Olympus unwrapped its Stylus Tough-3000 camera at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this month. The Tough-3000 is the first of the company’s rugged line to offer HD video capture (720p) and also is the most affordable Tough model at $230. The Stylus Tough-3000 can withstand a 5-foot drop, is submersible to 10 feet and works in temperatures as low as 14 degrees. These are basically the same specs as the existing $280 Stylus Tough-6000.
The Stylus Tough-3000 and all cameras announced at CES include Olympus’ familiar Art Filter in-camera effects, now renamed Magic Filter. The effects included in these cameras include Pop Art, Pin Hole, Fish-Eye and Drawing, which turns images into sketches.
The new cameras also offer AF auto-tracking for locking in on fast-moving subjects, as well as a new Pet Mode for tracking your greyhounds and other speedy animals. Olympus says it has improved the user interface for more intuitive operation and added software for faster downloading and support for features such as geotagging.
The Stylus Tough-3000 will be available next month in red, pink, blue and green (so you can’t lose it in the snow). Rik Fairlie
