Despite everybody now having smartphones with powerful cameras in their pocket, point-and-shoots aren't quite dead yet.
Olympus's new $399.99 Stylus SH-2 due in April doesn't move the needle in terms of specs, but its helpful nightscape modes might be useful if you like taking pictures at night.
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The SH-2 is a very modest update. It's PEN-inspired design is still as sleek as ever and its internals are virtually identical to the SH-1, which is now $100 cheaper. The SH-2 has the same 16-megapixel backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, TruPic VII image processor, 24x optical zoom lens, 5-axis image stabilization, 11.5 frames per second continuous shooting, and full HD 1080p video capture. The SH-2 has a 460k-dot 3.0-inch touchscreen on the back and built-in Wi-Fi for connecting to a smartphone or tablet.
Daytime pics will look identical to ones out of the SH-1, but nighttime pics should be better. The new nightscape modes are specifically designed to help users take better pics in dark-lit scenarios without needing a tripod. Olympus says the Night Scene mode uses an "extended shutter speed" to capture "bright, vivid images." I haven't tried the SH-2 in person yet, but Olympus claims you'll get better night scenes, cityscapes, star trails, nighttime portraits and "gradation optimized" video recording at night.
The SH-2's other big addition is RAW image capture. With RAW, shooters can get images that can later be enhanced and edited to perfection in image editors like Photoshop and Lightroom. RAW files contain more digital information and therefore can be tweaked or "corrected" in ways compressed JPEGs can't.
The new nightscape modes are welcome, but the small 1/2.3" sensor still limits how much light the camera can take in. I'd like to see Olympus move to the larger 1-inch sensor in cameras like the Sony RX100 Mark III and Canon G7X. Those cameras are truly low-light beasts.
You can pick up the SH-2 in April in all black or a black and silver model.