OLYMPUS TG-5 - FIRST LOOK

Olympus TG-5 - First Look

The Olympus Tough series of cameras have been going for as long as I can remember and I’ll always reminisce my original Tough 6000. At the time it gave me all I wanted when messing around kayaking and climbing, a camera I did not have to worry about. But let’s be honest – the 6000 wasn’t a camera I would use for general day to day events as its quality wasn’t the best. So when I was offered the chance to get hands-on with the new TG-5 I jumped at the chance, literally.

Key Features

• New 12 Megapixel Sensor with F2.0 Lens / JPEG & RAW
• 20fps continuous shooting
• Dustproof / Shockproof 7ft / Freezeproof -10˚ / Waterproof 15m / Crushproof
• TruePic VIII Processor
• 4x Optical  Zoom
• New Max 12,800 ISO
• Tracking Capabilities via built in GPS & Wi-Fi
• 4K movie record / 120fps Full HD Slow Mo
• Anti-Fog Dual Pane Protective Glass
• Pro Capture Mode

IMAGE QUALITY

Working on the success of its predecessor, the TG-4, Olympus has lowered the megapixels from 16 to 12 but coupled a new sensor with their powerful TruePic VIII processor. The resulting images from this partnership allow the TG-5 to produce some truly stunning shots and leave you scratching your head with a smile on your face on how good it really is!

Tough cameras tend to shoot fast action in some nasty environments cameras would prefer not to go to, yet with a max ISO of 12,800 and its fast F/2.0 lens the TG-5 is more than able to freeze your epic moments in crisp, clear and vibrant JPEGS or RAW.

A high speed continuous shooting mode gives you up to 20 frames per second so you never miss a shot. Having a feature like this on a compact of this size didn’t give me much faith when setting out to test it. Once out on the water I quickly changed my settings with the easy to access dials and fired off a burst of 20 shots. I was able to capture everything from take off to landing and could then select my chosen image afterwards. The TG-5 handled the 20fps well and the results were far greater than I had originally expected. It seems that little knowledge on photography and minimum setup time is required to get sharp images from the TG-5 and Pro capture, previously seen in the EM1 MkII, has been adopted making sure you never miss that crucial moment with lag free buffering.

With a little Photoshopping I was able to produce a couple of fun shots like below.

VIDEO

4k movie recording has become a standard res for many users now and the TG-5 has been upgraded to handle this at 30fps. Not only this but the 5 can capture Full HD footage at a high frame rate of 120fps – allowing you to slow down time and witness every moment of your adventures.

BUILD

Designed on the solid build of the TG-4 the 5 sees tough features like Waterproof to 15m, freezeproof to -10˚, dustproof, shockproof and crushproof. While jumping off the cliffs, climbing over the rocks and stuffing the TG-5 into my buoyancy aid I had no fear of it getting damaged. On previous models from Olympus and other manufactuers I found it little too easy to catch and open the battery / memory card slot. The TG-5 follows the modern style from Olympus with a double locking system making it harder to accidentally open.

Subtle changes to the grip and dials have made for some great ergonomic improvements.  A double glazed glass structure prevents fogging and condensation when sudden changes in temperature and environments happen.

With a built in GPS, compass, temperature sensor, manometer, wifi and tracking technology seen in Olympus’ Tough Tracker action camera the TG-5 not only stores your image location but you can also transfer stills and videos across to a smart device and save the logged information alongside. Using the Olympus OI Tracking App then gives you the option to get creative and overlay the recorded data giving a head up style movie for you to share with all your friends afterwards.

CONCLUSION

Overall I can only say I am impressed and pleased to have taken the TG-5 along on this adventure with me. The speed, build, ease of use and resulting dynamic range are far greater than compact waterproofs I’ve previously seen – for anyone wanting to shoot epic memories from places cameras don’t usually like to go this is definitely a compact worth checking out.