VideoPanasonic TS2 vs. Olympus Tough 8010 Review

Julian and Lucy have found 2 of the toughest cameras on the market, the Panasonic TS2 and the Olympus Tough 8010, so how do they compare?

Olympus Tough 8010
Dust Free Lens
Waterproof
Shock Resistance
2GB Storage
720p Video
5x Optical Zoom
14 Megapixels

Panasonic TS2
Dust Free Lens
Waterproof
Shock Resistance
4.6x Optical Zoom
14.1 Megapixels
2.7 inch LCD Screen
720p Video

Side-by-side you can see these cameras are pretty even, but what happens when you put them to the test, Julian and Lucy find out just that through a series of mini 'competitions.'

The first, they each attach a camera to a fishing reel and drag them across the rocks and bob the cameras in the water, though thankfully, both of the cameras pass with flying colors!

The second, the cameras were tested based on Image Quality, here are the results:

Olympus Tough 8010
Image came out mediocre, with a very soft (mostly toward the corners); overall captured a satisfactory amount of detail.

Panasonic TS2
Produced some pretty impressive still shots. All of the photos are vibrant and very crisp in detail. The TS2 does a great job at choosing the best shooting mode, taking the hard work out of underwater photography, whatever the conditions!

For the third test, Julian and Lucy test the Usability of each of the cameras, the two reviews dunk their hands in a bucket of ice water and then attempt to use the each of the cameras, here are the results:

Olympus Tough 8010
Buttons are a little stiff, making the camera a bit harder to use
No Dial for quick mode switch
Cannot turn pictures out quick as there is a few second delay between shots
Heavy/Bulky

Panasonic TS2
Dial is easy to use
Thin/light weight
Buttons are easily accessible
Very little lag time between photos

When the camera's themselves are exposed to extreme temperatures in this case the cold (both cameras can stand up to -10 degrees F), they are left in the ice water for a few minutes, when removed they both seem to function fine...

After a few more tests Lucy and Julian find that the Panasonic TS2 is the winner, as the most rugged, user-friendly camera on the market.