Other than the mid-range TG-830 iHS and affordable TG-630, there is also a new flagship TOUGH camera from Olympus, the STYLUS TOUGH TG-2 iHS. The camera maker said that the camera is the “most sophisticated rugged point-and-shoot on the market”. It features Olympus’ high-speed iHS technology and an ultra-bright lens.
Like the TG-830, the TG-2 is a five-proof camera. It features ruggedized body construction body that is waterproof to 50 feet/15 meter, 5 meter deeper than the TG-830, shockproof from 7 feet/2.1 meter drops, crushproof up to 220 pounds, freezeproof (down to 14°F/10°C) and dustproof. It has water-repellent lens coating to prevent water from remaining on the lens surface and a double lock durability so battery doors won’t open accidentally under water.
Olympus’ flagship rugged digicam sports a 12 Megapixel BSI CMOS image sensor, a bright 4x optical zoom lens and DSLR-quality TruePic VI image processor to deliver high-speed, high sensitivity performance. It supports Super Resolution Zoom to double the zoom range to 8x, and Microscopic Macro that boosts zoom magnification from 4x to 14x with no noticeable loss of image quality from 1cm distance. There are Hand-Held Starlight mode that will take several images and produce a blur-free image with minimal noise in low-light condition, and the Backlight HDR mode for taking properly exposed images. It can shoot Full HD 1080p video and includes Multi-motion Movie Image Stabilization.
Olympus’ TG-2 comes with a 3-inch OLED display and provides HDMI output. It comes equipped with GPS chip and e-compass to show you the location and record location data to images, and a built-in manometer that records elevation and water depth and displays a warning when the user approaches a depth of 50 feet. Users can also use lens adapter converter ring for adding waterproof Fisheye Converter Lens or Teleconverter Lens for use on land or under water.
Coming in March, the TG-2 is priced at $379.99. A wrist strap and two front lens rings are included. In case you want to take the camera deeper down to 135 feet/45 meters, you can get the optional PT-053 underwater housing.
