Olympus TG-810 Tough Announced
Olympus have announced another addition to their “Tough” range named the TG-810, the tough range as the name suggests are a more sturdier compact camera aimed at the more adventures user (or perhaps the more accident prone). The cameras specifications are moderate with a 5x optical zoom and a 14 Mega Pixel sensor resolution but these are not the stand features of this “Tough” camera.
What sets this waterproof camera apart from others in the market is as the name suggests its toughness, it is water proof up to 10 meters and also drop proof to 2 meters. If that isn’t enough toughness for you it is also freeze proof up to -10 degrees and crush proof up to 100kg, so if you ever find yourself in a tricky situation at least your camera has a good chance of surviving even if you don’t !
Other great features of this Olympus camera is its GPS capability allowing the user to log where photos were taken, there is also the ability to take shots in 3D thanks to its single-lens method which layers images to produce the three dimensional photos. It also features HD video recording at 720p so this camera really is packed with functionality.
The Olympus TG-810 is rumored to hit the digital camera market at about £269 and should hit stores by the end of April, stay tuned for an indepth review.
Olympus PEN E-PL1 Micro Four Thirds Prematurely Available
It was bound to happen–digital cameras would be redesigned as digital devices, rather than optical devices with digital components press-ganged into service. The new Micro Four Thirds standard, created by Olympus and Kodak does just that for digital single-lens reflex cameras (DSLR), not only blurring the feature line between point-and-shoots and DSLRs, but also allowing for interchangeable ‘smart’ lenses. Pretty neat.
And Olympus’s new PEN E-PL1 Micro Four Thirds camera, promised for March, is now available to eager adopters. The PEN E-PL1 has a 12.3 megapixel high speed MOS sensor, with a 4:3 aspect ratio, and the TruePic V Image processor. It saves images in JPEG and RAW (12-bit lossless compression) formats, in images up to 4032 x 3024 pixels. It can record video in 1280 x 720 HD, and 640 x 480 SD (with file size limited to 2GB). Images are stored to an SD or SDHC card.
Other features include high speed auto focus, image stabilization, shutter speeds from 2 to 1/2000 second (and a bulb option). The LCD is 2.7-inches and 230,000 pixels. (No optical viewfinder.) Flash is built-in. There’s also a full complement of auto features, and for the serious amateur manual control.
Amazon says it has the slate blue and champagne gold versions in stock. If you want the black it looks like you’ll have to wait. Price is $599.99, which includes a 14-42mm f/3.5-4.6 Zuiko digital zoom lens.
Image Credit: Engadget
Olympus’ SP-800UZ 30x Superzoom Comes with all the Fixin’s
The tweener world between point-and-shoot and DSLRs gets more interesting all the time. Just when you think 20x zooms, advanced focusing, image stabilization, and lots of megapixels pretty much max out the potential for these cameras, along comes Nikon, Canon, or Olympus to prove you wrong. Case in point, Olympus’ SP-800UZ which comes with a 30x “superzoom”, 14 megapixels, and 720p video.
The SP-800UZ, which is the fourth installment in the SP series, has a 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor with 14 megapixels, giving a maximum resolution of 4288 x 3216. Image ratio is 4:3, but it will also shoot in 16:9. ISO rating is from 64 to 3200, with options for 6400 and 10000 with “boost”. Shutter speeds range from 1/4 second to 1/2000 second, but the shutter can be kept open as long as 4 seconds in Night mode. Wide open the lens is 28mm, and 840mm when fully extended (30x)–and that’s without the 5x digital zoom.
The SP-800UZ uses TruePic™ III Image Processor and saves images as JPEGs (movies as MP4s). Sorry, no RAW. Images are stored to either the 2GB of internal memory or an SD/SDHC card. And, as is the trend in this range, there’s no optical viewfinder. Instead, you have to rely on the 3-inch LCD.
There are 27 shooting modes, four “Magic Filters”, and a panorama mode, which should keep most amateurs busy. Manual control is also available. It also has auto focus, dual image stabilization, face detection, and automatic noise reduction. Flash is built-in. 720p video (1280 x 720) is available at 24fps. You can also capture video at 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 at 30fps or 15fps.
The SP-800UZ isn’t pocket-sized, but it is smaller, and cheaper, than the next step up. The SP-800UZ is currently on pre-order, with a suggested retail price of $349.99.
Image Credit: Olympus
Olympus Mju Stylus 1060 Review Online!
We’ve just published our review of the new Olympus Mju Stylus 1060 - an ultra compact camera with a 10 megapixel sensor, 7x optical zoom lens, 3″ screen, dual image stabilisation, face detection, shadow adjustment, intelligent auto mode, XD and Micro SD support. The camera is available in Silver, Black and Green for £180:
“If you rarely take photos in low light, and simply point and shoot, then this would make an excellent compact camera, as it is very easy to use and has a geat built in help system. Image quality, whilst not the sharpest available, has excellent colour with very pleasing skin tones. The camera also features a useful 7x optical zoom lens, an excellent 3″ screen, a great macro mode and an ultra compact body.”
Read our Olympus Mju Stylus 1060 Review
View our Olympus Mju Stylus 1060 Sample Photo Gallery
Read more Olympus Mju Stylus 1060 Reviews: Buy n Shoot, Cameras.co.uk
Olympus EVOLT E-30 DSLR Review
Biofos.com have reviewed the new Olympus EVOLT E-30 Digital SLR - the new camera features a 12.3 megapixel sensor, 2.7″ swivel screen with live view, 5fps shooting, built in image stabilisation, 11 point AF, ISO100 - 3200, face detection, level gauge, shadow adjustment, and supersonic wave filter (for dust reduction). The Olympus E30 will be available from Amazon
“However, the E-30 is better to handle, the controls have been slightly relocated and adjusted to deliver more pleasing ergonomics. Unlike the E-3, the camera doesn’t seem to get in the way of itself. To me it is a definite notch up on the E-3 in the handling stakes. For folks upgrading from the E-4 & 5XX models the handling will seem strange to start with but will soon prove a revelation as it is well thought out and delivered.”
Read more Olympus EVOLT E-30 DSLR Reviews: LetsGoDigital
Olympus SP-565 Ultra Zoom Review
Photography BLOG have reviewed the new Olympus SP-565 Ultra Zoom - the camera features a wide angle 20x optical zoom lens (26 - 520mm), 10 megapixel sensor, 13.5 fps shooting (at 3mp), 25 scene modes, shadow adjustment, face detection, anti shake sensor, manual modes, a 2.5″ screen, and supports XD and MicroSD cards. The camera is available for £244
“On the plus side too, the Olympus SP-565 UZ handles well and is intuitive to use, letting the user more or less point and shoot. The images it delivers are perfectly acceptable too, exposures even for the most part, while balance accurate and the kind of detail you’d expect from a 10 megapixel contender. Put simply, with a solid build too it disappoints in very few respects, leading to our better than average scores pretty much across the board.”
Read more Olympus SP-565 Ultra Zoom Reviews: Cameras.co.uk, Buy N Shoot, DPExpert