Olympus Stylus 720 SW Digital Camera First Thoughts

When the first Olympus Stylus was introduced in 1990 it quickly became the 35mm Point and Shoot camera of choice for a whole generation of minor celebrities, edgy writers, off the beaten path travelers, slumming pro photographers, and assorted adventure junkies - due in large part to its reputation for rugged reliability and excellent image quality.  The 720 SW builds on that remarkable reputation, it's a digital camera worthy of the Stylus name. 

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The Olympus Stylus 720 SW is built like a tank with space-age water/dust seals (it's waterproof to 10 feet) and ultra sturdy (it's shockproof in a 5 foot drop) exterior/interior construction. The newest member of the Stylus tribe also features 7 megapixel resolution, a 2.5 inch LCD screen, 28 shooting modes, and a 3X (38mm-114mm - 35mm equivalent) zoom. 

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This snazzy industro-tech "look" Point and Shoot digital camera was designed to be taken along in situations (like back country hiking, off-road biking, snorkeling, skiing, kayaking, windsurfing, hang gliding, and white water rafting) that would require leaving other digital cameras at home. The 720 SW consistently delivers dependably well-exposed low noise images with hue accurate color, somewhat punched-up saturation, and slightly hard contrast. Check back here in a few days for a full review of the Olympus Stylus 720 SW.

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