We could confidently bet that when the song ‘Handle with Care’ written by Travel Wilburys or when Jodi Picoult authored a book of the same title, they didn’t have the slightest idea that their signature phrase will be battered down by the tech realm. This one by Olympus shouts out complete ruggedness and could have just been packed in a box which doesn’t come printed with words that advise ‘be careful.’ The Stylus Tough 8010 camera from Olympus’ gamut came seated in some tattered paper cushioning when it arrived to us, a bit surprising for a brawny camera. We had to polish our photography skills and turn extremely adventurous for an in-depth review of this solid device.
Accepting the throne of the previous Tough 8000, the Olympus Mju Tough 8010 camera sports an aluminum finish, bawling us to challenge its endurance and firmness. Its tech specs mention 98.3mm x 63.6mm x 23.9mm dimensions and 215g mass, which is kind of acceptable given its tenacious built. Packed just with a charging cable, the Olympus device has a simple-to-use interface fabricated for amateurs as well as professionals. As soon as we switched it on, the front side top right cover slid back to reveal its 5.0-25.0mm 1:3.9-5.9 lens, while just next to it rested a flash light. When we flipped the device over, its 2.7†HyperCrystal III LCD featuring 230,000 dots displayed a neat streamlined menu on its extreme right. Other details of the captured imagery were showcased on the bottom left. Its anti-glare screen clearly presented imagery in harsh sunlight for outdoor shoots.
Although we could have begun canvassing with its structure or features, we just couldn’t resist ourselves from testing its waterproof capabilities. With such great anticipations, we could only relate to the example of some impatient children waiting to lay their hands on candy floss. Obviously, we first submerged the camera into water for the examination. Honestly, the results really appalled us. It surely gets A-grade certification from our end when it comes to video recording underwater with good voice pick up as well. Subsequently, the shockproof attribute of the camera was up for assessment. Okay, it’s not like we did it on purpose, our folks just happened to drop the device from a height of about 3 feet. As predicted, it really did live up to its words. However, if the camera was adamant, so were we. We checked the freezeproof aspect which defeated us once more. The camera’s last word of honor that it can also withstand up to 220 pounds of pressure was not challenged by us. After all, we did not want the device to mock at us yet again.
Post to verifying the promised abilities, we vowed to solely stick to our photography instincts. Even beginners could get a knack of its easy to use buttons with lucid symbols which were easy to comprehend. The top two keys on the back panel were placed for simple zooming in and out, while the one below these buttons was the image/video recording switch button. The speaker and playback button accommodated themselves in the middle right. Its navigation key which also housed the Info and Delete functions along with center OK button offered effortless routing through the menu. The Power and Click buttons benched on the top edge, like most cameras. Lastly, right beneath the navigation key was the Menu and the Help buttons. Slots for battery, USB port, HDMI port and SD card, and a loop of hooking the strap all are settled on the right edge of the device. With a body like usual digital cameras, its robust sealing with metallic screws and protected double lock forms a secure bubble around the unit.
While scrolling through the camera’s menu, the device came across as a very straightforwardly designed one. After choosing the complete setup choices like image size, compression and other, the camera was completely ready to use. The first option included many auto modes which subsumed a Magic option which allowed for several effects. We personally loved the Pink Hole and Fish Eye since they empowered us to dramatize our images. What we also liked about the device was that it provided a multitude of self timer options, sequential shots pictures and other functions. It seamlessly displayed the benefits and functions of each and every option in the menu with a grey box popping up next to it. This sure is going to make the work of learners pretty easy. Amusingly, it bundled in the iAuto mode for hassle-free usage since some of us just like clicking pictures without any trouble of settings.
One another function that caught our eye was the Scene Mode which consisted of fresh alternatives for documents, cuisine, self portrait, candlelight shooting, indoor, sport, night, landscape, snow, pets, underwater, and many more choices. Our personal recommendation would be the fireworks and beach and snow. Novices can really keep this camera handy since it explains the details of ISO sensitivities in crisp terms for direct-and-capture shooting. Just when we started with the ISO levels, our disappointment became literally visible. The low ISO setting made our pictures come out heavily worked upon, thus making them appear fake. When we switched over to the highest ISO sensitivity, surprisingly, anti-blurring and clarity pumped up for the good. Sequential imagery turned out to be crystal clear and crusted too, which was not the case earlier. With 720p being the highest resolution option, the video quality was decent and acceptable. It had an option to add voice to every picture in addition to the regular video recording. For those who love their ‘say cheese’ moments, this might just be an added characteristic.
Some digital cameras require us to insert an SD card before even clicking a picture or two. In this case, the internal memory of 2GB comes as a generous option for users to fulfill their basic photo and video needs. We could also insert a SD/SDHC card with up to 32GB support for more storage. Since it’s a travel-friendly camera, the lithium-ion battery powers up considerably quicker than most other devices in the market. It took us precisely half an hour to charge it completely. For greenhorn photographers, the device comes with a complete in-camera guidebook for further ease.
If you are searching for a digital camera for those Kodak moments, quite frankly this isn’t the one. Even though Olypmus has bundled in diverse twists into the Olympus Mju Tough 8010, it portrays all the necessities required in a robust camera. The device’s image quality couldn’t be judged as the best, it was more or less decent enough. Adventure aficionados who seem to be just fed up with the delicate camera offerings these days can surely make the Stylus Tough 8010 their best buddy. According to us, scuba divers, trekkers, mountain climbers, swimmers and other sports buffs shouldn’t mind shelling out Rs. 19,999 for a camera which lives up to the expectations and emboldens their enthusiasm at the same time. Given that it performed so well in ruggedness, we rate it a good 9 on 10.
