Olympus TG-810 Waterproof, Freezeproof, Crushproof Model with GPS

Camera Review

Center Valley, PA—Olympus Imaging America’s Tough TG-810 is a shockproof, waterproof (33 feet), freezeproof (14 degrees) and crushproof compact model designed to capture extreme adventures.

This 14 megapixel camera also remembers exactly where that perfect shot was taken—with a built-in GPS function, electronic compass and a manometer. And it employs dual image stabilization to combat blurring, Wi-Fi compatibility for wireless image sharing via an optional Eye-Fi card, and 3D still image capture in and out of the water.

“The Olympus Tough TG-810 is built tough for the extreme explorer and the everyday adventurer alike,” said Jennifer Schmell, product manager, Olympus Imaging America. “Whether taking it underwater or high upon a mountain, the Olympus Tough TG-810 is a rugged companion that will capture HD video and stunning images far and wide. Its GPS and electronic compass track your location and direction, while the built-in manometer shows how high or how deep your adventures are taking you.”

The GPS on the camera automatically records the shooter’s location while the electronic compass allows users to check the shooting direction in the field, and the manometer measures water and air pressure, enabling users to accurately monitor the depth or altitude of the images—all functions targeted at adventure seekers who want to snap shots while scuba diving, hiking or skiing. The location, direction, depth and altitude are recorded when each image is taken, and the information is stored within each picture’s digital file.

The TG-810 also shoots 720p HD video, with playback possible on an HDTV when the camera is connected to a TV with an optional HDMI cable. With HDMI control, the HDTV’s remote can be used to control playback functions and navigate the camera’s menus.

Also notable is a 3D photo mode. Users can add more dimension to photographs by shooting 3D photos in any mode from macro to landscape, even underwater. To recreate a sense of depth, shooters select the 3D photo shooting mode, release the shutter for the first shot and slowly pan until the camera automatically takes a second image from a slightly different perspective. The 3D data is processed in-camera resulting in an .MPO file, the industry 3D format for display on 3D televisions or laptops.

Other features include: 
a 5x wide-angle 28mm optical zoom lens (28-140mm); automatic underwater white balance to optimize white balance settings; a 3.0-inch, 920,000-dot antireflective LCD; in-camera magic art filters to customize images as they’re being captured (pop art, pin hole, fisheye, soft focus, drawing, watercolor, sparkle and punk); magic filter movie that lets users apply magic art filters to HD videos; in-camera panorama mode; AF tracking; two pet modes that recognize the faces of a variety of breeds of both cats and dogs; beauty mode; auto mode, which automatically identifies what’s being shot (portrait, night + portrait, landscape, macro, sports) and adjusts the settings for the best results; and an LED illuminator that acts like a mini-flashlight on the front of the camera to enhance focus and exposure for macro shooting and underwater close-ups.

The Olympus Tough TG-810, compatible with SD/SDHC/SDXC cards up to 64 gigabytes, comes in black or silver. It will be available in April for $399.99. olympusamerica.com