Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS Digital Camera
Mark Kakkuri 06.06.13
For the hard core outdoors enthusiast, documenting rugged, outdoors activities has usually been an exercise in compromise: equipment such as a digital camera either couldn’t take the abuses of outdoor life or, if it did, it took lousy pictures or cost too much. And let’s face it: even with a durable case, your smartphone and its decent internal camera is just not meant to be too exposed to the elements, let alone pushed to the extremes.
Moreover, survival situations at times require digital photography but by their very nature are unplanned. As such, a “survival camera” must be able to be easily taken on any trip and therefore light, exceptionally durable, yet simple to use. And the most basic feature of an outdoors or survival camera? It must be waterproof and able to withstand the inevitable bumps or even drops that accompany a survival situation.
Meet the Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS, a digital camera that’s as tough as you are.
Specifications
- High-speed, ultra-bright f2.0 lens
- 3” 610K OLED monitor
- 12MP
- 4x/8x zoom
- 1080p full HD video
- Waterproof to 50 feet
- Shockproof to survive a 7-foot fall
- Crushproof to 220lbf
- Freezeproof to 14 degrees F
- Dustproof
- GPS & e.Compass
- $329.99
Quality
With the high-quality lens and the multi-faceted toughness offered by the Olympus TG-2 iHS, your digital photography abilities increase exponentially. While some “ruggedized” products are mere marketing-speak and marked by caveats and disclaimers, the Olympus camera you see here makes good on its product descriptions. You really can get this thing wet, drop it, and in virtually every respect, be outside with it and expect it not only to work but to take excellent pictures and video.
Specifically, I appreciated the relatively simple controls and especially the one-touch video recording button. The three-inch monitor delivered a brilliant, crisp picture in any light and the camera offered rubber panels or surfaces in just the right places. Even the strap exuded the highest quality and kept the Olympus safely attached to me when in use or handy when not in use.
Reliability
While I was never in a true survival situation with the Olympus, I did what I could to reasonably create the conditions the camera would likely face if it were. Most important to me were its ability to function when wet, dropped, and otherwise exposed to elements of outdoor harshness.
Olympus uses a sealing system combined with double locking compartments to keep water and moisture out of key areas. Repeated and prolonged dunkings and dousing didn’t seem to bother this camera or its function; I just shook it off and kept taking pictures.
Likewise, the camera survived multiple drops inside of the seven foot standard. Again, apart from a few nicks and scratches, no harm done.
Beyond my survival testing, for a few weeks I kept the camera with me wherever I went. This included several trips outdoors and even a family vacation to a zoo and water park. Although hardly a survival situation, I greatly appreciated not having to worry about getting the camera wet, dropping it, and so on. The ruggedness is truly a great asset in a multitude of environments.
Price/Value
At a retail price of $329.99, the Olympus TG-2 iHS is definitely an investment, but a very good one. For a cost that’s equal to or less than many digital cameras, you get excellent photographic abilities (still images and video), great portability, and real ruggedness.
The Olympus beats your smartphone camera as well as a less-expensive point-and-shoot digital camera because it combines into one unit a high-end digital camera that can take a beating. Because it takes great pictures and can handle the elements, you’ll take it to all the places cameras fear to go: the beach, the pool, out in the rain, and on every outdoor adventure. And if that outdoor adventure turns into a disaster, the Olympus can stay on duty, surviving with you.
Referability
The Olympus TG-2 iHS gets a rare five-star rating across all categories. At this point, the only question I have is how long it would hold up under extreme duress. My guess is that the camera would do just fine having exceeded any reasonable demands I could place on it during my tests. After using the Olympus, I wished more digital electronics were this tough!
