Sat - April 8, 2006

Olympus Stylus SW 720 Shock Proof and Waterproof - A New Camera for Paddlers



Olympus Sw 720

Pentax has released the new Optio W10 model recently, but it looks like that, finally, it has got some serious competition in a new Olympus Stylus SW 720 shock proof and waterproof camera.

The Olympus SW 720 has similar features (no viewfinder) and similar size and weight (3.6"x2.3"x0.78", 5.3 oz) to Pentax Optio (4.2"x2.1"x0.9", 4.9 oz). It is even somewhat
smaller (length: 3.6" vs 4.2"), so it will provide similar shooting challenges as Pentax Optio.

The only feature I don't like in the Olympus SW 720 is that it captures video at only 15 fps while the Optio and, perhaps, the most of modern digital cameras provide 30 fps.

Do we really need a shock proof camera for paddling?

Checking the prices at Amazon.com at this time, the Olympus WS 720 ($360) seems to be much more expensive than Pentax Optio W10 ($269) or the older Optio WPi ($240).


compare prices:
Olympus Stylus SW 720

The Olympus Stylus 720 SW – main features:

  • Waterproof up to 3m
  • Shockproof (equivalent to 1.5m)
  • 7.1 million pixels
  • Bright 3x optical zoom 38-114mm (equivalent to 35mm camera) 1:3.5-5.0
  • Tough metal body in three colours: Dusky Pink, Polar Blue & Steel Silver
  • BrightCapture Technology for better low light photography
  • 6.4cm/2.5” LCD
  • 24 scene modes (incl. Portrait, Candle, Landscape and various underwater modes)
  • Movie function with sound (640x480 pixels, 15fps)
  • Macro and Super Macro mode for shots from as little as 7cm
  • Editing functions (e.g. Red-eye Fix, Calendar Composition, Layout Composition, Title Composition)
  • PictBridge compatible
  • 19.1 MB Internal memory plus xD-Picture Card slot
  • Multi-language menu plus possibility to download further languages from the internet
  • Supplied with Olympus Master Software and LI-42B
  • Optional underwater case PT-033 (waterproof up to 40m)

You can find more information, technical specifications and pictures of the new camera on the Olympus webpage.
It would be really interesting to compare the Olympus SW 720 to the Pentax Optio line of waterproof cameras. If you have had occasion to use or see these cameras please write your comments.

Posted at 06:40 AM    


Mountain Wayfarer | fit2paddle - fitness paddling | paddling with a camera | virtual race Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com