The Stylus 710 is equipped with an Olympus aspherical glass 3x zoom lens, 6.5 - 19.5mm (37 - 111mm equivalent in 35mm photography), 6 elements in 4 groups with 4 aspherical lenses. It has a 5x digital zoom feature. The maximum aperture is F3.4 (W) / F5.7 (T). The lens retracts into the camera when powered down and is protected by an automatic lens barrier.

The TTL contrast-detect auto focus system covers from 23.6" (0.6m) to Infinity in normal mode, from 7.9" (0.2m) to infinity in Wide angel, 19.7" (0.5m) to infinity in Telephoto in Macro mode, and from 3.2" - 23.6" (8cm-60cm) in Super Macro mode.

The built in speedlight features Auto, Red-eye reduction, Fill and Forced Off modes. The maximum flash range is 13.1 ft. (4.0m) Wide / 7.9 ft. (2.4m) in Telephoto. Flash recycle time is less than 5 seconds.

Two types of Red-eye reduction are offered:

1. Red-eye reduction flash mode ON when taking the picture to reduce the effects of red-eye.
2. Red-Eye Fix menu function after the photo has been taken so you can easily fix the picture even after it’s been shot.

On the top is the Power button and Shutter Release.

There is no optical viewfinder, you frame, review and perform menu operations on this large 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD monitor with approx. 115,000 pixels of resolution. It delivers a high contrast image with a 160° wide-view radius.

Controls on the back: Top is the zoom lens control which also functions as the magnified playback and index mode buttons when in play mode. The Mode Dial has positions for Playback, Program Auto, Blur Reduction, Scene, Guide and Movie. The 4-way selector is used to navigate menu screens and select images for playback. In record mode the "Up" button changes exposure compensation, "Left" enables the macro focus modes, "Right" changes the flash mode and "Down" button enables the selftimer. The MENU button calls up and dismisses the menu system. The DISPlay button selects the amount of overlay information on the LCD image. The trash can button is used to delete images in playback mode.

An optional AC power adapter can be connected to the DC IN port. The A/V Out port sends the audio/video to a television set, the video format is selectable for NTSC or PAL standard. Data I/O is via a Mass Storage compliant USB v1.1 port which is also PictBridge compatible for direct printing.

A black rubber O-ring goes around the I/O port door. The camera is "weatherproof and is not damaged by water spray from any direction" as long as the rubber ring is intact and the I/O port door is properly closed.

Still images and movie clips are stored in the camera's ~19.1MB of internal memory or on removable xD-Picture Card flash memory cards. Olympus brand xD-Picture Cards are required to use the camera's built-in Panorama feature. 16MB to 1GB xD-Picture cards are now available.

Power is supplied by a LI-40B 3.7v 660mAh Li-ion battery pack. Olympus does not specify the battery runtime. The included AC charger lets you charge one battery while using another. Lithium battery packs can be charged or "topped off" at any time without shortening the service life of the battery.

The optional Olympus PT-032 underwater housing is made for the Stylus 710 – so you can take your camera with you on your underwater excursions. The large 2.5-inch LCD, compact body size and three underwater scene modes make it the perfect camera to take along diving. And with Bright Capture Technology you'll be able to easily preview images on the LCD even in the darkness underwater.

The PT-032 underwater case is waterproof up to a water pressure equivalent to a depth of 40 meters. This case is perfect for fascinating underwater photography or capturing the thrill of water sports and activities. With its durable, high quality polycarbonate construction, it protects the camera from water while also cushioning it from knocks and bumps on land. Complete control of photo functions, such as zoom and flash mode, is also permitted.