a bit of a splurge

So...you may know that I have been stalking various Costco warehouses looking for the Nikon Coolpix S52, which I had a coupon for that made the price under 200$. Good deal. But it hasn't shown up and I am not the most patient person ever. I haven't actually tried this camera, but my old coolpix is a workhorse and still going very strong and has excellent macro, which I really like in a camera. And the new coolpix has a lens that stays in the body of the camera, good for conserving battery and life of the lens, I imagine.
I want to replace the old one because:

• shutter lag, don't you hate that?
• not so hot video quality (though it was pretty good when it came out)
• tiny lcd screen (1"x1.25"), again, I think that was good for the times

So today I was stalking again, coupon and raincheck in hand, but nothing. Hey wait, though, there's the other camera I had been thinking about, the Olympus Stylus 850 SW. It's waterproof, shock resistant (up to 5 feet, exactly how tall I am, and I don't usually take pics from the top of my head). But more money, about 100$ more than the coolpix. But wait, Costco will take stuff back if you think it looks at you crosseyed, so I might as well take it home to try it, right? Say yes, please!

Ok, so...Macro, check. Looks pretty good, don't you think?

Not super macro on either pic but I suspect I could have gotten closer, and with high enough resolution (haven't played around with the camera to know what resolution I have been using) I could crop way down and have super macro effect.

And no shutter lag, even with Nina running away in this pic. It's not the greatest pic, I know, but it was a good way to put the camera through its paces regarding shutter lag.

It came with a carrying case (carabiner attached, kind of cool), a 1gig XD card (all I really need, I dump the pics pretty often), and a micro SD adapter.

The downside is that it has a special battery, which needs a special charger (included). But I haven't found a newer camera that doesn't, which is probably because it's TINY, about the size of a CF memory card. It's not really a big deal when we're at home because usually there is enough time to charge the battery but when traveling it can be a bummer to have to pack another gadget, especially one that needs to be plugged in. But I can adapt easily, I suspect.

Oh, and here's proof that it's really supposed to be waterproof: the instructions say that after using it you should submerge it in water to clean it. Seriously.