Olympus TG-2 iHS

Awesome little camera. Decent size, sharp 2.0/f lens, waterproof, full HD video.

I bought this camera for a canoe/hiking trip in the Boundary Waters, and was not disappointed. It held up to a good beating, took great photos in the rain and underwater! And the battery (along with a backup) lasted a full week in the wilderness.

I am a photography hobbyist and own some nice full body cameras. So I know my stuff well enough. But I couldn't take one of those cameras into the wilderness. So I bought this guy. I purchased it based on the great lens, 2.0/f stop (great in low light), and because it was touted as being tough. It lived up to all those expectations.

The 2.0/f lens basically means that it lets more light into the sensor, which take better photos in the dark woods, and at night. When set down to 2.0/f it also allows some very cool depth of field effects. Thats when you take a photo of something up close, and the background fades to a blurry haze. It makes for some neat photos of the wildlife and flowers.

During the trip I took many videos and photos in the rain, while in the canoe, and even when swimming. The camera held the water out, and took some awesome pics underwater. 

The video looks amazing, and very sharp. It's a full 1080HD, and is simple to use with one button to start/stop recording.

The sound was as good as you can expect from a point and shoot size camera. There is a dual mic on top that helps add some depth to the sound. I picked up all the sound I wanted too, and it was easy to hear when I played it back.

The two negatives I have... first it's just a bit heavy, but that is the price to pay for the ruggedness/waterproofing. I suppose it was worth it, because I dropped it many times and never damaged it at all.

The second thing is the plastic ring around the lens. It's removable so you can add accessories, which is great. But the plastic ring placeholder doesn't attach very securely, and would come loose from time to time. It wasn't terrible, but annoying. The ring also didnt affect the waterproofing, so that was good.

All in all and great camera, and I won't go on any trips without it. I would definitely recommend it. 

Video: (lower rez bc I had to downsize for youtube)