Olympus Mju Tough 8000

Review summary: The Olympus Stylus TOUGH-8000 wins the ruggedized camera competition hands-down. It's usable at a greater depth than the competition, it's drop-proof, dustproof, and weatherproof specs meet the competition, and it's crushproof to boot. If you're ...

Pros: 12 megapixel resolution, 3.6X (28-102mm 35mm equivalent) zoom, 2.7 inch color LCD display, Tap control feature, Dustproof, waterproof, drop-proof, freezeproof, shakeproof and crushproof

Verdict: The Olympus STYLUS TOUGH-8000 camera is a new 12MP ruggedized camera...

Review summary: The Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 is a tough camera that can take some abuse and keep taking photos. However, the image and video it captures are of lackluster quality.

Verdict: There's no doubt that the Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 is a tough little camera. It can handle water to 33 feet, be dropped from 6 feet and temperatures down to a chilly 14 Fahrenheit and still keep taking photos. So it would not have a problem surviving ...

Review summary: With underwater scenery often more spectacular than what's above the surface, it's a pity that your typical point-and-shoot camera can't take to the seas. Luckily, ruggedized, waterproof cameras, like the 12-megapixel Olympus Stylus Tough-8000 ($379 ...

Pros: Ruggedized body protects camera from drops of up to 6.6 feet. Waterproof to 33 feet. Automatic lens cover keeps fingerprints and debris off the lens. Four underwater shooting modes. Tap controls for easy operation while wearing gloves

Cons: Subpar image quality. No HD-video capture. Storage is limited to microSD and xD-Picture Card

Verdict: Underwater cameras often come with tradeoffs: In the case of the Tough-8000, its handy, innovative tap controls are offset by underwhelming image quality and a steep price tag.

Pros: Nice design ; wide-angle lens ; good feature set

Cons: Soft photos ; slow performance

Verdict: For going from snorkeling to rock climbing to everyday life, the Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 is a good choice, though its photos and performance can be disappointing.