Reviews for Olympus Stylus 790 SW 7.1 Megapixel Compact Camera - Black

2.5" LCD - 3x Optical Zoom - 3072 x 2304 Image - 640 x 480 Video - PictBridge - MPN: 226095

  • 4
  By member: monsterdeer - Feb 5, 2008

Used two months in New Zealand

Strengths: This camera was dropped countless times on a 60 day trip to New Zealand. I had a tiny crack in the LCD screen and the USB door got tweaked-- fixed with Silicon glue and a small pair of pliers.

Weakness: Not the best pictures but if you need a waterproof camera then there is no alternative.

I exposed this camera to extreme trauma. I dropped the camera countless times on a 60 day trip to New Zealand. I had a tiny crack in the LCD screen and the USB door got tweaked. I called Olympus New Zealand and the tech said that there was a 10% chance that the camera would not opperate over time and told me that the warranty did not cover cracked LCD's and tweaked USB doors. I fixed the LCD crack with Silicon glue and the USB door with a small pair of pliers. Camera works very well--unbelievable.

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  • 1
  By member: voidgate - Jun 4, 2008

Olympus 790 and Other Olympus Waterproof Cameras

Strengths: Camera worked other than the colour of photos being unlike the colour of what I was looking at. Only had it a short while. Never submersed it.

Weakness: Some Olympus waterproof cameras leak. My particular camera is unsuited for the purpose sold as the colour does not come out correctly. Olympus repair claims it is simple to fix.

I spoke to an Olympus representative in the service and repairs department.


I mentioned that I had seen appraisals on the Internet regarding this camera that some customers found their camera leaked.


He told me about 10% of cameras leaked as Olympus could not manufacture all of them with certainty.

The discussion referred to the 790 but I assume it also refers to other types of waterproof Olympus cameras.

Thus if you buy one it would be best to test it underwater before the warranty runs out.


Olympus Australia's service department takes immediate action to rectify cameras where the customer pays. If a camera is under warranty they put them in the system and it can take two weeks or more before the service department deals with it.

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  • 4
  By member: je nc - Jan 6, 2008

Olympus stylus 790 SW - It takes a beating

Strengths: Light weight and compact Easy to use functions and menus Big clear 2.5 in. LCD screen One tough camera

Weakness: There are other compact digital cameras that will give you better color reproductions but given what's being asked of it I can live with it.

I love this little camera. It contains all the critical functions and many new ones I hadn't seen before. The 'guide' function helps you set the aperture and shutter speed for specific conditions - very helpful. It's very compact and light weight. A big factor for me since I carry it with me during adventure races and every ounce counts. But more importantly it takes a beating and keeps clicking. This camera went through a bit of everything during a 100 mile race - mud, water crossings, hard impacts, and it performed with a problem and the pictures turned out great. Highly recommend.

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Reply by member: voidgate
Jun 2, 2008

The 790 I bought does not have accurate colour representations of the scene I am looking at. Sent it back to Olympus for appraisal. It has never worked as well as the FE 220 model I had prior which always produced satisfactory colours on the computer download and prints.

  • 3.0
  cnet.com - Sep 27, 2007

Olympus Stylus 790 SW (Black)

THE GOOD: Camera is waterproof to 10 feet, shock resistant to short drops and mild impact, and freezeproof down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit; also, has nifty Perfect Shot Preview function. THE BAD: No manual exposure controls; slightly soft images. THE BOTTOM LINE: If you need a camera that you can take snorkeling or skiing, then the Stylus 790 SW might be just the ticket, but you can find better...

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  • 3.0
  reviewgist.com - Jan 16, 2010

ReviewGist for Olympus Stylus 790SW Digital Camera

Image is Average according to 16 Digital Camera experts. -- "good overall color and hue accuracy"-imaging-resource.com -- "Color balance was pretty good, though a hint warm, with the Auto white balance setting."-imaging-resource.com -- "good color"-imaging-resource.com Read more to find expert opinions on more features like Video, Optics, Interface, Battery, etc.

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  • 2.6
  TopTenREVIEWS.com - Jul 16, 2008

olympus stylus 790 sw (black)

Olympus Stylus 790 Sw (black) receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS score of 2.11 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #490 Compact digital camera of all time. The overall rating represents an intelligent balance of features, value as a function of price to features, and a summary of reviews from a variety of sources. The TopTen REVIEWS' formula gives a picture of important consumer features, market value,...

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  • 2.0
  Imaging Resource - Feb 28, 2008

Olympus Stylus 790 SW Review

Though it looks like just another slick pocket digital camera, the 7.1 megapixel, 3x zoom Olympus Stylus 790 SW has a secret: it's Shockproof, Waterproof, Freezeproof, Sandproof, and dustproof to handle the elements -- and rough handling -- with aplomb. The Stylus 790 SW's Face Detection autofocus picks out a face to improve portraits, and a special Guide mode walks you through the art of taking...

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  • 3.5
  cameralabs.com - Dec 17, 2007

Camera Labs – Olympus Stylus 790 SW review

The Olympus 790 SW lets you confidently take photos in situations where you’d worry about other cameras, or simply be unable to take them at all. Raining? No problem. Splashes from a canoe or kayak? Fine. Dropped in the snow while skiing or boarding? No sweat. Complete submersion underwater? Why not? This makes it the ultimate type of camera for anyone who works or plays in adventurous...

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