“The camera that redefines tough. The Stylus 1030 SW is one tough camera. The Shockproof, Waterproof, Freezeproof and Dustproof design gives active people the confidence to take this camera anywhere and shoot in nearly any condition. Plus, the wide-angle lens lets users capture more of what they see. Great for divers, surfers, rafters, skiers and anyone with an active lifestyle. “

Yes, I bought into that but after reading the reviews and watching demos on YouTube, I thought it would be worth the investment to have to add this camera to my point-and-shoot arsenal. Compared to my last POS camera (Canon PowerShot A610), this camera is pretty decent. It is exactly what I was looking for when we go overseas (holding it’s own in various weather conditions and environments). Here is a link to the specs.

Aside from the key design and durability features, I was amazed at the amount of built-in software and camera settings that it had. What I didn’t like or am not used to yet is the “hand-held design” of the camera (my finger occasionally gets in the way of the camera lens). Secondly, I’m not a fan of proprietary batteries (my A610 used AA size batteries) and I was a little worried about investing in xD-Picture Cards (only Olympus and Fuji cameras use them and they currently max out at 2 gb). I was pleasantly surprised that it came with a micro SD adapter.

Other than that, this camera ROCKS!

(my first test was actually operating the camera in the shower…very cool and no, those photos were deleted).