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Parameters

Undoubtedly the Olympus and Panasonic have the lead here – they stand out against the rest with their enhanced waterproof qualities, stabilization, HDMI ports and lenses with the focal length starting from 28mm. The second place goes to the Sony, which, although without decent endurance parameters, shutter speed, HDMI port or big optical zoom, still features a wide-angle lens and image stabilization. The Fujifilm, waterproof just to 3 m, without wide angle or stabilization is the last one. So is the Pentax, which lost points for slow shutter speed, lack of stabilization and a 2.7-inches LCD 16:9 screen – during cropping or preview we use just one part of it.

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Use, cleaning, wear and tear

In this category the Panasonic deserves our praise – it was the least damage-prone of all. Although it lost one point because cleaning of aluminium elements is not easy, it also gained a lot because of the silicon jacket included in the box. Immediately after the FT2 we find the Olympus and the Pentax. The first is difficult to dry, the second – difficult to clean. Both of them had noticeable wear and tear marks after the testing. Varnish peeling off and a lot of scratches didn’t make us happy so the Fujifilm and the Sony are the last ones on the list.

Underwater usage

The Panasonic FT2 would be difficult to flaw here. The camera performance is perfect so it deserves full points here. The Olympus might be called the biggest disappointment, though. The previous model of this camera was praised in this category but the changes the Tough underwent made it fall down to the last place. In fact its only advantages are a dedicated video recording button and a build-in manometer. The place of the Olympus is shared by the Sony TX5. Such a result seems to be justified because the camera’s casing and interface weren’t designed with underwater usage in mind but certainly with a bit of will the constructors could have improved this and that and avoided some mistakes. The camera is redeemed by the fast and accurate autofocus. In the middle of the stake are the Fujifilm and the Pentax. The first of them features a dedicated video button, its AF is fast, and the neoprene strap certainly makes the operation easier. The Pentax constructors made sure the lens is positioned in the right place and focused on refining the shape of the casing, the construction of buttons and using good anti-reflection coatings on the LCD screen.

Underwater pictures quality

A standing ovation for the Sony TX5 – its colouring is not as good as that of the Pentax but its pictures are really detail-rich. The second place goes to the W90. In its case some points were deducted for the weak image quality at the edge of the frame and not so good detail rendering. The Panasonic took the third place – compared to the last year’s FT1 model, the quality of pictures remained, in fact, unchanged but, unfortunately for this camera, the competitors weren’t so idle. The list is closed by the Fujifilm and the Olympus – the pictures generated by these cameras are decent but only average at the same time. Underwater movies quality Exactly as it was the case of underwater pictures, the TX5 is in the lead here. This time it shares its position with the FT2 which generates equally good videos. The second place goes to the Olympus which lags behind the winners distinctly. Then we placed the Fuji – its movies are not a lot worse than those of the Olympus but it lost some points due to its noisy zoom mechanism which also causes a temporary loss of sharpness. The last place is occupied by the Pentax W90. As the only camera in this test it doesn’t allow to change the focal length during the recording and also the quality of its videos is very weak and the colouring- pale.

Quality of dry land photos

In this category the Sony TX5 had to yield to the Panasonic FT2, which won hands down. This camera didn’t see its equals at high and low ISO settings, in the frame centre and at the edge. Also the Pentax performed better than the Sony here and that’s why the W90 is the second. The quality of the pictures from the XP10 was assessed to be on par with the quality of pictures from the TX5 so these two cameras share the third place. The list is closed by the Tough 8010 which didn’t deserve a better place due to the noise reducing software, degrading the resolution of the photos.

Quality of dry land movies

In this category, in fact, most of marks correspond to those for the quality of underwater movies. The Sony is the exception here, as it doesn’t cope with the right colouring well. That’s why it lost the first place and was ranked like the Olympus.

Final assessment

The tested cameras were awarded points in every category, listed above, according to the following scale:

• Parameters: 0–5 points,
• Use, cleaning, wear and tear: 0–4 points,
• Underwater usage: 0–5 points,
• Quality of underwater pictures: 0–10 points,
• Quality of underwater movies: 0–8 points,
• Quality of dry land pictures: 0–10 points,
• Quality of dry land movies: 0–8 points.

The Lenstip.com editorial team decided to award the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT2 “The Choice of the Lenstip.com editorial team” distinction for winning this year’s test decisively.

Apparently nobody should be surprised by the decisive victory of the Panasonic FT2. The Lumix FT1 already triumphed in our previous test and Panasonic engineers worked even harder on the new model. Although the result is brilliant, we are a bit worried that the producer didn’t managed to polish up the underwater pictures colouring. Well…apparently you can’t have everything. The second place of the Sony TX5 is a nice surprise. Excellent marks for underwater pictures and movies quality bode well for the future. If the producer decided to adjust its casing and interface to the underwater conditions, the dominant position of the Panasonic might be endangered. The Olympus Tough 8010 is the big loser of our test. Its predecessor was second, having just 6 points less than the leader. This year, the Olympus lost as many as almost 20 points to the leader. Almost all changes, introduced into the new model, proved to be a series of misses so only the good movies mode gives us some hope for the future. Right after the Olympus was ranked the Pentax W90. Knowing this camera, and being aware of its assets you must feel unsatisfied seeing such a good product being ranked one but last here. Unfortunately the W90 lost as many as 12 points for weak quality of movies. If it wasn’t for this slip-up, it could have competed with the Sony for the second place. Our ranking is closed with the Fujifilm XP10. Taking into account its price, such a result shouldn’t surprise anyone. However, when you look at the differences in the number of points between 3rd 4th and 5th place we can say with confidence that Fuji once again proved that you can produce a cheap camera which is good at the same time.

Knowing the final results of particular cameras you can try to find the answer to the question which is certainly niggling us all – “which camera should I buy?” The answer is, unfortunately not so simple. Everything depends on our needs, expectations and money you have at our disposal. If you are looking for a solid, rugged product, totally reliable in all conditions, which will never ever let you down, you should ponder on purchasing the Panasonic FT2. You must take into consideration the fact, that this device costs more than some reflex cameras and its dimensions are really significant – our spouses won’t necessarily share our fascination because it might not fit into a small bag along with a lipstick, a lipgloss and a mobile phone. If you decide to look for something that will please the representatives of female sex, certainly the purchase of the Sony TX5 will be a good option. It is really an excellent pocket camera and the quality of movies and pictures won’t disappoint you for sure. It will be perfect for everyday photography and also during sporadic diving expeditions we will be able to put up with its flaws. If you are one of these people who don’t need and don’t use the video function in a compact camera, you won’t pass the Pentax W90 indifferently. The truly unique colouring of underwater photos is its huge asset – you certainly won’t regret spending these 270 $ on it. If you operate on a tight budget, though, or the price/quality ratio is the most important factor to you, think about buying the Fujifilm XP10. This camera is hardly flawless but keeping in mind its price we can forgive it a lot. At the end, there’s the Olympus Tough 8010. To tell you the truth we would be hard-pressed to find a target group for this device, especially that its price tag is even higher than that of the Panasonic FT2. It seems to be an option appropriate for the brand name fans only or for these lucky devils who have found a rather dense buddy with a Tough 8000 and is prepared to swap it for a newer model for free.

Although the process of decision-making is not easy, we are really pleased that there are more and more options available on the market. The test showed that by the year we can count on the equipment which lets us immortalize our underwater adventures better and better. We only hope this tendency will be kept also in the future and we will be able to raise the standards even more in our next tests.

Sample shots

Fujifilm FinePix XP10
Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/6.7, exp. 1/400 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.72 MB	Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/6.7, exp. 1/800 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.81 MB	Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/6.7, exp. 1/1600 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.92 MB
Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/450 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.65 MB	Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/6.7, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.82 MB	Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/6.7, exp. 1/600 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.81 MB
Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 14 mm, f/7.8, exp. 1/280 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.96 MB	Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/350 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.55 MB	Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/6.7, exp. 1/850 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.65 MB
Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/6.7, exp. 1/1100 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.59 MB	Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/6.7, exp. 1/420 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.77 MB	Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/6.7, exp. 1/450 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.78 MB
Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/4.0, exp. 1/480 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.68 MB	Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/6.7, exp. 1/600 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.74 MB	Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 7 mm, f/6.7, exp. 1/550 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.81 MB
Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 17 mm, f/4.8, exp. 1/18 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.41 MB	Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 17 mm, f/4.8, exp. 1/38 s, ISO 800 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.7 MB	Camera: Fujifilm FinePix XP10 Parameters: 17 mm, f/4.8, exp. 1/70 s, ISO 1600 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 5.01 MB

Olympus mju Tough 8010
Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 6 mm, f/11.0, exp. 1/100 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.56 MB	Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 6 mm, f/11.0, exp. 1/200 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.72 MB	Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 6 mm, f/11.0, exp. 1/400 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.44 MB
Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 5 mm, f/10.0, exp. 1/60 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.49 MB	Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 7 mm, f/13.0, exp. 1/80 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 6.02 MB	Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 5 mm, f/10.0, exp. 1/60 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.62 MB
Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 7 mm, f/13.0, exp. 1/125 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.77 MB	Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 5 mm, f/3.9, exp. 1/200 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.15 MB	Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 5 mm, f/10.0, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.62 MB
Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 5 mm, f/3.9, exp. 1/50 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 6.08 MB	Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 5 mm, f/10.0, exp. 1/125 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.56 MB	Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 5 mm, f/10.0, exp. 1/60 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.99 MB
Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 11 mm, f/14.0, exp. 1/125 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.71 MB	Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 14 mm, f/5.9, exp. 1/125 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.4 MB	Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 12 mm, f/14.0, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 250 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.9 MB
Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 15 mm, f/4.4, exp. 1/15 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.93 MB	Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 15 mm, f/4.4, exp. 1/30 s, ISO 800 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.78 MB	Camera: Olympus Tough 8010 Parameters: 15 mm, f/4.4, exp. 1/60 s, ISO 1600 File: JPEG, 4288×3216 pix, 5.73 MB

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT2
Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 6 mm, f/3.7, exp. 1/800 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.23 MB	Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 6 mm, f/11.0, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.35 MB	Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 6 mm, f/11.0, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.44 MB
Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 5 mm, f/3.3, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.23 MB	Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 5 mm, f/10.0, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.56 MB	Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 5 mm, f/3.3, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.09 MB
Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 6 mm, f/3.9, exp. 1/800 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 4.96 MB	Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 9 mm, f/4.7, exp. 1/500 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.62 MB	Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 5 mm, f/10.0, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.4 MB
Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 23 mm, f/5.9, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.59 MB	Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 5 mm, f/3.3, exp. 1/200 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.06 MB	Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 6 mm, f/3.9, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.11 MB
Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 8 mm, f/4.5, exp. 1/400 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.41 MB	Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 6 mm, f/3.9, exp. 1/1300 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.2 MB	Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 5 mm, f/3.3, exp. 1/800 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.31 MB
Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 14 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/10 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.28 MB	Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 14 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/20 s, ISO 800 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.47 MB	Camera: Panasonic Lumix FT2 Parameters: 14 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/30 s, ISO 1600 File: JPEG, 4320×3240 pix, 5.49 MB

Pentax Optio W90
Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 6 mm, f/4.6, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 100 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.59 MB	Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 6 mm, f/4.6, exp. 1/1500 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.35 MB	Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 6 mm, f/4.6, exp. 1/1500 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.6 MB
Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 5 mm, f/4.2, exp. 1/500 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.34 MB	Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 5 mm, f/4.2, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.34 MB	Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 8 mm, f/5.0, exp. 1/400 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.74 MB
Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 8 mm, f/5.0, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.52 MB	Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 5 mm, f/4.2, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.28 MB	Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 5 mm, f/4.2, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.46 MB
Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 21 mm, f/6.3, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.31 MB	Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 5 mm, f/4.2, exp. 1/160 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.44 MB	Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 5 mm, f/4.2, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.55 MB
Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 8 mm, f/4.2, exp. 1/400 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.28 MB	Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 5 mm, f/4.2, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.42 MB	Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 5 mm, f/4.2, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 80 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.52 MB
Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 17 mm, f/5.0, exp. 1/13 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.48 MB	Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 17 mm, f/5.0, exp. 1/25 s, ISO 800 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 3.96 MB	Camera: Pentax Optio W90 Parameters: 17 mm, f/5.0, exp. 1/60 s, ISO 1600 File: JPEG, 4000×3000 pix, 4.05 MB

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX5
Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 6 mm, f/4.5, exp. 1/800 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.08 MB	Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 6 mm, f/6.3, exp. 1/500 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.21 MB	Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 6 mm, f/6.3, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 3.78 MB
Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 4 mm, f/4.5, exp. 1/1000 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.2 MB	Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 4 mm, f/6.3, exp. 1/800 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.34 MB	Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 4 mm, f/6.3, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.15 MB
Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 4 mm, f/6.3, exp. 1/500 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.16 MB	Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 4 mm, f/4.5, exp. 1/320 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 3.83 MB	Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 4 mm, f/6.3, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.07 MB
Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 9 mm, f/4.5, exp. 1/500 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.02 MB	Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 18 mm, f/5.6, exp. 1/800 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.12 MB	Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 7 mm, f/4.5, exp. 1/500 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 3.37 MB
Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 7 mm, f/4.5, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.04 MB	Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 4 mm, f/6.3, exp. 1/640 s, ISO 125 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 3.9 MB	Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 4 mm, f/3.5, exp. 1/30 s, ISO 200 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.26 MB
Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 16 mm, f/4.5, exp. 1/15 s, ISO 400 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.02 MB	Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 16 mm, f/4.5, exp. 1/30 s, ISO 800 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4 MB	Camera: Sony Cyber-shot TX5 Parameters: 16 mm, f/4.5, exp. 1/60 s, ISO 1600 File: JPEG, 3648×2736 pix, 4.15 MB