1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Good P&S, but be careful about video
Date of Review: Aug 22, 2008
The Bottom Line: It's a buy if you need a waterproof camera.
Here's what I discovered about the video only after using the camera:
* Unless you get a special memory card, you are limited to 10 seconds of video at VGA resolution and 30 fps. So budget the expense of a special memory card into your cost. I bought the special memory card and tested it and it indeed eliminates the 10 second limitation. This is what the Olympus website says about this "feature":
"Using an xD-Picture Card TypeM or TypeH, you can now continuously record movies with VGA quality (640 x 480) 30 fps up to the capacity of the card."
* During the first 4 seconds of video, the audio is quiet. Then it gets louder. I called Olympus tech support. The tech support guy said there was a firmware update scheduled for September 2008 and it will address audio problems. He didn't state explicitly that it would solve this problem.
I also tested the underwater features. The photos are satisfactory as is the video. I tossed the camera in 6 feet of water while recording. The camera survived OK and recorded interesting video. I suggest buying a floatie strap if you are going to record in lakes or rivers.
