new general use camera your opinion please

these are in our price range and we have the funds saved up now.i have asked this same ? a few moths back but i was unable to find the old thread.
i believe it was uland and farmertodd i had spoke to.
i realize a camera is a personal thing and its like asking someone to help you pick your new trucks color.
but this is the short list we are down to.
camera will be used outside fishing,hunting,camping,indoors,and some photos of fish in tank.


$139.88 New
Olympus Stylus FE-3010 Orange 12 MP Digital Camera,
3x Optical Zoom, 2.7" High Resolution LCD, Intelligent Audio,
Advanced Face Detection, VGA Movie w/sound.

details.
http://www.walmart.c...5#ProductDetail

$159.88New
Olympus Stylus FE-5010 Blue 12 MP Digital Camera 5x Optical Zoom
2.7" High Resolution LCD, Dual Image Stabilization, Smile Shot, VGA Movie with Sound

details.
http://www.walmart.c...6#ProductDetail

$199.88
Olympus Stylus 1050SW Black 10.1 MP Digital Camera, 3x Zoom & 2.7" LCD, Shockproof and Waterproof

details.
http://www.walmart.c...2#ProductDetail

I have an Olympus 850SW that I bought after drowning my Kodak. It's similar to the 1050SW, I believe. My advice is, if you are going to use it outside where it might get wet, get the waterproof one. I love mine, I don't have to worry about it getting ruined when I'm collecting. I've dropped it, I've carried it around in the winter and taken great pictures even after being outside for hours. I've had it for a year now. I'm not that great a photographer and it's been a great worry-free camera for me.

Whichever one you get, get a spare battery if it uses rechargeables. Using the flash eats up the battery in no time. I got a great battery at Radio Shack for mine. I don't think the cameras come with a memory card, either, and that's a necessity.

I have an Olympus 850SW that I bought after drowning my Kodak. It's similar to the 1050SW, I believe. My advice is, if you are going to use it outside where it might get wet, get the waterproof one. I love mine, I don't have to worry about it getting ruined when I'm collecting. I've dropped it, I've carried it around in the winter and taken great pictures even after being outside for hours. I've had it for a year now. I'm not that great a photographer and it's been a great worry-free camera for me.

Whichever one you get, get a spare battery if it uses rechargeables. Using the flash eats up the battery in no time. I got a great battery at Radio Shack for mine. I don't think the cameras come with a memory card, either, and that's a necessity.

THANKS,
water proof is a plus im sure.my kodak got coke cola spilled on it and the shutter has never been the same.
i have ,2 2gig cads now and lots of rechargeable.my camera now eats them fast as well.

I've got a 1030 SW that I like for most stuff, but I can't take a good macro picture with it to save my life. I think a couple of other people posted similar comments about the 1030 and trying to get it focus on tiny objects/fish.

I've taken mine out wade fishing and collecting for as long as I've had it and it's never once complained. The only complaint I have about it aside from the macro focus is that it has no viewfinder, and in bright light the LCD display is almost impossible to see.

I think it's very important to go to a brick and mortar store for your purchase if at all possible and test the camera at the counter. Most places will have functioning models available and I recommend testing the macro function to it's limits before you buy. Try and photo Washington's head on a dollar bill and fill the shot with as much of his head as possible. Make sure the camera quickly and easily focuses at close range. Examine the photo by enlarging it on the viewfinder and make sure you're happy with detail. Try as many brands as possible before you buy and try to formulate an opinion on a brand. You can then go home, download the various manufacturers PDF manual so you can return to the store armed with more knowledge to make a purchase.

In my opinion, it's all about macro when it comes to point and shoot for fishes. Few do it well so you need to test them.

Uland has an important point. I bought my camera at a local camera shop where there were knowledgeable people to talk to. It was the same price as at the big box stores, too.

I found a Nikon D100 For a little over what i was wanting to spend.
would i be better off getting something like this?
im in no rush so i have time to shop/study.

I would say no. SLR cameras have a lot of pros, but compared to the Olympus outdoor models the D100:

is easier to damage
is less flexible (unless you buy additional lenses, which are very pricey)
uses non-standard battery (if you want a second battery you will have to pony up about $40)
uses Compact Flash card, which is becoming non-standard
has lower resolution (6 megapixel vs. 10-12 for the Olympus)
is discontinued, so probably no warranty and may be hard to get repaired

DSLR cameras are great if you want to devote a lot of time and money to photography, but for your purposes I think a good rugged point-and-shoot will be best. I have a Canon 300D DSLR, comparable to the Nikon D100, and I want to get an Olympus point-and-shoot for the reasons listed above.