But when I leave my cameras lying around, my wife doesn’t like the clutter (even though she loves the photos that result from the clutter). There's an accessory ring around the lens. Olympus sells a couple of fish-eye lenses, if you want to get a wider angle of view, as well as a pair of flash accessories that redirect light to surround the lens, filling in shadows in close-up shots. The TG-6 has an especially good macro feature, and I'd consider one of the light modifiers a necessary accessory. Of course, the reason this list of specs is so exciting is because of what they’ll let you do with this camera as a photographer. Tough cameras, Oly and other brands, show mushy details that look really bad even without enlarging, specially in foliage and other fine structures.

Where the TG-5 only had one underwater white balance mode, the TG-6 has three, for shallow, mid-depth and deep water. Two additional underwater shooting modes were added: macro and microscope. What stands out? On top of that, once I finally looked up on the web how to do things, they didn’t work as described. I’m not sure if that’s because the camera I was reviewing had been used before or what, but it was entirely frustrating. When my camera is in the bag, it never gets used. I prefer to leave it out with the lens cap off and the power button left on so that I’m ready to make a photograph at a moment’s notice. The TG-6 is a pretty standard point-and-shoot from a handling perspective. Its handgrip is decently deep, and the camera ships with a cloth wrist strap that you can use on land and under water.Of course it’s possible to manually dial down exposure or adjust the ISO setting if you realize this at the time of shooting, although bright conditions also affect the visibility of the LCD screen, which doesn't help matters.

That's where cameras like the TG-6 make a lot of sense. You can take it places where you're worried you may drop or break your phone, and having an actual flash, along with ring light capabilities, make it a much better tool for macro shots. You cannot include the date and time later using the camera function if your pictures are taken with the Date Stamp set to Off. In the end, it’s not about the technical specs of a camera, but what those technical specs let us do as creative people and photographers. For those in the first group, the TG-6's auto mode can handle just about every situation, and its numerous scene modes are well organized. Going underwater? Just choose the 'fish' spot on the mode dial, where you'll find five choices that match the situation you're in. It is a shame that Olympus did not create a simplified version of its menu system for more novice users, who are likely to be overwhelmed by the options and organization.Having a camera that can get wet means you can get into the splash zone. Don’t photograph puddle-jumping-kids from a distance; get close and get wet! Generally, an underwater housing is expensive and might limit your access to camera settings. Best case scenario, you invest a lot of money to get your camera into the water. But this is a lot to invest and most people won’t do it on a whim. You’ve got to be sure you want to be in the water a lot to make it worth the investment. There is no full-manual mode on this camera. But if you know what you’re doing, you can still take full control.

The TG-6 is a bit of an outlier in that Olympus continues to use a 12 Megapixel sensor, rather than the 16 or 20 Megapixel sensors found on its competitors. On a chip this small, the TG-6’s lower pixel count might help its performance at higher ISOs, but the much bigger benefit is its lens’ ability to go to F2.0 at its widest-angle setting, letting in twice as much light as its closest rivals will. And, for most purposes, a 12 Megapixel sensor is more than enough. Suitable for shooting underwater in dim light, optimizing flash mode, auto focus and white balance for the appropriate settings.

You’ll have to get used to keeping your ISO at 1600 or lower (you’ll need a steady hand for the slow shutter speed that results). New to the Tough TG-6 are a slew of high-speed recording modes for video. In addition to being able to shoot 4K video at 30fps, it can also record 1080p up to 120fps, 720p at 240fps and 360p at 480fps.

Optimized for underwater photography that uses natural light. (e.g. in swimming pools or shallow waters) The OM System/Olympus Tough TG-6 was launched in 2019 and it’s still available from OM Digital Solutions which acquired Olympus’s imaging division in 2021. It is widely regarded as one of the best underwater / adventure compacts on the market. The latest addition to the Olympus Tough line-up is the recently announced OM System TG-7, which at first glance works with very similar specs as the TG-6. Here’s the best part; in P mode, you have direct access to exposure compensation with the camera dial. Your camera will hardly ever get the exposure just as you want it. So use the exposure compensation feature to brighten or darken the photo before you take the picture.

To remove the lens ring, rotate the lens ring in the remove direction (to the left) while pressing down the remove button ( ). I didn’t really put the environmental sensors on the TG-6 through their full paces. Even as an avid wilderness hiker, I don’t tend to organize my photos by that kind of metadata. (I write things down instead… a bit old school, but it works for me.) You could choose to use it as your main holiday camera, especially if you don’t have a high-performing smartphone already, but it’s unlikely to be your number one camera of choice in ordinary or “safe” conditions. Lastly, the TG-6's host of close-up features not only allow for capturing subjects 1cm (0.4") away: the 'digital microscope' mode lets you zoom in up to four times more, though with a reduction in image quality. Olympus sells a ring light and flash diffuser to add flexibility to your macro photography. You no longer need to be nervous around the water with your camera – the TG-6 is completely waterproof and pulls you right in. A good motivator