Travel Camera Review: Olympus Tough TG-5

When my wife and I were planning a trip to Cancun, I wanted a nice travel camera for the trip. I own an expensive Canon 6D, but I didn’t want to risk it getting stolen or broken in Mexico. But I wanted something more than a point-and-shoot so I could capture amazing photos.

Something waterproof? Even better.

After a lot of online research, we settled on the Olympus Tough TG-5 camera for several reasons. Here’s a rundown of the pros and cons of the camera.

Compact and Durable

When I travel, I’m used to carrying around more camera gear than I will likely ever use. But I have it just in case. Sometimes I want to travel with something small and compact – but I don’t want to compromise image quality.

This camera fits that requirement of compact, and as you’ll see from the photos in this post, image quality remains.

COMPACT: The Olympus Tough TG-5 measures 4.5″ x 2.5″ x 1.25″ and weighs 9.5 ounces.

DURABLE: It’s rated as shockproof up to 7 feet (2.1 meters). The promo video from Olympus shows it being dropped and tossed on a rugged hiking trip.

Waterproof – Perfect for Beaches, Oceans, Lakes and Pools

One of the biggest selling points about this camera was… Waterproof up to 50 feet deep (15 meters). And it doesn’t require a separate case before it goes underwater.

I had a GoPro 2 many years ago, but in order to use it I had to buy a separate case that provided better underwater photos. The Olympus Tough TG-5 needs no additional case. Even underwater you have full access to menus, settings, playback and more.

There’s a preset white balance for underwater. I didn’t like how the colors looked during my snorkeling trip in Cancun in that setting, so I just shot RAW and could adjust afterward.

If you’re spending time in a hotel pool, let your kids play with the camera and have some fun underwater.

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND purchasing some attachable flotation straps so you’re camera doesn’t sink to the bottom. Prices range from $15-$50, depending on what you prefer.

Shoots in RAW

One of the majors draws to me for this travel camera was that it shoots in RAW. That means it captures a lot of data for each photo, giving you more flexibility when you go to edit the photo.

RAW allows you to scale down the bright whites and bring up the dark darks. For example, when capturing a sunset, the bright clouds and dark beaches are difficult to capture together. But a RAW file allows you to adjust what you need.

If you shoot RAW, you’ll need a program on your computer that allows you to edit the file type. I use Adobe Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop.

RAW photos take up more space on the camera card than standard JPG. Be sure your SD card is large enough to store the images, because you don’t want to try and unlock all the water-tight compartments to switch out the card. Save that for the hotel room so you don’t risk getting water or debris inside the camera.

Three Different Video Modes

I enjoyed using some of the different video settings on the Olympus Tough TG-5.

• Standard HD Video: It you want to capture the ocean floor as you’re snorkeling, the standard HD video mode is perfect.
• 4K Video: With 4K making its way into the market place, you can always shoot 4K, but note it will take up more space on your SD card.
• High-speed (Slow Motion): Watching people jump off a ledge into a Mexican cenote in slow motion was kinda cool. It’s a nice feature to have and I’ve used it a few times because it’s fun. There is a limit to how long it can film in this mode, so keep each clip under two minutes.

Warning: Before you go to film, be sure the camera is in the mode you want. I did an entire snorkeling tour with everything being filmed in High-speed (slow-motion). So when I used the footage in a video of the trip, I had to speed up the clips.

The Cons of the Olympus Tough TG-5 Camera

As much as I love having the Olympus Tough TG-5 as my travel camera, there are a few things I’m not a fan of. Here’s a list:

• Even though the camera says the lens won’t fog up, it did while playing in a Mexican Cenote near Chichen Itza. I had to keep wiping the lens to clear the fog off. That isn’t an easy task when you’re all wet and you don’t want to have water droplets on the lens. That was the only place I’ve had that happen – maybe it was extra humid there.
• Since I find myself traveling solo on occasional business trips, I do take selfies. The Olympus Tough TG-5 seems to have trouble keeping me AND the background in focus when I extend my arm out for the selfie. I’ve tried pointing the camera directly at me, pushing the button halfway down to focus, then framing the photo. It’s works half the time.
• Sometimes, when I first turn the camera on, it gives me an error that one of the compartments isn’t closed tight enough. Without adjusting any of the compartments, I simply turn the camera off and back on and the problem is resolved. It’s more annoying than anything. But it doesn’t happen often enough to make me regret getting the camera.
• The zoom isn’t all that great. It’s always better to zoom with your feet anyway, but sometimes you want to get really close on something that’s far away. It’s not a bad zoom, just not a large zoom.

For me, the Olympus Tough TG-5 is a great travel camera. The pros outweigh the cons I’ve experienced.

Features of the Olympus Tough TG-5 Travel Camera

I’ve described a few of the features that make the Olympus Tough TG-5 a great travel camera. But here are a few additional things from the manufacturer’s website you may find helpful, too:

• 12 Megapixel BSI CMOS Sensor
• 20fps Seq. Shooting (Electronic)
• High-Speed F2.0 Wide Angle Lens
• Microscope Modes
• Built-in Wi-Fi
• Sensor Shift Image Stabilization

You can also purchase additional lenses that can be attached to the front of the camera to provide a few different options; like better zoom.

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