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Olympus Mju Tough 8000 Review

Olympus has been known for some time to focus a line of range finder (PnS) cameras dedicated to rugged/rough environments. The new Olympus Tough 8000 is one of the latest in its Tough Series.

The only other point-and-shoot camera I can think of that has almost the same features as the Olympus Tough 8000 is the Canon Powershot D10 we saw back in March.

The Tough 8000 looks practically like your regular PnS camera only that it is housed in a solid stainless steel case all around with additional screws to re-enforce the solid construction. As such, you can sit or step on this camera without worry of breaking it apart (can support 100 kilos of pressure). That, and you can actually drop it over a height of two meters (6.6 feet) and will still work fine.

The battery compartment, card slot and USB ports are sealed tight with a plastic and metal latch coupled with rubber padding to keep water out. That way, you can bring this camera to the beach and take shots underwater up to a depth of 10 meters or 33 feet.

A couple of weeks back, Olympus reps brought us to a Subic Bay trip for a media challenge using the Mju Tough 8000. Using the camera, we shot our trip over at the Tree Top Adventure Park and the Ocean Adventure. Here are some of the sample photos we took during that trip.

The lens has a 3.6x optical zoom, 288mm wide (5.0-18.2mm, f/1:3.5-5.1) and has maximum a 12MP resolution.

The Mju Tough 8000 has a built-in photo-stitching feature that allows you to compose a wide panoramic picture using a series of stitched shots, all done but the camera automatically. Unfortunately, our camera ran out of juice halfway the challenge so we had to borrow units from the other teams to complete the other shots (underwater with the dolphins).

We were able to do some drop test and bathtub test before the event, just to make sure it worked as claimed. Here are some of the short clips I uploaded on YouTube.

Was also able to borrow a review unit later so I did a lengthier underwater video to show the recording quality. This is just a shot from inside our aquarium at home with a yellow lamp for lighting. The video is only VGA resolution at 640×480 pixels but still takes some pretty decent footages.

The camera can also withstand cold temperatures so if you’re shooting in cold or icy weather (down to negative 10), it will still work. The only way we can simulate that is by dunking the camera in a bucket of ice or putting it inside the freezer. Only problem is the fog accumulating outside the lens that blurs all your shots.

The Li-Ion battery is rated at 925mAh and could get easily drained within half a day on heavy use. Storage is via an XD or microSD card (adapter included) that’s also tucked inside the battery compartment.

The Olympus Tough 8000 is not your regular point-and-shoot camera. It’s more like a specialized one for rugged and wet shooting environments — one that you cannot bring your old, trusty PnS. Suggested retail price is around Php25,000 in stores.

Abe Olandres
Abe Olandres
Abe is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of YugaTech with over 20 years of experience in the technology industry. He is one of the pioneers of blogging in the country and considered by many as the Father of Tech Blogging in the Philippines. He is also a technology consultant, a tech columnist with several national publications, resource speaker and mentor/advisor to several start-up companies.
  1. Name: says:

    ribboat

  2. Name: says:

    Unknown message

  3. gio omale says:

    dear sir/madame, i owned an olymus digital camera model u TOUGH-8010. when i first used it underwater, that’s the time that i could no longer use it. it does not function anymore. what can i do? where is the nearest official service center for olympus cam. i am here in las pinas city, metro manila, philippines. many thanks.

  4. janet ramos says:

    i have e-pl2 and ive been using if for 6 month and now there a message that keep on appearing on the monitor “please check the status of the lens” so i keep on turning off the camera and, check the lens and turn in on again and still after a few shoots it will appear again. i dont know what to do with this please help.

  5. EL BIL says:

    MAY OLYMPUS TOUGH 8010 NA. ADDED FEATURE 14 MEGA PIXELS NA. SOLD AT $399 AT HHGREGG AND BESTBUY. BOUGHT MINE AT TAIPEI FOR FOR 15K HK$. ITS REALLY A GOOD CAM. IT IS PORTABLE YET ITS GOT ABOUT EVERY FEATURE YOU WOULD NEED IN A CAMERA.

  6. dirdgr8 says:

    some water got tru the battery cover, and i was only a couple of feet under water… its not very alarming pero i was kinda thinking how bad it could’ve been if i was around 20ft under the sea. decent photos, not something to brag about, pero ok na din for everyday shooting. bad for indoor shooting, worse at night. very good close up camera, surprisingly better than my D60, though its incomparably worse at night shots or at sport mode. i only uses my Tough 8000 on situations that would endanger my D60, and Tough is a worthy bodyguard.

    • kangkoong says:

      i bought my olympus tough 6020 last may 21… when my family went to singapore last week of July i was able to use it pa. afterwards, field research at 3 feet water sometime in august. nakapasok ang water even if i made sure na double ang lock sa side. it was soooo stressful coz i spent 20K just for that cam and it was barely 3 months old. pinadala ko sa manila to repair. OK naman. but i agree with you, very poor indoor shooting for olympus. canon’s d20 is way way decent…

  7. jubai says:

    my husband bought tough 8000 & he is in australia now,he already showed it to me in webcam last fri.nyt & he told me to research it to see it clearly & to check its uniqueness & i was so amazed after i saw it.he bought that for its durability,i already have one olympus cmera but our son used to throw it so it has some damage now thats why when my husband saw that one he never think twice to bought it for our son hehehe!(he’s only 4 years old)i think this tough 8000 is the one thats really fit for my son.

  8. jack78 says:

    as a proud owner of olympus 1030sw,the only add-on feature that caught my eye ws the built-in photo stitching capability for panoramic shots.Nagamit ko na yun 1030sw for underwater photo and video shots sa boracay,matabungkay,verde island at ng first time kaming mgtry mg surfing sa bagasbas,daet camarines norte.Kung waterproof lng,pwedeng alternative dito eh yung Sanyo Xacti vpc-WH1 underwater dual camera o Sanyo Xacti vpc-E1 or E2.

  9. jazzme says:

    mine is Olympus stylus 1050 sw 5ft shockproof, 10ft water resist, -10c freeze proof…. mas gusto ko to kay sa digital slr ko na camera at least military grade to..wala kang alalahanin…manipis pa.
    by tapping the camera in different sides you will able to access all its functions without touching the buttons or the dial. nabili ko sa quiapo.

  10. nu ba yanb says:

    ?z1ylr0wh0jn

  11. muryatic face says:

    ?z1ylr0wh0jn

  12. RYAN says:

    z1ylr0wh0jn is the best!!!

  13. francis says:

    i was in the Dead Sea, Israel (the lowest elevation on Earth on dry land) yesterday and used my Tough 8000. It worked just fine, I was hesitant to use it at first because the water is oily, lots of minerals and you can literally float in the water, you wont get drowned because of the unique composition of the water. Just don’t swallow the water and and let the water get in your eyes that is how tough the water is. Too bad i forgot to test if my camera floats but still my olympus camera survived the test =)

  14. Jhay says:

    Perfect holiday gift! Though I prefer a new dSLR any time of the day. This model would be perfect for my sister who’s had the habit of dropping her PnS in almost every conceivable place.

  15. pinoyislands says:

    a perfect companion when traveling around the philippines. need to have this camera.

  16. Boffill says:

    I’ll be waiting for that review then since I’m planning to buy this Tough 8000. Been really amazed by its features!

  17. Leo says:

    I’ve read in another forum (PhilMUG I think) it is being sold in St. Francis Square in Ortigas, and it came from Hongkong, then it definitely is a grey market… hopefully it will become available in the philippines, because in Japan, it only comes with Japanese language. sayang… a lot cheaper here than in the Philippines

  18. Abe Olandres says:

    @leo – been checking out the line-up of Panasonic in stores but haven’t found the model you mentioned. Maybe greymarket pa?

  19. Leo says:

    sir, panasonic has the same offering, the Lumix FT1/TS1, it is shockproof and waterproof camera, but not as freezeproof as the olympus, the Lumix even shoot videos at higher resolution compared to olympus and it has a 4.6x zoom, I’ve heard that it is already available in the Philippines for around 17k, maybe you can also do a review of that. Thanks.

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