Olympus has upgraded their very popular TG-5 Tough series camera with several welcomed features. The physical size and button layout on the new TG-6 are identical to those on the TG-5 which allows for the use of the NA-TG5 housing with the TG-6 camera without modification.
The camera's lens and image sensor also remain the same but the LCD screen on the back gets a major upgrade with a 1.04 million-pixel HD resolution LCD. That is over twice the resolution of the LCD screen on the TG-5. Focusing, image review and even reading the menu is now sharper and easier. In addition to the new LCD, several menu functions have been added. Despite there is still not being a full-manual exposure mode, we have much more control over the pervious model.
Blenny, TG-5 + CMC-1, aperture priority f/18, 18mm
NA-TG5 Compatibility
The Nauticam NA-TG5 housing and accessories are fully compatible with the new Olympus TG-6. The cameras are rated to be waterproof down to 15m/50ft without a housing, but with the Nauticam NA-TG5 housing, it is capable of producing images all the way down to a whopping 100m or 330 feet! This makes it ideal for technical divers, rental fleets or anyone looking for great image quality in a small portable system. To really take advantage of the new LCD screen you can add an LCD magnifier (25106) and attachment rails (25123). The magnifier features a dioptric adjustment so you can adjust it to your individual eye sight. The Ring Diffuser (38025) allows shooters to take advantage of the TG-5 and TG-6 microscope modes by providing a ring flash diffuser for the internal flash that delivers even lighting, even when working up close.
Premium Optics
The NA-TG5 features an M52 threaded port. Our M67 lenses like the WWL-1 and CMC-1 can be used with the Nauticam M52 to M67 adapter (38024). The Wet Wide Lens, WWL-1, gives up to 130 degrees of wide angle coverage with incredible sharpness and contrast. It also offers full zoom through between 28-100mm equivalent focal lengths.
Banded shrimp, TG-5, aperture priority f/18, 18mm
The most exciting feature of the TG-6 is the new super-macro focusing modes available in the quick menu. We now can focus as close as we could in microscope mode without ever leaving aperture priority. There is still a microscope mode on the TG-6 but like the previous model when you switch to that mode you cede control of the aperture to the camera. TG-5 users can stay in aperture priority and use the CMC-1 to achieve exceptional macro results. You won’t get as much magnification as microscope mode or the super-macro focusing on the TG-6 but you will have more control of your background.
Octopus hunting, TG-5, aperture priority f/13,1/50, 8.99mm. With the new TG-6 we can now set a minimum shutter speed to avoid the motion blur we see in the arms.
With the TG-6 we can now set a minimum shutter speed with settings as fast as 1/500. This gives us even more control over the background compared to the TG-5. To use the new minimum shutter speed settings you do need to be in auto ISO but you can cap the higher limit to ISO 400.
Pike blenny, TG-5 + CMC-1, aperture priority f/18, 18mm
There are several new video upgrades. 4K video can now be shot in aperture priority mode and with the super macro focusing mode we can finally shoot 4K super macro with a TG series camera. For wide-angle shooting, there are three new underwater white-balance presets for shallow, mid and deep water as well.
Oxynoe antillarum, TG-5 + CMC-1, aperture priority f/18, 18mm
Overall the TG-6 offers some fantastic improvements to an already exceptional camera. The Nauticam NA-TG5 offers users durability and features typically only found on higher end DSLR and mirrorless systems.