. It’s a point and shoot camera that can withstand the hardiest of terrain with its shockproof and waterproof casing. Of course, the Stylus 790 SW is easy use that the most novice user will not be intimidated to use it.

CONS: The internal memory is pretty small with just 14.7 MB capacity. An additional xD Picture Card is definitely a requirement, especially if you’re fond of shooting videos. You also have to guard yourself not to cover the lens with your finger.

The Olympus Stylus 790 SW is definitely made for the outdoors, whether you’re into extreme sports or just enjoying a family vacation. With its features aimed specifically to match an active lifestyle, you can be sure that all your adventures will be preserved not just in memory, but also in frame.

Attached Images

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