Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 Review

After dropping, dunking, and stomping, we are convinced the Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 is ready to join the pro wrestling circuit.  If you’re looking for a camera that you can use in any outdoor situation, this camera is a must to check out.

What we liked- We tested this camera while skiing and snowshoeing, with temperatures down to -15 F and no problems at all.  When it was cold, we found the tap feature to come in super handy.  When it’s bitter cold outside, the last thing you want to do is take off your glove to operate a camera.  The Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 has a feature where you can tap the camera on different side and it operate it without hitting a button, which will save your fingers when it’s super cold outside.  In order to properly test the camera’s toughness, we thought it would be appropriate to drop this camera from 6.6 feet and see how it held up to the marketing material.  We found that when the camera was dropped from 6.6 feet, the camera would typically turn off after the fall, but did not break.  All we had to do was turn it back on and we were back on our way, and we dropped this camera a lot!  One downfall to dropping the camera is that it tends to get scuffed up, which can create sharp snags of metal on the camera, which can be dangerous if you wear a jacket or shirt that is easily tearable, like a down jacket.  When using the panorama view, there are three different options to put together the pictures.  One is to have your PC do it, and then there are two other modes for the camera to do it.  We liked when the camera put the shot together.  We found that this camera has a lot of cool features that are worth checking out, but you must spend a few hours to familirize yourself with all the camera has to offer.

Has room for improvement- We had a hard time getting the camera to take clear pictures and videos.  If you take your time on each shot, we thought the picture would come in fine.  When we wanted to do the typically turn on, point, and shoot, the picture quality turned up blurry 50% of the time.  This was also true for when we did video shots.  Outside of picture quality, we found the camera to be a little slow between taking pictures, which can be tough if you’re trying to take a lot of action shots.  Last, but not least, we found the price to be a little expensive.  With most good digital camera’s coming in around  $200, we found a retail price of $380 to be a little expensive.  It must be noted that is just as expensive if you break your camera due to a drop or water damage, so in the long run, the camera could actually save you money.

Features

SHOCKPROOF- Durable metal body with an innovative shock-absorbing technology protects it from drops of up to 6.6 feet.

WATERPROOF- A revolutionary system of waterproof seals and gaskets keeps water out so you can take pictures as deep as 33 feet underwater.

FREEZEPROOF- It’s Freezeproof to 14°F/-10°C. Perfect for skiing, snowboarding, sledding and other winter fun, this camera is winterized to perform at below-freezing temperatures!

CRUSHPROOF- With its rugged body and reinforced LCD, the STYLUS TOUGH-8000 is designed to withstand up to 220 pounds of pressure so your camera and images are always protected.

TAP CONTROL- Operate picture playback, shadow adjustment, flash mode and more just by tapping the top, back and sides of the camera. Tap Control is ideal for underwater use or when wearing gloves.

PANORAMA- In-Camera panorama captures three images and stitches them together to create one amazing panoramic picture by simply pressing the shutter button and slowly panning across a panoramic scene.

PERFECT SHOT- Using a live, multi-frame window on the LCD, you can preview the effects of various settings, select and capture the perfect shot.

12 MEGAPIXEL- More than 12 million pixels in the high-resolution CCD create superior image quality. Create poster-sized prints without losing a single detail.

XD / MICROSSD CARDS- In addition to xD-Picture Card compatibility, the STYLUS TOUGH-8000 comes with an adapter for microSD memory card, an emerging electronic storage media for mobile phones, PDAs and HDTVs.

2.7″ LCD-This large LCD features an extra-wide viewing angle and anti-glare technology for easier composing and shooting even in direct, bright sunlight.

DUAL IMAGE STABILIZATION- Sensor-Shift Image stabilization combined with high ISO sensitivity and fast shutter speeds capture crisp, clear images even if the subject is moving.

3.6X WIDE-ANGLE OPTICAL ZOOM- A 3.6x wide-angle optical zoom captures even more of the subject into each shot. The lens does not protrude from its body so it is further protected from harsh conditions.

BEAUTY MODE- Soften shadows and smooth wrinkles or blemishes on your subject’s face as you capture the image. Edits can also be made after taking the picture to avoid costly image editing software.

ADVANCED FACE TRACKING- Tracks up to 16 faces and automatically focuses and optimizes exposures for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures.