Olympus Stylus Tough TG-5 12MP Digital Point and Shoot Camera, 4x Optical Zoom, Ultra HD 4K Video, WiFi, Panorama, iAuto, Black

2020-11-30T19:00:00

I owned an Olympus TG2 for many years. I took all kinds of awesome photos with the TG2 on many outdoor adventures and lost it on a river trip on the San Juan River. I purchased the TG5 just before a Grand Canyon Colorado River Trip and it has not performed to the expectations of the TG2. It started fogging and sand got in the telephoto level causing it to be tough to move. I did not expect these problems from the TG5 camera. After about 2 years the camera has stopped working all together. I am very skeptical about purchasing another "Tough" camera from Olympus.

Charles

Originally posted at

2020-11-24T19:00:00

A little over a year ago, I was about to head off on an extended overseas trip, when suddenly my beloved TG-860 started acting up. I figured it wouldn't last. So, since I'd had such a good experience with that Olympus camera, I bought a TG-5 to take on the trip. I was never fully satisfied with the pics it took, especially considering the price. So, when I got home, I switched back to the TG-860, figuring I would use it until it died. Over a year later, I'm still using it several times a week during my hikes. And my hikes are usually in dry, dusty environments. Meanwhile, I was using the TG-5 for other things at home and in town. Today I noticed there is now a large particle of dust, more like a small grain of sand, inside the lens. If I were using this on my hikes, I could imagine this happening, but not when it's only used in gentler circumstances. Needless to say, I'm disappointed. Of course, it is now out of warranty and probably not worth having repaired.

Candace

Originally posted at

2020-03-10T20:00:00

I like this camera. It?s small enough to cart up the mts. of the Tour du Mont Blanc & h2o proof enough for rain bursts. Hoping it will work for snorkeling in the Carribean.

CC

Originally posted at

2020-02-22T19:00:00

I purchased my TG-5 in February 2018. I wanted a light weight travel camera that was rugged and waterproof. (I have a DSLR but it is bulky and heavy.) Initially I was very satisfied withTG-5. Recently I was in Indonesia and went Scuba diving. The camera was properly secured and I had it on a lanyard around my wrist. I had to reboard the dive boat on a metal ladder using both hands. So the TG was swinging from my wrist. It must have struck the ladder at an odd angle causing the bottom door tab to break and the door to pop open. As a result salt water got into the camera and it is inoperable, despite my best efforts to dry it. Good news was the memory card survived with my dive photos. Disappointing end to a camera that bills itself as "TOUGH".

Rod

Originally posted at

2019-11-09T19:00:00

I have owned my TG-5 for 2+ years and use it mostly for marine photography. I have taken it swimming about 200 times and free-diving/ snorkelling about 50 times. When scuba diving down to 17m without the housing, the camera did not leek and still took photos (though there was a warning). During this time I estimate that I have taken 30,000 photos with the TG-5. Compared with the photos that I achieved with my GoPro 3+ Black, my TG-5 photos are noticeably superior.

Peter

Originally posted at

2019-09-01T20:00:00

I love this camera so much that following a kayak incident in which it (and 100's of photos) were lost at the bottom of a local river, I didn't hesitate to replace it. The size, functionality and ease of use make this a great camera for what I do. I use it to take professional quality photos while guiding Paddle and Beach Yoga practices. I am able to easily adjust the settings and frame shots quickly which I later edit and send out to those who have joined the practice. The only drawback is that the lens cover tends to fall off. I have tried both the clip-in lens cover and the one that slides on. I wish there was one that had a attachment to hold it to the camera so the risk of loss was decreased and I could keep the lens protected when not shooting photos. I also wish the zoom toggle was flat instead of sticking out the back of the camera. I have outfitted this camera with additional lenses, a protective cover on the back screen and a floatie. This one is going to stick with me for a while. . .I hope ;D.

LTY J.

Originally posted at

2019-08-11T20:00:00

Love this camera! I bought it specifically to take on our beach vacation. I did a lot of research and this camera kept coming up as number one. We just got back from our vacation and used this camera every day. It takes great, quality photos and videos, even underwater. And I like that it's "everything proof". Didn't have to worry about water, sand, or it getting knocked around too much. It's also small enough to take with you when you're out and about...much easier than taking my big DSLR. The camera has every feature you could want. The only accessories I got with it for now is a floating strap for in the water, and an extra battery. But I'll be getting some lenses for this soon. Great camera! Can't go wrong on this one.

Audrey

Originally posted at

2019-08-08T20:00:00

Rugged camera that can serve as backup for a working professional. I've used the TG-5 for remote location work in poor conditions. It's comforting to know that I don't have to baby the camera. In general, this is a well built camera that produces good images. However, be careful of flare- you can't expect much from a fixed lens with no hood.

boatdetective

Originally posted at

2019-08-04T20:00:00

This camera is amazing! I did a lot of research on a camera that would be a great entry level underwater camera as I just started scuba diving and this has lived up to all of my expectations. So many different settings that take practice to get used to, but it's so worth it in the end. Great product, I expect to have this for years to come!

Ashley

Originally posted at

2019-07-28T20:00:00

So I have been using action cameras for about 8 years. Super easy to use just point the camera towards what you are trying to do and you are good to go, but the quality was never great and the lack of a view finder or screen to see what I was filming started to get in the way with what I wanted to do. So enter my first non action camera every the TG5, Holy wow, being able to see what you are shooting, being able to work with framing and even focus makes it like a whole different hobby. I have used the TG5 now in a handful of shore dives and 2 boat dives. The underwater housing is fantastic and I think easier to use then just the camera above water. Speaking of above water, I have had the most fun with the macro mode, I find myself carrying the camera with me all over just so I can get those wonderful macro shots of anything I see with an neat texture.

Joel

Originally posted at

2019-07-17T20:00:00

I've owned this camera for about five months, and I've really enjoyed using it. I'm a fisheries biologist, and I always make sure I have it with me when I go out in the field. It takes great underwater photographs of all the aquatic life I encounter. Plus, it's nice that I don't have to worry about dunking it while taking pictures out of the water. I've ruined a phone and another camera that way! It's quite small, so it doesn't take up much space in my bag. I can wear it around my wrist when I'm snorkeling, or stow it away in the pocket of my waders if I'm above the water that day. It takes good macro shots as well. Some critters are quite photogenic and they'll l allow you get really close. I've been able to get some beautiful shots of fish, crayfish, and mussels using the macro settings. I've gotten sand in some of the cracks and crevices, and it's always worked its way out. It never got inside the camera. However, sometimes it doesn't always focus where I want it to. It's a good adventure camera for when you don't want to haul around a DSLR and all the gear that goes with it. Great for scuba diving in shallower waters, snorkeling, kayaking, fishing, and backpacking!

Valerie

Originally posted at

2019-07-17T20:00:00

T as in Terrible. I do not like this camera. The battery is always dead. Very short life. Yes, turn GPS off. The GPS takes forever to connect and shut off. Still battery has short life. Image quality is mediocre. Focus is mediocre. The only benefit to this camera is being able to drag it trough the mud and maybe get a couple usable images. Otherwise useless

James

Originally posted at

2019-05-21T20:00:00

Great camera for underwater macro and wide range of accecories but theres alway room for more imporvement

Mohammad

Originally posted at

2019-05-13T20:00:00

Love Tough cameras...but software needs an update for US market. The ruggedness of the camera and image quality are great. Wish the activity tracker actually provided temperature in Fahrenheit. Thinking this is a firmware update Olympus could provide for US market especially considering price point of this camera

Ed

Originally posted at

2019-05-13T20:00:00

The TG-5 is such a cool camera! It?ll go anywhere in any weather and it?s underwater capabilities are excellent. I?m impressed by the sharpness, zoom range, and the quality of images. I thought so much of this camera that I purchased a second one after my original was waterlogged due to user error (always check to make sure the doors are closed and double locked).

Jim

Originally posted at

2019-05-08T20:00:00

I'm a commercial photographer and wanted something I could get wet and not care about that didn't cost a fortune. This is perfect for that, the photos are decent, and it's great for the beach, boat, or vacations. Build quality is excellent, and photo quality will be great for most people. It's basically a purpose-built cell phone camera in a waterproof body, but you get much better results. SURPRISINGLY AWESOME: the macro mode is insane - nearly as good as my pro camera. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!: No lens cap? They make an adapter kit with one that spins over the lens ring. For $450, it needs that $10 part included. YOU SHOULD ALSO BUY: a silicone cover sleeve is about $30 and makes the camera stick to wet hands like velcro.

john

Originally posted at

2019-05-04T20:00:00

I utilize this camera for home inspection. Should anyone require a camera that has a date stamp function, this camera does NOT offer that (I didn't know that wasn't an option until after I bought it). Wi-fi connection only works for about 20 seconds, and only within a few feet of the camera. Zoom isn't much of a zoom. Even with the added zoom lens, it isn't much and there is nothing in between. Every other picture comes through blurry, so you have to pay attention to each picture. I wanted to return the camera, but they wouldn't take it back after 30 days, only offered to look at it to see if they could repair it. I hadn't opened the camera for about 6 weeks after I purchased it, so I guess I screwed myself there. Not worth the $600 for the camera and associated accessories.

Inspector N.

Originally posted at

2019-04-09T20:00:00

When I first saw this camera online and read the reviews from various people on different website, I knew I have to buy it. I'm glad I did, this camera is so awesome, totally worth the money. I use it for Underwater Macro shots and the quality of the image is already superb, without having to add any macro lens. For anyone who's looking for a great camera for a very reasonable price, this is the one for you.

Ray M.

Originally posted at

2019-04-05T11:59:33

I purchased this for forestry research work, primarily for the automatic geotagging in a rugged package. Pros: GPS works, and works under some canopy cover. Clarity of close-up photos is excellent. Better results achieved at partial zoom and full zoom than no zoom. Cons: GPS lags ~50 feet behind when walking, even under clear sky conditions. This is acceptable but not ideal; a better solution might be a Bluetooth connection to an external antenna. This would also reduce the load on the camera's battery. No charger provided with the camera; brand-name "accessory" This is really coloring how I see this camera, but I realize not everybody plans around spare batteries. I'm concerned about battery life, even brief use seems to drain the charge quickly. I have not run it continuously from full charge to empty yet so I don't know how much time I'm going to get out of each battery.

Neil T.

2019-03-22T20:00:00

Back in high school I did a lot of photography. In 2018 - my cell phone became my daily driver. But I was doing a lot of hiking and outdoor activities and my phone was dying at the end of the hike. (I was using it for both navigation and picture taking). There is a lot of functionality that my old P&S camera just did not have (that the TG5 has), notably the high burst mode, larger iso range, RAW images. The 'ProCapture' is handy as well (where you fire in burst but images are stored in a buffer until you press the shutter all the way down - so you capture only the action you want) Granted - some of the more high end P&S's in other brands have some of these too - but I don't think they're IP68. The only glaring omission is a shutter priority mode. Not really a big deal shooting landscapes, and a sports scene mode takes care of forcing a fast shutter speed. But if you wanted to do a long exposure, there are some options hidden in the 'scene' mode that you could work with. You still get a lot of control with your camera, and with the use cases this camera is aimed for (tough, outdoors) - you probably don't need the shutter mode. GPS acquisition can be slow and uncertain at times. I imagine if I use the logging function while shooting i'd have a better experience in Geo Tagging my pictures. My conjecture is this (logging + Geotags) was the intended purpose. The tracking is handy and fun to look at , but it's only available in the app - Note: I would never use it as a primary navigation device. Use a phone or get a dedicated GPS. The WiFi only connects to the phone app - as far as I can tell I can't connect wirelessly to a PC. I don't really use the app. Seems silly to move the pictures to the phone to then move them to the computer. It was much easier to use a large SD card and plug in the usb to transfer pictures to my computer at the end of the day. Handy to get photos up to your family or friends quickly if you want to share that one photo right now. In short - if you're looking for a P&S camera, have the budget for the TG5, and go outdoors once in a while - I think the TG5 should be where you begin and will probably end your search. I am a little wary as to the UX of the additional lenses, but I intend on trying them out. I hope investing further in the system says a lot about how I'm going to use the TG5 going further.

Sean

Originally posted at

2019-03-13T16:16:46

The folks at Adorama seem to know how to present their wide variety of quality equipment. All of my questions were answered on their easy to use website. My new TG-5 is everything they said it would be! The ordering process was quick, simple, and resulted in a speedy delivery. The Olympus TG-5 feels substantial. I have no doubt it will live up to its "Tough" name. The manual was quite helpful in determining the relationship among the tactile controls and the features found on screen. After my first photo outing - a little league baseball game - I feel comfortable using many of its still photo and video options. The quality was better than I expected! This small wonder will keep me shooting just about anything I want for a long time. I can't wait to take this beauty on my upcoming adventure to Southeast Asia!

Gary C.

2019-03-05T06:18:02

I bought this camera because it was supposed to be tough. Instead of taking my work camera out I wanted on that was water proof and could handle a drop or two because I have two little ones, they were going to learn using this camera as well. Since having this camera from last February it was been dropped once into water the memory card closure popped open flooded my camera and ruined it. I sent it in it was repaired under warranty. Then with normal use with the brand new camera in june the camera has since broken. The body has chipped off and the screen scratched. This time olympus was not as considerate of the warranty. They said they will replace it under "courtesy" for free but since it was damaged and voided the warranty it would not be replaced again. WHAT no one in this family has dropped the camera more than seven feet, my children are 2 and 3ft tall. They tried to tell me that it had impact. It is supposed to be covered under 7ft! There is no way this has happened. The body has just completely broken off in two separate places with normal use. THIS CAMERA IS NOT TOUGH DO NOT BUY IT.

Trudy T.

2019-03-02T19:00:00

I've had this camera for 3 years now and have put it through it's paces. It's held up beautifully through it all. It's been dropped on rocks, taken in rough ocean waters at the beach, been on countless hikes and white water rafting trips, dragged through muddy, narrow caverns in West Virginia, and it still works perfectly. Screen protector and lens cap is a must if you are a harsh on this thing as I am. I have a few scratches on the screen now, but have thankfully avoided any lens mishaps. Pros: -Tough as advertised and totally water proof for general use (unless you dive deeper than 50ft, in which case, they do make an extra underwater housing for it). -Great color - very true reds (I have had issues with my Cannon and Sony cameras over exposing the reds and I really appreciate how beautiful and true to life the colors in this are) -Lots of features for a little camera -Awesome macro capabilities -Light weight and fits in your pocket -Has several, easy to use attachments (I use the flash defuser for a lot of macro shots and love it) - Love the WiFi feature, easy to use, and I can use the phone's touch screen to select where I want to focus. Cons: - Call me old fashioned, but I like having a view finder for those shots when its so bright out you can hardly see the screen, wish it had one, but I understand it would have been difficult to fit (they packed a lot into this as it is). -No shutter priority (I bought filters for it to do those nice silky waterfall shots and then realized it had no shutter priority, so I couldn't do that very effectively) - Auto-focus is a bit finicky when doing super close up shots (Always wants to focus on the back drop not the thing right in front of it, but this is an issue I have with most of my cameras) Overall this is a fantastic camera for the size and price point. You can use it for just about anything, I would highly recommend it if you do a lot of traveling. It's compact and versatile, and it's wonderful to never have to question if your camera is going to be okay taking it to go do an activity. I always used to be afraid to take my cameras on boats or into wet or potentially hazardous conditions and its just awesome to never have that worry.

Jessica

Originally posted at

2019-01-29T21:36:32

Overall I love this camera as it is easy to use, and the photo quality is pretty good too (although it doesn't seem to show up as nicely as I would have expected on the camera screen itself). The zoom tends to be a little slow, but otherwise the images still come out pretty clearly, including under low-light conditions.

Ying T.

2019-01-29T03:06:16

It’s a tough little cookie! Super small, super straightforward and yet super versatile with what kind of shots it can take.

victoria a.

2019-01-24T19:00:00

I have had my Tough TG-5 since August 2017. It literally goes with me almost everywhere Mountain Biking, Mountain Unicycling, Motorcycling, Hiking, to the Beach, Family activities, etc. If you work within its designed limitations you can get amazing photographs. I feel it is at its best shooting wide angle and for Macro Photography. I have shot, and received recognition, for anything from Landscapes to Macros of Arthropods with this camera. The video works well and the slow motion is particularly fun to work with. This little camera is full of wonderfully useful features. Some of the modes and features I use most are Microscope which is 1x- 4x magnification, Super Microscope 2.9x - 44.4x manification, In camera Focus Stacking(for large depth of field macros), Then of course the different scene modes Sunset, Nature, Hand Held Night Shot and Live Composite. This camera has many more features and lots of art filters. I just listed the ones I use most. You can see samples of my photos in the Olympus Tough TG-5 gallery. The one weak point of this camera would be at full zoom. The images are a bit soft. I do not consider that a real fault of the camera. It is more a result of the physical limitations of a small sensor camera working with a completely internally working lens. I also have both the LG-1 and FD-1. I tend to use the FD-1(Ring Flash) most when shooting Macros of Flowers at night and when shooting Arthropods. I also find the FD-1 is great for limiting the power of the flash when using it as a fill flash. The LD-1(LED Ring Light) works well with static objects. The Tough TG-5 is not just a camera it is a well designed part of a well thought out system that works seamlessly together.

pdanielf

Originally posted at

2019-01-20T19:00:00

Bought this camera to replace my Ricoh sport camera that died on me while snorkeling in Grand Cayman last year. After much research and interpersonal communication with other photographers, I selected the TG-5 and could not be happier. The picture quality is excellent and the software incredibly advanced; I can get excellent shots even in the auto mode. Love the macro capabilities. Hope that the LCD last longer than the ones in my previous Canon D-10 cameras.

Howard

Originally posted at

2019-01-17T14:55:19

Love these Olympus cameras. Fine quality with all the best features at an attractive price. Good service and shipping

Max S.

2019-01-04T02:55:38

This is the third Olympus waterproof/shockproof point and shoot I've bought over the past 15 years or so. I work out in the woods (swamps mostly) collecting data as a private environmental consultant. These have all held up well through thick and thin. All cameras eventually start to fail but the Olympus models are tougher than most. I am sure this new TG-5 will meet the bill. I've shot about 100 frames through it so far and the photos are more stunning than the previous two models. I'm counting on this camera to carry me through to retirement and beyond!

Robert G.

2018-12-24T23:21:11

This camera fits nicely in a coat pocket, and can go almost anywhere you go. Do not worry about dropping it, or getting it wet. The biggest worry would be to drop it into deep water where it cannot be reached. The images are outstanding for this class of camera. The macro mode produces images that a DSLR with macro lens can duplicate. See the attached images of a cluster of daisy flowers, a closeup of a cheese grater, and a daisy seed (see flowers). The seed is maybe an eighth of an inch tall.

Larry L.