Olympus Tough TG-6 arrives with new underwater modes and accessories

Olympus Tough TG-6
(Image credit: Olympus)

The latest flagship camera in the popular Olympus range of Tough TG cameras, the Tough TG-6, has been officially announced, and it seems the leaks were right on the money.

Dustproof, waterproof to 15m, shockproof to 2.1m, crushproof to 100kg, and freezeproof to -10°C, the Tough TG-6 is everything we’ve come to expect from this series, one of the best lines of tough cameras on the market.

Like its predecessor the TG-5, the TG-6 carries a 12MP backlit 1/2.3in sensor, an f/2 lens with an equivalent focal range of 25-100mm and the TruePic VIII imaging engine also seen on the Olympus OM-D E-M1X, all of which allow it to produce impressively vivid and colour-rich images, even in challenging conditions. It’s capable of capturing RAW files as well as JPEGs, for those who prefer to extensively edit their images post-capture.

As well as all these common features, the TG-6 physically looks a lot like the TG-5 – almost identical. So you might be forgiven for wondering – what’s new?

Olympus Tough TG-6 vs TG-5: What’s been added?

Delve under the bonnet and you’ll see that there’s actually a raft of improvements and refinements that have been added to ensure this new camera surpasses its predecessor.

For a start, the optical 4x zoom can now be digitally doubled thanks to a built-in digital teleconverter. This allows you to get even closer to your subjects, with minimal degradation in quality. Olympus has also added AR (anti-reflective) coating to the sensor sealing glass, in order to minimise flare and ghosting.

The LCD monitor has been overhauled and upgraded, and now has a resolution of 1.04million dots, a healthy upgrade over the 460,000 on the TG-5. This should make it much easier to compose and review shots on the TG-6’s screen, especially underwater.

Speaking of underwater, the TG-6 is equipped with all the specific underwater modes from the TG-5 – Underwater Wide, Underwater Snapshot, Underwater Macro and Underwater HDR – while also throwing a new one into the mix: Underwater Microscope. This allows you to shoot close-ups from distances as short as 1cm from the lens, expanding your underwater shooting opportunities. The Underwater White Balance mode from the TG-5 has also been overhauled; whereas before it was a single setting, now it has three options for different water depths.

The general Macro Shooting mode is now available in both P and A modes, in both cases allowing you to focus at minimum distances of 1cm, and Focus Stacking mode now allows you to select the precise number of images you want to combine (between 3 and 10). 

 Olympus Tough TG-6: Key specifications 

Sensor: 12MP 1/2.3in backlist CMOS

Lens: 25-100mm (equivalent) f/2-4.9

ISO range: 100-12,800

LCD screen: 3-inch, 1.04 million dots

Connectivity: Wi-Fi

Video: 4K up to 30fps, Full HD up to 120fps

Waterproof: 15m

Shockproof: 2.1m

Dustproof: Yes

Freezeproof: -10°C

Olympus has also introduces a number of new accessories to compliment the TG-6 and expand its tough-shooting potential. These are as follows:

PT-059 Underwater Case: Extends m the camera’s maximum waterproof depth to 45m

CSCH-127 Silicone Jacket: Provides an extra layer of protection from scratches and bumps

LB-T01 Lens Barrier: Protects the front of the lens from dirt and scratches

FCON-T02 Fisheye Converter: Allows quick switching between circular fisheye and diagonal fisheye.

UC-92 Lithium Ion Battery Charger: Fully charges the TG-6’s battery in 2.5 hours.

New stocks of the Olympus Tough TG-6 are available in July, and it comes with an RRP of £449. Olympus is also offering a limited-edition Adventure Pack with pre-orders, head here for more

Read more:

The 10 best waterproof and underwater cameras in 2019

The best Olympus cameras in 2019

The 10 best action cameras in 2019

Jon Stapley

Jon spent years at IPC Media writing features, news, reviews and other photography content for publications such as Amateur Photographer and What Digital Camera in both print and digital form. With his additional experience for outlets like Photomonitor, this makes Jon one of our go-to specialists when it comes to all aspects of photography, from cameras and action cameras to lenses and memory cards, flash diffusers and triggers, batteries and memory cards, selfie sticks and gimbals, and much more besides.  

An NCTJ-qualified journalist, he has also contributed to Shortlist, The Skinny, ThreeWeeks Edinburgh, The Guardian, Trusted Reviews, CreativeBLOQ, and probably quite a few others I’ve forgotten.

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