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Technical Details
- Brand Name: Olympus
- Model: TG-1iHS
- Optical Sensor Resolution: 12 MP
- Optical Sensor Technology: CMOS
- Optical zoom: 4 x
Product Details
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Product Description
From the Manufacturer
PRO IMAGE QUALITY FROM A WHOLE NEW PERSPECTIVE
World's First f2.0 High-Speed Lens on a Tough Camera. Olympus' newest Tough model draws on their extensive history of creating rugged, durable cameras that take the worry out of life-on-the-go shooting. This revolutionary TOUGH model introduces the World's First Ultra-Bright, High-Speed f2.0 lens on a Tough camera allowing you to capture dramatically better images in low-light and fast action situations than any other rugged model currently on the market*. The combination of durability and outstanding image quality makes it possible to shoot in even the harshest of conditions. Just imagine: capture beautiful underwater scenes and aquatic life, snap photos of triumphant arrivals to dusk-lit peaks, record your ride down the rapids in dazzling 1080p Full HD Video. The possibilities are truly endless.*as of April 23rd, 2012
SUPERIOR OPTICS
HIGH-SPEED, ULTRA-BRIGHT F2.0 LENS
The TG-1 iHS is the world's first rugged camera on the market* to include an ultra-bright, high-speed f2.0 lens so you can capture scenes that were previously "impossible" with a point & shoot. This new lens strengthens the camera's shooting capabilities making high-quality images and blazing fast shutter speeds possible even when a flash cannot be used or when shooting fast action or in low light.
3.0" OLED MONITOR
This 3.0-inch high-resolution OLED display (610K dots) provides excellent visibility outdoors enabling you to compose the perfect shot even in direct sunlight. And several protective coatings help to prevent scratches and cut down on reflective glare from bright lights and sun. Awesome optics, both in camera and on screen.
UNMATCHED RUGGED DURABILITY
THE PROOF IS IN THE BUILD
WATERPROOF TO 40FT.
The TG-1 iHS crushes the notion that cameras are easily damaged by water and humidity. The Olympus-original complete sealing system and double lock construction borrowed from Olympus' long history of manufacturing underwater housings ensures that the TG-1 iHS is completely waterproof down to a new depth of 40ft. Even on land, the TG-1 iHS ensures that you'll never miss an awesome shot just because of heavy rain or snow.
SHOCKPROOF TO 6.6ft.
The shockproof structure of the TG-1 iHS ensures that your investment is protected. Carefully sandwiched between two protective frames, the lens and camera unit remain unfazed by bumps, drops, falls and other impacts. Even after repeated drops, critical camera components and functions like the lens, shutter, aperture and auto-focus remain safe. Drop, pick up, and keep on shooting.
CRUSHPROOF TO 220LBF.
The TG-1 iHS uses a double-layer construction, consisting of a tough yet lightweight polycarbonate resin and a metal frame. The crushproof construction ensures that your camera – and screen! – won't break, even under 220lbs of pressure. No more cracked screens because you've left your camera in your back pocket or suitcase.
FREEZEPROOF TO 14F
Keep shooting outdoors even in the winter. The TG-1 iHS is designed to keep operating at below freezing temperatures, safe from the two most common problems when shooting in cold weather: lens condensation and auto zoom malfunction. Hit the slopes, fire up your snowmobile, or break out the skates, because with the TG-1 iHS by your side, you'll never miss those awesome wipe out moments.
DUSTPROOF
Life gets dirty. Between dusty fields and muddy trails, sometimes your camera doesn't stay as pristine as you'd like it to. But even in less-than-spotless environments, the fine protective sealing of the TG-1 iHS helps keep out dirt and debris allowing you to capture shot after shot even in the harshest environments.
WATER-REPELLANT LENS COATING
Splash after splash, never worry about water droplets obstructing your images thanks to the water-repellent lens coating that prevents water from remaining on the lens surface. And because it's applied to the OLED monitor as well, composing shots in the rain or while riding the waves will be a breeze.
DOUBLE-LOCK DURABILITY
With all the care that is put in to protecting the inner workings of your camera, it would be a shame for the system to fail because the battery door opens unintentionally. Thanks to the multi-directional, double-lock mechanism, your camera is protected from accidental openings under water.
OUTSTANDING IMAGE QUALITY
IHS
A high-sensitivity, high-speed 12-megapixel backlit CMOS sensor combines with a blazing fast, DSLR-quality TruePic VI image processor resulting in high-speed autofocus, enhanced Intelligent Auto for spectacular scene and subject recognition, and 2x Super-Resolution Zoom to produce jaw-dropping images in locations that make even the most seasoned photographers cringe. This family of technologies conquers challenging shooting conditions with improved light condensing efficiency, less noise and quick response time – twice as fast as traditional cameras – for definitively unmatched image quality.
SUPER SPORT MODE
Designed specifically to keep up with life-on-the-go photography, the new Super Sport Mode combines high-speed autofocus with extra fast shutter speeds – up to 1/2000 – to freeze the action. Conveniently located on the dial, this mode captures 5 shots in a high-speed burst to ensure crisp shots of even the most extreme action sport settings.
LOW LIGHT MODE
Low Light Mode is perfect for capturing the mood of low-light indoor scenes, beautiful sunsets, or late night outdoor festivities without ruining the ambience with a bright flash. Forget about subject blurring or camera shake ruining the shot – Low Light Mode has you covered.
FULL HD VIDEO WITH HDMI OUTPUT & CONTROL
With the TG-1 iHS, you can shoot 1080p Full HD videos (1920x1080 pixels) at 60 frames per second at the touch of button, allowing for slow-motion playback. Thanks to iHS Technology, your videos will get the VIP treatment with excellent color reproduction and faster processing speeds, while Multi-Motion IS compensates for user movement creating smoother videos. Linear PCM Recording, an audio technology pioneered by Olympus for professional voice recorders, records your videos with high-definition audio for optimal playback results. HDMI output and control makes playing back videos on your HDTV a breeze.
HIGH-SPEED SEQUENTIAL SHOOTING
Shoot like a pro! With 10fps high-speed burst shooting, nail the perfect shot by taking a quick sequence of images at the touch of a button. Still afraid you'll miss a moment? At 3MP, the frame rate increases to an astounding 60 shots per second. You'll have so many great shots, you won't be able to share just one!
ENHANCED IAUTO (INTELLIGENT AUTO)
In iAuto mode, the camera automatically detects the subject, lighting and situation to identify the scene you're shooting – up to 30 different scenes including Night, Sport, Beach and Snow, Underwater Snapshot and Backlight HDR – and adjusts the settings for ideal results. Leave it up to the TG-1 iHS to choose optimum settings so you can focus on capturing that amazing shot.
SYSTEM EXPANDABILITY
LENS ACCESSORIES THAT TAKE FUNCTIONALITY TO A WHOLE NEW LEVEL.
FISHEYE CONVERTER LENS
Achieve panoramic wide-angle shots without sacrificing the brightness of the f2.0 lens. Even in darker underwater scenes down to 40ft., you can shoot wider, more dynamic images that beautifully reproduce underwater scenery. Waterproof to 40ft.
TELE CONVERTER LENS
Telephotography of 1.7x extends your optical zoom from 4x to nearly 7x. Get highly artistic shots that draw attention to the subject by blurring the background, and achieve higher shutter speeds while zooming in close on a subject on the move. Waterproof to 40ft.
LENS CONVERTER ADAPTER
Don't forget the adapter for your Fisheye or Tele Converter Lens! Already have a stash of favorite lens filters? The converter adapter can accommodate any 40.5mm filter.
UNDERWATER HOUSING
40 feet not deep enough for you? Dive to depths of 135 feet (45m) with the new Olympus PT-053 underwater housing, designed specifically for the TG-1 iHS. Featuring a large, responsive shutter button, precision zoom lever and a tight O-ring main seal with safety lock, the PT-053 allows divers, from beginner to dive master, to capture worry-free images of unique underwater scenes.
EXTREME VERSATILITY
GPS & E.COMPASS
The ideal travel guide. With the GPS and e.compass functions on the TG-1 iHS, location and landmark information will be displayed and recorded along with the image. The TG-1 iHS is also equipped with a logging function so you can track the route taken from recorded images by using applications such as Google Earth and Picasa. And with the brand new LI-90 battery, you'll worry less about battery life and more about your next destination.
MANOMETER
Mark your spot on the map with the built-in manometer. Records elevation & water depth and even displays a warning when the user approaches a depth of 40ft.
AUTOMATIC UNDERWATER BALANCE
The Olympus TG-1 iHS boasts 4 different underwater scene modes -- Underwater Snapshot, Underwater Wide 1, Underwater Wide 2 and Underwater Macro -- each carefully calibrated to allow for optimal color balance, exposure and flash so you automatically get the best results. Beautiful underwater photos made simpler.
LED ILLUMINATOR
An LED Illuminator is like a mini-flashlight on the front of the camera to enhance focus and exposure for macro shooting – great for underwater close-ups where light is scarce. The LED illuminator also works in conjunction with the flash to help illuminate your subject in low-light conditions.
MAGIC ART FILTERS
Express your creativity with 12 different special effects for your photos and HD videos. Olympus' Magic Art Filters infuse familiar scenes with new and unexpected moods ranging from the excited to the serene and from the whimsical to the mysterious. Choose from Pop Art, Pin Hole, Drawing, Fisheye, Soft Focus, Punk, Sparkle, Watercolor, Miniature, Reflection, Dramatic and Fragmented. (Some effects apply only to still photos. Effects may reduce image size).
Included Accessories : A/V cable, USB cable, AC power adapter and Wrist strap
Product Description
- 12 Megapixel BSI CMOS Sensor with Full HD Video with HDMI, Multi-Motion Movie IS
- Waterproof (12m/40 ft), Shockproof (2m/6.6 ft) and Freezeproof (-10°C/14°F)
- 8x Super-Resolution Zoom and F2.0 Hi-Speed Lens and 4x Optical Zoom
- iHS Technology
- GPS & eCompass
- Crushproof 220 lbf.
- 3.0-Inch screen and 610k OLED
Available Warranties for This Item
Customer Reviews
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I am so excited to be writing this review. At long last I have what I consider to be the *PERFECT* rugged camera.
Before I begin my review, here's my background:
I'm a wedding photographer by trade, so I have some pretty good experience-based insight about cameras (although more so with DLSR's) AND I have owned two other waterproof cameras. My first was the Canon D10 and I loved the new freedom it gave me to go underwater but it was huge and ugly (like a big bubble). I used this for years until it Nikon came out with their new Nikon COOLPIX AW100. This "upgrade" was actually a HUGE mistake as I found it more like a "downgrade" in many ways. Perhaps I'll write a review of the Nikon someday, but I'll mention some comparisons between the two below. To add perspective on that, I sold the Nikon at a loss and waited and studied the competition. Once the new Canon D20 came out, I was about to press `buy' when I saw an article on this Olympus. I ended up waiting a few more weeks for this bad-boy to release and I am SO GLAD I did.
Construction:
The camera looks great and feels sturdy. It's not oversized like the Canon, and not hollow-feeling like the Nikon. It just feels like a well-built machine, and this "feel" is important to me.
The lens is in the center! This is another one of the standout features of this camera. This allows you to hold it from both sides for even steadier shots. The other cameras lenses were off to the far left. Not only is that hard for lefties, but it makes them much harder to hold successfully with both hands (without blocking something).
The strap is thick and adjustable, which you'll want when you take it in the ocean. In comparison, the Nikon DID NOT even come with an underwater strap - only non-waterproof hand strap, which I felt was an odd choice. The instructions even stated the strap was not to be used in the water. Perhaps it's like selling a DVD player without an HDMI cord? I never looked to see how much Nikon was charging for an underwater strap.
The buttons are well-placed, logical and were easy for me to use. Some are small, but they're located well so they're easy to push without pushing something else by accident.
The battery case and charger ports are protected with doors that have TWO locks on them. You lock the first, and then you need to lock the second. If you want to open them, reverse the order. I appreciate this added security as I am someone that likes to pick at things in my hands and several times on my Canon I had picked open the batter door in the pool (luckily above water).
The screen is big (3") and, because it is OLED, it is visible from almost any viewing angle and even clear in bright sun. With this being an "outdoorsy" camera, the benefits of this screen are great.
The 25mm lens is really WIDE! This is just what you want for ocean shots. You can really stretch out the underwater scene and add drama. This camera will be your best friend in Hawaii! I also like the wide angle lens in pools as well.
The camera supports add-on lenses that screw on OVER the current lens. In other words, there is no extra vulnerable location for water to get in.
Menus:
The menu system is exceptional and has a lot of similarities with my $3499 Canon 5d Mark III. When you hit the menu button, you get:
Camera Menu 1: compression, shadow adjust, AF mode, metering mode, digital zoom, image stabilizer
Camera Menu 2: accessory settings, AF illumination, rec. view, pic orientation, icon guide, date stamp, super-res zoom
Movie Menu: image size, IS movie mode, mic, wind noise reduction, recording volume
Playback Menu: slideshow, photo surfing, edit, erase, print order, lock, upload order
Settings Menu 1: format, backup, Eye-Fi, custom mode setup, USB connection, power on, sound settings
Settings Menu 2: file name, pixel mapping, monitor brightness, info, tv out, power save, language
Settings Menu 3: time, world time, reset database, beauty settings, tough settings, gps settings
On the Nikon, I would have to hunt and peck to find what I was looking for. I was maddening sometimes as I tried to find where the GPS settings were. This is such an issue on the Nikon, you can Google it and see how many people need help finding where to turn the GPS on/off.
One feature that has really come in handy is that when you stop the cursor on a menu selection, there is scrolling text at the bottom that says exactly what that button does in a complete sentence! This is a HUGE help for anyone who doesn't want to lug around (or memorize) the manual.
GPS:
Not only does this camera tag the pictures with the GPS location, but you also can turn on a feature where it will track your entire route for you. For example, if you hike the John Muir trail, you might take pictures every few hours and with another GPS camera you would have a general idea of the path you took but with this one you would have an actual line of your every step. This is an incredible keepsake for `off the grid' exploring hikes.
Taking pictures:
This camera is SMOKING FAST. Without having to lower the resolution of the photos, you can take 6 frames per seconds, which is the same as my Canon 5d mark III. Incredible! In fact, it takes pictures so fast that when you playback in the camera, it shows them in succession like a movie. This was an incredible way to watch my kids dive into the pool and then swim up to me!
The picture quality is fantastic. On both the Canon and the Nikon I always felt let-down by my end results. Something about these underwater cameras makes them produce pictures without enough contrast. This means that the pictures would lack the "POP" that I love so much in regular photography. Of course you can artificially add this in post-processing, but it's an extra step I don't need. This OLYMPUS doesn't suffer from this problem so the pictures really look great straight out of the camera.
Movie Mode:
I have only done a little with the movies, but the ones I've done so far are beautiful. There's something amazing about being able to shoot a video underwater. It's a lot of fun. As time goes by, I'll report back to add more about the video capabilities.
Fun Modes:
In addition to the standard modes (auto, P, action, low light, and scene), there are also "Magic" modes which are very fun to play with. They are akin to Instagram pictures in that they apply effects to the picture but what makes them more fun is that you see the effects as you take it! Here are the modes with brief descriptions:
Pop art - oversaturated colors
Pin hole - vignette, like an old camera
Fish eye - simulates a fish-eye lens (really fun!)
Line - drawing turns the picture into something like a coloringbook page
Soft focus - like old school wedding photography (eek!)
Punk - turns pictures pink and black (actually more fun than you might think)
Sparkle - simulates a star filter, which turns any points of light into stars (great for Christmas lights or city lights)
Watercolor - mutes the colors, adds line (see `Line' above)
Reflection - like a kaleidoscope
Miniature - simulates a tilt-shift lens. If you haven't heard of this style of photography, Google it. Super fun.
Fragmented - like a shattered mirror
Dramatic - processes pictures with a "grunge" look
I am not usually a fan of these types of special effects, but for the review I thought I'd test them out. A few are gimmicky for sure, but some, such as the fish-eye, sparkle, pin-hole, and miniature are actually quite fun and a few of those will be useful for more than just goofing around (i.e. sparkle at Christmas, fish-eye of skateboarding, etc.)
Conclusion:
I have finally found what I've been looking for in a waterproof camera. Something I don't have to baby that takes GREAT pictures without any of the sacrifices typically associated with "rugged" point-and-shoot cameras.
I wholeheartedly recommend this camera with no reservations.
If you found this review helpful, please let me know! Also, if you have any questions, feel free to post them in the comments and I'll try my best to answer them.
---7/3/2012 UPDATE:
I continue to enjoy this camera! The amount of fun pictures I've taken this summer that I wouldn't have been able to take on my other camera (because of exposure to water, sand, etc) has been worth the cost of admission alone. Here's something else I love:
The mode dial on the camera is a such a useful feature (more than you would think). Recently I had the camera in the middle of a lake at a floating obstacle course with my kids. I was taking pictures of them diving off this platform in 60fps mode and then I wanted to switch back into standard mode and all I had to do was twist the dial. It was hard enough treading water in the choppy lake, so having the ability to switch with ease was such a help. It I had to dig through a complicated menu system, I probably would have sunk to the bottom! ;)
Here are the modes available from the dial:
iAUTO - Camera chooses the mode based on the scene
Program Auto (this is what I use mostly) - Like iAUTO, but allows you to make changes to: flash, macro, self-timer (12 sec, 2 sec), exposure compensation, white balance, ISO, sequential (1 fps, 6 fps at 12mp, 60 fps at 3mp), and photo size (megapixels). Read more ›
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These vids were made with one shot AF, IS off, and I can also confirm that this has nothing to do with the sound of the optical zoom (which is hardly noticeable in this camera).
Olympus says this sound is a consequence of waterproofing the camera, but they wouldn't tell me why other waterproof camera's apparently don't have this problem.
It's a real shame Olympus will not warrant this, because the rest of the camera is really good: great 2.0 lens, fast performance, very good image quality (esp. high iso and macro) for its class and nice, functional body design.
You might get lucky with your sample (or maybe not so unlucky as I was,) but be warned that Olympus will not grant any warranty claims if you end up with video sound like this.
- Start up speed: Using a stopwatch, I consistently was able to hold down the shutter button while pressing the power button and get the camera to take a picture in around 1.5 seconds while in Program mode. This is way faster than the Tough 6000 could ever manage and find it quite satisfactory.
- Speed between taking pictures: There really is no lag between taking pictures anymore. The camera will take pictures as fast as you can repeatedly press the shutter button. In the dedicated Sport mode the results are even more impressive. At full 12MP, the camera is taking about 10 frames per second, but if you knock the image size down to 3MP it will capture an insane number of pictures per second. Olympus rates the highest speed at 60fps, but I have not confirmed this. I did test it out on my friend doing jumping jacks and it's really pretty nuts. It is very slow motion on the order of frame by frame video. (I have experience with video editing, so I am not just throwing that term out there blindly.) The sport mode is really cool for capturing people jumping in to a pool, doing cart wheels, or any other action where a set of high speed sequential shots is desirable. Olympus really did a good job on improving this aspect from the Tough 6000. (NOTE: the sequential shooting speed appears to depend somewhat on the speed on the SD card being used as, after a few seconds of taking pictures, the SD card logo on the OLED monitor turns from white to red and the camera stops taking pictures. The picture counter will catch up to the number of pictures taken and then the SD card symbol will turn back to white. I am using a 16GB SanDisk Ultra II class 4 card rated at 15MB/s. I would imagine higher speed cards would enable the camera to take either more pictures per second, take sequential pictures for a longer period of time, or even perhaps both.)
- Shutter Lag: Shutter lag is pretty much non-existent. I have been using film and digital SLRs for years and am used to the instant shutter speed of such cameras and the TG-1 compares quite nicely to them, especially for a "point and shoot" style camera.
- Focus hunting in low light: I have taken several pictures in low light settings, some with flash and some without, and found the auto focus speed to be vastly improved from the Tough 6000. You will no longer have to tell a group of people to hold still forever while the camera is attempting to focus on them.
- Low light quality: The F2.0 lens really makes a noticeable difference here as low light quality is so much improved over the Tough 6000. Quality low light pictures can be obtained, even without using the flash.
- Video: The HD video, both 1080 and 720, comes out nice considering this is primarily a still camera. It is certainly not as good as the video from my Canon Vixia HF10, which is a purpose built camcorder, but that is to be expected. I do like that the video is started and stopped using its own dedicated recording button on the back of the camera. That way the camera can be set up in whatever still shooting mode you find desirable for the moment, but start shooting a video literally at the press of a button if the moment calls for it. The camera allows you to zoom during shooting and adjusts exposure on the fly in the middle of recording. This is very nice as you are able to reframe your videos and not worry about exposure changes while in the middle of shooting a video. The one main negative I can point to about video is that the zoom motor noise is clearly audible in the recording. This is unfortunate, but considering the camera's core mission as a rugged still camera, it is acceptable. The noise is not loud enough to drown out all other sounds, but is certainly noticeable. The camera records video in the Apple mov file format, which may be good or bad depending on your preference.
That pretty much does it for the comparison between the older Tough 6000 and the new TG-1.
Other things to note about the TG-1 are:
- The strap is quite beefy for a point and shoot strap and is more like the one I have on my camcorder. I find this to be good though as the traditional point and shoot straps are always so thin it makes me nervous when the camera is dangling by it over a precarious position.
- The screen is quite large, has great quality, and has an excellent viewing angle.
- I like the lens being in the middle of the camera as it reduces the odds of getting fingers in the shot and is just more natural for framing shots in general.
- The mode dial has dedicated spots for Sport, Low Light, and two Custom Setup options allowing you to save custom set ups that are quickly accessible.
- The access doors are now double locked, meaning they have a slider that shuts the door, then another slider that keeps the first slider from moving. This added security is certainly welcomed.
I have not tried out the GPS function or the manometer function, so can't really comment on those. They aren't terribly important to me, so that's why.
Finally, some negatives:
- As others have stated, the button layout is a little cramped. I don't have a problem navigating around the button layout, but those with clumsy and/or large fingers may find it a tad challenging perhaps.
- Like the Tough 6000, the TG-1 still uses the lame proprietary USB port that Olympus for some reason insists on using. This forces you to carry around the included proprietary USB cable they provide to hook the camera up to a computer and to charge it.
- Speaking of charging, the camera does not come with an external battery charger. This forces you to keep the battery in the camera to charge it via the aforementioned proprietary USB cable connected to either a computer's USB port or the included AC adapter. As of right now, 6/28/2012, there is no external charger available for purchase. This is incredibly lame as it makes it impossible to charge a spare battery and use the camera at the same time; which is something everyone wants to do on a multi-day vacation. Hopefully Olympus will come out with one soon or perhaps a third party will.
Overall I think this is an excellent rugged camera that really nails all the features necessary to excel in this camera segment. The TG-1 is most certainly a big step forward from the Tough 6000 and I am very glad I purchased it. Besides the relatively minor negatives mentioned above, this is a sure fire winner for anyone looking for a rugged camera.
***UPDATE JULY 6th, 2012***
Just got a new SD card and tested out the difference in speed, with emphasis on the sequential sport mode.
Before I present the data, here are the cards being used:
- OLD: 16GB SanDisk Ultra II Class 4 rated at 15MB/s
- NEW: 32GB SanDisk Extreme Class 10 UHS 1 rated at 45MB/s
Sport mode results:
- 12MP Sequential:
- OLD: 100 frames in 30 seconds, 3.33fps (frames per second)
- NEW: 100 frames in 20 seconds, 5fps
- 3MP Hi 1 Sequential:
- OLD and NEW: 100 frames in 7 seconds, 14.29fps (no difference between cards)
- 3MP Hi 2 Sequential:
- OLD and NEW: 100 frames in 1 second, 100fps; yes one hundred frames per second! (no difference between cards)
As you may have noticed, all the tests involved shooting 100 frames. This was not my choosing, but appears to be the maximum allowable sequential images the camera will take at a time. For each of the tests I held the shutter button down until the camera stopped taking pictures, so it was not my choice to stop at 100. You will also notice that the only speed increase is in the 12MP sequential test, whereas the other two modes have the same speed.
While not recorded for time, I would like to note that the time it took the camera to process and save the images after each burst mode seemed to me to take less time with the newer card, especially in the Hi 1 and Hi 2 modes.
I have had it underwater.
It takes pictures fast and in good quality. Read more
