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Waterproof Cameras: Olympus vs Pentax?

4K views 27 replies 19 participants last post by  Jim Speaker 
#1 ·
Has anyone been able to compare, side to side, the Pentax Optio W30 against the Olympus 790 SW? Prices are about the same, $249, and much of the other features are about the same. The video formats are different (MOV vs AVI), though. Other than that, I can't parse through the rest of the data to figure out which is "better." If there is one difference that does stand out, the Olympus is shockproof against drops to 5ft. The Pentax does have a smaller profile (WHD: 4.2 x 2.1 x 0.93) than the Olympus (WHD: 3.7 x 4.2 x 0.84). Other than that, what's the difference when it comes to actual performance?

--Dave E.
 
#2 ·
hello dave. check out "broadway photo". pentax-$213, olympus-$204. free shipping (i think)
i have the olympus 790sw and
give it my recommendation (for what its worth). pentax makes a great product as well, but i've had bad luck with 2 different models in the past.

cheers, fishdontcare
 
#4 ·
Broadway photo is a rip off joint. Stay away from them.

http://photo.net/neighbor/view-one-about?id=2&about=Broadway+Photo,+Brooklyn+NY

In general, if you find a price that is more than 5% lower than what you see on Amazon, B&H, or Adorama, then it is a scam of some sort.

As far as those two cameras, it's really 6 of one half dozen of the other. Either will be just fine. I have the Pentax, it works fine.
 
#8 ·
#9 ·
#16 ·
I have had the 1030 SW for two months and love this camera. It is hands down the best water proof camera on the market. Spend the extra on the 1030 SW and you will not be disappointed. I was going to get the 770SW and read they were coming out with the 1030SW so I waited and waited and then waited for it to go on sale. I probably waited eight months and it has lived up to all my expectations.
 
#17 ·
Note that the Pentax and the Olympus use different memory cards (x-D vs. SD). The cost of switching from one format to another used to be a major consideration. With memory so cheap, it probably isn't an issue any longer. However, if you also have an SLR or another digital point-and- shoot, you'll find that you won't be able to swap memory between them because few other devices use the x-D format. It's a minor inconvenience, but a consideration that nugged me into purchasing the Pentax. I have a Nikon digital SLR.
 
#18 ·
However, if you also have an SLR or another digital point-and- shoot, you'll find that you won't be able to swap memory between them because few other devices use the x-D format. It's a minor inconvenience, but a consideration that nugged me into purchasing the Pentax. I have a Nikon digital SLR.
Generally only today's entry-level DSLRs use the smaller memory cards since their smaller footprint fits better in the smaller camera chassis.

I recently upgraded from my Nikon D-100 to a Canon and was initially attracted to the new Rebel XSi until I found out that I'd need to buy need memory cards. I have a half dozen of so of the larger CF cards from the Nikon which would have been incompatible with the Rebel's smaller SD slot. I decided to opt for the prosumer Eos 40D instead with LiveView, an all-metal body and which uses the larger CF cards.

Not that new cards would have been a wallet-buster though: Costco has 4gb cards for about $29 in several different formats.

K
 
#19 ·
I have experience with the Olympus 850 SW. It's a great camera and w/ 8mp, it's pretty hard to beat. I played around with the 1030SW and wasn't impressed enough to spend the extra $$.

Here's a picture I took of a brown with a 850 SW http://www.washingtonflyfishing.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=28587&ppuser=570

For camera deals, it's hard to beat buydig.com. I've never had an issue with them.
 
#21 ·
Simple, buy a second backup battery. I took two fully charged batteries on a week-long trip to Montana earlier this year and shot about 175 images with my Optio WP. Fortunately, the first battery still had over half a charge when I got home. But if it'd died beforehand, the second one was handy and ready to go.

There are a lot of aftermarket batteries available online - some good and some of dubious quality. If you do buy a second battery, I'd recommend playing it safe and buying an OEM one made by the maker of your camera.

K
 
#27 ·
That's not an attitude unique to you! There's plenty of guys here (myself included) who'll pay $500 or more for a rod and $250 for a reel then bitch about new lines that cost $60.

K
 
#23 ·
Josh ....thanks for bringing up the wide angle lens.....the main reason I chose this model and worth the extra $ for sure! Great for underwater closeups of fish. Check my gallery..I posted one shot underwater a few weeks ago.

The battery on my 1030SW holds up extremely well...better than the Canon I had before this one. I haven't had it run out on a trip yet.
 
#25 ·
I just recently bought the Olympus 850 SW (8.0 MP, 3X zoom). Great little camera, waterproof shockproof, etc. I have not used it much yet since I use my SLR under most circumstances but the pictures I have taken have been very good. I think it retails for $299 but Best Buy price matched Amazon.com so I think I paid $244.
 
#26 ·
You know, I have the Pentax OPTIO (6 MPS) and I'm not all that impressed with it. On the other hand, a friend has the Panasonic Lumix Kent mentioned and that's the one I'd opt for. Not sure about it's waterproofness but it takes fantastic shots with a large, bright, clear image on the viewfinder. It has a 10X zoom and seems really easy to operate. I'm thinking about one myself - in fact, I'll sell you my OPTIO!
Lois
 
#28 ·
Dunno about how long it holds charge, but, I'm really happy to have purchased a DC to AC converter for my rig, now I can plug my AC stuff in to charge - I'm just careful not to exceed the wattage, you won't see me hooking a power strip to the thing! :eek:
 
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