photo:compact_tough
tough, waterproof, shockproof compact fixed lens cameras
introduction
this niche of the compact digital camera world was initiated by Olympus and the combination of compact size, price, waterproof, shockproofing is now one of the few reasons to buy a compact digital instead of a much higher image quality, large sensor
mirrorless camera systems camera such as a
Micro Four Thirds system.
the image quality from these cameras is reasonable in good light at low ISO but their small sensors will limit printing quality to perhaps 11“ x 14” size.
these cameras are fantastic for travel to camera-unfriendly places such as the beach, humid environments, loose in backpacks with drink bottles which may leak, and are also great for those who don't take great care of their cameras and are prone to dropping them.
they can be awesome for underwater shots
but they do have their limitations, particularly for low light situations
they will lack some of the high end features and the much better image quality and versatility of slightly larger
Micro Four Thirds system cameras
important features to look for
the latest models generally have reasonable image quality and functionality
ignore megapixels anything over 8 megapixels will be fine - too many pixels and low light capability is compromised - perhaps aim for 12mp
much more important is the brightest aperture of the lens as the brighter it is, the more it can be used in low light such as indoors or evenings - an aperture of f/2.0 allows almost 4x as much light in a f/3.9 and thus one should buy an f/2.0 lens if possible
another important lens feature is the zoom range, although perhaps more important still is how wide it can get as on travel snapshots, wide is generally used far more often than telephoto. If you can get a lens that is wider than 28mm (in 35mm camera equivalence), then all the better.
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GPS can be useful for travel photography
predictive capture or “Pro-Capture” mode can automatically record a burst of images PRIOR to shutter release if the shutter is half-pressed first - this gives you a better chance of capturing the perfect timed action shot
4K video
timelapse
high frame rate video for slo-mo video
field sensors can add to the experience - record air temperature, camera direction, barometer as well as GPS tracking
WiFi smartphone connectivity can be very nice to have for travel when you are not likely to have a laptop handy, although most smartphones allow SD memory cards to be directly attached and the photos transferred without WiFi.
WiFi smartphone apps can sometimes be used to control the camera which can be handy
2020 cameras
2019 cameras
Olympus TOUGH TG-6
same as TG-5 except
1mdot LCD instead of 460k dots but still scratches easily
added an anti-reflective coating to the glass
improved microscope mode - ability to enlarge the subject by over 44x while at its minimum focus distance of 1cm (0.2“)
improved focus stacking options
new underwater microscope modes
new white balance options for shallow, midrange and deep water shooting
New accessories include the FCON-T02 fisheye lens and a new lens barrier (LB-T01)
$US449
Sony RX0 II
15mp 1” sensor; 4K 30p video internal recording with no pixel binning;
24mm (in FF eq) f/4 lens;
1/32,000th sec 16fps electronic shutter
flip up LCD screen;
$US698
Ricoh WG-6:
20mp 1/2.3″ sensor and 28-140mm (FF eq) zoom
4K video; built-in ring light around lens; GPS, compass;
waterproof to 20m for 2hrs; no EVF;
$US399
2018 cameras
2017 cameras
Olympus TOUGH TG-5
12mp 4x zoom 4.5mm -18.0mm (25mm - 100mm) f/2.0-4.9 lens with anti-fog dual-pane protective glass
waterproof 15m, freezeproof -10degC, crushproof 100kg, shockproof 2.1m drop
super macro to 1cm
2.5EV sensor shift IS
25pt CDAF; shutter 1/2 to 1/2000th sec + Night mode up to 4 sec (Live Composite option);
5 frame Pro Capture at 10fps
5/10/20fps burst
built-in flash + 1 channel, 1 group RC remote flash
intervalometer
4K 30/25p video
1080FHD 60/50/30/25p plus 120fps
timelapse movie 4K 5fps 1080FHD 5-15fps
field sensors which can be switched on to record: GPS data, air temp, barometer, compass, acceleration
WiFi
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Sony RX0
ultra compact 2.38×1.63×1.19″ (61×40.6×30.5mm) and weighs only 3.9 oz (110.6 g)
15mp 1” sensor with ZEISS Tessar T* 24mm f/4 lens
electronic shutter to 1/32000 with an Anti-Distortion Shutter at 16fps (fixed focus and exposure)
1080p60 video internally, or 4K clean HDMI out when paired with an external recorder
the Sony FA-WRC1M wireless radio commander can trigger up to 15 RX0 cameras at the same time
Sony’s PlayMemories Mobile app lets you trigger 5 at the same time using a smartphone or tablet
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2016 cameras
2014 cameras
2013 cameras
Olympus TOUGH TG-2 iHS:
Nikon Coolpix AW110:
2012 cameras
2011 cameras
photo/compact_tough.txt · Last modified: 2020/02/05 18:29 by gary1