Olympus Stylus 730 7.1MP Digital Camera with Digital Image Stabilized 3x Optical Zoom (Silver)

I have abused this camera beyond abusing a camera should go and this bad boy is still working just as good. I have stepped on it, dropped it, lost it in the snow, it has tumbled out of my pocket down dirt trails and gets thrown in my backpack with no case. The only real damage I have done to it is a cracked the back screen, but the screen still works perfectly. I love this camera a lot. It takes great pictures.

-There is a guide and it adjusts the mode for close up, super close up, shooting with back light and so many other great features. it takes good action shots. The key to taking them is to focus by pushing the button half way then the second you want the shot to take you finish out the push and it takes the photo instantly.

-The video mode does not produce anything amazingly epic, but it does the job. You can take screen shots off video...they again are not great but you can do it. I have taken action videos, they upload to youtube really well, but anything larger size and they are not so great.

-There are decoration options on the camera, you can add borders and such. I never really use that option.

I use the self timer a lot. It is like 20 seconds or something like that. has come quite in handy many many times.

I really like the night photo option. You can take some amazing night shots. Just make sure it has a tripod or something steady to set it on or the photo will be blurry.

I have yet to have a digital camera last over a year with the abuse I give it and this one is at a year and a half and still counting.

The Large LCD screen is awesome on the back for viewing photos. But make sure you hav it self shut off when not in use or it will eat your battery. Get a spare battery. the annoying thing about the batter is you need to remember the charger and you have to take the battery OUT of the camera and put it in the charger. It would be nicer if you could leave it in the camera and charge the camera and be able to turn it on to upload photos while charging. But I guess this is the case with lots of digital cameras with the lithium batteries.
-The battery drains when it is cold! So when i take it snowboarding I keep it in the warmest pocket possible. That is one thing that is very annoying about the camera and my biggest complaint. But if kept warm there is not problem.

Pros: LCD screen, 7.1 MP, compact size, weatherproof (not waterproof)
Cons: No underwater housing available

I received this camera as a gift for Christmas 2006. My uncle, who is an avid photographer, purchased it for me. I am not a photographer, just a girl who likes to take pictures. I at first thought the pictures were grainey, until I read up on the camera and changed a few of the settings. Now, I cannot ask for better shots. Of course night shots are still always tough for me. I have posted some of the shots taken with the camera to show you the shots are very clear and crisp. The size of the camera makes it very easy to carry with you anywhere. There are all types of preset modes that you can choose from, or you can set manually using the user friendly menu. I just wish I could find a reliable underwater housing from Olympus...they don't make one for this model.

With all honesty i am lazy in reading any manuals so i am just rating this with a bit of experience. I actually have my camera for more than a year now and still, i haven't read my manual so i can't really complain much. But this camera frustrates me though in terms of the shutter speed, it really sucks unless there is a way in the "manual" to adjust it. Sometimes image are good but sometimes not. I can't really say if it's a good camera or not but i guess the best way is to read the manual which i am planning to do pretty soon so i won't waste the money that i spent for it. In short, if you are not planning to read the manual or lazy enough to do so i would say do not buy this product, it will frustrates you too.

Wow - I am so disappointed. I fell in love with this camera as I have with all my Olympus cameras in the past. However, this one only laster 8 months. If do a search on Yahoo! for "olympus stylus 70 card error", you will find the hundreds of other people that had the same issue I did. There is no fix, Olympus won't help - you are just out a camera.

Haven't used all of the features yet, but those I have perform well. It's been a steep learning curve for the numerous features, of which there are many, but the normal mode is extremely easy to use. I had to learn how to read the manual also. It is extensive and, upon figuring it out, I've decided it is well written.