114 DIGITAL CAMERA^
Verdict
While the TG-6 packs some fun new features, they may not warrant
an upgrade from the TG-5. However, if you have an older Tough or
you’re looking for a camera that can go in the sea or be dropped onto
concrete, and still take pictures and video, this is the best option.4.5 Outstanding
5.0Features4.0Image
quality4.0Valuelympus has earned a stellar reputation
for its Tough cameras, which are widely
regarded as the premier all-weather
compacts. The Olympus Tough TG-6
continues the tradition of best-in-class
waterproof, impact-proof, everything-proof cameras,
although it’s only a modest refresh of 2017’s TG-5.
The TG-6 is waterproof to 15m, dustproof, shockproof
to 2.1m, crushproof up to 100kg, and freezeproof to
-10°C. It also features dual-pane protective glass
construction for superior anti-fogging. In fact, the glass
on the rear LCD screen appears quite a bit thicker than
that of the TG-5 – your poor smartphone would wince
at the punishment this screen can take.
It’s worth mentioning, however, that in our very first
drop test, the plastic thumb grip panel did pop off the
body. It would be easy to reaffix, and doesn’t affect
the camera’s operability, but it was a tad surprising
to encounter such a weak spot. Nothing else came
off in subsequent bash-testing.
Another new trick the TG-6 has over its older brother
is a new underwater mode to complement the existing
wide, snapshot, macro and HDR options: Underwater
Microscope. The camera has an insane close-focusing
distance; on paper it can focus up to 1cm from the lens,
but we were able to take shots with the subject literally
hitting the lens and the camera still found focus.Performance
Like its predecessor, the TG-6 features a 12MP backlit
1/2.3” sensor. On the surface, that seems to be apuzzling downgrade from the 16MP sensor of the TG-4.
However, having fewer pixels means that each photosite
is bigger – meaning that this sensor performs better in
low light situations. And that’s not just when the sun
goes down; when you’re shooting underwater, there
is much less ambient light, so improved low light
performance is vital for this camera.
Combine the carefully balanced sensor choice with
a 100-12,800 ISO range and you have a camera that
delivers great images in good light, and performs
admirably in challenging lighting conditions – obviously
noise is going to be a factor with a sensor this small in
low light, but the resulting files are still usable and the
ability to shoot stills in raw means that you can recover
details during editing. James ArtaiusO
(^1)
The TG-6 features a
4.5-18mm (25-100mm
full-frame equivalent)
lens with a fast
maximum aperture
of f/2 – although you
can only shoot this
wide at the 25mm end.
2
The flash can be
manually controlled
from full power down to
1/64, and the LED lamp
offers more natural-
looking light or fill if
you don’t need as
much power.
3
The camera boasts
image stabilisation for
both stills and movies,
as well as GPS and
Olympus’ Field Sensor
system, which can
record information
such as location,
altitude and air
temperature.
Olympus Tough TG-6
£449/$449
The everything-proof outdoor camera
http://www.olympus.co.uk
5.0
Build &
handling
(^) AUGUST 2019 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
Compact Olympus Tough TG-6
Sensor: 12MP BSI CMOS
Image processor: TruePic VIII
Lens: Olympus 4x
optical zoom f/2
Video: 4K at 30p, Full HD at 120p
LCD: 3-inch 1,040k-dot
Weight: 253g (with battery and memory card)
Size: 113 x 66 x 32mm
Specifications
1
2
3