WANTED: Gadget girl seeks go-anywhere, do-anything travel partner. Must love adventure, water and winter sports, and global exploration. Fragile sissies need not reply.

FOUND: Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 pocket camera.  

Leave the clunky SLR and clumsy waterproof housings at home  – you won’t be needing them once you add this rugged travel essential to your adventure packing list. 

I know I’m a total gadget-geek, but I get a thrill each and every time I dive into a salt water ocean, or plunge headlong into whitewater rapids, with this puppy strapped to my wrist, sans waterproof casing. Even more so, when I rinse it off under a stream of water in the kitchen sink. And who cares how many times I fall snowboarding (it happens a lot!), this freezeproof, crushproof, dropproof beast can handle it. It doesn’t take a gadget girl to appreciate that.

A while back, I wrote about my love affair with an older iteration of the Olympus stylus tough series in READY SET ADVENTURE: OLYMPUS STYLUS TOUGH 1050 . And the reasons I loved the rugged point-and-shoot - high-quality photography, image stabilized video, scene specific shooting modes, quick-access buttons for flash and exposure control - still stand.

But Olympus has been busy since then, upgrading an already great pocket camera into a cutting-edge super star that’ll handle any adventure -wet, wild, or freezing - boasting the latest and greatest Olympus technology. Now, all they need to do is add WiFi and/or bluetooth capabilities for instant sharing, and it’s golden!

Here are just a few features that make the Stylus Tough-8010 an adventure essential:

14 MEGAPIXEL

An amazing 14 million pixels in the high-resolution CCD create superior image quality. Create poster-sized prints without losing a single detail.

5X WIDE-ANGLE OPTICAL ZOOM

A 5x wide-angle optical zoom captures even more of the subject into each shot. The lens does not protrude from its body so it is further protected from harsh conditions.

2.7” LCD

This large 2.7” LCD features an extra-wide viewing angle and anti-glare technology for easier composing and shooting even in direct, bright sunlight.

ONE-TOUCH HD MOVIE

With One-Touch HD Movie you can record widescreen, crystal clear HD movies (720p) right from your camera.

2GB INTERNAL MEMORY

Store more photos and videos than ever before, right in your camera with 2GB of internal memory (usable memory is 1.63GB)

WATERPROOF

A revolutionary system of waterproof seals and gaskets keeps water out so you can take pictures as deep as 33 feet underwater.

SHOCKPROOF

Durable metal body with an innovative shock-absorbing technology protects it from drops of up to 6.6 feet.

FREEZEPROOF

It’s Freezeproof down to 14°F/-10°C. Perfect for skiing, snowboarding, sledding and other winter fun, this camera is winterized to perform at below-freezing temperatures!

CRUSHPROOF

With its rugged body and reinforced LCD, the STYLUS TOUGH-8010 is designed to withstand up to 220 pounds of pressure so your camera and images are always protected.

DUAL IMAGE STABILIZATION

Dual Image Stabilization combines Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization with high ISO sensitivity and fast shutter speeds so you can capture crisp, clear images even if the subject is moving.

TAP CONTROL

Operate picture playback, shadow adjustment, flash mode and more just by tapping the top, back and sides of the camera. Tap Control is ideal for underwater use or when wearing gloves.

AF TRACKING

AF Tracking automatically tracks unpredictable, fast-moving subjects such as kids and pets, and continuously adjusts the focus and brightness so you can capture these photogenic whirlwinds with ease.

CREATIVE ART FILTERS

Create Art Filters gives your photos a distinct look by applying special artistic effects including Pop Art, Fisheye, Drawing and Pinhole.

INTELLIGENT AUTO

The Intelligent Auto setting identifies the scene you’re shooting — portrait, landscape, night portrait, macro, or sport — and adjusts the settings to optimize results.

ADVANCED FACE DETECTION

Advanced Face Detection tracks up to 12 faces and automatically focuses and optimizes exposures for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures.

IN-CAMERA PANORAMA

In-Camera Panorama captures three images and stitches them together to create one amazing panoramic picture by simply pressing the shutter button and slowly panning across a scene.

SHADOW ADJUSTMENT

Shadow Adjustment Technology brings out more details in shadows. It helps capture scenes exactly as you see them, even in difficult lighting situations, such as backlit shots.

BEAUTY MODE

Beauty Mode takes beautiful portraits by softening shadows and smoothing wrinkles and blemishes on your subject’s face. Edits can also be made inside the camera after taking the picture.

PERFECT SHOT

Using a live, multi-frame window on the LCD, you can preview the effects of various settings, select and capture the perfect shot

 

$399.00 suggested retail price: www.olympus.com

Also available (for less) at The Travel Store at EllenBarone.com powered by Amazon.