Unlike the last Olympus Stylus (the Stylus Verve) I reviewed, the 800 has a fairly conventional, conservative design (though not without a certain amount of style). Its metal and plastic construction feels very solid indeed, and though by no means the smallest camera on the block, it is very compact. The rear panel is dominated by the large (2.5 inch) LCD screen, but that hasn't stopped Olympus' designers from squeezing as many buttons and controls as they could into the remaining space. The entire thing is 'weatherproofed', meaning that whilst you can't use it underwater, it's perfectly safe for use in the rain or on the beach. After a rather unfortunate incident with a glass of red wine I can confirm that even when fairly thoroughly drenched the Stylus 800 works perfectly.
