Hands On With the Olympus Stylus 550-WP

The new Olympus Stylus 550-WP camera has the capability to dive ten feet underwater and keep working.

If the idea of an underwater camera gets your juices flowing, the Olympus Stylus 550-WP might be for you. It uses interior rubber gaskets and O-rings to seal the camera so you can go ten feet under water and still capture the watery world below depths. There’s even a scene mode for underwater photos, applying the correct lighting filters.

The 4.5-ounce device felt light and portable in a quick test drive. A face detection system worked well for up to three faces—the camera automatically focuses on the humans in the picture (detected by skin tone).

The camera supports both xD-Picture Card and microSD media, supports image stabilization (especially important under water), and has a few built-in editing functions, such as a red eye fix.

The 10-megapixel sensor, 3× optical and 5× digital zoom, digital ESP metering options, and AVI JPEG motion support make it a decidedly upper-end pocket camera. There’s a black and aqua blue model; the camera will cost about $200 when it ships in February.