Olympus Stylus 1030 SW10 megapixel, shockproof, freezeproof and waterproof to 33 feet
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

Right upfront, scuba divers and people who love the rugged outdoors, no matter what it will throw at them, will adore the new 10-megapixel Olympus Stylus 1030 SW. This new top-of-the-line model in Olympus’ SW (Shock & Waterproof) series was introduced in January of 2008 as part of the company’s announcement of nine new consumer cameras. While sporting a new look that is somewhere inbetween the Stylus 770 SW and the new Stylus 850 SW, it’s clear that this is the successor to the 7.1 megapixel Stylus 770 SW. Don’t let the small size and stylish look fool you: this shockproof, waterproof, crushproof, freezeproof, sandproof, and dustproof may just be the toughest consumer camera ever built. It survives drops from almost seven feet and you can take it diving down to 33 feet, without an underwater housing. And there is more.

What you get with the Stylus 1030 SW

Quite possibly the perfect camera for Scuba divers. That’s because its ability to be taken down to a depth of 33 feet clearly sets it apart from other cameras in Olympus’ SW series. They are all tough and you can take them all just about anywhere. But when it comes to diving, only this new 1030 (and its 770 SW predecessor) will do. Sure, many dives go deeper but there is a lot of great scenery in shallow waters, and we have no doubt that the 1030 SW, like the 770 SW before, won’t mind the occasional descent to 50 or 60 feet. Not needing to take along a bulky underwater case is priceless. I know. But diving is not all the 1030 SW can do. Thanks to a rugged metal body, extensive sealing and shock-absorbing construction, the 1030 can survive drops from two meters, or 6.6 feet. And there we thought the 5-foot drop spec of the also new Stylus 850 SW was impressive. Freezing temperatures do not affect this camera as it is freezeproof down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit. So it’s a perfect companion for sledding, skiing and snowboarding as well. Finally, unlike the lesser SW series cameras, this one is crushproof as well. Its tough case and reinforced LCD can withstand 220 pounds of pressure.

Amazingly, the 1030 W can do all this while still being a very compact, elegant camera you can take anywhere. It has a footprint of 3.7 x 2.4 inches and is 0.84 inches thick — exactly the same as the 8-megapixel 850 SW. It’s, however, packed full of circuitry and tons of little parts (we took its predecessor apart) and weighs a bit more, though still just over six ounces without its Li-Ion battery, and not much more with it. The new and more powerful 3.6X optical zoom is internal, which means there is no annoying lens barrel that motors in and out. And even though the 1030 SW can stand up to deep water, dust, crushing, sand and freezing temperatures, it’s also a regular full-function digital camera with all the features you expect from a modern point & shoot compact.

Like the 850 SW, the 1030 is easy to use right out of the box. In the back there is a mode dial that lets you select automatic, image stabilization, guide mode, movie, playback and favorites, as well as scenes. Below the mode dial is a four-way navigation pad with an “OK” button in its center. Four additional function buttons bring up the onscreen menu and cycle through often used functions.

A word about the internal zoom. While the 770 had a 3X zoom equivalent to the standard 38-114mm equivalent, the new camera has a slightly extended 3.6X zoom that starts at a wide 28mm and goes up to 102mm. This means that it is much better suited to underwater photography where a wide lens always comes in handy while giving up hardly any magnification.

Features

Despite its impressive environmental ruggedness specifications, the Stylus 1030 SW is anything but a one trick pony. In fact, with its choice of three colors (silver, black and green), elegant styling, and wealth of functions, this is a camera that can do it all. Like almost all new consumer digital cameras, the Stylus 1030 has a face detection mode that enables it to find one face or more faces in a setting and make sure that they are in focus and properly exposed. It can do that even when people are moving.

The 1030 has digital image stabilization that uses higher sensitivity and higher shutter speed to reduce or eliminate blurriness in pictures. It doesn’t however, have mechanical sensor shift image stablization which would come in especially handy for underwater shooting.

The TruePic III Image Processor that was originally developed for digital SLRs delivers more vibrant colors, smoother edges, less nose and higher overall speed.

Olympus equipped the 1030 SW with its Shadow Adjustment Technology that analyzes shots of subjects in front of bight backgrounds and then exposes things properly. In essence, it compensates for extreme contrast where the shadow areas on the foreground subject are underexposed and lack visible detail.

The Perfect Shot Preview feature displays the effects of various settings including zoom, exposure, white balance and metering - on the LCD so you can select the proper settings and effects

The camera also has an LED Illuminator that works like a mini-flashlight on the front of the camera to enhance focus and exposure for macro shooting. It is also great for underwater close-ups where light is scarce. The LED also works in conjunction with the Bright Capture feature (brightened LCD preview for better composition in low light) to help illuminate a subject when taking low-light portraits.

There is a large 2.7-inch high resolution (230k pixel) LCD that does not only have aa very wide viewing angle in all directions, but also uses the Olympus HyperCrystal II LCD technology. According to Olympus, 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 the original HyperCrystal LCD.

While the 1030 SW does not have any manual modes, there are 28 “scene modes” in addition to auto: portrait, landscape, landscape + portrait, night, night + portrait, sport, indoor, candle, self portrait, available light portrait, sunset, firework, cuisine, behind glass, document, auction, shoot & select 1 and 2, beach and snow, underwater snapshot, underwater wide 1 and 2, underwater macro, and underwater movie. New is a pre-capture movie mode where the camera records but only commits to storage once you push the shutter. That way you are certain to capture the seconds leading up to an event.

Shoot & Select lets you take sequential pictures by holding down the shutter. The pics then show up as sort of a filmstrip and you can select which you want to keep and which you want to discard.

“Guide” sort of guides you through various scenarios and sets the camera properly. This mode also lets you preview a scene through a multi-frame window that shows how the picture looks with four different settings. You then pick what suits you best.

Like other Olympus cameras, the 1030 has both a macro and a super-macro mode. The macro mode goes from eight inches to infinity whereas super-macro goes from an amazing 0.8 inches to a bit under two feet. This is great as Olympus underwater cameras excel at macro photography.

The Stylus 1030 SW has a 640 x 480 movie mode with sound, and it shoots at 30 frames per second for lifelike video. We still need to ascertain whether the VGA mode has a time limit, as the 790 SW had. Sound has never been a strong side of Olympus consumer cameras. The 1030 SW has a Shooting Assist function for voice recording but we’re not sure if that includes a full voice recording mode. You can attach short sound clips to still images.

Sequential shooting is quite fast for a 10-megapixel camera. You can shoot seven frames at 0.7 frames per second in full resolution, and 11 frames at 5.2 frames per second at 3 megapixel resolution.

There is an in-camera panorama mode that lets you capture three images and then stitches them together to create a panoramic picture. As you pan, special markers shows up on the display. Align them to take the next picture.

The flash range has been extended to 17.4 feet in wide mode and 12 feet in tele mode.

You are no longer limited to the often somewhat hard-to-find xD-Picture cards. The 1030 SW comes with a special adapter so you can use microSD cards as well. Internal storage remains a meager 15MB.

The camera uses the new 925-mAH LI-50B that charges much faster (in two hours instead of five) and is rated at 260 pictures.

Bottom line

The Stylus 1030 SW is the camera a lot off divers and outdoorsmen (and women) have been waiting for. It brings 10-megapixel resolution to scuba diving without the need of an underwater case. It’s also the most rugged Olympus Stylus camera yet, being able to survive huge drops from almost seven feet and freezing temperatures. Despite its ruggedness, the 1030 SW is small, light, elegant, and has a wealth of features. Its large 2.7-inch wide viewing angle LCD is brighter and than before and offers better contrast. The new 3.6X 28-102mm internal optical allows both wide angle photography and good magnification. The camera has underwater and pre-capture movie modes as well as state-of-the-art featureslike face detection, in-camera panorama, shadow adjustment, perfect shot preview, in-camera editing and more. Add to that the ability to use microSD cards via an included adapter and a very powerful battery and you have all the makings of a big hit.

We like:

• Attractively styled sports and outdoor camera
• Real diving possible with 33 feet depth limit
• Inherent waterproofing provides peace of mind when handling in/around water
• Can survive 6.6-foot drops and 14 degree temperature!
• Superb wide-angle, high-res 2.7-inch LCD
• Pre-capture movie mode
• microSD adapter included
• 3.6X 28-102mm optical zoom allows wide angle shooting
• Very good underwater macro mode
• LED illumination
• Optional deepwater housing

Not so much:

• Strictly point & shoot
• Elegant metal body easily gets scratched

 Nikon Coolpix S600Advanced 10-megapixel ultra-compact with 4X zoom and optical vibration reduction
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

The Coolpix S600 is one of two 10-megapixel cameras introduced by Nikon in January of 2008 as part of its Spring lineup. Why two 10-megapixel cameras that, at first look, are very similar? Because there are significant differences, enough to describe them separately.

The S600 is an elegant and very compact camera with high-end features. It has a large and high resolution 2.7-inch display with a wide viewing angle from all sides. And it comes with a wide angle 4X lens that also lets you get as close as 1.2 inches. Most importantly, it comes with optical vibration reduction image stabilization. As a result, it lists for US$299, a good bit more than Nikon’s other new 10-megapixel camera, the S550. Depending on your picture taking preferences, it may be money well spent.

Wide angle zoom and high end features

With digital camera prices getting ever lower, camera makers are having a hard time differentiating their offerings and justifying price differences. In an effort to be price-competitive, they usually include something special in a model, but usually at the expense of something else. Or you get all the goods and pay more. With the new S600, Nikon chose to let you have your cake and eat it, too, but you pay US$70 more than for the also new 10-megapixel S550. 10mp gets you 3648 x 2736 pixels to play with. That’s enough for very large prints and enough to crop pictures and still have enough resolution. Nikon chose a 4X 28-112mm optical zoom for this camera. That means it starts wide and allows wide angle photography, and then magnifies about as much as a standard 3X optical zoom. So those who like to get close may be better off with the S550’s 5X zoom that goes from 36 to 180mm. However, wide angle shooting is not this lens’s only forte; you can also go as close as 1.2 inches in macro mode.

The S600’s LCD display is about as large and good as it gets in this class of camera. It measures a gratifying 2.7 inches diagonally and has reflective coating for optimal outdoor viewing. It is also very sharp with 230k pixel resolution. This makes not only for a more pleasant picture, but you can also see if an image is really sharp when you zoom in.

From a design point of view, the stainless steel-bodied S600 is a little marvel of a camera. It measures a just 3.6 x 2.1 inches and is 0.9 inchs thick. Even with its battery installed, it weighs barely five ounces. It is a clean, elegant design that however gets a bit more complex when it comes to the controls on its backside. Like the Coolpix S510 and the 12-megapixel S700, the S600 has a “rotary multi selector” that combines the functionality of a mode dial with that of a navigation disc into an unmarked multi-function selector disc/ring. This requires a bit of getting used to.

You can use the multi selector ring like a standard navigation disc. You can also use it to toggle through flash, self timer, exposure compensation and macro mode settings by pressing down on its four sides. And to select various options you can rotate it like a mode dial to select various options both in record and playback mode. Sometimes an onscreen representation of the multi selector appears on the LCD, providing labels so you can rotate until you get to the selection you want. The multi selector works well, it’s just that it is a bit different from what most digital photographers are used do. The illustration below is from the S700’s manual and shows how the selector works when the camera is in recording mode.

Like all recent Coolpix cameras, the S600 benefits from Nikon’s EXPEED image processing system that optimizes noise reduction and improves the signal-to-noise ratio. The S600 also has an enhanced face-priority auto focus mode that can now detect and focus on up to 12 faces in a single picture. Red-eye fixing is built into the camera, and there is D-Lighting that compensates for excessive backlight or insufficient flash in images.

Nikon uses optical VR Image Stabilization technology in the S600. Still pictures use an optical vibration reduction which Nikon calls image-sensor shift. This is an active optical shift anti-shape technology that senses movement perpendicular to the panning. So if you pan horizontally, the VR mechanism will reduce vertical shake; if the camera pans vertically, horizontal shake is smoothed out. This can be enabled or disabled in settings. The S600 has no manual modes. It’s either auto or one of the scene modes: Active Child, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close Up, Museum, Fireworks Show, Copy, Back Light, and Panorama Assist.

Overall

The elegant stainless steel Nikon Coolpix S600 is a high-end 10-megapixel camera with a terrific 2.7-inch high resolution display that can be seen from all sides and is sunlight-readable. It is very fast both in startup and shutter relase. Its 28-114mm 4X zoom lens allows for wide angle shots, and it also lets you get as close as 1.2 inches in macro mode. Optical vibration reduction results in far viewer blurry pictures. Very high ISO 3200 sensitivity allows shooting in low light conditions. Add to that an advanced face-pririty mode, in-camera red eye fix, an “active child mode” and other goodies and you have a point & shooter that’s ready for anything. We like:

• 4X optical wide angle zoom
• Optical image stabilization
• ISO 3200 sensitivity
• Macro as close as 1.2 inches
• Very good sunlight-visible hi-res 2.7 inch screen with wide viewing angle
• Elegant design with brushed metal body
• Small, light and handy
• Full speed VGA movies with sound and time lapse movies

Not so much:

• Rotary mode selector a bit cumbersome

 Nikon Coolpix S550Stylish 10-megapixel ultra-compact with 5X zoom
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

When Nikon revealed its Fall 2007 lineup, something was missing: a 10-megapixel camera. The S-Series models jumped from 8 (S510) to 12 megapixel (S700). This oversight has now been addressed with not one but two new 10-megapixel cameras, the S550 and the S600. They are different enough that we’ll dedicate a separate page to each.

The S550 is a small and handy little camera that will appeal to those who like to get close. That’s because it, unlike any other S-Series Coolpix, has a 5X optical zoom. Depending on the kinds of pictures you like to take, that can make a huge difference. Following the trend of offering cameras in different colors, the S550 comes in plum, cool blue and graphite black. And with a list price of just US$229, it’s a bargain.

Elegance and performance

With digital camera prices getting ever lower, camera makers are having a hard time differentiating their offerings and justifying price differences. In an effort to be price-competitive, they usually include something special in a model, but usually at the expense of something else. The new S550 is no different. On the plus side you get 10 megapixel to play with. That means 3648 x 2736 pixel images, enough for huge prints and also enough to crop to your heart’s content and still have enough resolution. A 5X optical zoom is always better than the standard 3X zoom. And the S550’s zoom is actually longer than that of the also new and more expensive Coolpix S600 which has a 4X wide angle zoom. And you get time-lapse movies and a smile and blink mode. More on that later.

On the negative side — and this is relative and only compared to the other new 10-megapixel Nikon — the LCD measures “only” 2.5 inches diagonally and not 2.7. The S550 does not have the rotary multi selector of the S600 (not everyone will miss it). Most importantly, and this is primarily why the S550 costs $70 less, it only has digital vibration reduction and not the more sophisticated optical sensor shift technology. It is not immediately obvious why Nikon equips the 4X zoom model with active anti-blur and the one with a 5X zoom, which needs image stabilization more, only with the digital version.

Be that as it may, there is much to like. The all-metal S550 is a very compact and attractive camera. It measures a tiny 3.6 x 2.1 inches and is 0.9 inchs thick. Even with its battery installed, it weighs barely five ounces. It is a clen, elegant design with simple and clearly marked controls. Most of the backside is taken up by the high resolution (230k pixel) LCD that sports anti-reflection coating so it can be viewed in sunlight. It also has a very wide viewing angle from all sides. To the right of the display are the few hardware controls, all nicely and logically arranged. The 4-way navigation disc with an “ok” button in its center also lets you quickly toggle through frequently used functions such as flash, time delay, focus modes and so on. The four hardware buttons invoke the settings and mode selection menus, toggle between record and playback, and let you delete pics. All very simple.

Like all recent Coolpix cameras, the S550 benefits from Nikon’s EXPEED image processing system that optimizes noise reduction and improves the signal-to-noise ratio. The S550 also has an enhanced face-priority auto focus mode that can now detect and focus on up to 12 faces in a single picture. Red-eye fixing is built into the camera, and there is D-Lighting that compensates for excessive backlight or insufficient flash in images.

Nikon uses electronic VR Image Stabilization technology in the S550. It uses higher sensitivity and quicker shutter speeds to help produce sharper and clearer images in low lighting conditions or when subjects are moving. There is a total of 15 scene modes. They are Face-Priority AF, Portrait, Landscape, Sports, Night Portrait, Party/Indoor, Beach/Snow, Sunset, Dusk/Dawn, Night Landscape, Close Up, Museum, Fireworks Show, Copy, Back Light, and Panorama Assist.

There are also two new modes: Smile and Blink Warning. In smile mode, the camera can actually tell a smile and will wait to shoot the picture until it detects one. Blink warning actually displays a warning message when, in the camera’s opinion, the subject has blinked when the picture was taken. Since a lot of people have that annoying tendency, the warning message quickly lets you take another shot without having to check the picture.

Overall

We like the Coolpix S550 because it offers a good combination of features at a great price. You get a 10-megapixel camera with a very good 2.5-inch high-res display, lots of fun features and, most importantly, a genuine 5X optical zoom. In addition, the S550 is small and light and very elegant — a real conversation piece. The one thing missing is optical anti-blur, but that is why the excellent S550 is so reasonably priced. We like:

• 5X optical zoom
• 10 megapixel resolution
• Very good sunlight-visible hi-res 2.5 inch screen with wide viewing angle
• Elegant design with brushed metal body in three colors
• Small, light and handy
• Advanced face recognition mode with smile and blink detection
• Full speed VGA movies with sound and time lapse movies

Not so much:

• No optical anti-blur

Photographing fireworks

Taking photos of fireworks can be tricky so plan in advance. Arrive before the show begins to find an unobstructed view of where the fireworks display will appear.

Make sure you’re in a place where people will not constantly walk in front of you. However for some shots, it’s perfectly acceptable to have people as part of the scene.

Extraneous lighting can interfere with getting a properly exposed photo. Stay as far away as possible from illuminated signs, street lamps and parking lots with artificial lighting.

Position your digital camera where the fireworks will explode. Take a few practice shots early in the show. Check focus and exposure on the LCD. Tweak settings as necessary.

Once the show begins, take lots of shots! Shoot holding the camera vertically as well as horizontally.

What to bring:

• A tripod or monopod to steady your camera and prevent camera shake.
• A small to mid-sized flashlight to use when you must adjust camera settings in the dark.
• Extra batteries and memory cards.

Getting your camera ready:

• Set your camera’s focal length to normal or wider. Using a wide focal length is generally more effective than zooming in to take photos of fireworks. You can edit to obtain a more tightly cropped photo.
• Set the camera to it’s highest quality settings.
• Use a tripod or other steady support, and the self-timer or a camera remote.
• Turn off the flash (if you can’t turn it off, tape a piece of cardboard over it).

Other camera settings:

If your digital camera’s settings can not be changed, the automatic settings may keep the shutter open long enough for a proper exposure. You can also set your camera to landscape or fireworks mode.

If your camera has manual settings:

• Set focus to infinity.
• Use an aperture of F5.6 or smaller (higher number).
• Set the shutter to bulb.
• Exposure: try between 1/2 and 4 seconds; although one to two seconds can also work well.
• If possible, use an ISO of 100.

I’m sitting in a café doing an odd thing. Watching someone take photos of cupcakes. What’s unusual about the scene is not that someone is taking the photos. It’s that it isn’t me clicking the shutter.

As a professional food photographer, I’m usually the one on that side of the camera, my tripod getting in the way of the waitstaff or with my family rolling their eyes at me wondering if they’ll get to take their first bite before the meal gets cold. These days however, I seem to spy others popping off shots of the delicious dishes in front of them almost as much as I am.

The sheer number of food photos on websites, blogs and photo sharing sites like Flickr is enough to feed millions of hungry eyeballs, and is growing at an enormous rate. Finding quality in those images, however, is still a bit of a challenge.

Tips for taking great photos of food

Food rarely looks appetizing when shot with a point-and-shoot digital camera on its automatic settings. A quick web search on “food photography” will return a lot of good tips: turn off your on-camera flash, shoot quickly before the food starts to wilt or congeal and get in close. These are all great tips, and will go a long way towards getting you more scrumptious looking photos. But if you are still looking for ways to improve, try some of these tips:

Simple settings and props

First, decide what detail you want to show in the food or the scene and make sure that you don’t have other distractions in the frame. If it’s the lusciousness of a chocolate swirl, its simple to do by filling the frame with just the chocolate. If it’s the overall table, back up a little, but try to only include hints of the curve of a chair, or a casually strewn napkin.

It’s far too easy to have too many props distracting from your intent yielding cluttered and chaotic photos. Props, like dishes, flatware, flowers and linens are a bit like jewelry. It’s always a good idea dress the table, but then take off at least one item before the final shot. Simple settings lead the focus to the food.  For this reason, it’s also usually best to stick with white dishes and linens without a lot of ornamentation.

Shooting angle

You’ll also need to find the right angle for the dish you are shooting. Most food photos that I see are shot from about 45 degrees looking down on the dish. This is a safe angle as it is similar to what someone who is sitting down to eat the food will see. It’s familiar, and gives some dimensionality to the food.

When shooting, I almost always grab a shot at about a 45 degree angle. However, as with most photography, you are likely to find better shots with a bit of exploration.

For stacks of food, like pancakes dripping with syrup and butter, shooting directly from the side will emphasize the height of the dish. Tilting the camera away from the standard straight portrait or landscape will add a sense of motion. I often use this for shots that involve pouring or how-tos in the kitchen. For a more novel look, you can try shooting from directly overhead. The food will appear very flat and more graphic… a fun look for things that are already flat, like decorated cookies. ..

Focus

A great shot means getting the focus right. Often when shooting a plate of food, the camera may be quite close to the dish. If your lens can’t focus that close, you’ll end up with a blurry image. Make sure you don’t hold the lens closer than the minimun range for the camera.

If you are using a point-and-shoot, make sure it is set to macro mode. If using a digital SLR, get familiar with the minimum focal distance of your lenses and respect its limitations. It’s better to not fill the frame than end up with a blurry subject.

Also, auto focus doesn’t always work well on the uneven, soft shapes of food. If your camera has it, use manual focus to make sure you get the right point in focus.

Lighting

Lighting, of course, is the other key to getting a great food photo.

Like most portraiture, softer lighting helps bring out the right amount of detail while hiding the less appealing aspects of the subject. Side and back light bring out the shape and color where using flash from the front tends to flatten and make the food look dead or oily.

Food is happiest under natural light, so get the food close to a window when shooting. If the light from the window is too bright, it will cast harsh shadows, so soften it by covering the window with white paper or choose a different window.

You may also need to bounce a little bit of light onto the front of the subject, so you don’t end up with just a silhouette. Something as simple as a piece of Styrofoam, or a white napkin draped over a glass, placed just out of frame in between the subject and camera can provide the right amount of additional light.

Use a tripod

Soft light does tend to mean less light, so it’s always best to use a tripod when possible. This not only prevents camera shake but you can use the lowest ISO number. If you can’t use a tripod, increase the ISO setting to a point that you can still safely handhold the camera. The image may be a bit noisy (grainy) but it is better to have extra noise than a blurry image.

White balance

Finally, make sure you set the white balance on your camera. While a yellow glow might be nice to set the mood for some images, color cast is one of the biggest problems beginner photographers encounter, and one of the easiest to correct. At a minimum, change from auto white balance to one of the situational presets your camera has…usually setting like cloudy, interior or sunny day.

Even better, if your camera supports it, do a custom white balance. Take a quick shot of something neutral in color…a white napkin, the grey floor…that is in the light you will be shooting, and then set the camera’s custom white balance to this image. It’s a quick step that will ensure you are getting neutral color with every shot.