Strengths: WaterproofRugged

Weaknesses: No view finderMovie quality poor

Summary: I am an avid kayaker and I was looking for a camera that could handle possible wet situations. I had rented an Olympus 750 when I took a kayak tour of the Colorado River in Nevada last year and was satisfied with the results. When researching the Stylus 850 I had read that the camera quality was not the best. I decided to take a chance. I am perfectly satisfied with the quality of the still pictures. I have prints made at Walmart and the quality of the prints is good. The only thing that could be better is the video but I do not do have much of a need for that feature. The camera is rated to go 10 feet under water. I did try some shots and completely submerged the camera and it worked perfectly. The camera is waterproof and worked fine after being submerged which is exactly what I wanted; a rugged camera that I could take along in my kayak and not have to worry about. I did purchase the optional floating strap because although the camera is waterproof it will not float if you drop it overboard. The only other negative is that the camera does not have a viewfinder so you have to rely on the screen which can be difficult to see in the bright sunlight. Bottom line: If you are looking for a durable camera that can withstand water and heavy handling then the Olympus Stylus 850 should fit your needs.