Olympus announces SZ-30MR multi-recording superzoom and Tough TG-810 rugged compact

Olympus just unveiled the exciting SZ-30MR superzoom camera, which is the first in the world to support multi-recording. This means you can snap the occasional 16MP photo, even while you are actively recording 1080p video with the camera and you won’t lose any video frames while doing that. Oh, and we also got another rugged compact – the Olympus Tough TG-810.

The Olympus SZ-30MR packs a 24x zoom F/3-6.9 lens that starts at the ultra-wide 24mm and extends all the way to 600mm (in 35mm equivalent). The size of the 16MP sensor hasn’t been confirmed yet, but 1/2.3” seems like a safe bet.

The SZ-30MR is doing 1080p videos and also features the innovative 3D shooting mode where you can stitch to photo together into one stereoscopic image. 9fps shooting at full resolution also looks pretty impressive.

The Olympus SZ-30MR comes with a 3” screen with 460K dots. It should hit the shelves next month for an estimated $400.

The other new announcement, the Tough TG-810 is built around a 1/2.3” imager of 14 megapixel resolution. Its 5X F/3.9-5.9 lens covers the 28-140mm range and its 3” screen packs the impressive 920k dots, which is almost as good as the best in the DSLR world.

Video recording only goes up to 720p, but rugged camera fans will certainly appreciate the onboard GPS, compass and magnetometer. There’s also in-camera panorama shoot mode and 3D shooting support on the TG-810.

The dustproof, waterproof (up to 10m), shockproof (up to 2m drop) and cold-resistant (up to -10 degrees Celsius) Olympus Tough TG-810 will go on sale next month for $400.

Olympus SZ-30MR
Olympus Tough TG-810