Olympus Stylus 850 SW

Olympus Stylus 850 SW – Waterproof digital camera.

As someone who recently and tragically lost a phone to a glass of water, I am a firm believer in features like waterproofing and shockproofing for most electronic devices. In fact, knowing my clumsy and accident prone background, I would even go so far as to say it should be standard on any digital camera. Even if you aren’t an active outdoorsy type, these features can still be lifesavers. Think about it, how many times has your current camera been dropped, splashed on, rained on, or smashed under something? Enough times to remember, right? So why not pay a little extra to keep it safe?

The Olympus Stylus 850 SW has enough of the features you need to protect your camera, but not so many that you cant justify the price–unless you plan on doing some serious water activities or, like me, have a tendency to get anything electronic wet. Some of the more expensive waterproof digital cameras are great if you spend most of your time outdoors, but for those who just want a camera with a little protection they can be a bit to expensive. That’s where the Olympus Stylus 850 SW comes in.

With the Olympus Stylus 850 SW you get all the protection a digital camera needs. The camera is waterproof down to 10 feet. Meaning it can get rained on, go snorkeling, or even hop in the pool with you. It is shockproof up to 5 ft which can protect it from table falls or the common out of lap experience. It is also freezeproof to 14F (great for those headed skiing or into other cold environments).

The quick & dirty:

Where you can get one:
Olympus Stylus 850 $249

Why they rock:

8.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
3x optical zoom; Face Detection
2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD; Perfect Shot Preview mode
Waterproof to 10 feet; shockproof to 5 feet
Stores images on xD Picture Cards (not included)

Seat-of-the-pants rating: 9 out of 10

If nothing else, the Olympus Stylus 1050 SW is worth the cost just for how easy it is to use underwater or in extreme environments. If you plan on using the camera in the cold or underwater quite a bit, the Olympus Stylus 1050 SW is probably your best bet.

Looking to buy? Check out these sites:
Olympus Stylus 850 $249