Rumored TG-6 specs

[deeper thoughts]

Some answers here

Thnx

 

[FezUSA]

Received an email from Olympus early this morning announcing the TG-6: Tough TG-6 | Olympus

 

[Chris Ross]

Still no full manual or shutter priority mode, though there are a bunch of UW modes - can't tell what they will do from the name , but worth investigating once the manual becomes available for download.

 

[FezUSA]

Backscatter has a review now up shooting the TG-6. Good news is that it still fits in the TG-5 housing, even though there is a new 'dedicated' housing (slight colour change) on the way. Not sure there's enough reason to upgrade from the 5 to the 6 though, so case compatibility probably not that big a deal! The 3 & 4 shared a housing, the 5 required a new model.

Yes there are new UW settings, but according the Backscatter, they feel it best to leave in AP mode and adjust other settings as necessary. If this works well then that's a nice feature, especially being able to focus at the incredible macro distance the Oly is capable of without having to go into a dedicated macro mode.

I'm considering giving my 4 up to my kids who are interested in shooting UW, but I'm not ready to go dSLR yet. Still considering the 1" compacts from Sony et. al. as well as the Panny 4/3rds sensor Lumix LX100 II. But I will probably invest in better lighting for this years dive trips and consider making a change next year. Choices, choices!!!

 

[uncfnp]

Could someone tell this uneducated amateur photographer the advantage of a 1” sensor. Thanks.

 

[peterak]

Could someone tell this uneducated amateur photographer the advantage of a 1” sensor. Thanks.

Without getting technical, a 1" sensor is quite a bit larger than that used in the TG series. Larger sensors have two primary benefits:

1) Greater dynamic range (less tendency for blown highlights and muddy shadows, especially in high contrast scenes).
2) Less noise, especially at higher ISOs (shooting in low light).

 

[peterak]

This is a pretty disappointing upgrade. For me the only real benefit is the ability to set a minimum shutter speed with auto ISO. The Backscatter review does a good job of explaining the benefits of this.

 

[uncfnp]

Without getting technical, a 1" sensor is quite a bit larger than that used in the TG series. Larger sensors have two primary benefits:

1) Greater dynamic range (less tendency for blown highlights and muddy shadows, especially in high contrast scenes).
2) Less noise, especially at higher ISOs (shooting in low light).

Thanks.

So to you and all the other knowledgable photographers, would there be any chance of a noticeable difference for an amateur to move from a Canon G12 to the Olympus TG 6 for mostly macro photography?

 

[FezUSA]

The macro ability of the TG series is one of the stellar strengths. The TG-6 also allows you to shoot in aperture priority and still be able to focus within about an inch for incredible close-ups. Without having shot the G12, I can't say how they actually compare, but most will tell you that for macros in the compact p/s arena the TG is king.

Thanks.

So to you and all the other knowledgable photographers, would there be any chance of a noticeable difference for an amateur to move from a Canon G12 to the Olympus TG 6 for mostly macro photography?

 

[peterak]

Thanks.

So to you and all the other knowledgable photographers, would there be any chance of a noticeable difference for an amateur to move from a Canon G12 to the Olympus TG 6 for mostly macro photography?

Interesting comparison. The G12 will probably have a bit better general image quality, but won't focus as closely as the TG-6. According to Imaging-Resource.com, the G12 can fill the frame with something around 1.2 inches across, while the TG-6 will go down to about a third of an inch.