Olympus Stylus/mju 720sw

[Franco Darioli]

7.1MP, Shock/Waterproof
It’s in stock.
First impression :Great feel and finish, very solid (I have done a drop test on carpet from over 3 feet , just for the fun of doing it,no sign of any damage) . A little heavier (about 15g, 1/2 oz)than the Pentax WPi but waterproof to 9 feet. I like the built in lens cover. The screen is a little better than the WPi in bright sunlight.
I will try to test it this week end
Franco

[carlos fernandez rivas]

i can´t wait…..

Better that WPI???

[Franco Darioli]

Hi
Here is a quick comparison of the two with the Fuji F10 as a benchmark.
It will be hard to tell in the compressed pic, but on an A3 print (in front of me)the Fuji has the best dynamic range and the least noise, next the Pentax and the Olympus is last. However there is a smaller gap in quality between the WPi and the SW720 than between those and the Fuji.
Franco

[carlos fernandez rivas]

franco in your personal opinion

I trying to decide between pentax wpi, w10 and the mju 720sw ….

What is the best camera?

[Miguel Arboleda]

I can’t be sure from these photos, but it looks like the white balance of the Pentax is more sensitive than that of the other two cameras. Is it possible to control that on the Pentax?

In terms of color saturation I actually prefer the Olympus… the hues are a lot warmer, similar to Nikon in that way. I always find cooler digital photos to come across as more artificial than warmer photos. Of course, nothing you can’t fix in PhotoShop.

[Franco Darioli]

The Pentax WPi has 5 auto WB settings plus manual as well.There is a new version out, W10.
WPi :2″ screen, 4.8 oz
WP10: 2.5″ screen ,5.6oz
As I am typing this, the sun has come through the window, so I have just performed a screen test, no difference detected, just as bad as each other.
There are some more settings on the WP10 but the lens/CCD/firmware is the same.
I think that the Olympus has a heavier compression ( I will test this later) and that the lens in the Pentax is a tad sharper.
Later….
No that is not it. On the highest setting the Olympus will produce a 3 to 3.2 MB file and the Pentax ranges from 2.4 to 2.6MB.
The WP does have some agressive sharpening but it seems to me that the difference in detail has to do with the lens.

[Tim (Slowhike) Garner]

franco…. i just got mine today! i`m learning the functions & will play around w/ it tomorrow. i`ll look forward to hearing your impressions too.

[Franco Darioli]

Hi Tim,
Keep in mind that I buy and occasionally sell cameras, so I often test them but do not use them after that. I still have the Pentax WPi and like it, the WP10 is very similar.
Your Olympus is a stronger camera,( I have done a drop test), so you should feel fairly secure using it anywhere at all. There is very little difference between the WPi and the 720 in resolution/sharpness/detail, the colour rendition is a personal choice. I would rather see photographs that are not “perfect” than no pictures at all.
Try the movie mode, it uses a lot of memory but it is fun.
The 720 is not shock proof if dropped with the battery cover open ( obvious to some but not to one of my customers….)
Franco

[Tim Cheek]

Sorry about the pun, but has there been some “resolution” among you photography experts about which of these two cameras you recommend? Or, which one might be best for a certain trip versus another trip.

[Franco Darioli]

I am not an “expert”, but I prefer the colours and detail from the WPi compared to the SW 720. Most customers prefer the Olympus, in my shop 7 to 1 !
Franco

[Tim (Slowhike) Garner]

i`ve had the 720 for a couple months now & used it a fair amount, including a few hikes & backpacking trips.
i aint got nothing negitive to say about that camera. i`m liking it!
i cant give you detailed comparisons w/ the picture quality of other cameras, but i`m greatly satisfied.
i can take a close-up photo of a flower or insect, then go back to view it on the screen & zoom in to see details that i couldn`t begin to see w/ my eyes.
and yes, the movie feature is great.
BTW… i made an ultralight carry case out of a soft soap bottle. i put a small pice of ccfoam in the bottom (cut to shape) & the 4 corners of the camera are all that touches the sides of the case. the screen, lens, & buttons don`t touch, but are protected by the curved sides of the soft soap bottle. …tim

[Summit CO]

720 is a great action camera as far as frame rate.

my friend took it to 20,000ft+ in bolivia on a MTB/ski trip.

the sensor is physically on the smallish size but that is the trade for the durability

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