Unfortunately my last camera had no image stabilization, so about 1/3 to 1/2 of all the photos I took came out blurred. But before I could make a decision on a replacement, my old one died. Apparently some road grit had gotten into the lens and one day it refused to extend or retract. Since most of the compact digital cameras on the market have lenses that extend prior to use, it narrowed the field down dramatically. This was the main reason I decided to go with the Olympus.

I’ve had it for a few months now and had occasion to use it for both moving and normal photography (I’ve posted a few good and bad photos here). I’m not completely sold on it, but to me the pros outweigh the cons so I’m going to keep it. There are however, a few design issues that I find frustrating.

The first is the focus time (the time between pushing the shutter button and when the photo is actually taken). With my old compact digital it was almost instantaneous, so “I got what I shot”. With the Olympus it takes a second or two, which when shooting moving vehicles (from a moving vehicle) is enough time to allow the subject to change position and now be slightly out of focus. Unfortunately image stabilization will not compensate for that.

Another issue is the placement of the flash. On most cameras the flash is on the opposite side from where you hold it (the flash is usually on the left while you hold it on the right). However, on the 790SW the flash is on the same side as the hand grip, which means that if you are not extremely careful your finger will block part of the flash. I have some group photos taken at night where the people on the right side are in darkness while those on the left and in the center are properly lit.

But the biggest issue I have is with the battery life. Typically I would get between 300-400 shots from the battery on my old compact digital camera. However, the battery life on the 790SW is amazingly short. My first trip I got only 170 daylight shots before the camera completely shut down. As it was only mid morning and I wouldn’t be able to charge the battery until that night, I spent the rest of the day with a useless camera while dozens of great photos got away. Since then I picked up a second battery, but still have to keep an eye on my power consumption so that I don’t run out before the end of the day. I thought about buying a third or forth battery, but at that point I would be spending a large chunk of the overall cost of camera just to keep it powered.

In short:

Pros:

Bulletproof (water/dust/freeze/crush/shock proof)
Non extending lens will not jam from dirt or dust
Auto open/shut metal lens cover
Image Stabilization
7.1 Megapixel

Cons:

Focus time
Placement of the flash
Battery life
Must remove the battery to charge it

While the focus lag-time problem might be unique to my work, the flash and battery issues are ones that everyone should consider before buying this camera. If you have unique needs (camera robustness, weather/water proof) then this is one of the few choices on the market and worth the money. However, if you don’t need the special abilities this camera has to offer, I think you would be better served looking for something else in this (or even a lower) price range.