Introduction

Ease of Use

It’s safe to say that the Olympus TG-6 has somewhat of a utilitarian feel to it - as is often the case with tough or rugged type cameras. That’s not a criticism, with the simple design no doubt helping to keep it as strong as possible. Not a whole lot has changed from the TG-5 to the new model, with it being hard to tell the difference too obviously when placing them side by side.

The TG-6 has a reasonably chunky small grip protruding from the body of the camera which helps you keep a good hold of it - especially if you’re using it underwater or with gloves.

Almost all of the buttons are found on the right hand side of the Olympus TG-6, which makes it easy to change settings when using the camera one-handed. You’ll also find that most of the buttons are slightly raised from the surface, which again makes it easier to quickly put your fingers on them when you’re using it in typical tough conditions. The only slight criticism here is that the buttons are a little on the small side, so if you’re using thick gloves it might present some problems.

Front of the Olympus TG-6

On the top of the camera, there’s an on/off button, as well as the shutter release which is surrounded by the zoom rocker switch. You can move between the wide angle and the 5x optical zoom lens - the zoom doesn’t move super quickly, but goes quite smoothly from wide to tele. Just next to the shutter release is a small scrolling dial that controls different settings depending on the shooting mode that you’re in - for example it might control aperture.

It’s worth pointing out the GPS switch at the top of the Olympus TG-6. This can either be set to “off” or “log”. In the latter setting, the camera will be continuously monitoring its position - even when switched off. If you need to conserve battery, you might want to consider turning this off.

Front of the Olympus TG-6

Flipping to the back of the camera, and there’s a decent array of buttons and dials to get to grips with. There’s a dedicated video record button which is slightly recessed just next to the thumb grip and should therefore be relatively difficult to accidentally press if you don’t want to.

Underneath this is a scrolling mode dial which you can use to chose between the different shooting modes available with the TG-6. You’ll see there’s a fully automatic mode, as well as scene, program, aperture priority, microscope mode, movie mode and space for two groups of custom settings if you find you’re consistently needing quick access to a certain set up.

Rear of the Olympus TG-6

Although the Olympus TG-6 gives you what appears to be some advanced modes, it’s worth noting that these are limited. Aperture priority for example actually only gives you three apertures to choose from - f/2.0, f/2.8 and f/8.0. There’s also no shutter priority mode or manual mode, so you won’t be able to set the shutter speed yourself.

The info button changes the display when in shooting mode, or you can press it to find the shooting information in playback - the playback button is just underneath the info button.

The Olympus TG-6 In-hand

Next up is a four way navigational pad, with an OK button in the middle. Hitting the OK button brings up a kind of quick menu where you can make changes to a variety of settings - such as white balance, ISO, AF mode, aspect ratio, switching on raw format and video frame rates and resolutions - what’s shown here will change depending on the shooting mode you’re working in. Either way, it saves you having to delve fully into the extended main menu, which is accessed via its own button just underneath the d-pad.

The rest of the navigation pad has direct access to different controls, again which is sometimes dependent on the shooting mode you’re in. The up button controls exposure compensation, while the left button can be used to bring up the aperture control when in aperture priority (then you use the up and down buttons to move between the given apertures). The right button gives you the different flash modes to choose from, while the down button accesses drive mode, or the timer options.

Top of the Olympus TG-6

If you’ve ever used an Olympus camera before you might be familiar with the Olympus TG-6's main menu system, which is divided into a number of different pages. It’s not always immediately obvious where to find certain settings, but if you persevere with learning it, you get to know its odd quirks. You’ll find that some settings can only be accessed via the quick menu - such as being able to switch on raw format.

As this is a waterproof camera, it needs to be extremely well-sealed. To that end, in order to get to the memory card and battery slot, you’ll first need to unlock the door, then use another locking mechanism to open it. It feels very secure and almost impossible to accidentally open - so long as you remember to reposition the locks when you’re done. The same kind of mechanism can be found hiding the charging and HDMI ports. You can charge the TG-6 via USB, which is great news for those taking it on their travels and so on - you’ll be prompted on the screen to choose charging when you attach a USB cable.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 12 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 6Mb.

The problem with cameras like the Olympus TG-6 is that, these days, they’re using sensors which are smaller than you’ll find in some flagship smartphones, such as the Huawei P30 Pro. That means that while the camera is capable of delivering some perfectly pleasant images in good light, there are other areas where it struggles - such as in low light.

That said, the fact that the lens goes as wide as f/2.0 (but only at the wide-angle end), gives you some good scope to let as much light in as possible without having to ramp the ISO up too highly.

However, once you consider that you’ll be able to capture images that would almost definitely destroy a smartphone (such as 15 metres underwater), it becomes a bit less of an issue that the images aren’t absolutely perfect. Being able to shoot in raw format also gives you some flexibility to bring back some missing detail or tweak the balance of noise reduction should you feel it’s not performed too well.

The overall impression of detail when looking at images at normal printing and web sizes is absolutely good, while exposures are generally well balanced when using the all-purpose metering system.

Close-ups are great with the Olympus TG-6, which can focus as close as 1cm. You can get frame-filling shots, with a good fall off in focus when using the Super Macro mode, so that’s worth trying out.

Noise

There are 8 ISO settings available on the Olympus TG-6. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting for both JPEG and Raw files.

JPEG	RAW
ISO 100 (100% Crop)	ISO 100 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
ISO 3200 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)	ISO 6400 (100% Crop)
ISO 12800 (100% Crop)	ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

Focal Range

The Olympus TG-6 has a 4x optical zoom lens which starts at 25mm and zooms out to a modest 100mm.

25mm

100mm

Macro

The Olympus TG-6 has a Supermacro mode on its command dial which you need to switch to in order to focus down to 1cm. We found that the main issue with this mode is getting enough light between the lens and the subject. If you don't use the Supermacro mode, the closest that the TG-6 will focus to is 10cm, which isn't a useful close focusing result. However, it has to be noted that the camera can focus to 10cm even at full zoom, which is very useful for sending backgrounds out of focus.

Macro

Flash

With the flash turned off, the Olympus TG-6 doesn't show any obvious signs of vignetting at wide-angle or full zoom. However, it does occur when the flash is on. Certainly at wide-angle, at least. It's less so at full zoom, but on a plain white wall, it's still noticeable.

Flash Off - Wide-angle

Flash On - Wide-angle

Flash Off - Telephoto

Flash On - Telephoto

Flash Off

Selfie - Flash Off

Selfie - Flash On

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Olympus TG-6 camera, which were all taken using the 12 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Olympus TG-6 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Olympus RAW (ORF) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movies & Video

Product Images

Conclusion

There’s a lot of great features to like about the Olympus TG-6, but it’s the fact that it’s a camera that will survive pretty much anything you wish to throw at it that makes it the most appealing.

A lot of competition still exists in the compact camera market, despite the ever increasing threat of smartphone cameras. Indeed, shoot with the TG-6 side-by-side with one of the latest and greatest smartphones and you’ll probably find that the smartphone beats it in a lot of scenarios. Crucially, however, there will be some scenarios that your smartphone just can’t be used in - such as underwater. You also don’t need to worry about breakages or damage, which it makes it suitable for rough-and-tumble action photography.

Other users who tend to be on the clumsy side - such as children - might also be considered as a potential recipient of a camera like this. Especially those that are unlikely to already be toting a smartphone for their snaps.

All of this makes it sound like images from the Olympus TG-6 are bad - they’re not, but they’re far from amazing either. In good light, it is capable of delivering well-balanced and vibrant images with a reasonable impression of detail. It’s unlikely to be a camera you’ll want to take into very dark conditions, or one you’ll want to use as your every day camera. It’s also great to have a few different shooting modes to work with, as well as raw format shooting.

While the TG-6 is a great camera of its genre, it’s also worth thinking about picking up its predecessor, the TG-6 if you want to save some money. At £450, the TG-6 is not cheap for a holiday camera, and with this new version not representing a particularly dramatic overhaul, finding an older model could be a fantastic idea. You can pick those up for around £100 less than the TG-6 at the moment, though the difference in price is likely to become less marked over time.

Overall, the Olympus TG-6 is quite probably the best tough compact camera on the market, offering a solid range of features that will appeal to a diverse group of people - but it comes at a price.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	4.5
Ease-of-use	4
Image quality	3.5
Value for money	3.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Olympus TG-6.

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Olympus TG-6 from around the web.

Specifications

News

The Olympus Tough TG-6 is a new flagship Tough compact camera that can withstand all weather conditions, underwater use, drop shocks and crushing weights.

The Olympus TG-6 will go on sale from early July priced at £449.99.

Olympus UK Press Release

Olympus Tough TG-6 delivers impressive image quality in an extremely rugged and compact housing

All-new robust Olympus Tough TG-6 compact camera: Built to capture any adventure

London, 22. May 2019 – With the Tough TG-6, Olympus introduces a new flagship in their Tough compact camera series withstanding all weather conditions, underwater use, drop shocks and crushing weights. The new TG-6 features not only Olympus' acclaimed toughened performance, field sensor system and the ability to capture the smallest details and brightest colors with impressive quality, but further improvements and new features:

Highlights include new underwater modes, more versatile macro photo options as well as a better monitor with improved resolution.

The TG-6 will go on sale from early July along with a number of new useful accessories for the expandable Tough photography system.

Tough performance in any environment: Built for adventure

The Tough TG-6 was designed to be a handy, reliable partner that is ready for the rougher parts of photographic life: It is waterproof1 to a depth of 15m, dustproof1, shockproof1 to 2.1m, crushproof1 up to 100kg, freezeproof1 to 

-10°C, and features a dual-pane protective glass construction for excellent anti-fogging performance. A new attachable lens barrier (LB-T01) adds even more protection from scratches to the lens, the PT-059 underwater casing allows to capture images and movies of up to depths of 45 metres below the surface (both sold separately).

The renowned Olympus field sensor system makes it possible to record log data such as location, altitude/depth as well as air/water temperature while capturing still images or movies. 

Impressive image quality delivered through an ultra-bright lens, high-speed sensor and Olympus’ latest image processor

Being equipped with a class-leading F22 zoom lens and a hi-speed back-lit CMOS image sensor that has superb high-sensitivity performance, the TG-6 allows its users to take fantastic photos and video. A new digital teleconverter doubles the zoom factor of the 4x optical zoom for a maximum of 8x zoom. Anti-reflective (AR) coating on the image sensor glass now reduces ghosts and flares while the TruePic VIII image processor from the OM-D E-M1X professional model helps to reduce noise levels and improves the resolution in low contrast areas. The option to capture RAW data enables TG-6 users versatile editing options with Olympus Workspace or other image editing software supporting TG-6 RAW files.

Unrivaled macro system for excellent close-up shooting capabilities up to 1 cm from the subject

For spectacular close-up shots, the Tough TG-6 has an advanced Variable Macro system that goes beyond the limits of what the human eye can see: boasting a closest focusing distance up to 1 cm from the end of the lens and a maximum shooting magnification of 7x3, the camera captures high-quality images of microscopic worlds. The macro system features four modes: Microscope, Microscope Control, Focus Bracketing and Focus Stacking. In Focus Stacking mode, users can now set between 3 and 10 shots for more versatility and to fine tune settings for different subjects and more precision in the finished shot.

Full-featured underwater shooting modes and large line-up of accessories for system expansion

To expand the possibilities of underwater shooting even further, the Tough TG-6 is equipped with five underwater modes, including Underwater Wide, Underwater Snapshot, Underwater Macro, Underwater Microscope, and Underwater HDR. Each mode switches to shooting settings optimized for different situations. The popular Underwater White Balance mode has been expanded to three options, providing appropriate color adjustment for deep water shooting. The new Fisheye Converter FCON-T02 for circular fisheye photography (sold separately) has been added to a versatile lineup of accessories to further expand shooting possibilities. 

Availability & pricing, extended warranty and underwater tips & tricks at MyOlympus

The new Tough TG-6 will be available in red and black along with all new accessories (see below) from early July 2019 at a RRP4 of £449.99.

The great-value price includes a six-month warranty extension5 if new owners register their camera at www.my.olympus.eu.

Divers can find more information and tips & tricks on capturing pristine images with the Tough series below sea level in our Underwater Photography World at www.olympus.eu/underwater

An introductory promotion is available via Olympus UK to claim a free Adventure Kit worth £49.99, see https://www.olympus-imagespace...

New accessories for Tough system expansion

Tough cameras are the base for an expandable photography system with waterproof lenses, protective cases, and an underwater housing for deep dives. All the components are just as rugged as the cameras they were designed for.

With the TG-6, a number of new accessories were added to the line-up: 

> PT-059 Underwater Case for capturing movies and stills worry-free at depths up to 45 metres. The camera control dial is operable when the camera is stored in the case for easy exposure compensation control underwater. Two external flash units for underwater photography (UFL-3) are compatible for multi-unit flash photography in a compact system.

> CSCH-127 Silicone Jacket protects the surface of the camera body from scratches. It also provides a solid grip on the camera when shooting during winter or water sports. LED Light Guide LG-1 and Flash Diffuser FD-1 can be attached to the camera without removing the silicone jacket.

> LB-T01 Lens Barrier for protecting the lens surface against dirt and scratches. The barrier is easily opened/closed by rotating the edge which ensures easy handling even when wearing gloves.

> FCON-T02 Fisheye Converter lens for an easy and fast switch between circular fisheye and diagonal fisheye photography. To attach this lens, the CLA-T01 Converter Adapter (sold separately) is required

> UC-92 Lithium Ion Battery Charger to fully charge the Tough camera battery LI-92B using an USB port in approx. 2.5 hours.

Introductory Offer 

The new TG-6 stocks will be available in July, however to secure your camera you can pre-order at participating dealers. For all qualifying purchases to 19 August, Olympus is offering a free Adventure Kit worth £49.99 which will be shipped in August. To register for your Adventure Pack visit https://www.olympus-imagespace... 

Terms and Conditions apply and are available via the above website. 

For a complete list of Tough! TG-6 features and accessories, go to www.olympus.co.uk/tough

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

1 Waterproof according to JIS/IEC protection class 8 (IPX8) (Olympus test conditions). Dustproof according to JIS/IEC protection class 6 (IP6X) (Olympus test conditions). Shockproof figures compliant with MIL-STD810F (Olympus test conditions). Freezeproof and crushproof according to Olympus test conditions.

2 At the wide-angle end of 25mm (35mm equivalent)

3 35mm equivalent

4 Recommended Retail Price

5 Six months on top of the statutory warranty in the country of purchase.

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