Olympus Stylus Tough 8000

[stepbystep]

Hi photogeeks(I know you are out there),

I'm after opinions on this camera
http://www.dpreview.com/news/0901/09010 ... .asp#press
I finally killed my old Olympus happysnapper(fell in one to many creeks ), was really happy with it and like the look of these new cameras.

I am comparing it with this one
http://www.dphotojournal.com/panasonic- ... er-manual/
which seems to have better online reviews in regard to picture quality

Any comments from those who know their stuff, much appreciated.
Cheers, sbs

[tastrax]

I have a previous model (9 megapixel) for work - pretty tough but the battery life is poor. I purchased a second battery to get through a days work (200+ images). No viewfinder if thats a hassle for you. I have even take a few images underwater (jetty piles etc) so its definitely waterproof! XD cards are bit more expensive than SD.

I am not taking high class images - just PWS assets so I cant comment on its real photographic abilities as its used as a point and shoot most of the time.

[stepbystep]

Tanks tastrax,
have found this post viewtopic.php?f=23&t=791 which is quite helpful,
I think Tau-rana has bought one so will quiz her when she gets back from her walk up NE Ridge.
Cheers

[Drifting]

IMHO Olympus can produce cameras with great freatures but poor image quality. I'd go for the water resistant Canon, Pentax or Panasonic if I were you. The Canon would be my choice, but for the relatively narrow wide-angle, which is what you want for outdoors photography (35mm). The Panasonic has a 28mm wide angle, which is better. The Pentax W60 and W80 both have a good focal length range, but have a very sorry 175-200 shots per set of batteries, which would completely rule them out for me. The Canon D10 also has a range of 220 shots form a single set of batteries, making the 300+ you get from the Panasonic look really good. Finally, the Canon is waterproof to 10m, the others 3m, which is a major difference.

SO, in summation:

Canon D10
Pros: most waterproof/toughest, highest image quality (shared with Panasonic)
Cons: not wide-angle (35mm), comparatively few shots for batteries, chunky.

Panasonic TS1
Pros: most shots from batteries, best focal length, compact
Cons: less sturdily built

Pentax:
Pros: good focal length range
Cons: not enough battery life, crappy flash and not as sturdy as the D10.

For me, if I was a snorkler or a kayaker, the D10 would be a no-brainer, otherwise I'd go for the Panasonic.

Have a look at this too:

http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/Q209waterproofgroup

[stepbystep]

Good one Drifting,
I may bail on the Olympus - bugger brand loyalty, seems to be quite a few reviews saying that it's a great little camera for everything BUT taking good photographs
Will focus on the Canon or the Panasonic, although the Panasonic has slightly better video features.
I will be buying next week sometime.
Cheers, sbs

[Drifting]

post some good samples when you make your choice!

[stepbystep]

post some good samples when you make your choice!

Will do.
I'm going into Rhona, I think it's hard to make that place look bad

[Drifting]

Man do I want to get out there.

I just had a look at photos from each camera on http://www.pbase.com . I prefer the panasonic, personally. That's a great site for comparing cameras, as long as you remember that all the photos are from different people.

[Taurë-rana]

The salesman in Stallards thought that the Panasonic was the pick of the 3 - Olympus, Panasonic and Pentax. With what I read, comments here and what he said, I was fairly happy with the Panasonic. I think the thing that really sold it for me was the better wide angle on the Panasonic. The salesman also said that the lens is better on the Panasonic.

[stoogest]

I'm also tossing up between the Canon and the Panasonic. By all reports it souds like it's a 50/50 split. If you're going to use the camera mainly underwater then get the Canon. Alternatively, if you're going to use the camera on dry land more often then get the Panasonic (which I think is the path I'll take). One of the big downsides of the Canon is the form factor as it doesn't appear to be able to fit in a pocket.

[stepbystep]

Yeah, the only reason I want a waterproof camera is to protect it against clumsiness and the rain/sweat factor.
I'm going to check them out next week and will probably get the one that is smaller/lighter - the Olympus looks the best IMHO, pity it's not as good as the others.

[Area54]

Just found this thread - after the purchase of an Panasonic FT1. If you like to shoot video also, the Panasonic is the pick of the lot with excellent HD features and a neat LED light built in. Quality is on par with my semi-pro 3 chip, without the hassle of taking two cams, and really suits my needs perfectly. I used to shoot pro video a few years ago, so this is a nice return to video and photo in an easy package. If you had any questions to help you make a decision either way, go for it.

[stepbystep]

Just bought my Panasonic , it was the video features and streamlined body that got me.
Will play today and take to Rhona next week for a good test. LOVE new toys.

[stepbystep]

Very happy with the Panasonic, see some pics here viewtopic.php?f=9&t=3403

Must add, the video options are pretty fantastic for such a small camera, but best results are achieved with a tripod, there is a little artifacting leading to 'digital blurring' when handheld.
Will eventually put together a videoblog of this trip so all can see.

[Taurë-rana]

... there is a little artifacting leading to 'digital blurring' when handheld.

A little what?

[stepbystep]

... there is a little artifacting leading to 'digital blurring' when handheld.

A little what?

Sorry R, a bit of f*#@%d up stuff as compared with professional video recording equipment.

[Drifting]

when you pan too quickly when taking video, the picture looses clarity. A common issue.