If there’s one area of the compact camera market that has remained resilient against the threat of smartphones, it’s the rugged or “tough” sector. These cameras can go with you to places that your smartphone would surely perish in, giving you scope to shoot all your adventures - or just day trips to the beach. The Olympus Tough TG-6 may seem like a subtle update to the TG-5, but there are a number of welcome improvements that make the camera easier, and more enjoyable to use, helping you get the best results possible. Using a 12mp sensor, noise performance is good, and the camera offers, 4K video, and high-speed video with FullHD video recording at 120fps possible. The camera offers a bright f/2.0 lens, making it more suited to underwater photography compared to other waterproof cameras, as there is less light underwater. 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. 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.

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. The great-value price includes a six-month warranty extension5 if new owners register their camera at www.my.olympus.eu. Get the latest photography news straight to your inbox by signing up to our newsletter. Newsletter Signup There’s also in improved rear LCD screen - it now boasts an improved resolution of 1040k-dots across its 3-inches. Olympus has long been reigning as king in this area, with its very impressive TG-5 being one of the best tough cameras in recent years. The TG-6 is its successor, and while it’s not a huge overhaul, it brings with it some incremental changes that are likely to help it retain its crown.

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. The Olympus Tough TG-6 uses the same 12 megapixel BSI CMOS sensor as the TG-5, this means that the sensor has larger pixels compared to other waterproof cameras, giving better sensitivity to light, and the camera has an extended ISO range from ISO100 to ISO12800. The camera also offers 4K video recording, 4K timelapse, and high-speed continuous shooting at up to 20fps. High-speed video is possible, with FullHD video recording at up to 120fps. 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. The Olympus TOUGH TG-6 is a modest update to the earlier TG-5, with a higher resolution 1040k dot screen and new anti-glare glass in front of the sensor. The quality of underwater photos and video have been improved by the addition of three new white balance modes for differing water depths and the microscope macro mode can now be used under water. 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.

Also new to the TG-6 is a new digital teleconverter, that doubles the zoom factor of the 4x optical zoom for a maximum of 8x zoom. An 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-M1Xhelps to reduce noise levels and improves the resolution in low contrast areas. 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. 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.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. The buttons can feel a little small at times, and this could be particularly worrying if you're wearing gloves. The video button was a little difficult to press at times, however this has the added benefit of meaning you don't accidentally start and stop recording. 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.

Sell the kit you’re not using to MPB. Trade in for the kit you need to create. Buy used, spend less and get more. Buy. Sell. Trade. Create. All of the scene modes feature an example photo, giving you an idea of when it's best to use the mode, and there is a built-in help to explain the modes and options on the camera. There are a number of underwater modes available: underwater snapshot, underwater wide, underwater macro, underwater microscope, and underwater HDR. Art filters are available, with a number of different versions of each. 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.

A number of accessories are available, with a new fisheye converter, a new underwater case, and a new lens cap. Many of the accessories can attach to the front bayonet on the camera, which is behind the removable front ring. These new accessories are in addition to the existing fisheye converter, tele converter, flash diffuser, light guide, plus floating straps, and silicone cases. 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 The camera has an aperture priority mode that lets you set the aperture, with f/2.0, f/2.8 and f/8,0 available at the wide end of the lens, and f/4.9, f/6.3, and f/18 available when fully zoomed.The screen resolution has been improved with1040K dots, and viewing angles are good. You can change the display, and show a dual-axis electronic level on the screen if you want. Just like its predecessor, the TG-6 includes a 12 megapixel 1/2.3-inch sensor, along with the same 25-100mm (equivalent) f/2.0-f/4.9 lens (that’s a 4x optical zoom). The camera has a range of shooting modes, and for advanced users, there’s even the ability to capture images in raw format. 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

New shooting modes include some additional high-speed recording modes for video, plus a new underwater mode and more versatile macro options. Wi-Fi is built-in, and using Olympus' Image Share app on your smartphone you can remotely control the camera, import photos, edit photos, and more. The camera has built-in GPS so that you can log your travels, as well as add location information to your photos. There's a small switch on top so you can easily switch logging on and off. 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

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 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. The Olympus Tough TG-6 is a compact photo camera with a 12-megapixel CMOS sensor, providing a total of 12.7 megapixels. It features a 4x optical zoom, with a minimum focal length of 25mm and a maximum focal length of 100mm. The lens structure consists of 9 elements in 7 groups, with three aspheric elements. The minimum aperture number is 2, while the maximum aperture number is 4.9. The camera has a 40.5mm filter size and a TFT display. 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. 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).