The Olympus TOUGH TG-6 Camera Review – A Perfect Adventure Companion?

By: Mat Coker 

The Olympus Tough TG-6 is the perfect camera for the adventurous soul.
Like a wilderness travel guide, the TG-6 pulls you into the micro world, under the water, and down deeper trails than you would ever take your clunky DSLR down. You can trust the Olympus Tough TG-6 out in the wild because it’s built strong and made for adventure. It’s even tough enough to let your kids use it.
Moreover, it’s really small, so it doesn’t hinder your adventure for even a moment. And it’s so capable it will inspire adventures you hadn’t planned.
This review is about what the Olympus Tough TG-6 will let you do as a photographer and how the pictures look.

An evening adventure used to mean hauling a heavy bag filled with gear. I never knew which gear I 

would need for sure, so I always brought too much. Eventually, I just stopped going on spontaneous 

adventures because it became too much of a chore. The Olympus Tough TG-6 replaces all that stuff 

I used to haul around. Gear is no longer the hindrance it used to be.

The technical specs

The reason why so many people are excited about the Olympus Tough TG-6 is the impressive list of technical specs.

• F2.0 wide-angle lens (the aperture narrows as you zoom)
• 20 frames per second
• Underwater modes
• Microscope mode
• In-camera focus stacking
• Scene selection
• Aperture mode
• RAW capture
• 4K video
• Waterproof
• Shockproof
• Dustproof
• Crushproof
• Freezeproof

Of course, the reason this list of specs is so exciting is because of what they’ll let you do with this camera as a photographer.

“No photographer is as good as the simplest camera.” – Edward Steichen

When you read camera reviews, you want to know what a camera is capable of and how great the picture quality will be.
Don’t forget that a camera only has to be so good and then the rest is up to you. The world’s greatest camera isn’t much good in the hands of a person that knows nothing about light, moment, or composition. Look for a camera that meets your general needs, then up your game as a photographer.
The most famous photographs were made with cameras that we would consider inferior by today’s standards. A beautiful photograph transcends the technology it was made with.
In the end, it’s not about the technical specs of a camera, but what those technical specs let us do as creative people and photographers.
The TG-6 has an impressive resume. Let’s see what it can help us do.

Aperture: f/2.0, Shutter Speed: 1/250 sec, ISO: 3200

When my first child was born I was just becoming the photographer I had always wanted to be. I couldn’t wait to take him on adventures with me as he grew. Ironically, it was a bag filled with too much gear and too many options that held me back from adventures with my kids. The TG-6 is everything I always wanted and fits in my pocket. It practically pushes us out the door and into the world.

“My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport.” – Steve McCurry

What if you could shrink yourself?

It is captivating to suddenly see the world through a magnifying glass or microscope – to see tiny details blown up big. You may not be able to shrink yourself, but you can enter the micro world with the Olympus Tough TG-6.

Microscope mode

With the TG-6, you can get insanely close and discover the mystery and beauty in the fine details of everyday objects. You’ll be exploring the world in a way you haven’t done since science class.
The micro world offers you an infinite number of things to photograph. Look around you right now. There are so many things that you would never photograph on their own, but you can dive in microscopically to a new world and become enamored with the beauty of fine details.

If you’ve got the courage, the TG-6 will bring you up close and personal with insects.

The TG-6 can capture incredibly fine detail that the human eye overlooks.

F/3.6, 1/100 sec, ISO 800

The problem with close-up photography

One of the biggest problems you’re going to run into with close-up photography is a shallow depth of field. You may take a photo of a flower, and nothing more than the edge of a petal is in focus. This is frustrating when you want more of that tiny object to be in focus.

How “focus bracketing” solves the problem

One way to deal with this is to take a series of photos at different focus points (focus bracketing), and later combine them in Photoshop in a process called focus stacking. The end result is an image with more depth of field than is possible in a single photo. If you’re a serious macro photographer, this is an amazing option. But it’s a labor-intensive process and you’re not likely going to do it on a whim while on a nature hike.
But the amazing thing about the Olympus Tough TG-6 is that it can actually do both the focus bracketing and focus stacking for you – all in-camera!

Let the Olympus Tough TG-6 do the Photoshop work for you

The photos below illustrate the frustration of such a shallow depth of field in close-up or macro photography. But they also illustrate the power of the TG-6’s in-camera focus stacking.

The photo on the left is a single exposure with a shallow depth of field, while the photo on the right
is the result of several photos with varying focus points stacked together into one image.

On the left, only a small portion of the leaf is in focus. But using the focus stacking option on the
TG-6, the photo on the right is almost entirely in focus.

Normally, you need a dedicated macro lens if you want to take close-up, macro, or microscopic photos. That means a financial investment and another lens in your bag. But the TG-6 has this capability built-in. The close-up function is worth the cost of the camera.

Get in, the water’s nice!

You’re missing so much fun if you can’t take your camera into, or at least near, the water.
Generally, an underwater housing is expensive and might limit your access to camera settings. Best case scenario, you invest a lot of money to get your camera into the water. But this is a lot to invest and most people won’t do it on a whim. You’ve got to be sure you want to be in the water a lot to make it worth the investment.
With the Olympus Tough TG-6, you don’t need to think twice; just get in!
Having a camera that can get wet means you can get into the splash zone. Don’t photograph puddle-jumping-kids from a distance; get close and get wet!
Get underwater and explore fish from their world.
Don’t stand on the shore with dry feet to photograph the sunset; hit the waves.

My kids and I discovered a stream filled with salmon. I knew it was the perfect chance to try out 

the TG-6 underwater.

A couple of years ago, I stepped into a river with one camera in my hand and one around my neck. I was photographing people back on the shore and kept crouching a little to go for a lower angle. Every time that I crouched down for a great low angle, I was unknowingly dunking the camera around my neck into the water. Goodbye, Fuji x100s.
The irony is that I had an underwater case for my x100s. But it’s so clumsy to use in the case that it hinders my photography.
You no longer need to be nervous around the water with your camera – the TG-6 is completely waterproof and pulls you right in.

A good motivator

If it hasn’t happened yet, the day will come when you lose your drive and inspiration as a photographer.
At first, the thought of packing up all your gear and lugging it around will overwhelm you. Especially because you know you won’t even be happy with the pictures you take.
Then, even just the thought of picking up your camera will depress you.
You lose your drive, your inspiration, and eventually your will as a photographer.
You’ve already learned that new gear is not the answer to this depressing dry period you’re going through. But that’s because most gear is the wrong gear for you.
The TG-6 isn’t just a new camera, it’s a passport to new lands. It’s like slinging on a backpack and heading out to discover the world. It sits there looking at you, hoping you will take it out to play. Photography doesn’t have to feel like a burden anymore.

“It’s a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.” ~ Bilbo Baggins

Leave the Olympus TG-6 laying around

When my camera is in the bag, it never gets used. I prefer to leave it out with the lens cap off and the power button left on so that I’m ready to make a photograph at a moment’s notice.
But when I leave my cameras lying around, my wife doesn’t like the clutter (even though she loves the photos that result from the clutter).
Not to mention that leaving expensive cameras around is a hazard with a house full of kids and their rowdy friends.
The TG-6 has become our dedicated “leave it laying around the house” camera. It’s so small that it doesn’t bother my wife. It’s there when we need it. And, it’s so tough we don’t mind the kids using it.
I’m capturing many more moments now that I’ve got a dedicated “everyday life camera.”

So tough I let the kids use it

One of the things that first attracted me to the Olympus Tough cameras is that I can let my kids use them. The TG-6 is waterproof, shockproof, dustproof, crushproof and freezeproof. Which means it’s also kid-proof.

I love to look at the photos my kids have taken. It’s inspiring to see what captures their attention 

enough to take a picture.

When my kids ask to use the camera while they explore sand dunes and lakes, I have no problem 

handing them the TG-6 to use.

Essential modes

After using the Olympus Tough TG-6 for about a month, I’ve figured out my favorite combination of settings for everyday use; P mode.
I want a certain amount of control over ISO, aperture and shutter speed because I understand how they affect my photo. But I don’t want to overthink these settings and miss the beauty of the moment.
In P mode, the camera will choose the shutter speed and aperture for you. All you have to think about is ISO (but you can select auto ISO if you wish).
With a few minor adjustments in P mode, I can make the TG-6 do exactly what I want it to.
In the menu, I set the minimum shutter speed to 1/125th. I want the camera to set the shutter speed for me, but I don’t want it to go any slower than this.
I select auto ISO, but I set the maximum ISO to 1600. I don’t want the ISO to go any higher than that because of the noise issues.
While it’s balancing the settings out, the TG-6 will always favor a lower ISO and only raise it if it needs to. Eventually, if it’s dark enough, it will go below your minimum shutter speed in order to achieve a good exposure.
Here’s the best part; in P mode, you have direct access to exposure compensation with the camera dial. Your camera will hardly ever get the exposure just as you want it. So use the exposure compensation feature to brighten or darken the photo before you take the picture.
There is no full-manual mode on this camera. But if you know what you’re doing, you can still take full control.

Processing RAW files

Using Lightroom 6, I am unable to edit the RAW files from the TG-6. However, Olympus provides free editing software called, Olympus Workspace.
Because of this camera’s smaller sensor size (and difficulty capturing extreme dynamic range), I am not putting much hope in the RAW files. RAW + JPG capture is a great option. Get the best exposure you can in order to have the highest quality JPG file, and keep the RAW file in case of an emergency.

Even heroes have a weakness

There are three main weaknesses that I have discovered with the Olympus Tough TG-6.

Lens Flare

I love playing with lens flare and I quickly discovered that is almost impossible to do with the TG-6. This is the strangest lens flare that I have ever seen. It’s discouraging, but I’ll have to learn to make compelling photographers without lens flare.

Noise

The Olympus Tough TG-6 produces a lot of noise in high ISO, low light photos.
The following photos are lit with a small-screen TV and/or a lamp.

This photo was lit with a lamp. you can see the grainy discoloration in the white blanket. The ISO is 

3200.

This is a close-up of the white blanket in the previous photo.

This photo is lit with the light from a TV and a small light in the next room over. The ISO was 3200.

You can see the grain and discoloration in his skin.

The following photos are backlit with dim light from a living room window.

Again, the ISO was set at 3200. Because the light is brighter, there isn’t as much noise and 

discoloration. But there is a lack of crispness to the photo.

But I was shocked to capture this photo with lots of movement at ISO 3200 because it looks so crisp.

Sharp in bright light

You’ll have to get used to keeping your ISO at 1600 or lower (you’ll need a steady hand for the slow shutter speed that results).
But in bright light, with a low ISO, the TG-6 is nice and sharp.

So the Olympus Tough TG-6 is weak under extreme lighting conditions, but so are many other cameras. For many of us, high ISO with low noise is the last frontier on the technological side of photography.
We can strengthen the TG-6 by post-processing the photo with a program such as Lightroom. Keep your ISO to 1600 or lower when possible, and convert to black and white when suitable.

No control over shutter speed

At first, I thought it was a problem that there was no shutter speed mode on the TG-6. But then I realized that it wasn’t really necessary. You just have to know how to work around it.
If you want a quick shutter speed to freeze the action, use sports mode.
If you want a slow shutter speed to capture motion blur then you need to understand how to force the camera to produce a slow shutter speed.
Suppose you want to capture a silky waterfall photo. Normally, you need control over your shutter speed to make it go slow enough to capture the motion. But with the TG-6 you don’t have control over the shutter speed.
Or, do you?
When you understand ISO and aperture then you do have control over the shutter speed.

In order to get silky waterfalls, you need a slow shutter speed. You can force your camera to choose a slow shutter speed by lowering your ISO and closing your aperture.
Choose an ISO of 100. Choose an aperture of f18. This will effectively choke out the light and force the TG-6 to slow down the shutter speed to let more light in. The slow shutter speed will produce a silky waterfall.
So the lack of control over shutter speed isn’t a big problem.

The greatest weakness

As photographers, we can find moments so powerful that lens flare isn’t necessary. And, we can look for moments so strong that the viewer will overlook high ISO noise in the photo. Whatever the shortcomings of our cameras, we as photographers always fall shorter. Whatever their weaknesses, our cameras are just fine. We need to increase our skills and know that, even if there was a perfect camera, it could only be used by an imperfect photographer.
The power of the Olympus Tough TG-6 is not merely in its technology. The power is in what that technology allows us to do. This is a camera that will nudge you every time you walk by. It’s like a kid who wants to be played with or a dog that wants to be taken out for a run. Come on, just a quick adventure?
A countless number of moments pass us every day. They become almost infinite in size when we consider their range from wide-angle to microscopic. When you’ve got a camera like the TG-6 in your pocket, it’s not so hard to make those moments hold still.
Have you used the Olympus Tough TG-6 camera? Would a camera like this make you take more photos? Share your thoughts with us in the comments!

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5 Tips for How to Photograph in Any Kind of Weather

By: Karthika Gupta  

If you live anywhere in the northern hemisphere, you must have realized by now that fall is over and winter is slowly but surely creeping up on us. The days are getting shorter, the leaves are changing color (or gone) and here in Chicago, the rain is your constant companion until it gets replaced by snow!
Now if you are primarily an outdoor natural light photographer, you quickly understand that one of the most challenging aspects of your work is the fact that you are so dependent on the weather. You have very little control over it in spite of what the weather man says!

The weather can change almost instantly and ruin some of the best-laid plans for photography excursions and photoshoots. One of the best things you can do is to be prepared to photograph in any kind of weather. With these few simple tips and prep-work, you can continue working in the natural outdoor light as opposed to indoor studio light.

#1 – Full Sun / Bright Light

The sun in all its glory is a beautiful light source and can make any subject pop. Regarded by some as the ideal photographing conditions, bright sun can create a scenario where you have beautiful light and the ability to experiment with shadows.
Sure, some people may think that bright light is bad for portraits, but it all comes down to how you use the light. A great tip for photographing in the bright midday sun is taking pictures in open shade. This is when you position your subject in a shady part of the frame that’s closer to the light. You can also use a reflector if needed to bounce light from the sun onto the subject.

Add a fill light

You can also choose to use a flash to light your subject. In a pinch, use a natural reflector like a bright sidewalk or light color building to do the same if a flash or reflector is not handy. When you are photographing landscapes, it is likely that the whole scene is evenly fit. Here you can try exposing for the whole scene or even underexpose a tad in order to not blow out the sky and retain some detail in the clouds.
Of course, if you are photographing in raw these edits can be done in post-processing also.

This image was taken at the brightest time of day during a visit to the Coliseum in Rome. There 

was no open shade and I just couldn’t place the subject in any other spot because it was so 

crowded. Plus the intent of this image was to showcase my daughter in Rome for her class 

project that was all about ancient Rome. So this is the best I could do given my limitations. 

You can see the shadows on her face and on her shoulder!

I wanted to capture the essence of the Tuscan countryside – rolling hills, vineyards and tiny villages. 

There was no real shade or even too many clouds in the sky so I just took this wide angle shot to 

showcase the expanse of the countryside and the hills that make up the beauty of Tuscany.

#2 – Cloudy / Overcast skies

Photographers love overcast skies. Here the clouds act as a large natural diffuser and spread the light from the sun evenly all over the surface area. Overcast days are known for their diffused light. For some photographers, these are ideal conditions for shooting portraits as your subject will be evenly lit and there are no undesirable shadows or harsh lighting. If you find this type of light too flat and lacking dimension, you can always add an external flash to add some drama to your images.

The day was cloudy and overcast with rain predicted in the forecast for this family photo shoot. I 

had to add some warmth in post-production because everyone was looking a little washed out. The 

positive to the overcast sky is that there were no harsh shadows to deal with.

If you’re shooting landscapes in this type of weather, you will soon realize that a gray sky doesn’t add much to the scene. This is not to say that these types of images are bad. I try and photograph architecture shots with some creative negative space when dealing with overcast skies. I find that this sort of weather is great for bringing focus to the subject alone without any distraction from a blue sky and puffy clouds.
If you want to add some drama to a landscape shot during overcast conditions, perhaps you can wait for some dark, stormy could to roll on in and capture the weather-related drama in your landscape shot.

It had just rained in Vrindhavan, India and the dark clouds were slowly moving out. The day was overcast and since I did not have too much time at the banks of the river, I chose to showcase the temple with a reflection in the water to add some interest and drama.

#3 – Rain

A rainy day presents its own challenge in terms of keeping expensive gear and your subject dry and comfortable. You can always use an umbrella to protect your gear and as a creative prop in your portrait shots by simply using it as part of the shoot. As an alternative, look for areas that are shielded from the rain, such as alleyways, tree canopies, building overhangs, and other such elements.
Try taking a wide-angle shot that takes in the area, subject, and the atmosphere to tell your story and make it a little bit more interesting. The biggest challenge you face is the need to protect your gear as well as be creative in your shots. There are many options out there to protect your gear but sometimes just a simple grocery bag over the camera will do the trick!

Driving through Theodore National Park just after the rain rendered the landscape such a vibrant 

array of green and yellow.

Photographing in the rain or snow for that matter presents another challenge in that the rain/snow may cause your autofocus to change mid-shoot. A good tip would be to focus on the subject and then lock it. Also, try using a lens hood so no rain/snow falls on the actual lens surface. My feathered friend was either having a bath in the rain or waiting patiently for me to leave so he could get back to his hunting! I lost focus a couple of time but then used the focus lock (or you can use back button focus) and the lens hood to eliminate that problem.

I absolutely love photographing these birds and luckily for me, they come often to the pond behind 

my house. My lens was well protected but I got drenched during this shoot.

#4 – Fog

I don’t know about you, but the fog is probably my favorite kind of weather in which to photograph.
I love the way fog adds an element of mystique and interest without doing much. In technical terms, on a foggy day, the water particles in the air redirect the light rays, spreading them out more evenly. This almost acts like a giant softbox along the area in the fog giving you beautiful diffused light.
Experiment in the fog to find the camera settings that best suit your needs but I have found that foggy conditions require longer exposures than normal since you are essentially dealing with overall less light. You can use a tripod to help reduce any camera shake. Keep in mind that like snow, fog is reflective, and it can fool your camera’s meter into thinking that there’s more light in the scene there actually is. Use exposure compensation just as you would when shooting a snowy landscape and even overexpose by a few stops if needed.

Other considerations

Again, if you photograph in RAW you can always edit to taste in post-processing. But I have found that when your image is underexposed, increasing the exposure in post-production adds noise in the shadows.
Another thing to note is that on foggy days finding focus might be an issue because everything around you is hazy and not quite clear. Here you can use manual focusing if your camera is having trouble focusing on the subject among all the fog.

Fog adds just the right kind of magic to any landscape in my opinion. I have been known to stop the 

car, stand in the middle of the road to document landscapes such as these….don’t judge!

The best kind of fog is when you have a deserted beach, sea stacks and tiny humans having fun 

exploring the tidal pools!

#5 – Snow

If you’re taking pictures as it’s snowing, be sure to cover your camera as it is essentially the same as shooting in rain. If you are out and about after it has snowed, keep in mind that the road conditions and walkways can be treacherous.
I have slipped and fallen a couple of times in the snow with my gear and it always makes me very nervous. The worse was when I fell in Yellowstone National Park right before attending a Winter Landscapes workshop. My wide angle lens suffered some damage and I was unable to use it during the class because let’s face it, Yellowstone is in the middle of nowhere so no chance of an urgent repair!
Another thing to ensure is adequate protection for yourself from the elements. Being outside in the snow can get quite uncomfortable especially if you are outdoors for an extended period of time. Make sure you cover your extremities from overexposure to the elements. Hand warmers and foot warmers are great for keeping fingers and toes warm and cozy when out photographing in the cold.
Also, keep in mind that camera batteries tend to drain faster in colder weather, so ensure that you have fully charged spare batteries handy. From a technical standpoint, snow is a very reflective surface, so ensure that your camera is metering effectively and not blowing out the snow if it is part of your frame.

My biggest tip for photographing in the snow – wear layers and thermals. Then the sky is the limit 

in terms of the amount of fun you can have! I tend to underexpose just a tiny bit so that I don’t lose 

all detail in the snow.

I hope you have realized by now that mastering photography in any weather conditions really boils down to being prepared and knowing exactly what to expect. Go out and practice in each of these situations so that you know all the things that you need to be aware of. Then the next time the weather gods decide to have a little fun at your expense, you will be well prepared.
Do you have any other tips to help master photography in any weather, feel free to let the community know in the comments section below.

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Tips for Portrait Photography in Overcast Weather

By: Caz Nowaczyk  

Overcast weather can be a great time to do portrait photography because the light is soft and doesn’t create as many of the harsh shadows that bright midday sunlight creates.
If you are doing a shoot with a model and the weather is overcast, keep in mind the following tips:

1. Make the most of it by using locations you normally wouldn’t

Keep in mind, depending on the type of overcast weather it is, you may still get some shadows if it is a bright overcast day.
If you find there is not quite enough light getting to your model’s eyes, ask them to bring their chin up a little to capture the light on their eyes.
Bear in mind that the direction your model is facing also has an effect on the light and contrast to the background.
Shoot in a few directions at the start as test shots to decide which is the best angle for light.
When photographing on overcast days, you may want to find a location that has a pop of color so that your images are not flat. Green locations such as gardens and forests work well. If in a location that is not as vibrant in color, consider dressing your model in colorful clothes.

2. Be mindful of including the sky in your photos

When the sky is dark and overcast, it can add great drama. However, if it is a bright overcast day, the sky can look blown out. In this case, use varied composition and camera angles to eliminate distracting over-blown white sky (unless your purpose is to have high contrast between your model and background).

3. Keep an eye on your camera settings

When overcast, your scene may be quite a bit darker, and your camera settings need to reflect that. Also, depending on your location, you may need to tweak your camera settings too.
If you want to capture sharp hair in windy conditions, use a faster shutter speed to avoid motion blur on your models’ hair. If you want to show the effect of some slight motion, use a slower shutter speed.

You may also find the following articles helpful:

6 Portrait Lighting Patterns Every Photographer Should Know
13 Tips for Improving Outdoor Portraits
10 Ways to Take Stunning Portraits
How to Create Awesome Portrait Lighting with a Paper Bag an Elastic Band and a Chocolate Donut
How to Pose and Angle the Body for Better Portraits

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Tips for Portrait Photography in Overcast Weather

Shoot Like a Pro! DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY TECHNIQUES


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