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on April 18, 2015
I just finished playing with the camera for a week in southwestern México.
Battery life was fine for taking a lot of shots. I took as many as 400 or so at a time and had no problems with battery life. The in-camera charging is a bit of a drag, but at least one can buy extra batteries if needed. Obviously, it would be hard to pop in a new battery with a wet camera. In practice I had to rinse the salt water off, let the camera dry a bit, and then leave it open to pull the card. That meant recharging was happening with a camera I had to let fully dry off anyway.
The underwater image quality was great, a bit better than my old Nikon AW100 underwater camera. The TG-8760 was much better above water. More importantly, the auto-focus was quick. My old Nikon was a hassle, but the TG-860 was quite quick and never a hassle.
For beach shots, where a phone will be a constant loss/theft anxiety, the TG-860 is a good choice. The flip screen was handy a few times, which is a few times more than I expected to need it. I do take kayak selfies, so the flip screen will help there.
The camera does feel pretty heavy, though I guess that's "tough." Importantly, the shot mode dial is a bit too easy to spin when shooting one-handed. I've had a problem like that with every underwater camera though.
Battery life was fine for taking a lot of shots. I took as many as 400 or so at a time and had no problems with battery life. The in-camera charging is a bit of a drag, but at least one can buy extra batteries if needed. Obviously, it would be hard to pop in a new battery with a wet camera. In practice I had to rinse the salt water off, let the camera dry a bit, and then leave it open to pull the card. That meant recharging was happening with a camera I had to let fully dry off anyway.
The underwater image quality was great, a bit better than my old Nikon AW100 underwater camera. The TG-8760 was much better above water. More importantly, the auto-focus was quick. My old Nikon was a hassle, but the TG-860 was quite quick and never a hassle.
For beach shots, where a phone will be a constant loss/theft anxiety, the TG-860 is a good choice. The flip screen was handy a few times, which is a few times more than I expected to need it. I do take kayak selfies, so the flip screen will help there.
The camera does feel pretty heavy, though I guess that's "tough." Importantly, the shot mode dial is a bit too easy to spin when shooting one-handed. I've had a problem like that with every underwater camera though.
on June 23, 2015
We can only judge our experience by what we have before us, so while I can't say that this camera is better than others in its class, I can say that I am reasonably pleased with the results. I bought it to replace a Canon d20, which I was also pleased with, but stopped working. Anyway, I bought this specifically for underwater use, and for that purpose, it seems to do just fin . The wide angle is nice, though it will distort at the edges, which can easily be fixed in Photoshop, but if you are not into editing, can be a problem. I find the flip up screen to be useful when I'm taking photos under water, so I can actually see what I'm getting in the frame. Colors are generally good, but camera struggles with backlighting. If you zoom in, there is definitely some grain underwater, and little fine detail whether in or out of water. You probably won't be printing 16x20 from this, but 8x10 should be just fine. If you are like me, too frugal to buy quality housing for a quality camera, this will do .
on August 10, 2015
PLEASE READ MY UPDATE BELOW - I'VE CHANGED MY MIND.
This is a great camera if you want to take basic photos anywhere. I was hoping to not have to rely on my cellphone for kayaking and biking photos. I also paint on canvas using my photography and my phone has been perfect for that. So I'm disappointed. I did a lot of research before I bought it.
Pros - Incredibly sturdy and fairly easy to use. It is indeed waterproof and I think it is a good size. You can see it underwater and it works under water.
Cons - Maybe its me but it takes so so photos. I used both my cell (Samsung S5) and this camera at the same time on occasions to see if there was a difference. I believe there is. I can take on the fly sunrise shots at the beach with birds flying by (generis setting) and capture beautiful pictures with an airborn bird frozen mid flight. TG-860 The same picture with have far less color (programmed or in auto) and the birds are just a blurr. (I put both photos into the Olympus app on my computer so I could put them here.)
Bottom line if you just wantto capture a moment or even a video this camera will do especially in weather extremes or in the water. If you want to take really beautiful pictures on the fly, use your phone. You'll risk losing your phone however.
Pictures below are essentially a side by side comparison. The first is my Samsung Galaxy S5. The one on the right is this TG-860 camera. You get what you pay for I suppose.
UPDATE AUGUST 31, 2015
I must have been doing something wrong with my earlier pictures. I have taken a lot more pictures since my earlier review and I have to admit I'm getting better shots. I am also getting more comfortable with the settings but "auto" tends to wirk for most shots on the fly. So I am liking this camera more every time I use it. I often have it mounted on my kayak and I even filmed my first dolphins while kayaking. So if you are still tossing the coin on getting one of these, I feel comfortable suggesting you buy one. I convinced a kayak buddy to get one and she is a very good photographer and likes it as much as her fancy Nikon DSLR she paid several times more to take similar pictures. I suggest reading the instructions and figure out what works best for you. It also downloads using WiFi quite well. The last 4 pictures were taken within the last week mounted on a bobbing kayak using one hand. So hopefully you can makea better decision after reading this.
This is a great camera if you want to take basic photos anywhere. I was hoping to not have to rely on my cellphone for kayaking and biking photos. I also paint on canvas using my photography and my phone has been perfect for that. So I'm disappointed. I did a lot of research before I bought it.
Pros - Incredibly sturdy and fairly easy to use. It is indeed waterproof and I think it is a good size. You can see it underwater and it works under water.
Cons - Maybe its me but it takes so so photos. I used both my cell (Samsung S5) and this camera at the same time on occasions to see if there was a difference. I believe there is. I can take on the fly sunrise shots at the beach with birds flying by (generis setting) and capture beautiful pictures with an airborn bird frozen mid flight. TG-860 The same picture with have far less color (programmed or in auto) and the birds are just a blurr. (I put both photos into the Olympus app on my computer so I could put them here.)
Bottom line if you just wantto capture a moment or even a video this camera will do especially in weather extremes or in the water. If you want to take really beautiful pictures on the fly, use your phone. You'll risk losing your phone however.
Pictures below are essentially a side by side comparison. The first is my Samsung Galaxy S5. The one on the right is this TG-860 camera. You get what you pay for I suppose.
UPDATE AUGUST 31, 2015
I must have been doing something wrong with my earlier pictures. I have taken a lot more pictures since my earlier review and I have to admit I'm getting better shots. I am also getting more comfortable with the settings but "auto" tends to wirk for most shots on the fly. So I am liking this camera more every time I use it. I often have it mounted on my kayak and I even filmed my first dolphins while kayaking. So if you are still tossing the coin on getting one of these, I feel comfortable suggesting you buy one. I convinced a kayak buddy to get one and she is a very good photographer and likes it as much as her fancy Nikon DSLR she paid several times more to take similar pictures. I suggest reading the instructions and figure out what works best for you. It also downloads using WiFi quite well. The last 4 pictures were taken within the last week mounted on a bobbing kayak using one hand. So hopefully you can makea better decision after reading this.
on April 1, 2015
I use this primarily for video. I had the 850 and was hoping the 860 would have better video quality. It doesn't which is a shame as if it was improved it would for sure be a five star product.
As far as pics go I've only taken a few but from what I've seen my S5 is better there too which is a bit disappointing for a dedicated camera. As far as video goes which I've taken a bunch with in the last week I've owned it I have this to say.
I almost got rid of it and kept using my S5 with a moment wide angle lens for these reasons.
1. Image quality is better
2. Low light quality is better.
3. Moment wide angle lens is wider and has no vingetting.
I kept it and now use it over my S5 because of these reasons.
1. Much better image stabilization.
2. Much better wind blocking feature that allows me to talk in wind and you can still hear my voice.
3. Much better in the cold than my S5
4. The not as wide as my S5 with a Moment Wide angle lens but at least it's still pretty wide and has little to no vignetting.
5. It's got a flip screen for doing videos by yourself.
6. Much faster to transfer files from the 860 compared to the S5. You can easily pull out the SD card on the 860 where the S5 is difficult so you have to use the data cable which is pretty slow. Even with using the 860's cable and pulling it from the camera is still much faster from an SD card on the S5.
So if they improved the video quality (even at a higher price point) it would make this camera amazing for those looking for pocket sized wide angle camera. It's not a fish eye wide angle lens like a GoPro but instead more like a traditional camera with a wide angle lens attached. I'm surprised there aren't more cameras like this but since there aren't it's really my only option. It seems like every camera is at 28mm or more for their lenses so it's nice to see something wide at 21mm that isn't all fish eye.
Just because someone keeps saying I don't own it I posted these pics so he'll stop bothering me about the validity of this review.
As far as pics go I've only taken a few but from what I've seen my S5 is better there too which is a bit disappointing for a dedicated camera. As far as video goes which I've taken a bunch with in the last week I've owned it I have this to say.
I almost got rid of it and kept using my S5 with a moment wide angle lens for these reasons.
1. Image quality is better
2. Low light quality is better.
3. Moment wide angle lens is wider and has no vingetting.
I kept it and now use it over my S5 because of these reasons.
1. Much better image stabilization.
2. Much better wind blocking feature that allows me to talk in wind and you can still hear my voice.
3. Much better in the cold than my S5
4. The not as wide as my S5 with a Moment Wide angle lens but at least it's still pretty wide and has little to no vignetting.
5. It's got a flip screen for doing videos by yourself.
6. Much faster to transfer files from the 860 compared to the S5. You can easily pull out the SD card on the 860 where the S5 is difficult so you have to use the data cable which is pretty slow. Even with using the 860's cable and pulling it from the camera is still much faster from an SD card on the S5.
So if they improved the video quality (even at a higher price point) it would make this camera amazing for those looking for pocket sized wide angle camera. It's not a fish eye wide angle lens like a GoPro but instead more like a traditional camera with a wide angle lens attached. I'm surprised there aren't more cameras like this but since there aren't it's really my only option. It seems like every camera is at 28mm or more for their lenses so it's nice to see something wide at 21mm that isn't all fish eye.
Just because someone keeps saying I don't own it I posted these pics so he'll stop bothering me about the validity of this review.
on April 4, 2015
So far, so GREAT! I LOVE this camera. I am thankful I waited for this instead of buying the older model. Now, I feel all high-tech-y, and you will to! This is a great camera, but I have not ever used or seen the older versions - so I can't compare them. I have had Olympus cameras before, and this one I expect to last me just as long (or longer! it feels solid!). If you can afford it, go ahead and get one! Buy some screen protectors and a case, while you're on Amazon, too
UPDATE: I have taken many pictures and a few videos. Quality-wise: I am not shooting for Nat. Geo., but this is something I would use to make a semi-professional movie. You can set it to show you your images (in preview) so that they are oriented in the way the camera remembers you held it. It's got a nice "flip" screen so you can take "selfies." If you are filming yourself with a tripod or a monopod, you could totally make some use out of this thing. Did I mention this camera feels SOLID? I think it could hold up to some drops, but with their fancy camera holder and s-t-u-r-d-y strap you shouldn't be dropping the thing. It comes with one battery, yes, but for some reason the almost $300 could not equip this camera package with a wall charger. Yes, there is a charger; yes, you can use a wall outlet. No, you can not take the battery out of the camera and use the camera without charging: the cord plugs into the wall (USB:transformer:outlet or USB:computer) and then into your camera. It is kind of a peeve, but I didn't know and so I ended up buying another charger. I bought one of the $20 packages here on Amazon that came with a wall charger, an extra battery, a mini-tripod, screen protector, and a floaty strap. It was worth it to me with all those extras, and it felt like Christmas when the package came. I also purchased a legitimate "Olympus" batteries just in case the generic one in the package did not work and it was only $10.
The pictures really impressed me. The videos have not been "analyzed" in great detail, but they are good enough for me at this moment. I have yet to get underwater footage/images, but I will update when I do. I will also show you guys an image or film when possible.
UPDATE: I have taken many pictures and a few videos. Quality-wise: I am not shooting for Nat. Geo., but this is something I would use to make a semi-professional movie. You can set it to show you your images (in preview) so that they are oriented in the way the camera remembers you held it. It's got a nice "flip" screen so you can take "selfies." If you are filming yourself with a tripod or a monopod, you could totally make some use out of this thing. Did I mention this camera feels SOLID? I think it could hold up to some drops, but with their fancy camera holder and s-t-u-r-d-y strap you shouldn't be dropping the thing. It comes with one battery, yes, but for some reason the almost $300 could not equip this camera package with a wall charger. Yes, there is a charger; yes, you can use a wall outlet. No, you can not take the battery out of the camera and use the camera without charging: the cord plugs into the wall (USB:transformer:outlet or USB:computer) and then into your camera. It is kind of a peeve, but I didn't know and so I ended up buying another charger. I bought one of the $20 packages here on Amazon that came with a wall charger, an extra battery, a mini-tripod, screen protector, and a floaty strap. It was worth it to me with all those extras, and it felt like Christmas when the package came. I also purchased a legitimate "Olympus" batteries just in case the generic one in the package did not work and it was only $10.
The pictures really impressed me. The videos have not been "analyzed" in great detail, but they are good enough for me at this moment. I have yet to get underwater footage/images, but I will update when I do. I will also show you guys an image or film when possible.
on May 16, 2015
I purchased this camera because of the 21mm lens, flip screen and selfie button. The 21mm lens was all that I hoped. You can be close up to a subject and still get a lot of the subject's surrounding into the picture. With the flip screen, you can use it to compose your selfie and view exactly what you are going to capture. Even so, I thought it was a little troublesome to flip the screen up and down frequently. In practice, you could just not flip the screen and point the camera at yourself and still get good shots of yourself. I felt the flip screen was really not that necessary. The selfie button in the front of the camera worked as it should but I thought it was in a bad position. It is near the bottom front of the camera. The issue is that your fingers are pinching the bottom part of the camera in order to reach the selfie button. This can get tiring as it makes this camera feel top-heavy. It never felt I had a good grip with the camera this way. I think the button should have been higher up, probably in the middle front. Because of this, I was more comfortable using the shutter button on top. The camera starts up very fast. It is not a small camera but I can't say it is big either. Autofocus is also fast. Picture quality is decent considering it has a slow f3.5 lens.
on July 3, 2015
I purchased this camera for a gulf coast fishing trip and was almost sorry I had after reading some of the negative comments from other owners. However, I am a long time fan of Olympus cameras (and wish they'd stayed with their excellent DSLR series) so I spent some time getting to know this one. That was the key. Early shots that seemed to be slightly out of focus were my fault, and as I learned the camera options I learned how to improve to full clarity and sharp focus no matter the situation -- beautiful artsy sunrise shots, stop action as friends hauled in some fighting fish, and wonderful portraits. If you learn the camera, I think you'll enjoy it as I do.
on July 28, 2015
Awesome underwater camera!! Easy to use and upload photos to your phone in minutes. We also have kodak play sport which we,found annoying to operate...buttons and screen VERY small diff to see what / if you are video ing or taking pic! Lol. NOT A PROB WITH THIS,CAMERA
on October 7, 2015
Absolutely amazing camera. We frequently go scuba diving and snorkeling. We've used the go pro before and found the pictures are sometimes blurry and foggy. This camera takes amazing picture with great definition! Shipping was super fast too. We bought this on a whim a few days before our trip and it came right on time! It has a lot of features that are great. Size is perfect, not too bulky! We used it the whole trip, scuba diving, snorkeling, ATV, jet skiing!
on May 23, 2015
I was already a little weary about buying this camera as some of the reviews were not as stellar as the TG-3 or even previous TG-850 series. But I wanted a weatherproof camera for a trip and TG-3 was sold out everywhere and TG-4 was yet to be released. First day it was fine, but on the second day that I actually wanted to use it for snorkeling, as soon as I got in the water it didn't work. I thought the water got in the compartment where the battery and memory card was but it was dry. Later I saw that water seeped into the display part of the camera where it's supposed to be waterproof. It almost ruined my trip and left me without any photos for the day.