Successor to last year's Stylus SH-1 (read review), the new Olympuis SH-2 is a raw-capable compact camera with a 16-megapixxel imager and 24x optical zoom. Other highlights include a 3-axis image stabiliser for photos, hybrid 5-axis image stabilisation for movies, a useful Nightscape Mode, 120/240fps high-speed Movie, Photo & Movie Capture, Time Lapse Movie modes and built-in WiFi. The Olympus Stylus SH-2 goes on sale from mid-March 2015 for £249.99 / $399.99.

Olympus Press Release

The classically styled compact with spontaneity built-in.

A must-have for memories – the Olympus Stylus SH-2 camera is magnificent in tricky light

London, 11 March 2015 – Unexpected moments make fantastic photos, but they mostly don’t happen in perfect light and you can’t put happy children on hold while you try to steady your camera. Which is why Olympus gave the new Stylus SH-2 the high-end technology it takes to record videos and still photos on the fly – quickly, easily and even in the dark. It delivers the kind of quality you can’t get on a phone, without requiring even a hint of photographic expertise. Olympus also gave the camera great looks and a compact, lightweight body. So for SH-2 owners, now a capable camera can be like house keys and a smartphone – something that’s always on hand. The combination of leather-like textures and a semi-retro metal casing gives the SH-2 that invaluable knack of looking the part anywhere with any outfit, shabby or chic. At a candle-lit birthday party or on a starlit beach, Nightscape Mode takes lousy light in its stride. The unrivalled optical 5-axis Image Stabilisation technology comes from Olympus’ high-end cameras and counteracts camera shake much more effectively than comparable systems. This is vital when taking close-ups with the powerful 24x optical zoom, or recording a handheld time-lapse movie at night. Of course, the SH-2 is Wi-Fi enabled for uploading images to a smartphone, and comes with all the creative features and well-laid out controls you expect from Olympus cameras. The Stylus SH-2 goes on sale from mid-March 2015 for £249.99. It comes in a black or silver body, both with a black leather look, and is available with charming, old-school leather casings and straps.

Designed for a hectic day-to-day

The Stylus SH-2 doesn’t look beautiful just for the sake of it. The design has a practical purpose. For anyone trying to balance children, work and quality of life, multitasking is everything. A smartphone can multitask, but it can’t take Olympus-quality photos and videos, even when conditions are absolutely ideal. That means a separate camera that can do everything your smartphone can’t – plus is lightweight, compact, and pretty enough to take out on any occasion. Step forward the SH-2. The metal casing is robust as well as attractive and the 24x optical zoom lens retracts almost flush to the face, so the camera slips easily in and out of a pocket or bag. Another advantage of this design that can’t be overstated: when your camera looks and feels good in your hand, you capture more memorable moments because using it is simply more fun.

Higher tech for bright shots at night

Apart from its look, what makes the new Stylus SH-2 better than other cameras in this category? The answer is a number of features Olympus has taken from higher-end cameras. These make all the difference at crucial moments.

Optical 5-axis Image Stabilisation

For example, a lot of rival cameras also have a powerful zoom so you can get close-up shots of people and animals without making them camera-shy. But only the Olympus comes with the optical 5-axis Image Stabilisation system that is still effective at the biggest magnifications – with stills and HD videos – when even the slightest tremble is magnified so much that it can ruin your shot. It also helps with poorly lit scenes and extreme close-ups in Telephoto Macro Mode. The SH-2 lets you get up to just 40cm from your subject and gives you that striking background blur effect.

Nightscape Mode

The SH-2 is better at capturing a variety of beautiful light effects at night, too, from fireworks to a portrait of friends in front of a fairground carousel. Nightscape Mode automatically turns off the flash, which can potentially ruin atmospheric night-time shots on some rival systems. In Nightscape Mode, the SH-2 can focus quickly on a point of light against dark backdrop, which other cameras in this category often struggle to do. It’s also the only comparable compact with the Live Composite feature, which over time tracks the movement of bright objects like stars or a child waving a sparkler, without drowning out other lights. With all five Nightscape Mode settings, the resulting videos and photos are seriously spectacular.

Advanced Movie Mode

Of course, video clips are a firm family favourite and the SH-2 offers a whole range of formats. For instance, you can record fast-moving scenes in High-Speed Movie Mode and play them back in super-slow motion to follow the action. You can even stream a live recording to a Full HD TV.

Streaming and sharing images via your smartphone is simple – with built-in Wi-Fi and OI.Share software – and Wi-Fi even lets you control the SH-2 remotely from your smartphone. Posting snaps of this quality on social media can get some surprised – and surprising – responses. All good, of course. Another case of built-in spontaneity!

Recommended Accessories:

>    Genuine leather protective body jacket CSCH-120 – With a luxurious, fashionable look that improves camera grip. Exclusive to the SH-2.

>    Premium leather case – for a stylish and comfortable way to carry your SH-2.

>    Genuine leather hand strap CSS-S110LS – For an elegant, coordinated look.

Product specifications are subject to change without notice. Please check the Olympus website at www.olympus.co.uk for the latest specifications.

For feature descriptions, please see the online appendix.

For a full list of SH-2 features, go to official Olympus Stylus website.

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