Olympus Stylus Tough-6000 Digital Camera Review

Features & Performance

The 10-megapixel Stylus Tough-6000 uses a 1/2.3” CCD to take good all-around photos.  Maximum apertures are F3.5 (W) / F5.1 (T). The photos are crisp and clear with good color representation. This camera has a good macro mode and a super macro mode. The camera also has an LED illuminator which you can employ by pressing and holding the DISP button after you turn on the LED feature in the menu. This could be useful in the macro mode, but it created somewhat uneven lighting.  Taking photographs in the document mode created especially clear images.

Although within acceptable ranges, the Stylus Tough-6000 is no speed demon at starting up and focusing. However, if you learn to routinely half-press the shutter button to prefocus, you will be able to eliminate much of the shutter lag. And, as stated earlier, the tactile response of the shutter button makes this easier than it is on many other point-and-shoot cameras.

The Stylus Tough-6000 has dual image stabilization. This is a combination of true mechanical image stabilization and what Olympus calls "Digital Image Stabilization", which increases the ISO sensitivity to freeze motion. ISO sensitivity ranges from a low of ISO 50 to a maximum of ISO 1,600 equivalent.

This camera also has Advanced Face Detection that tracks up to 16 faces and automatically focuses and optimizes exposure.  The Smile Shot feature detects a smile on your subject’s face and automatically fires off three consecutive shots to capture that perfect smile.  It also has a self-timer and  in-camera editing for cropping, resizing, red-eye fix, and other editing.

The camera has a Li-ion rechargeable battery. Figure 8 shows the bottom of the camera.  The door on the right is hinged near the edge of the camera. As shown in Figure 9, it opens to show the battery and memory card. You will also see the tripod mount in the center of the camera. The memory card door will not open with a tripod attached. If you use a tripod and want access to be able to remove the memory card you will not be happy with this arrangement.

In most cameras, you can only insert the battery in the correct position. This is not true with the Stylus Tough. You can insert the battery the wrong way and the only indication that you have done so is that the camera will not turn on. The obvious correction is to reinsert the battery properly.

Figure 8: The bottom of the Stylus Tough-6000.

Figure 9: The bottom with the door open.

Olympus rates the battery life at 230 shots. This will vary depending on how much you have the LCD on and how much you use the flash and the movie mode. In any case, most people will find the battery life adequate for a full photography session. You can purchase an additional battery if you need a prolonged shooting time. The included battery charger, shown in Figure 10, has electrical prongs that fold into the charges for easy portability. ..a feature that we would like to see in more cameras.

Figure 10: The battery charger.

This camera also has an In-Camera Panorama that allows you to press the shutter button and slowly pan across the panoramic scene. It will automatically capture three images and stitch them together in the camera. Using it takes a little getting used to, but it works quite well. You can also use the included Olympus Master 2 software to create panoramas in the computer.

 The software is a photo uploading, editing, organizing, and printing program. As shown in Figure 11, it includes detailed instructions on how to use the software and can handle most normal editing, organizing, and printing chores.

Figure 11: The software tutorials.