From the Manufacturer

While other digital cameras may use touch screens to access settings, the new Stylus 1050 SW has a shockproof, waterproof and freezeproof body that is sensitive to touch all over. So getting to the most common menu settings in situations where pushing buttons takes time or is difficult is now as fast and easy as a tap on the top, back or sides of the camera.

The rugged 10.1-megapixel Stylus 1050 SW is designed to take the hard knocks that everyday life--particularly those with kids--can throw its way, so you know that the memories it captures will be protected. It can handle five-foot drops to the hard ground, operate in freezing snowstorms, and swim with the fishes -- lethal conditions for most other digital cameras. Additionally, the sleek, lens-protecting faceplate slides down, turning the camera on and revealing the lens in an instant to capture the moment.

Stylus 1050SW Highlights

Tap Control
The Stylus 1050 SW camera can be controlled with a simple tap on its top, back or sides, which is made possible thanks to the new camera’s 3D accelerometer that detects the direction of the force on the camera’s body. For example, to turn on the flash or Shadow Adjustment Technology, tap the camera’s side twice. In adverse climates, where the Stylus 1050 SW thrives, the new Tap Control ensures fast results so you get the shot, even if you are adjusting settings while fighting frostbite with large gloves that would make traditional buttons nearly impossible to maneuver.

Shockproof design for worry-free fun
The shock-absorbing technology designed into the Stylus 1050 SW minimizes the impact delivered to the lens and circuitry when the camera is dropped from heights up to 5 feet. Whether the camera slips out of a backpack or a toddler drops it down a staircase, the Stylus 1050 SW can take a licking and keep on clicking.

Waterproof for underwater adventures
The Stylus 1050 SW performs as well under water as it does on land because its lightweight, aluminum exterior is matched with interior rubber gaskets and O-rings to seal out the elements. It can take photos while being fully submerged to depths of approximately 10 feet (3 meters). The inclusion of a preset underwater scene mode makes the Stylus 1050 SW perfect for snorkeling or a day in the pool. It also features a water-repellant lens coating to prevent water droplets from forming on the lens to get crystal-clear shots no matter how wet the shooting environment.

Freezeproof for icy conditions
Unlike other point-and-shoot cameras that freeze up in frosty weather, the Stylus 1050 SW still performs when the temperature dips well below freezing (down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit; -10 degrees Celsius) so it is ready when you are to make a snowman or hit the slopes.

Face Detection and Smile Shot
Face Detection tracks up to 16 faces within the frame and automatically focuses (Face Detection AF) and optimizes exposure (Face Detection AE) for sharp, brilliant portraits and group shots. The Stylus 1050 SW also features Smile Shot, which tracks your subject’s face to detect a smile and automatically fires off three consecutive shots so you never miss that perfect smile. This feature is great for parents hoping to capture hard-to-predict baby smiles.

In-camera panorama
In-camera panorama mode captures three images and stitches them together to create one amazing panoramic picture. Simply press the shutter button and slowly pan across a panoramic scene. The second and third images will be captured automatically and stitched together with the first image right in the camera -- resulting in one seamless panorama-size picture ready for printing. To create the ultimate panoramic picture, consumers can use the Olympus Master Software 2 to stitch up to 10 images together.

Shadow Adjustment Technology
Shooting outdoors in bright daylight can be tricky because of the extreme contrast between dark shadowed areas and bright sunlit areas. While the human eye is capable of detecting the nuances between dark and light and all the details in between, image sensors traditionally have not been quite as sensitive. Shadow Adjustment Technology compensates for extreme contrast where the shadow areas are underexposed and lack visible detail. With this technology, users can preview and capture images with the same contrast as the naked eye.

Perfect Shot Preview
The Stylus 1050 SW features Perfect Shot Preview mode that enables users to preview and select various photographic effects on a live, multi-window screen before snapping the shot. This feature enables users to see precisely what the image will look like when adjustments are made, ensuring users are capturing the exact image they want. It is an ideal way for novice users to learn about the effects of different photography techniques, such as zoom, exposure compensation, white balance and metering.

Perfect Fix in-camera editing
The Stylus 1050 SW offers Red-Eye Fix and Shadow Adjustment Edit, in-camera editing features such as resizing, frames, text options and saturation adjustments, enabling users to edit photos right in the camera. With the Perfect Fix function, multiple editing features can be applied at once.

TruePic III Image Processor
Olympus’ enhanced TruePic III Image Processor produces crystal-clear photos using all the pixel information for each image to deliver superior picture quality with more accurate colors, true-to-life flesh tones and faster processing speeds. TruePic III also captures sharp images at high ISO settings, which are traditionally associated with increasing image noise or producing grainy photos.

LED Illuminator
An LED Illuminator works like a mini-flashlight on the front of the camera to enhance focus and exposure for macro shooting -- great for underwater close-up shots where light is scarce.

Digital Image Stabilization
This camera features Digital Image Stabilization (DIS) to capture crisp, clear pictures. By boosting the camera’s ISO sensitivity and shutter speed, DIS freezes the action and captures virtually blur-free images, even when you or your subject is moving.

Large HyperCrystal II LCD
The Stylus 1050 SW boasts an advanced HyperCrystal II LCD, which is Olympus’ next generation of LCD technology. It reproduces true colors with a dynamic contrast ratio of more than 180 percent and a color reproduction performance of more than 160 percent compared to HyperCrystal LCD, providing a preview that is more true to the final image.

Stylish Design and Colors
The Stylus 1050 SW is available in four stunning colors to suit your individual taste: blue, champagne, silver and black. Its newly designed body has a lens protecting component that slides in front of the camera’s lens to further protect it from extreme conditions.

Versatile Memory
All Olympus digital point-and-shoot cameras accept xD-Picture Card media. The Stylus 1050 SW will also come equipped with an adapter, which will enable microSD memory cards to be used when capturing images. The microSD cards are emerging in consumer electronic devices, including mobile phones and PDAs. Users can also easily display photos on their HDTVs.

Olympus Master 2 software
Olympus Master 2 software provides the ultimate in digital imaging management. An intuitive user interface makes downloading to a computer quick and simple. Images are easily organized by folders or albums and are searchable by date in the Calendar View. With one-click editing tools, such as red-eye removal, images can be touched up before printing or emailing. Online support, templates, firmware upgrades and other user services are just a mouse-click away. Use the optional muvee Theater Pack to create professional-quality slide shows and DVDs from your pictures using any of several built-in templates.

Review from Wired.com

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at Wired.com Stout Olympus Cam Takes a Licking and Keeps On Clicking

Are you the schlemiel who's always dropping his cellphone or camera at parties? Or maybe you're the schlemazel who always gets the drink spilled on him? Either way, if you're looking for a camera to fit a clumsy or accident-prone lifestyle, the shockproof, waterproof, and cold-resistant Stylus 1050 SW can take the beating from fumbles, faceplants or full-speed crashes, and still keep clicking. Add in some unique features, and you have a tough camera that's good for, well, just about anyone.

But if you thought that the SW's resistance to gravity, moisture and cold were all it had up its sleeve, you'd be hideously wrong. With skiing and snorkeling in mind, Olympus equipped the 1050 with an accelerometer letting you tinker with settings by tapping on the top and the sides. This lets you do useful stuff like turn the flash on and off with a gloved mitt or preview pictures with one hand while you fend off a tiger shark with the other. On the other hand, Olympus misses the opportunity to enhance the camera further by using the accelerometer for dynamically rotating the images in review mode.

Another cool feature? Perfect Shot Preview, a program that shows you what different settings--such as exposure--will look like in the finished picture through a side-by-side comparison on the LCD screen. We also dug the calendar view in the playback, where you can sort photos by the date they were taken. The SW also offers in-camera panorama stitching, which sounds useful but doesn't really look so great.

And there are some disappointments with the SW, too. First off, the cover that protects the lens and powers the thing on glides open a little too easily; it kept sliding agape while in-pocket, leaving the lens open to scratches and annihilating battery life. The 3x zoom makes the Olympus no good for wildlife photography, unless you're really good at sneaking up on birds and alligators. And the autofocus often had trouble locking onto a subject, making for long shutter lag at times. Oh yeah, the macro function is also weak; regular macro has a minimum focal length of 7.9 inches, and super macro is 2.8--not so super.

Most photos looked pretty decent if you discounted the occasional autofocus flub or the macro issue. We were certainly stoked that you can shoot video until you run out of space on your card. Olympus also includes a microSD adapter with the camera, so you have greater media versatility, and if you have a microSD-to-SD adapter, you can slap a card into most current notebooks, which lack xD readers.

About the size and shape as a pack of smokes, the Olympus won't take up any more space than a box of Camel Lights, but without all that pesky cancer. The 1050 SW's flaws are easier to forgive when you take into account its ability to tough out the cold, handle a hit or take a plunge. See if a pack of Parliaments can survive that.

RATING: 7 out of 10

WIRED: Shockproof to 5 feet and waterproof 10 means you can bang it on the edge of the pool as you fall in with no harm done. Tap feature lets you change settings without futzing with buttons, and the camera can handle alpine frigidity with aplomb. Comes with a microSD adapter for greater media versatility.

TIRED: Lens cover slides more easily than Ricky Henderson. The battery is easily inserted backwards, making you think it's dead or the camera is malfunctioning. Weak zoom and poor macro ability; this camera could use a bifocal upgrade.

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