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| (Credit: Olympus) |
Olympus announced a new flagship to its Tough series of waterproof digital cameras. The Olympus Stylus Tough-8010 is waterproof down to 33 feet, shockproof from 6.6 feet, freezeproof to 14 degrees, and crushproof to 220 pounds. The company also announced the Tough-6020, which isn’t as tough as the flagship but can still endure a beating.
Both of the new cameras have similar specs: 14 megapixels, 5x optical zoom lenses, and 2.7-inch LCD screens. They differ in their “tough specs”: while the flagship model can dip to 33 feet, the Tough-6020 is only guaranteed to survive to depths of 16 feet. This is still an improvement over the Stylus-6000, which can only go to 10 feet under the water. The Tough-8010 can be dropped from 6.6 feet, while the 6020 can survive a fall from 5 feet. The flagship is rated to be crushproof to 220 pounds, but the 6020 isn’t rated to survive any back-pocket trauma.
The two cameras otherwise share plenty of in-camera features. They have 29 shooting modes that include an in-camera panorama mode, HD movie mode, and four underwater scene modes. There are also four “magic filters” – pop art, fish eye, pin hole, and drawing – that allow users to get creative without spending time adjusting the images in a software program. Other common settings include an LED illuminator flashlight, HD videos, AF tracking, dual image stabilization, face detection, and tap control that manipulates camera settings and playback navigation with taps instead of button depressions.
One of the more interesting shared features is the cameras’ ability to charge the battery from any USB port. This is convenient, which is good since the battery only lasts 200 shots. Another unique feature is the cameras’ on-board manual, which Olympus tags as a way to save paper and thus be an eco-friendly company (although we’re sure they’re saving a few dollars by doing this). The Tough-8010 has 2GB of internal memory, some to store the manual but most to hold pictures. The Tough-6020 has 1GB of internal memory. Both cameras also accept SD/SDHC media.
The Olympus Stylus-Tough 8010 has the same tough specs as its predecessor, the Tough-8000, but improves on its other camera specs. The Tough-8000 has 12 megapixels, a 3.6x optical zoom lens, standard VGA movies, and 45MB of internal memory. The old model accepted proprietary xD-Picture cards instead of the more common SD media and charged its battery the old-fashioned way with a DC coupler. The old model sells for $379, while the new Stylus Tough-8010 will retail for $399 and will come in silver and black colors.
The Olympus Stylus Tough-6020 will come in four colors – green, blue, pink, and black – and will be the cheaper model at $299. The 6020 also makes improvements over its older sibling, the 6000, which has 10 megapixels, a 3.6x lens, and is waterproof to only 10 feet. It has the same obstacles as the other predecessor – less internal memory, no USB charging, no SD compatibility, and VGA movies. Olympus is confident in its improvements to its Tough lineup.
“Because life’s an adventure you need a camera that’s tough enough to make the trip with you,” said Nadine Clark, product manager at Olympus Imaging America Inc., in the Feb. 2 press release. “When you’re on the move, AF tracking keeps the subject in focus, in-camera creative features give artistic freedom and sharp HD video ensures that your adventures will be more memorable than ever before.”
