We've all had moments where we grimace in pain after accidentally dropping a brand new digital camera.

Olympus's 1050 SW is a klutz-friendly camera which doesn't mind going along for a swim either.

Its metal body can withstand hard knocks from a drop of 1.5 metres. This is a plus point if you're a parent who is hesitant to let your kids handle a digital camera because they might drop it and damage something.

It is waterproof for up to three meters, so you can take it along for snorkelling during the next beach holiday. Having a waterproof camera at the beach is a better alternative than a disposable waterproof film camera with sometimes questionable photo quality, or having to buy an expensive and bulky waterproof housing for non water-friendly digital cameras.

Another fascinating feature of this camera is the tap control function. Rather than fumbling over which button to press to switch functions or adjust a certain setting, just tap the sides of the camera as a shortcut. Pictures can also be reviewed by tapping on the LCD - a nifty move to impress your friends.

Some users may not be pleased that the 1050 SW uses the xD memory card, rather than the more commonly-used SD card, but the camera comes with an adapter which supports the microSD/microSDHC card.

The camera has a panoramic photo function which stitches the photo together in-camera.

Noteworthy features include the multiple-display exposure compensation option, which helps you to determine what an image looks like with increased or decreased exposure compensation so that you can decide which exposure setting works best.

Photo-wise, the 1050 SW could have fared better. Picture were generally accurately exposed, but with slightly under-saturated colours. Picture noise becomes noticeable at ISO 400 and above, making indoor shots and night shots look quite grainy.

Two similar pictures of the same subject. The one on the left is taken at ISO 200 while the other is taken at ISO 800.

There are 23 different scene modes to choose from. Besides the usual selection you'd expect to find in pre-set scene modes, there are two interesting ones - Smile shot, which automatically takes a photo when your subject smiles, and Shoot-and-select, which takes photos at a high shutter speed then allows you to immediately review and delete the ones you don't like.

For some, 23 modes may already be too many, especially with less useful options like 'snow' and 'behind glass'. It is also annoying that the flash automatically fires in almost every scene mode, even in broad daylight - a function that is unnecessary most of the time. The flash also tends to overexpose facial features in portrait shots.

The main attractive features of this camera: No more broken LCD displays or cracked camera lenses courtesy of junior, plus the novelty of underwater photography. Unfortunately, the process of beefing up the camera's durability seems to have compromised the 1050 SW's picture quality. This is an all-weather conditions camera which can take a few punches for some photos, with mixed results.