Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus TG-6 Comparison

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Olympus TG-5

12 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Olympus TG-6

12 MP | 1/2.3 BSI-CMOS Sensor

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Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus TG-6 Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing TG-5 and TG-6, two Waterproof cameras by Olympus. Both Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 cameras have 12.0MP 1/2.3-inch sensors. Olympus TG-5 was introduced to market in May 2017 and Olympus TG-6 was launched in May 2019. As you can see, TG-5 is 2 years older than TG-6. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

We can expect this to be a close match up because both models are ranked amongst the best in Waterproof cameras. Out of 75 cameras in this class, Olympus TG-5 is ranked #2 with an overall score of 59 and Olympus TG-6 is ranked #1 with an overall score of 60.

TG-5 and TG-6 are members of Olympus's TG-X series of cameras. Below you can find the latest models from this series.

Olympus TG-X Series History

Model	Release Date	Sensor	Max FPS	Dimensions	Weight
Olympus TG-6	2019	12.0MP - 1/2.3-inch	20.0 fps	113 x 66 x 32mm	253g
Olympus TG-5	2017	12.0MP - 1/2.3-inch	20.0 fps	113 x 66 x 32mm	250g
Olympus TG-4	2015	16.0MP - 1/2.3-inch	5.0 fps	112 x 66 x 31mm	247g
Olympus TG-3	2014	16.0MP - 1/2.3-inch	5.0 fps	112 x 66 x 31mm	247g
Olympus TG-2 iHS	2013	12.0MP - 1/2.3-inch	5.0 fps	111 x 67 x 29mm	230g

Here is a brief look at the main features of Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Olympus TG-5 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2017-05-17

12MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 12800 ( expands to 100-12800)

25-100 mm F2.0-4.9 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

20.0fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

250g. 113 x 66 x 32 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Olympus Tough TG-4 Compare

Olympus TG-6 Key Specs

Announcement Date: 2019-05-22

12MP - 1/2.3-inch BSI-CMOS Sensor

ISO 100 - 12800

25-100 mm F2.0-4.9 Zoom Lens

Sensor-shift Image Stabilization

3" Fixed Type Screen

20.0fps continuous shooting

4K (UHD) - 3840 x 2160 video resolution

Built-in Wireless

Built-in GPS

253g. 113 x 66 x 32 mm

Weather Sealed Body

Replaced Olympus Tough TG-5 Compare

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Olympus Tough TG-5 over Olympus Tough TG-6

Weight	250 g vs 253 g	3 g lighter

Reasons to choose Olympus Tough TG-6 over Olympus Tough TG-5

LCD Screen Resolution	1.040k dots vs 460k dots	126% higher resolution screen

Common Strengths of Olympus Tough TG-5 and Olympus Tough TG-6

Wireless Connection	Yes vs Yes	Better connectivity
Live Composite Mode	Yes vs No	Excellent help for long-exposure photography
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift vs Sensor-shift	Sharper images at longer focal lengths and long exposures
Built-in Flash	Yes vs Yes	Useful in low-light
RAW Support	Yes vs Yes	Better image quality
Face Detection Focus	Yes vs Yes	very handy for portraits
Continuous Shooting	20.0fps vs 20.0fps	Fast shooting speeds
Manual Focusing	Yes vs Yes	both have manual focusing modes
Environmental Sealing	Yes vs Yes	shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording	Yes vs Yes	creative shooting
Focus Bracketing	Yes vs Yes	Take multiple photos shifting focus point
Focus Stacking	Yes vs Yes	Stacks photos in-camera to maximize depth of field
Smartphone Remote	Yes vs Yes	Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Video Bit rates	102mbps vs 102mbps	High Video quality
UHS Card Support	UHS-I vs UHS-I	Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds

Common Weaknesses of Olympus Tough TG-5 and Olympus Tough TG-6

Fixed Screen	Fixed Type vs No	No flexible viewing angles
External Flash Shoe	No vs No	Not suitable for flash photography
Viewfinder	None vs None	No eye-level shooting option
Manual Exposure	No vs No	No manual exposure control
AE Bracketing	No vs No	Not good for multi-exposure HDR

Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus TG-6: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Olympus TG-5 has external dimensions of 113 x 66 x 32 mm (4.45 x 2.6 x 1.26″) and weighs 250 g (0.55 lb / 8.82 oz) (including batteries). Olympus TG-6 has external dimensions of 113 x 66 x 32 mm (4.45 x 2.6 x 1.26″) and weighs 253 g (0.56 lb / 8.92 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6. In this case, we can see that Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 have the exact same height, width and thickness.

Comparison image of Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6.

Comparison image of Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6.

Top View Comparison image of Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Olympus TG-5 is 3g lighter than the Olympus TG-6 but we don't think this will make a significant difference.

Weight Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

TG-5

TG-6

Min

Average

Max

Thickness Comparison

Waterproof Cameras

TG-5

TG-6

Min

Average

Max

Weather Sealing

LCD Screen Size and Features

Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6's LCD screens has the same diagonal size of 3".

Unfortunately, both cameras has fixed screens so they don't tilt or flip in directions.

Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus TG-6: Sensor Comparison

Both Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 have 1/2.3-inch sized 12.0 MP resolution sensors so sensor size and resolution is not a differentiator between these two cameras.

Below you can see the TG-5 and TG-6 sensor size comparison.

Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 Cameras

Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 have sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus TG-6 Lens Specs Comparison

Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 features 25-100 mm F2.0-4.9 4x zoom lenses so they have the same focal range and light collecting ability.

Both cameras have a wide angle coverage of 25mm and have the same max aperture of f2.00 at this focal length. Both cameras have a tele angle reach of 100mm and have the same max aperture of f4.90 at this focal length.

Wide Coverage

Compact Cameras

TG-5

TG-6

Widest - Ricoh WG-M1

Average

Telezoom

Compact Cameras

TG-5

TG-6

Longest - Canon SX520 HS

Average

Max Aperture at Tele

Compact Cameras

TG-5

TG-6

Fastest - Ricoh GR Digital IV

Average

Max Aperture at Wide

Compact Cameras

TG-5

TG-6

Fastest - Leica D-Lux 6

Average

What types of Photography are Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 Good for?

In this section, we rank and compare Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Olympus TG-5 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Olympus TG-6 for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
Read the details

Olympus TG-5 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Olympus TG-6 for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Small Body
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fast Lens at Wide: f2.00
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Built-in Viewfinder
Read the details

Olympus TG-5 for Sports Photography

POOR

Olympus TG-6 for Sports Photography

POOR

Image Stabilization
RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
Fast Continuous Shooting: 20.0fps
Environmental Sealings
25 Focus Points
Wireless Connection
Average Max shutter speed: 1/2000s
No External Flash Shoe
No Built-in Viewfinder
No Manual Exposure Mode
Not so good Ergonomics&Handling
100 mm Tele Lens
Read the details

Olympus TG-5 for Daily Photography

GOOD

Olympus TG-6 for Daily Photography

GOOD

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
Environmental Sealings
250g
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3 sensor
Read the details

RAW shooting capability
Compact Body
253g
Environmental Sealings
4.0X Optical Zoom
Small 1/2.3 sensor
Read the details

Olympus TG-5 for Landscape Photography

POOR

Olympus TG-6 for Landscape Photography

POOR

RAW shooting capability
Manual Focus Mode
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Environmental Sealings
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Manual Focus Mode
Environmental Sealings
25 mm - Good Wide Angle Coverage
Average Resolution Sensor: 12.0MP
Small 1/2.3 sensor
No Manual Exposure Mode
Read the details

Olympus TG-5 vs Olympus TG-6: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Olympus TG-5 and Olympus TG-6 scores compare:

Olympus TG-5

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #13 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #314 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Olympus TG-6

Imaging

Features

Value

Portability

Overall

Ranked #10 out of 475 in Compact cameras
Ranked #300 out of 1226 in all Cameras

Olympus TG-6 has a higher Overall Score than the Olympus TG-5 and would be our choice if we have to decide between these two cameras.

Olympus TG-6 vs Olympus TG-5 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Olympus Tough TG-5	Olympus Tough TG-6
Brand	Olympus	Olympus
Announced	2017-05-17	2019-05-22
Body Type	Compact	Compact
Sensor
Type	BSI-CMOS	BSI-CMOS
Size	1/2.3-inch	1/2.3-inch
Dimensions	6.17 x 4.55 mm	6.17 x 4.55 mm
Area	28.07mm²	28.07mm²
Megapixels	12 megapixels	12 megapixels
Max Resolution	4000 x 3000	4000 x 3000
Max Native Light sensitivity	12,800 ISO	12,800 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity	12800 ISO	-
Min Native Light sensitivity	100 ISO	100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity	100 ISO	-
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points	25	25
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount	fixed lens	fixed lens
Lens Focal Range	25-100 mm (4x)	25-100 mm (4x)
Max Aperture	F2.0-4.9	F2.0-4.9
Macro Focus Range	1cm	1cm
Screen
Type	Fixed type	Fixed type
Size	3"	3"
Resolution	460k dots	1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder	None	None
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter	1/2000s	1/2000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization	Sensor-shift	Sensor-shift
Built-in Flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting	20.0 fps	20.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution	3840 x 2160	3840 x 2160
Video Formats	MPEG-4, H.264	MPEG-4, H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity	Built-In	Built-In
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight	250g	253g
Dimensions	113 x 66 x 32mm	113 x 66 x 32mm
Battery Life	340 shots	340 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS	Built-in	Built-in
DxO Sensor Scores
	Report a correction	Report a correction