The Olympus TG-5 Waterproof Camera has been on a few beach/ocean trips now, notably Bohol and Komodo National Park and whilst not setting the world on fire it’s a pretty solid little camera worth keeping. I ditched the GoPro a few years back for a Sony FDR X-3000, which at the time, had far superior image stabilisation. Then I dropped the Sony (literally) and it buggered the sensor, which was going to cost almost as much to buy a new one.
So, I gave up on action camera’s as most of my video is done with either my phone or Fuji X-T3 and the Insta360 One X. But I still wanted something waterproof, without having to put a case on it (which was the Sony FDR-X3000’s main problem) so decided to buy an Olympus TG-5 Waterproof Camera. These retail for around HKD$4,000 but if you shop around at Wanchai Computer Centre or Mongkok (Sim City), you can find them for a little over HKD$3,000, which is pretty cheap.
You can see the specs and technical info on the Olympus TG-5 Waterproof Camera at any other review. Most of these camera reviewers don’t even take the effort to take the camera out, they just unbox it, touch it and somehow reach a conclusion how the camera performs. As always, we actually use things in real life to see how they really hold up under conditions they’re designed for. The problem is you’re always going to struggle with image quality in something this size and the Olympus TG-5 Waterproof Camera is small, about the same size as Ricoh GR2, and pocketable and can literally fit in the palm of your hand. For me, I’d rather have something smaller as when you’re in the water, whether that be at the beach or snorkelling, you don’t want something to weigh you down. You want something light and compact and this is it.
I don’t bother fooling around with the dials and modes. I do that with my Fui X-T3. For this I set it to P or Auto and just fire away. Image quality is ok, about what you’d expect from something this small. It’s better that what you get out of ab action camera, but not as good as a proper camera. Video quality is better and the 4K at 30p is very usable and alright for the average consumer. Going back to the modes, the mode dial is easy to turn, too easy in fact, I often find it’s shifted modes unexpectedly and by mistake and your hand can easily change the mode without you knowing. This is probably my one main complaint with the Olympus TG-5 Waterproof Camera.
Ergonomics are good, not fantastic, but you use this with one hand quite easily. Reminds me of the Ricoh GR2 – not quite as good as that but pretty close. Underwater shooting is alright. It’s got a reasonably clear LCD screen (no viewfinder) which is also usually quite visible and readable under water. Battery life is alright, I’ve read it eats up the battery very quickly but I didn’t find that to be the case and never had to change a battery during the day yet. It seems very water proof, sturdy and reliable. You can drop this, throw it down and none of it seems like it’s going break. The zoom is alright but I haven’t found myself using that much as image quality deteriorates when you zoom in on these point and shoots.
Overall, the Olympus TG-5 Waterproof Camera is a solid, dependable and fun little camera. Produces good snapshots and has manual capabilities but really, if you’re the type of person to buy this camera you’re better off shooting in auto-mode, and there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s widely considered the best underwater or waterproof camera on the market and I’d have to agree. I’ve had the Nikon Coolpix Waterproof camera, it’s main rival, and this beats it in pretty much every way.
The Olympus TG-6 Waterproof Camera has just been released but there’s no significant feature additions or advancements on that and it’s definitely worth upgrading if you already own the Olympus TG-5 Waterproof Camera , and even if you don’t, once the TG-6 hits the shelves, you’re going to be able to get the Olympus TG-5 Waterproof Camera for even less money. For more information about this camera feel free to send us a message on Twitter.
