Olympus Launches Ultra-Tough TG-1 iHS

2012.05.08

Today Olympus unveiled the new flagship of their Tough series of rugged ultra-compacts and this one is their toughest ever. The new Tough TG-1 iHS is waterproof to depths of 12m (40'), shockproof to drops of 2m (6.6'), crushproof to 100kg (220lbs) and obviously completely dustproof and moistureproof.

The new Tough features a 12 megapixels CMOS sensor capable of continuous shooting at 5 FPS and capturing full 1080p HD video. This sensor is paired the the brightest lens among rugged cameras, an 25-100mm F/2-4.9 optical zoom lens which also supports conversion optics. At the time of launch these include a fisheye and telephoto extender. As a bonus, the central position of the lens required to support conversion optics makes for improved handling.

Inline with its going everywhere build, the Tough TG-1 iHS features a GPS with digital compass and manometer to record position, direction and elevation to show off exactly where you took it.

This rugged camera will be available in June for $399 USD or CDN. The fisheye accessory will go for $119 while the teleconverter $109. An adapter required by either of these will go for $19. To go beyond 12m underwater, Olympus is preparing an underwater housing to be available in July for $309 which can reach depths of 45m (135').

• Digital Camera