Olympus Tough TG-6 Action Camera, 12 Megapixel, Digital
Olympus Tough TG-6 Action Camera, 12 Megapixel, Digital Image Stabilisation, 4x Wide-Angle Zoom, 4K Video, 120 fps, Wi-Fi, Black
| Weight: | 0.25 Kilograms |
| Dimensions: | 6.6 x 11.3 x 3.2 centimetres |
| Brand: | Olympus |
| Model: | Olympus TG-6 Black |
| Part: | Olympus TG-6 Black |
| Colour: | Black |
| Batteries Included: | 1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included) |
| Dimensions: | 6.6 x 11.3 x 3.2 centimetres |
| Origin: | United Kingdom |
I use an SLR as my main camera but my wife uses this.
I can honestly say it is difficult to see the difference in our photos.
Went snorkeling on holiday and we used this to take photos. Absolutely amazing, well worth the money we spent.
I’m pleased with this camera . It’s easy to use , especially as I have an Olympus SLR . There are some similar features . Overall it’s great for a compact camera
The colours are fantastic, and it allows for, as close to a macro, as any compact you could hope for. 4K Video at 120fps is incredible to find in a compact, and 12mp is just right for the size of sensor it sports.
This camera really comes into its own when shooting underwater, which is what attracted me to it initially, to be able to use this camera the whole day without carrying around lenses and lighting, justifies why this is the perfect camera for travelling.
I have professional mirrorless cameras and lenses; I also have action cameras and the latest iPhone, and I still find myself reaching for this camera more than any other whilst travelling, which is testament to how good this camera is even though it is 3 years old.
If you’re on the fence with this camera, then I would get it, there are pros and cons to any camera, and I guess you have to weigh up what you want out of it. This camera is versatile and robust, and if you can justify the price, it won’t ever let you down.
I highly recommend.
Best underwater and tough camera I know for semi-prof use.
I had model 4 before. I only miss a motion sensor to make it useful for wildlife photography; it is waterproof already. Why not adding a motion sensor?!
I snorkel a lot and the camera made good photos from underwater life. No 4 died because I did not properly close the opening for the cables.
Feels like a high quality product. Should have had an adaptor to take filter and lens cap in the price. I would have liked a viewfinder but accept the compromise to give the ruggedness of the camera.
Bought to replace a Panasonic on our travels.
Bit more complicated with all the settings you’d normally see on a professional camera, but auto works great as do the scene selections (particularly like the portrait with landscape).
The app to transfer pics by WiFi was at first slow and kept disconnecting, but found if you put in aeroplane mode just leaving WiFi on, it transfers perfect and quickly. The videos seem to save in an apple format and don’t show up in Samsung gallery, but no problem uploading to Google photos. Overall happy and would recommend
I brought this for a beach holiday involving snorkelling and various pool moments with my little 2 year old. I was not disappointed.
Picture quality
This is not SLR quality. But if you want that- get a water housing for your SLR. This is a good point and shoot camera. For me, where it shines is underwater and in the pool. Its a great camera for snorkelling with a few options such as macro and wide angle. I suggest the simple point and shoot option as you want to capture that moment. The Macro is pretty cool but your need to steady yourself. The high speed shooting option is pretty good in capturing those action moments. I got some cool photos in the pool with my little kid.
One thing i noticed was the camera can struggle if there is too much light. Exposure on auto could be better. You can probably get a better shot on your phone with the extra sw processing or and SLR. But then you wont risk your phone underwater…
Video- Very cool slow motion options running at different frames and video quality.
Build/Easy of use
The camera is rugged and feels good in the hand. Different menu system from my Sony A7iii but you can work it out. It is quite straight forward to change options even whilst underwater.
Battery Life is the only con. Filming seems to drain the charge quickly.
If you looking a for rugged camera that can handle water this is probably worth the money for an action cam.
Consideration needs to be given to the USB and battery compartments as is fiddily to use
We took this out for the first time yesterday. I immediately – clumsy me – let it slip from my grasp as I pulled it out and it made an impressive arc before landing on the road. I picked it up and was amazed to see no damage! Over the next couple of hours, and having only briefly read the manual, I got some superb nature shots. I paint wildlife and this camera was bought so that I could take my own reference photos. It’s a tough camera packed with clever features, which I will learn to use as time goes on, and it’s so robust that it will be popped in the bag or pocket whenever we go out.
So chuffed with this camera!
Macro function is brilliant. Great fun taking photos of insects, mushrooms, developing fish fry and underwater in rockpools too.
Also enjoying the useful app that let’s you send photos to your phone from the camera so they are accessable if you are away from a computer.
It’s very simple to use in P or Auto, is sturdy enough thus far, and takes ok pictures.
If you have a recent smartphone, you’ll get better pictures from that in “normal” circumstances. Where this camera comes into its own is in wet environments or when it might get dropped. And I can’t wait to get out on holiday and try it in the pool.
So far I’m pleased with this as a versatile camera for uses where your phone isn’t appropriate and you don’t want to be carrying a slr / don’t need the image quality.
Downsides for me:
Image quality is below modern smartphone sensors and processing.
no lens cap – lens needs regular cleaning as it’s so open to grubby fingers and dust. And you need to buy an adapter to use one.
No retainer on the wrist strap for smaller wrists
Opening the flap to access the charging port is fiddly. I am the only member of the family who can do it.
Update after our first holiday and some underwater photography: it was fantastic taking this in the pool on our family’s first foreign holiday post covid, I could be in the pool with my daughter recording her swimming without worry. There are a couple of downsides though, transitions into and out of water are not handled well by the mic with loud pops and crackles that software should be trying to limit. Likewise water spots on the large front element can ruin photographs taken out of water after just having been underwater, some kind of hydrophobic coating is needed here. Finally, the display is dim even at maximum brightness meaning you’re often guessing a little as to whether the subject is central or in focus. Nonetheless I got some very cool pictures!
Bought for my grandchild who likes photography, easy to use has a good information book supplied, light in weight, takes good photos close and far.
Being an experienced photographer, I expected a decent camera, but with the usual caveats simply because it is a compact. I have been very surprised by what this camera actually does – its seriously undersold by the makers. The particular feature that is lighting fires for me is the ‘microscope’ mode – delivering remarkable performance, and opening new worlds in image creation. More to the point, it does RAW capture – which is across the board, not limited to one mode only as many compacts are (or they don’t do RAW at all!). Having dithered for 18 months before buying it, I’m now wondering why on earth I didn’t buy it a lot sooner.
It’s not cheap, but you get allot of camera for your money.
I work in an area of lots of dust, mud and impact hazards but wanted a work camera.
The Olympus TG-6 exceeded all expectations, with an incredible out of the box macro mode, reasonable zoom, panorama mode, and loads more. Great image quality too.
Probably my best buy this year (and we buy lots of stuff from Amazon).
Still getting used to it so not hit the high or low points
I have needed to read the manual to get to grips with it and am not through it all yet – it is a bit long!
The photos are very clear and crisp. The colours are more natural than the panasonic but they do need some colour adding sometimes (when I edit them).
It doesn’t do low light scenes quite so well – but my kayaking photos have all been pretty good so far and I have some good scenery photos. Overall – getting used to it and liking it more as time goes on. I am not very ‘techy’ but I do like good quality pics, and this is reasonable for the price (I got a good price too – looked out for a price drop and bided my time!)
This is a beaut of a camera beaches scuba diving camping you name it and its done me well the screen is crystal clear ive droped it a few times and its completely unscathed
Picture quality is to my amature ability and eye amazing with lots of auto settings
Battery life s about 3 days constant use with a full charge
Great sturdy camera. Have taken this “go to” camera all over the planet. Never misses a beat. Would recommend getting the lens cover for it. But brilliant camera for the family. Highly recommend.
Purchased this camera for a snorkelling holiday. The images it produced were simply outstanding.
It is quite a complex beast to get the best out of but can be set up in point and shoot mode with only minor adjustments needed whilst shooting. Used in this way it produced superb video and still images.
Then a friend showed me the photos taken on a Pentax Tough TG4. OMFG. Take it all back. The colours, the focus, the saturation, the crazy settings, the super HD video capability. I take it all back. I’ll eat my hat in shame. I’ve seen people who really know how to take photos with large DSLR kit worth 2 or 3 thousand, completely awestruck that this little Tough takes photos that blow your mind and seems to break the laws of physics just when you think a shot is not possible.
It just works.
Bonus. It works underwater too. Really. 30m, no problem. Mine has swim with sharks. Awesome.
Recommend: buy 3 additional GENUINE Pentax batteries. It likes power.
Recommend: buy the Patona USB twin battery charger. Another genius piece of kit
Recommend: if you go underwater get the genuine Pentax floating lanyard. It will save your camera and your precious photos of you drop it in the sea.
Recommend: glass screen protector. They’re very very tough but a hard knock from height onto a rock will likely crack it. The glass screen protector will sacrifice itself and save your camera.
Recommend: Anker USB 4 slot wall charger. Charge your phone, batteries, camera and IPad in record time with one charger. Charger and all cables for your holiday fit in one small pencil case.
But the menu system can be a little difficult to use at times just finding where to change picture quality was awkward but after spending a morning playing with the system I did find everything I was looking to do in cameras menu system.
But I can’t overstate how good this camera is for macro photos it’s great.
A great camera which can take a bashing.
Full GPS location information, including compass heading and even temperature stored with the image.
Only downsides are no shutter priority and, like many compact cameras, nothing to protect the lens.
This camera does picture bracketing and stacking automatically in camera and stops not at 1:1 reproduction scale, but magnifies your object up to 11x right out of the box. I do not know of any other camera which could do that. Unless there is no compelling reason to have to use a larger sensor (and outside of professional photography there is hardly ever one) this camera beats everything else on the market when taking photographs of small flowers, insects, jewelry or other small objects.
And I didn’t even mention its underwater capabilities yet – because I don’t snorkel or do scuba diving. Last but not least, it shoots RAW, if you like to process your pictures with your computer. The only disadvantage of this camera in comparism to other compact cameras in the same price range is the limited zoom capacity of its lens. If a large zoom range is very important to you, you’d better look elsewhere. But if you love macro photography and are looking for an every-day-camera which can produce significantly better photos than your smartphone without needing an extra bag to carry it around, the TG-6 might be the camera for you.
If you are looking for any reason for a solution to produce close-up, macro or even magnified pictures for product or process documentation, especially in an harsh environment (for instance directly at a production line in a factory), there is no better option available than this camera. It is nearly indestructable.
II AM REPLACING AN OLD OLYMPUS SIMILAR TYPE CAMERA FOR USE IN CYCLING TRIPS AND SEA KAYAKING TRIPS AS IT IS LIGHT WEIGHT AND DEPENDABLE IN HARSH CONDITIONS AND RESULTS SO FAR SEEM PROMISING .
I have used the camera only a few times. Initial thoughts are neutral but inclining to positive side.
.Camera could become replacement for mobile phone where you may not wish to risk taking phone (for e.g beach, river, pool etc).
.Pro shooters may not like limited manual control and cumbersome menu system of point and shoot; that needs a good amount of time to change modes and set up camera before hitting shutter button. .
.I received camera a dust particle (my guess) on lens inside. I will be requesting replacement. I will do detailed review after receiving replacement.
The camera will primarily be used for snorkelling. Initial test in a swimming pool were better than my previous Panasonic camera however this is a much more expensive camera so I expect better results.
Swimming pool test showed good clear pictures, I did try the underwater scene mode and compared with the auto mode and the scene setting appeared a little to bright.
Just back from a Red Sea trip where I used this underwater in the case of the previous model.
The new preset underwater modes for shallow, medium and deep were useless (everything was always too blue) so just as before for excellent results manual white balance is required at every depth you are shooting (it lets you save four) and the results were pretty good using natural light.
Like the TG-5 battery charging in the camera is very slow taking up to 3 hours and it would seem the optional external charger is no better.
Again like the old model it only has Micro USB
Other than the resolution of the LCD screen telling the two models apart is very tricky.
The camera has a lot of advanced features and by default it does not give you the highest JPEG image quality (as was the case with the TG-5) and LSF (Large Super Fine) has to be enabled (see the full manual which can be downloaded for details on LSF and all the other features).
Don’t also forget if using it in the water just a human hair on the door seals are enough to cause flooding so follow the instructions carefully re product care and rinsing (especially under the ring around the lens).
P.S. I also had the Nikon W300 with me and this one is a clear winner and I would advise buying a screen protector for only a few pounds plus of course a descent quality SD Card especially if you intend to record 4K videos.
Olympus TG-6 Tough Camera — Red
In the box.
The camera, instructions, charger, battery, lanyard and leads. (no memory card is supplied so you need to get one — get a good quality one, I use Lexar and SanDisk and have never had any problems with these.
Set up.
Charge the battery and insert a memory card and it’s ready to go. You can charge using the mains charger (supplied) or charge via a USB source like a power bank, great for when you are away from the mains.
Main features.
Water proof to 15 meters,
Drop and crush proof,
Dust sealed,
25 to 100 mm (35 mm equivalent) zoom lens plus 4 x digital zoom,
Will accept add on accessories,
Built in flash,
Super macro performance,
Multi-mode setting for the prevailing conditions,
12 mega pixels high sensitivity sensor,
5 axis image stabilisation,
RAW shooting plus JPEG,
Live composite mode,
4K video,
Add on deep diving housing available at extra cost.
First impressions.
This is a tough camera ready for all weather conditions plus under water. It is well made and seem up to the job. It feels nice in the hand and can even be used with gloves on.
Image quality.
The 12 mega pixel sensor does a great job in al weather conditions. The pictures are detailed, punchy colour and well exposed. The RAW setting gives you that extra bit of dynamic range in editing but JPEGS out of the camera are fine. Sharpness is excellent for a compact. The images easily print to A3 and look spectacular.
I have used it some horrible weather and the sealing is perfect. I charged it on the move using a power bank and this worked fine.
It also features GPS logging so you can record the exact location. The Wi-Fi lets you send your pictures directly to a computer.
Macro mode.
The camera has a macro mode for close up pictures and also a super macro mode which is really good- the camera is best used on a support for this. Results are amazing and I really like this feature.
Recall modes.
The camera has a C1 and C2 setting. Here you can set your camera to recall a series of settings without going through several menus. This works well and allows fast changes of settings.
The zoom lens.
This is internal so the lens does not protrude out at any setting. The lens is housed behind a double glass cover to prevent steaming up in very wet and humid conditions, this works very well.
Rear screen
This is made of tougher materials that usual but I have still put a cover on it! The resolution and brightness is ok but not the same as Olympus’s top range mirrorless cameras. However, it is still clear and easy to work with.
Video.
The 4K output is excellent and the image stabilisation does a great job. The footage is much better than my mobile phone that cost twice as much. The same goes for the still images, they are far superior to my high-end mobile phone.
Short comings.
What I would like to see in the next version — longer zoom range if it can be engineered into the body. No shutter priority mode at present. Focus does hunt a bit in very low light so maybe this could be improved in a firmware update. The ability to manually focus may be useful for some.
Overall.
This is a nearly perfect compact for those who seek adventure. Image quality is the best I have ever seen from a compact and it has plenty of creative facilities. It is also built for outdoor use in all weathers. It will still be going when you mobile would have given up and dies.
Overall, the best adventure camera out there with a few caveats from me. I love using it and it does a much better job than any mobile phone and does not have the bulk of a mirrorless camera or DSLR. I love it.
I bought this camera for my wife as a birthday present. The camera arrived very quickly from ordering it and has proved to be an excellent underwater camera. It is very light and appears to be very robust. The picture quality is absolutely brilliant.
The Olympus TG-6 is the latest version of the TG lineup.
I recently took this on a holiday to Greece to give it a through test and I’m pleased to say it held up really well.
First off, the image quality, both underwater and above is very good, like genuinely good. I found that the colours really popped.
Part of the reason for this, is that this little camera gives you as much control as a more advanced camera, alongside modes such as Program and Aperture priority you even get a full manual mode. You also get RAW files and 4K video recording.
This makes for a versatile camera that you can use in any situation. On the beach, out mountain biking, etc. this will help you get the shot.
Some negatives are that the gaskets aren’t quite as impregnable from sand as you’d expect. In-fact, I found a fair bit of sand in the hinges which was frustrating. However, I was able to clean it out quite well and this left it in good condition.
Also, I found the build quality to be very good, with the drop height of 1.2m more than ample.
If I changed anything I’d drop the megapixel count in order to get slightly better noise control, however, I think that overall it is very good, and Olympus should be proud of their creation.
I’ve been using an Olympus TG-3 for years. It’s been a good work horse point and click camera for years. I’m not the most careful at looking after things, so even though the camera still looks to be in great condition it has been chucked around loads.
The TG-6 looks very similar, but just about every aspect that I’ve looked at looks to have been improved. Pictures are a bit clearer, macro mode is miles better, 4k video, wifi transfer to a phone the list goes on…it even charges with a micro usb cable, rather than the Olympus one!
I’m not a great, or even prolific, photographer but the TG-3 never let me down. After a few weeks of playing with this I’m al;ready looking forward to using the TG-6 for many years to come.
I’ve used the camera mainly on its “auto” exposure mode and it has not once let me down even with back-lit shots, although I’ve taken care to adjust the composition to assist exposure where needed. The rear screen is bright enough to allow this giving a good preview of the final shot even against the light. At times, too, I’ve manually adjusted the auto-chosen shutter speed and aperture, easily dialling it to what I need to produce the sharpest shot or to have a good differential focus and so on. I also like to over-ride the auto-ASA setting, limiting the camera to a maximum of 400 or 800 to ensure the least grainy shots.
A real boon and something that creates really exciting “wow!” type shots is the camera’s “microscope” mode. This allows the easy creation of stunning macro close up shots with the subject zoomed in even when almost touching the lens surface. Astonishing.
What do I miss? For a tough camera, an articulated viewing screen would not be possible, but the Lumix G9’s screen is a joy to use and so I did miss this. The fixed screen on the Olympus makes taking those fabulous “microscope” as well as low and high shots less easy especially if your back isn’t as flexible as it might be! The 12mp sensor is very good indeed and gives really great sharpness but I would still take time to compose the shot reasonably well to avoid too much cropping at development stage (I recommend Adobe Photoshop Elements for doing this, sometimes using its anti-shake setting and unsharp mask on moderate setting of 100/2/2). The 4x zoom on the Olympus is standard on cameras of this kind, and, again, a longer zoom would be welcome but would require a fragile lens extension, so I can’t complain about that either as this camera is designed for toughness, after all. I tend to get close to my subjects and a long telephoto coupled with a wide aperture is a wonderful combination that gives superb differential focus. I miss that — but I do have to have some reason for taking my Lumix G9 out of its bag!
So, it’s clear that if you want a truly tough camera, this is an excellent choice and there are very few compromises that need to be accepted. Could it replace my Lumix G9? No, not at all. It’s a fantastic camera to keep in the bag, ready for when a large SLR won’t do or is too cumbersome. This Olympus has been a real pleasure to test on behalf of Amazon. Thank you. It is an excellent camera and will absolutely not disappoint its lucky owner.
Power on button is very quick, so you won’t miss a shot. The camera comes with a range of presets (e.g. portraits, scenery, sports, etc.) for those like me, who don’t have enough skill or knowledge beyond “point and shoot”. Olympus have a great app to download to a smartphone so that you can use your phone as a remote control, and also to use the wifi function to move pictures from the camera to your phone. The camera also has gps, so you’ll never forget where you took your pictures
I really like the wifi function which is easy to set up and which enabled me to take and post these photographs quickly and easily.
The controls of the camera are simple to use with the auto function, the closeup and microscope functions, video, and a selection of modes including people, nightscapes, landscapes, motion, scenery and indoors, very easily. Shutter speed and aperture can be altered manually if you wish or left to the auto functions
The camera seems almost indestructible – waterproof to 50 ft, damage proof to being dropped 7ft, crush proof, and dust proof – it seems perfect for taking on holiday, no matter where that might take you.
The screen provides a good image for taking and viewing photographs, and the video has a stabilisation which has certainly helped me take better video that i have previously managed on my smartphone.
I really like the way the camera looks too – mine is the black version with a little bit of red trim and hand strap.
I am so excited about using this camera and finding out more of what it can do, especially underwate
Great range for underwater photo-shoot.
You can take it with you on hiking adventures, bike adventures, snorkelling.
You are not afraid that it will get drowned or broken since it’s a tough camera.
There are filters and adjustments to make a photo look like it’s taken with a professional camera.
The zoom is good and you can also take microscope photos in a very good quality.