TG-310 & Olympus Tough Cameras launched

This last weekend, Olympus had a resort tour to launch the Olympus Tough Cameras series, in which I will be focusing on the Olympus TG-310! Olympus will let resort guests use the Tough cameras during the resort tour, so that they can experience firsthand taking pictures of their children and families swimming in the water. Olympus will also print their photos for free (ME included! XD). The Olympus Tough Summer event further serves as a pre-launch of the newest Olympus Tough cameras coming out this May 2011.

These are the TG 310, TG 610, and TG 805. In addition to being waterproof, freezeproof, shockproof, and crushproof, these new models also come with new magic movie recording filters and 3D photo shooting. The Olympus Tough cameras are currently available in all Colours Digital Foto branches. Once the new models go on sale this May 2011, they can be found in Colours as well.

A resort tour is very suited to the Olympus Tough cameras, since these are the only cameras that are waterproof and virtually damage-proof as well said Alex Bonilla, product Manager of Olympus Digital Cameras! These cameras take great photos on land and up to 33 feet under water. It can fall from as high as 7 feet, and even get frozen up to -10 degrees Celsius and still remain perfectly functional without any damage. Resort guests can also enjoy other fun activities, such as a photo-wall of sea creatures, at the Olympus booth.

@ Maribago Bluewaters Resort, LLC

Upclose with the OLYMPUS TOUGH TG-310 (warning, Very Detailed Specifications :P):

1. Effective pixels: 14 megapixels
2. Optical zoom:  3.6X
3. Wide-angle shooting: 28mm (35mm camera equivalent)
4. Image stabilization:  DUAL IS (CCD-shift image stabilization & High-sensitivity shooting) 
5. LCD size:  2.7-inch, 230,000 dots
6. LCD type:  TFT colour
7. Movie recording HD movie (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264)
8. Waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof in the stylish design

Tuf Cams

Tough features and DUAL IS

The TG-310 incorporates the tough features to be used in various rugged conditions. Besides waterproof to a depth of 3 meters, shockproof from as high as 1.5 meters and freezeproof at a temperatures as low as -10°C, Olympus’ distinct lens barrier, a sliding double lock mechanism, and Tap control features make the camera more accessible to use. To prevent the picture blur due to camera shake and subject motion, the TG-310 features DUAL IS using a CCD-shift image stabilization mechanism and high-sensitivity image capturing, by an effect of up to 4 shutter speed stops.

HD movie (MPEG-4 AVC / H.264) recording

Extended smooth and beautiful HDTV (1280 x 720 pixels) movie recording is available, as movies are encodd in MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 format. 

When using any of SD/SDHC/SDXC/Eye-Fi*12 memory card, it is selectable to record to which card. 

When not using any memory cards, movie is to be recorded to internal memory. Movie recording can be manipulated by a dedicated movie REC button.

Magic Filters

The TG-310 features an expanded range of 8 Magic Filters, Pop, Pin Hole, Fisheye, Sketch, Soft Focus and Punk inherited from the previous model, and newly added Watercolor*13 and Sparkle*14. Furthermore, Magic Movies recordings are available in Pop, Pin Hole, Sketch Soft Focus, Punk and Watercolor delivering distinct look and artistic feel.

Watercolor: Enjoy transforming your images with a finish like that of watercolor paintings.
Sparkle: Enjoy photos with the luxurious feel created by the added twinkling lights.

3D Photo Shooting Function

You can shoot dynamic 3D photos in any mode from macro to landscape. Recreate a sense of depth like that of the original scene. You can then enjoy the full power of 3D images on compatible TV sets and computers. Simply select the 3D Photo in Shooting mode and then release the shutter and slide the camera sideways to easily get a 3D photo. During 3D Photo shooting, a 3D file and regular JPEG files are recorded at the same time. There are two modes to shoot 3D photos;

Auto mode: After taking the 1st image, pan the camera slowly to line up the on-screen image and the 2nd image will be shot automatically.

Manual mode: After taking the 1st image, pan the camera slowly to line up the on-screen image, and then press the shutter to capture the 2nd image manually.

First select 3D photo playback or ordinary playback, and then you can further enjoy the full power of 3D images by playing them back on 3D-compatible TV sets or computers. When playing them back on the camera display, 3D icon will be displayed on images in Single-frame playback and Thumbnail playback mode.

Demo

MP Format (Multi Picture Format)

This is a format standardized by CIPA to handle multiple images under a single image file. When you use the 3D Photo Shooting function, the images for the right and left eye are recorded in a single MP format file.

Pet Mode*15

The camera automatically detects dogs’ and cats’ faces. Selecting the [Pet Mode – Dog] or [Pet Mode – Cat] from the scene mode, the camera will quickly detect your pet’s face and automatically focus on it before shooting the photo. The camera will detect up to 10 faces of different dogs or cats.

Auto Release

The camera captures perfectly your pet’s cute expressions. Use the Auto Release function to have the camera automatically shoot the photo the moment the dog or cat who is the main subject turns to face the camera. You will never again miss your pet’s whimsical facial expressions.

Eye-Fi Card Compatible

Eye-Fi Cards are SDHC memory cards with built-in wireless LAN functionality. The images that you take can easily be uploaded wirelessly to your computer and to photo printing services and online albums, such as “ib on the net”.

• 1 JIS/IEC protection class 8 (IPX8) equivalent (our in-house test condition) 
• 2 Under Olympus in-house test condition *3 Number of recordable pictures is reduced in low temperatures
• 4 Image stabilization effect varies depending on shooting conditions *5 Effective pixels
• 6 Image size is limited to 5M or smaller in Sketch, Soft Focus, Watercolor and Sparkle
• 7 Recording time per session is limited to less than 29 minutes. Recording is terminated automatically when the file size reaches 4 GB. *8 JIS/IEC protection class 6 (IPX6) equivalent (our in-house test condition)
• 9 The 3D effect cannot be obtained in moving subject *10 Image size is limited to 5M or smaller. Beauty Mode effect varies depending on shooting conditions. *11 35mm camera equivalent
• 12 The use of Eye-Fi cards is limited to the original country of purchase. Observe all the applicable laws of the country of use. Turn off the Eye-Fi setting or refrain altogether from using Eye-Fi cards inside airplanes or in other places where wireless communication is restricted or forbidden. Single files (images or movies) exceeding 2GB cannot be transferred wirelessly. Files recorded using the 3D shooting function (MP files) are supported only by the X2-Pro card. For any inquiries regarding Eye-Fi cards please contact the card’s manufacturer.
• 13 Image size is limited to 5M or smaller *14 Filter is not effective on LCD monitor
• 15 The number of pets automatically detected is limited to 1 when Auto Shutter Release is set to ON, or up to 10 when it is set to OFF. Depending on the subject and shooting conditions the camera may not be able to correctly detect faces. In Pet mode, the flash and face detection of people’s faces cannot be used

Tough Day..

Other Features:

• Shadow Adjustment Technology that detects faces of subjects and optimizes focus and exposure accordingly
• Magic Filter effects for creative imaging and Beauty Mode to touch up human faces for more attractive results 
• Scene Modes for one-touch shooting adjustment in difficult environments including dedicated underwater scenes as well as in standard conditions
• HDMI output control for operations including picture selection and frame-by-frame advancement using a TV's remote control 
• Face Detection AF with which the camera detects and focuses on human faces automatically
• iAUTO function that analyzes the current composition and optimizes camera settings automatically
• In-body panorama composition function that lets you shoot a panorama picture by simply panning the camera as guided
• USB battery charging enables the camera battery to be recharged from a PC while automatically storing and organizing recorded data in the PC
• AF Tracking to keep a moving subject in focus by tracking it automatically
• Photo-surfing allows you to search desired pictures according to recording keyword such as "date", and "subject".
• Hard glass barrier to protect the lens
• Compatible medias: SD/SDHC/SDXD/Eye-Fi memory cards

Photo Credit: Orville Tadle