 worth every penny |
| Review Date: May 19, 2009 |
| Reviewer: susan saint-pierre, San Francisco, CA United States |
I bought this camera after my camera died last year in Singapore. I was backpacking for a year in Asia and needed something more durable for all the abuse it was going to take. This one did the trick. I am an avid photographer and this camera really did was it says it would do. I could throw it in my day pack and never have to think about it getting wet, crushed, sat on, scratched, etc. I even dropped it off the top of a waterfall in India (by accident) it smashed off a rock and into the pool below, my friend climbed down and got it and after a little shake to get off the water I took a picture of him - worked like a charm!
Two little criticisms you should know:
1. There is no viewfinder only the LCD screen. So if you are trying to take a shot on a really sunny day you might just see your own reflection in the LCD and have to guess that you got what you were pointing at. (The good thing is with the SHQ setting on, if you need to zoom and crop later you've got the pixels to do it.)
2. I did have a problem with water leakage once when I jumped into the ocean from a boat. I think it was two things I did wrong, the force of hitting the water might have been too much for the seals, and two I didn't soak/rinse it in freshwater before opening it to change the memory cards. In the future I'll have someone hand me the camera after I jump in so no high pressure water exposure, and I'll rinse off the salt before opening it up. There was no permanent damage done, it just acted a little wonky until the next day when it finally all dried out. |
Great Camera!
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| Review Date: May 7, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Leena Couling, Honolulu, HI |
| We ordered the silicon skin and floaty strap with this camera and we havent had any problems yet. Its been out in freshwater, the ocean and the pool for the past 4 days straight with really great pictures! We really like the tap-control feature. My husband took it on a 5 day hiking trip to Kauai, and was worried that the battery would die (no electricity out there). Happily one full battery lasted the whole trip even with several movies recorded! The camera is easy to use, takes great pictures and movies, and best of all fits in your pocket! The one drawback is the camera is so small that sometimes with the underwater shots, it's hard to stablize the camera and a finger shows up in the corner of the picture. That will get better over time though. We were glad we got the 8000 over the 6000 because we were easily free diving past 10 feet while snorkeling to get some great turtle pictures. So far we love the camera! |
Submerged for 24hrs
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| Review Date: May 1, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Bradley Stewart, Crystal River Fl |
| Recently took new Stylus Tough 8000 on a snorkeling trip to Crystal River Fl. Upon paddling in a canal my fiance dropped the camera in ten feet of water and a foot of algae. After unsuccessfully free diving for an hour we opted to return in the morning with scuba. The next day we fanned and used a rope search pattern for about 59 minutes before recovering our brand new camera. After 24 hrs of soaking it turned on and worked perfectly. Needless to say we have purchased the floating strap and tested it in the pool for and hour, it stayed on the surface. Hats off to Olympus for a great camera. |
Great camera
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| Review Date: August 3, 2009 |
| Reviewer: M. Shocklee, Marina del Rey, Ca |
| I almost did not buy this camera because of the reviews of the camera not having sharp images. I wanted an underwater camera really bad, so I bought it anyways.The images are very sharp and the color is great. Because I use this as a quick point and shoot, I leave the camera in iAUTO mode and am very happy with the results. I have had the camera for six weeks now and have used it in swimming pools and in the ocean every day for two weeks. The underwater pictures are great and really fun. The video mode on this camera is decent for a point and shoot. It is not as good as a video camera, but then I am not carrying around another waterproof video camera. The only draw back is the finish of the camera. It is really nice looking, and it also scratches really easily. For a "Tough" camera, I wish the finish was as tough. The one thing I have to remember when being around the water is to keep water drops off the lens (causes blurry images) and mini air bubbles away from the lens while underwater (flip camera upside down to rid the bubbles). I bought the orange float strap and it does float my camera in the ocean and was glad I had it. If you want to see some images go to www.atomicmonkey.us and the pictures and video under Catalina and Mammoth were all taken with the Olympus. |
Undersea at Guanaja
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| Review Date: June 18, 2009 |
| Reviewer: BlazerDiver, |
| I bought the Stylus 8000, underwater housing, olympus UFL1 strobe and strobe adapter. I took the camera to Guanaja, Honduras during a dive trip. The photos are incredible! 12M really helps out and the u/w settings are tremendous! |
Who Needs "Tap" Control
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| Review Date: February 26, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Jerry Jim, Where The Wind Comes Sweeping Down The Plain ! |
Ok, I just got my new Olympus Stylus 8000. I already have the Stylus 770SW which I always have with me, rain or shine, and it works great. But, I thought it was time for an "upgrade" so, I now have the Stylus 8000. I have "no" "regrets". It is definitely a step up. The LCD is "brighter" and the "color logic" is better than ever. It makes "panoramas" right in the camera, and does a pretty good job if you do what you're supposed to do as you "pan". No, not just a "pretty good" job, an "excellent" job.
One of the new features of this model is something called "Tap Control". When I read the specs on that before I got the camera, I said, "I Don't Need No Stinkin'"Tap" Control"! Why would I want to "hit" my camera in order to make it do things? Boy, was I "Wrong". I love the "Tap Control". It's great. It's just that, a "tap". But, a "definite" tap. It doesn't just start changing settings for no reason, you have to "tap" it. The things that you used to have to "toggle" back and forth to access, you now just "tap" the camera sides or top or back. You know, the things you change on a regular basis like "flash" settings, "macro" settings, "picture review", all those can be controlled with "taps". If you don't want to "tap", you can turn that option off. However, I'll bet, once you start using "tap control" you will never go back to the "toggle". The "tap" is too easy, and too accurate. No more "fumbling" with the toggle. The overall feel of the Camera is just fine, and, as I'm sure you already know, it's "bullet proof". I have dropped my 770 on "concrete" from "eye height" and I had to "hunt" to find the "micro scratch" on it's corner. Water is a "non-issue".
When I told my cats that I was getting another camera, they said "Jerry", "You already have like "five" cameras. Why do you need another one"? I told them, "It's an "upgrade". "Besides, the next time the "dog pack" comes through, I will have this camera ready to "document" the "fear" in your eyes". They said, "Jerry, We ain't afraid of no stinkin' "dog pack". "Now, fill up our food bowls".
Cats, they don't worry about anything.
Yes, the Olympus Stylus 8000 with "Tap Control". You'll love it. |
Tough, Dependable and Great Quality
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| Review Date: March 9, 2009 |
| Reviewer: M. Widner, IOWA |
Being in the military deployed several times in some really crappy places, I have gone though the cameras. Next to my rifle, this little camera has been one of the most used tools in my combat load. I can't wait to see how it works underwater on much needed R&R.
The Black version I have but would be happy with either one. The images are sharp and fast to focus compared to other Point N Shoots. The little sound speaker is weak by itself but hooked up to the tube it works fine. So far no problem with accidental battery door openings like I had with an earlier Olympus version. This camera has a nice sturdy feel and lots of settings and yes the tap function works well with nomex gloves.
The only thing that sometimes bothers me is that the lenz is in the upper left corner as you are shooting -- it's easy to get your finger in the picture if you dont hold it as indicated in the instructions. Normal center lenzes I haven't had that problem but this is minor issue cause now it's like I am aware of it.
12mp is huge for a field camera so I tend to use it more on the 5mp setting with the 2 gig xd card and the little neoprene case. It also comes with the xd adapter for the micro sd so that goes straight from the camera to phone slot for micro sd and using the SD adapter goes straight in the laptop port. No need to carry extra cables.
For the money, if you want a great camera in tough places, this is your best choice. |
Very tough-- GREAT PICTURES!
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| Review Date: May 4, 2009 |
| Reviewer: K. Hoover, Reno, NV |
So I'm not a camera expert and won't be able to tell you about f stops and whatnot, all I can tell you is that this camera works and makes me happy. I have taken it underwater, I teach swim lessons, and have had my camera in the water several times with no problems whatsoever, and all the kids think it's super cool. Definitely test your camera underwater before taking it out in the world, I'm sure that sometimes there are just errors in the production.
I bought this camera after using a Nikon with an underwater housing for three years, but the underwater housing was so bulky it made my nice little Nikon a pain to carry, so I decided to upgrade. The biggest problem I had with my old Nikon point-and-shoot was getting the pictures to look the way I actually saw things, I had a lot of trouble with pictures that were too bright or too dark. I took my Olympus out on the first day and took picture after picture, playing with all of the different settings and functions and while I did have to find a good combination of settings, eventually, I got pictures back that looked exactly like what I was seeing with my own eyes.
This is my first Olympus, but I am very impressed with the camera so far. The 3x zoom initially worried me, but the camera has plenty of zoom for what I've needed. One big difference I also noticed is that with my old camera, when I looked through the view finder or the screen, the image was further away than it actually was- like that passenger's side rear view mirror thing. But that doesn't happen with the Olympus, which is perhaps why the little zoom number isn't a problem. This is the first camera I've had with a re-chargeable battery, and the only thing that kind of surprised me was that the only way to charge the battery was while it was in the camera. I bought a package deal on Amazon with an extra battery, memory card, etc. so I was hoping that one battery could charge while I was using the other in the camera, but this is not so. I'll just have to be careful planning to have both batteries charged when I need to have them for big adventures.
So overall, I'm really quite happy with this camera, I think it's fantastic and can't wait to travel again and take lots and lots of pictures.
UPDATE- The following link is to some of the pictures I've taken with the Olympus Stylus Tough-8000. I absolutely love the picture quality I've gotten with this camera, the underwater shots are fantastic, and the multiple settings and scenes allow you to get the perfect shot of whatever you're looking at. I love showing off my new camera!
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STYLUS THOUGH 8000 OUT OF THIS WORLD
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| Review Date: June 25, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Edgar Flotte, |
Awesome! Took it to the pool, six flags, etc. and the camera is still in one piece. I remember my old digital cameras who would be ruined just by a whale splash at Seaworld. Great pics at 12 megapixels. A++++ Kids resistant father's approved.
I forgot to close the charging port and the camera flooded and shorted when I jumped into the pool. I saw how it shorted and shutted off. I was sad since my previus Canon got fried just by a splash of keiko at seaworld. Well nevertheless, I let the camera drying for two days, with the ports (latches) open, in the heat (sitting in front of the dash on my windshield, the camera was burning but finally all of the fog was gone) I instered the battery and memory card and voila! The camera is working as new again, unbeliebable. The pictures may not be as good as my canon but oh man this camera is awesome!!!!! |
Awesome
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| Review Date: August 30, 2009 |
| Reviewer: Brian R. Richards, West Hills, CA |
I was torn between the Canon D10 and This tough 8000 because I am a long time Canon fanatic. I had read reviews saying the Canon had better image quality. I went to a local shop to hold them in my hand. the deciding factors were that A) I couldn't find an apreciable difference in quality taking a variety of shots inside and outside the store, B) The Olympus records sound, the Canon doesn't, and C) the Olympus has a lens cover, the Canon doesn't, and no matter how scratch proof they say it is I'm not taking a camera on a sand-filled Hawaiian vacation unless it can cvover the lens when int he pocket and laying around a towel.
This camera was AWESOME in every situation. It outperformed every camera my relatives brought in every situation. It focuses quick, does fine in low light, and the iAuto feature is fantastic when you need something quick and aren't sure what settings to try. The shadow assist mode is SUPERB. The underwater shots are clear and while it has no capacity to add a red filter and therfore comes out tinted teal, it's a one click fix in Picasa to adjust 99% of them to darn near perfect. The camera performed great for panoramas, portraits, indoors, outdoors, low light, too much light, and underwater in sometimes murky conditions
I like the "Fine" Zoom which is kind of a semi-digital zoom without the typical crappiness of digital zoom. My only complaint is that it seems you have to turn fine zoom back on for most shooting modes every time you reboot the camera. This would be one of my two complaints and it's minor. I've had many cameras with scene featurs and I've never really used them always finding I got better pictures if I adjusted everytiong myself. In most cases with this camera, the Scene features do a really outstanding job, and the iAuto's abiity to pick the right scene and adjustment combos is really impressive.
Battery life was great with both the original Olympus and a Maximal battery I got for $4 from Amazon. I did find the battery seemed to last longer when charged in a 3rd party charger than it did when charged in the camera off a USB cable. I'm not sure if this is user-error in the way I'm charging it or not.
My only other complaint would be the choice to use XD and a MicroSDHC adapter rather than just using SDHC cards. This limits the choice of value memory available.
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