Olympus updated a handful of their point-and-shoot cameras and while most updates of this nature would normally put me to sleep I was fortunate enough to have some hands-on time earlier today.
The biggest feature update across all the new Oly cams was the direct to HD video capture button. It’s red and in your face (in a good way). How many times have you fumbled around to switch modes only to miss that special moment? You can even fire off still shots while shooting video.
Olympus is also rolling out those fancy art filters into all their point-and-shoots this year. They’re gimmicky and kind of dumb, but if I’m not being charged extra for them, why not have them? Truth be told, I took some pretty cool video with the original EP-1 in Coney Island with some of those filters. Maybe they’re not dumb after all.
Olympus’s Stylus Tough line of cameras have always been at the top of the list in terms of ruggedness, but the newly updated 8010 and 6020 are something different, something better. The chassis on both have been redesigned allowing the 8010 to dive down to 33 feet while the 6020 hovers around the 16-foot mark.
The 8010 and 6020 will be available in the coming months for $399.99 and $299.99, respectively.
Two new megazoom models were also introduced: SP-800UZ ($450) and SP-600UZ ($250). The 800UZ (as in Uzi?) sports a 30x wide-angle zoom in a teeny body. And that’s about it.
If you’re really interested in the specs then hit the jump for the press releases.