Olympus Stylus Tough-6020 Digital Camera Review

Features:

The Olympus Stylus Tough-6020 is a waterproof, shockproof, and freezeproof digital camera designed for those with rugged pursuits such as any Loomis Adventure. It is jam packed with features like HD video and 29 shooting modes. The Tough-6020 works under water, on top of a mountain in the middle of winter, at sporting events, and of course at home. For more information on all of the features, visit the Olympus website.

Specifications:

Image Sensor: 14 Megapixels (effective), 1/2.3"
Zoom: 5x Optical + 5x Digital
Aperture Range: f3.9 (W) / f5.9 (T)
Display: 2.7" HyperCrystalTM III LCD, 230,000 dots
Focus Range: 1.2" - infinity
Shutter Speed: 1/2000 sec. – 1/4 sec. (up to 4 sec. in Night Scene)
HD Video: 720P: 1280 x 720, 30 fps (.mp4)
Memory: 1 GB internal + optional SDHC card
Battery Life: Approximately 200 shots (Li-ion LI-50B)
Waterproof: Yes to 16 ft.
Shockproof: Yes to 5 ft.
Freezeproof: Yes to 14°F
Dimensions: 3.8"W x 2.5"H x 1.0"D (96.7mm x 64.4mm x 25.8mm)
Weight: 6.3oz (178 g) w/out batteries & media card

In The Field:

The Olympus Stylus Tough-6020 is the second waterproof camera I have used recently. I have turned to waterproof cameras after my last digital camera bit the dust from excessively wet and freezing cold adventures. This review is from my perspective as an adventurer versus that of a professional photographer.

Using the Tough-6020 is fairly straight forward. Simply hit the power button, wait for it to start up, then shoot. There are an abundance of fancy shooting modes and settings that can be adjusted, but I found it easiest to use the default automatic mode. One gripe I have is the amount of time it takes for the camera to turn on. Several seconds is quite a long time and can mean the difference between getting that perfect shot or missing it altogether. During my test of the camera, I often found myself waiting for it to start up while other digital point-and-shoot cameras were ready in half the time.

The Tough-6020 shoots great photos in and out of the water (see examples below). It performs adequately in low light conditions, but sometimes has trouble focusing. I found changing the optical zoom level or focusing on a different spot can help in these situations. Another issue I found when shooting under water was air bubbles becoming trapped around the outside of the lens. This caused blurry pictures wherever the air bubbles were trapped. This is remedied by shaking the camera underwater to force the air bubbles out.

Click the thumbnails below to download hi-resolution 14 megapixel sample images taken from an Olympus Stylus Tough-6020. Each image is over 5 MB, so be patient.

   

HD video is recorded on the Tough-6020 in MP4 format. I found the audio and video quality to be great both in and out of the water (see example below). It really captures audio well, unlike other digital cameras which can have loud background static.

To download a sample HD video shot from an Olympus Stylus Tough-6020, right click the link below and select "Save Target As", "Save Link As...", or similar depending on your browser.
short video (8.35 MB file)

My favorite features of the Olympus Stylus Tough-6020 are those which it was designed around: shockproof, freezeproof, and waterproof. This camera lives up to all three. At one point while ziplining in Kauai, the camera was violently thrown around my neck and against my helmet. After this shock, it still looked new and functioned perfectly. Up on Mount Hood, Oregon near the summit, it functioned flawlessly in 10°F temperatures with blowing snow. Even though my fingers were numb, the camera worked just a well as if it were in 70°F temperatures. I have used the Tough-6020 in rain, snow, rivers, and the ocean without any real issues except for air bubbles around the outside of the lens.

Battery life of the Tough-6020 is average and adequate for my needs. I easily shot over a hundred photos along with a couple of videos without completely draining the battery. In the cold, battery life is less, but I still consistently managed over 75 photos in freezing temperatures.

Final Thoughts:

As a point-and-shoot digital camera for outdoor adventures, the Olympus Stylus Tough-6020 works as advertised. It has a few shortcomings, but works great overall for its intended purpose. If you need a tough camera, don't hesitate to take a look at the Tough-6020. Available at amazon.com.

Special thanks to Olympus for loaning the Stylus Tough-6020 to Loomis Adventures for review.