Value
Both cameras sell for about $300. The Olympus 1050 SW is priced at $299 while Pentax originally tagged its W60 for $329.
Are they worth it?
YES
• …if you’ve lost a camera to water damage and don’t want it to happen again
• …if your kids are prone to destruction
• …if you want pictures in extreme weather conditions like rain and snow
NO
• …if you want accurately colored, perfectly noiseless images
• …if you are serious about great underwater shots
If you really want great pictures whether above or below the water, you should get another digital camera that provides more accurate colors, less noise, and better exposure – and you can probably get it cheaper than these. Most manufacturers sell an underwater housing as an accessory to the digital cameras. Most housings can go as deep as 130 feet, making them more suitable for diving than the 10-13-feet-ratings on the Olympus 1050 SW and Pentax W60. While another camera with a housing will likely take better pictures, a clunky housing on a camera isn’t feasible in some situations: skiing the Alps or playing at the neighbor’s pool party. In these cases, the W60 and 1050 SW will come in handy and will be well worth the $300.
Conclusion
The Olympus Stylus 1050 SW and the Pentax Optio W60 are a break from the typical digital camera: they can be dunked and abused and will still take pictures. They both top off their features with 10 megapixels, large LCD screens, and scores of preset modes that make them easy to use.
The compact cameras are marketed with a “tough guy” approach: they can be dunked and frozen, and the Stylus 1050 SW can even be stepped on and dropped. However, behind the tough façade of these cameras are a few unfortunate weaknesses.
Both cameras are sluggish to start up.
Both offer ISO settings up to 1600, but are just about unusable beyond ISO 200 because of the noise.
The Pentax doesn’t have a burst mode, and the Olympus’ isn’t much better.
The Olympus’ movie mode stops recording after 10 seconds.
Head-to-head, the Olympus Stylus 1050 SW has the edge. Both cameras have dozens of bells and whistles, but the Stylus excels where it is really important: it has better resolution and more accurate colors. If you’re taking a once-in-a-lifetime snorkeling trip, you may want to consider getting a housing on a better-performing digital camera; the housings allow you to dive deeper in the water. But if you are deciding between the Olympus 1050 SW and Pentax W60, the Olympus Stylus 1050 SW is the best choice.
