Olympus today unveiled new versions of their popular flagship Stylus and Tough underwater cameras, the Olympus Stylus 1s and Olympus Stylus Tough TG-4, respectively; each offers several feature refinements based on user feedback.
Olympus’s Tough line has been a leader in compact underwater cameras for years, with both minor and major refinements added over the years. As with its predecessor the TG-3, the TG-4 is designed to function in extreme shooting conditions. It is waterproof to 50 feet, crushproof to 220 pounds, shockproof from drops of up to 7 feet, freezeproof down to 14 degrees F, and is sealed against dust. The TG-4 features a 16MP sensor that measures 6.17×4.55mm and has an ISO range of 100-6400, and a top shutter speed of 1/2000 sec.
The big news here is that the TG-4 is the first camera in the Tough line to capture RAW images. This gives photographers more control over image quality, and offers more flexible options when post-processing images. AF target selection has been refined, and a new Underwater HDR feature corrects color tones and combines multiple images for vivid images with improved highlight and shadow detail.
The Olympus Stylus TG-4’s key features also include a 25-100mm (35mm equivalent) f/2.0 internal zoom lens and macro focusing as close as half an inch away, even when the lens is fully zoomed out. Olympus uses a “focus stacking” mode to capture eight consecutive images in rapid sequence while rapidly shifting focus from foreground to background. Focused areas are then merged to produce a final image with increased depth of field.
Built-in Wi-Fi allows users to share images on iOS or Android mobile devices, and GPS records location information that travels with the image. The camera also records barometric pressure, altitude, and water depth.
The Olympus Stylus Tough TG-4 will be available from Adorama in Blackand Redstarting in May, for $379 It can be pre-ordered now and will ship on a first-come, first-served basis.
After last year’s successful launch of the Stylus 1, the first in Olympus’s line of sleek compacts to sport an eye-level EVF (electronic viewfinder), Olympus today unveiled its successor, the Olympus Stylus 1s. Key features include 12MP 1/1.7-inch sensor, a 10.7x (28-300mm, 35mm equivalent constant-aperture f/2.8 i.Zuiko digital zoom lens, a redesigned grip, and a new Super Macro Mode that focuses as close as half an inch.
The camera’s prominent, DSLR-like housing holds a 1.44 million dot high-resolution EVF monitor that displays the full frame. Users can rpeview exposure, color, and focus peaking under any light. An integrated eye sensor allows users to turn the camera on simply by raising it to their eyes. An auxiliary wide-angle converter lens number WCON-08X lets you shoot at up to 22.4mm (35mm equivalent) while a telephoto converter increases the longest focal length to 510mm.
Other new features include Wi-Fi that Olympus says is easy to set up, and a BLS-50 lithium battery with extended shooting capacity, according to Olympus. The camera also offers small target autofocus, focus peaking, interval shooting, time lapse, easy step zoom and switchable zoom factor display. If you’ve already purchased the Stylus 1 IOMS1BK, you can add these features via a newly announced firmware update.
The Olympus Stylus 1swill be available in April from Adorama for $699.
