Olympus TG-860 Review

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TG-860 Overview
Specifications
Prices

Basic Specifications
Full model name:	Olympus Tough TG-860
Resolution:	16.00 Megapixels
Sensor size:	1/2.3 inch (6.2mm x 4.6mm)
Lens:	5.00x zoom (21-105mm eq.)
Viewfinder:	No / LCD
Native ISO:	125 - 6400
Extended ISO:	125 - 6400
Shutter:	1/2000 - 4 sec
Max Aperture:	3.5
Dimensions:	4.4 x 2.5 x 1.1 in. (113 x 64 x 28 mm)
Weight:	7.9 oz (224 g)
Availability:	04/2015
Manufacturer:	Olympus
Full specs:	Olympus TG-860 specifications

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Olympus TG-860 (Orange)

Olympus TG-860 (Orange)
Olympus TG-860 (Black)
Olympus TG-860 (White)

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16.00 Megapixels	5.00x zoom	1/2.3 inch size sensor

Olympus TG-860 -- First Impressions

by Gannon Burgett
Posted 02/05/2015

A replacement to Olympus’ TG-850, the Olympus Stylus Tough TG-860 boasts nearly identical specs, but improves upon its predecessor with deeper diving capability, a few new features and the inclusion of Wi-Fi & GPS connectivity. But before we "dive" into the improvements, let’s take a look at what specs the TG-860 carries over from its older sibling.

The Olympus TG-860 features a 3-inch, 460,000-dot LCD capable of flipping up all the way to 180 degrees for easy selfies, identical to last year's model. As with the TG-850, it’s worth noting the rugged aspect of the camera only remains intact when the screen is closed against the camera.

Olympus kept the same 21-105mm (35mm equivalent) f/3.5-5.7 lens onboard, in addition to the lens-shift stabilization system aimed at reducing camera shake.

Behind the lens is a 1/2.3-inch type, 16-megapixel, backside-illuminated CMOS image sensor paired with a TruePic VII-branded image processor -- the same setup in the Olympus TG-850. From this pairing, you get ISO 125-6400, to ensure shooting in almost any environment. If you’re not keen on choosing ISO while out and about, Olympus’ Auto ISO function will automatically switch sensitivity on the fly as the environment dictates.

As with its predecessor, the TG-860 can shoot at an impressive 7 frames-per-second, but only holds a seven-image buffer at full resolution. If you reduce the capture rate to 2.5 frames-per-second, you can increase that buffer size to 200 images. If you want an even faster speed, you can shoot at both 20 and 60 fps for up to 60 frames, but your resulting images will only be 3-megapixels in size.

For slowing down your capture speed, there is an Interval Shooting Mode. This allows you to shoot between 1 and 99 frames with a 0-60 minute start delay and interval time between 10 seconds and 60 minutes.

The TG-860 includes the same exposure and scene modes as the TG-850. Exposure modes include Intelligent Auto, Program Auto, Super Macro, Scene, Art Filter, Panorama, Hand-Held Starlight, and e-Portrait. Scene modes include Portrait, Landscape, Interval Shooting, Night Scene, Night + Portrait, Sport, Indoor, Self Portrait, Sunset, Fireworks, Cuisine, Documents, Beach & Snow, Under Water Snapshot, Under Water Wide1, Under Water Wide2, Under Water Macro, and Backlight HDR.

In a similar light, the Olympus TG-860 includes a handful of creative modes, including Pop Art, Soft Focus, Pale & Light Color, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, Dramatic Tone, Fish Eye, Sparkle, Reflection, Fragmented, panorama and 360-degree panorama.

The Olympus TG-860 keeps the built-in flash and includes 5 flash modes: Auto, Red Eye Reduction, Fill-in, Off, and LED.

Besides stills, the Olympus TG-860 can also shoot high definition video at 1,920 x 1,080 resolution (Full HD) -- as well as 720p and 480p -- at a rate of 60 frames per second. If you prefer speed over resolution, the TG-860 offers up high-speed modes, which capture 120 frames per second at 854x480 (16:9) or 640x480 (4:3). You can further bump is up to 240 frames per second at 640x360 (16:9) or 480x360 (4:3) resolution. Movies are saved in as a .MOV file with H.264 compression.

As alluded to previously, Olympus improved upon the TG-850’s diving capabilities. The TG-860 is now waterproof down to 50 feet (15m), an improvement of 17 feet (5m). The remaining durability features however stay the same: shockproof from 7 feet (2.1m), crushproof up to 220 pounds (100kgf), freezeproof down to 14° F (-10°C) and dustproof.

New to the TG-860 is a Sportcam mode, which allows for easy selection of video modes to users who are planning to mount the camera that isn’t exactly easy to access. Naturally, this is to compete with the action cam market.

There is also a new programmable function button on the front of the TG-860, and the movie record button on the back is now programmable, allowing quicker access to important functions.

But arguably the biggest upgrade of all to the TG-860 is the addition of Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity. Unlike its predecessor, the TG-860 offers Wi-Fi connectivity to iOS and Android mobile devices. After pairing the camera to a device through a clever QR-code technique, users will be able to instantly transfer movies and pictures to their smartphone or tablet. Additionally, a connected device can be used as a remote with live view to control and capture images.

For the adventurers who want to keep track of where they’ve been through their images, the TG-860’s built-in GPS features make it easy to transfer GPS logs and add GPS metadata to images.

An optional PT-057 underwater case extends the TG-860's dive capability down to 147 feet (45m), while an optional UFL-3 underwater flash provides improved illumination. An optional CSCH-124 silicone jacket protects the TG-860 from scratches on land, while an optional CSCH-123 sport holder allows you to attach the TG-860 to a backpack or belt, enabling hands-free photography during extreme sports.

Priced at US$280, the Olympus TG-860 is set to ship in black, orange and white versions as of April 2015. Pricing and availability for the accessories were not available at press time.