With summer just round the corner, Olympus has taken the wraps off its latest rugged compact camera, the Tough TG-5.
Replacing our favorite waterproof compact at the moment, the TG-4, Olympus has taken the unusual step of actually dropping the pixel count from 16MP to 12MP, which should potentially see the image quality improve – with the pixels not quite as densely packed in, noise performance should be that bit better.
Underlining its rugged credentials, the TG-5 is now waterproof down to 15m/50ft, as well as being able to survive a drop of 2.1m/7ft. On top of that, if you're really unlucky or careless with your TG-5 it'll withstand a force up to 100kg/220lbs. Take it skiing, meanwhile, and the TG-5 is freeze-proof down to -10°C/14°F.
Takes a beating
The Tough TG-5 sticks with the same 25-100mm zoom lens with an impressive f/2 maximum aperture at the wide end (though it drops down to f/4.9 at the long end). There has been a little tweak though, with Olympus adding a dual panel glass to prevent fogging due to rapid changes in temperature (think going from a hot beach straight into the sea for instance).
The TG-5 borrows the built-in Field Sensor System we've seen on the TG Tracker, which consists of a GPS sensor, pressure, compass and temperature sensor. The data gathered can be displayed with images and videos using the Olympus Image Track app.
It gets the latest TruePic VIII processor found in the E-M1 Mark II, and can now capture 4K video at 30p or high speed footage at 120p in Full HD.
The Tough TG-5 will be available in June for $449 (about £350, AU$610 – UK and Australian pricing is still to be confirmed), with the choice of either red or black finishes.
