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The EOS-1D X Mark III shoots Canon’s best-ever JPEGs

23 Mar

We knew that the sensor Canon had put into its flagship EOS-1D X Mark III DSLR was going to be a good one, and we’ve put it in front of our studio test scene to see how it stacks up against its sports-shooting peers.

Raw and JPEG performance

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Right off the bat, we can see good detail capture$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4993–867727231”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4993); }); }) for this class of camera at lower ISO values$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4994-672421372”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4994); }); }), but that’s not really a surprise. These cameras need to just work, in any situation, and the EOS-1D X III delivers in extremely low light$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4995–734843880”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4995); }); }) with noise levels noticeably lower than its predecessor. The Sony has a resolution advantage, but when we downscale all the cameras to a common resolution, the Canon still looks impressive$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4996-1281065173”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4996); }); }). However, the Nikon D5 continues to reign supreme as higher ISO$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4997-1755766028”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4997); }); }) values approach absurdity$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4998–2071627873”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4998); }); }).

Sports shooters and photojournalists also value good JPEGs$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-4999-1823666868”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(4999); }); }), as they will often be either forbidden from sending in edited Raw files, or they need to get a smaller file off to their editors as quickly as possible. While the JPEG engines on these cameras are all very customizable, we can see the default values Canon has dialed in are improved. The text here is noticeably less ‘blob-y’ than the 1D X Mark II, and the Mark III holds onto fine detail$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-5000-731235669”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(5000); }); }) better across the scene$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-5001-634885912”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(5001); }); }). The new camera is using finer radius sharpening, which is emphasizing (and not over-writing) the finest detail that it’s capturing. It’s still not quite a match for the Sony a9, though.

The Mark III also strikes a better balance than its predecessor between noise reduction and detail retention in JPEG at higher ISO values$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-5002-1799783590”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(5002); }); }). It’s an impressive showing$ (document).ready(function() { $ (“#icl-5003-14569280”).click(function() { ImageComparisonWidgetLink(5003); }); }), but again, not quite a match for Sony’s context-sensitive noise reduction.

Now it’s true that the 1D X III also shoots HEIF files, meant for high-dynamic range displays. These files show noticeably more dynamic range than the company’s JPEG files, and we’ll be delving more into this in our full review.

Now, let’s take a look at dynamic range on the next page.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Interview: how a box of negatives offered a very personal glimpse into the past

22 Mar
Joan Ruppert’s father, Joe Tortorici, pictured in the late 1930s. This image, along with many others, was discovered in a trove of negatives and contact prints given to Joan by her mother.

When Joan Ruppert was handed a box of film negatives by her mother, she had no idea what to expect. What she found was a precious glimpse into pre-war Chicago, and a priceless insight into her father’s early life.

Thanks for speaking to us Joan. Tell us about the shoeboxnegs project.

Many years ago my mother handed me a shoebox – literally – a shoebox full of negatives and said ‘Your dad used to take a lot of photographs, he was an avid photographer’. Which I really didn’t know, and I was actually kind of flabbergasted by that. I’d just started taking a darkroom class, and seeing that I was getting interested in photography, my mom suddenly remembered about this box of negatives.

As the images were coming off the scanner, I was amazed. I had no idea what I had

Years later I pulled them out, and put them on my flatbed scanner and I realized that none of them were going to fit into the standard holders. They were odd sizes – either too big, or too small, or too bumpy, or too curled.

So then I decided to learn how other people had approached similar tasks, and I discovered wet scanning, and I started working on that. As the images were coming off the scanner, I was amazed. I had no idea what I had.

So I put a website together to showcase the images, and then I really got excited about sharing them with the world.

Street portraits, showing life in Chicago, dominate the collection.

How much did you know about your father’s early life before you started working on these images?

He died when I was very young. What I know is that he was a city kid, his parents were born in Sicily, so he was first-generation. His family came from modest means, so I knew he didn’t have a lot of expensive cameras, or access to a proper darkroom or anything like that, so that was another mystery: Whose camera was he using? Was it his? I have no idea.

Shortly after Pearl Harbor he went into the Navy, and saw a lot of action, and when he came home I don’t know if he ever picked up a camera again.

The world of today is very different to 1939 – how different is Chicago, and life in general, as seen in those pictures compared to now?

There are things that are different, and things that are very, very similar. When the bulk of these pictures were taken, my dad had just graduated from high school, and he had this posse of six to eight guys, and apparently they just hung out of together, and did the usual crazy stuff – climbed up on billboards, mugged for the camera, pretended like they were boxing – and they took pictures.

In that way, to me, it all seems very similar to what teenagers do now. They hang out in groups, they check out the girls, they stand around by cars, things like that. That all feels very familiar.

What is very different is the access to the tools to record that experience. Everybody now has a camera with them all the time in their phone. And everybody is documenting what they’re doing. But back then it wasn’t nearly as common.

This image was created from a negative in very poor physical shape. Joan used image processing software to bring a lot of the more damaged negatives back to life.

From a technical point of view, what were the challenges you faced in digitizing those photographs?

One of the toughest things was actually culling the collection down. I came up with a method for culling, where on my computer I created a blank text document, which became my light table. And then I took my iPhone, and I put it in inverted colors mode. So with the negative pinned in front of the monitor, using my phone I was able to look at a positive image. So then I put them into categories: one star, two stars, and so on.

Once I had them categorized I started to do the wet scanning. I learned pretty quickly that some of the negatives were simply irredeemable. They were either badly underexposed, or overexposed, or too scratched. So that whittled it down even further.

Once I started to do the wet scanning, I used Photoshop and Capture One to get the most out of those negatives that weren’t optimal in terms of contrast, things like that, and pulled a lot out of them that I probably wouldn’t have been able to do in a traditional darkroom, or at least not as easily.

‘The Posse’, on the steps of Chicago’s Crane Tech High School: built in 1903 and still standing. The building’s exterior was the setting for many photos in the collection.

Looking at the pictures, it seems like you’re getting rid of some dust and scratches, but you’re leaving in things like drying marks, fingerprints on the negatives, and things like that. You’re not painting things out, or in?

Absolutely. My dad didn’t have an enlarger, so everything he printed was in the form of contact prints. I felt very married to that idea: of seeing the whole negative, in the same way as he did. The uneven edges, the thumbtack marks, things like that. I didn’t want to perfect them. That idea just didn’t appeal to me.

I felt that if I perfected them too much, there was a risk that some of their character, and some of the aspects of them that were thrilling to me, might be lost.

When you were doing the digital work, what kind of adjustments were you making?

A lot of it was dealing with contrast and mid-tones that had been lost, and trying to bring up as much detail as possible without over-sharpening. For example there’s one image, I call her ‘Sailor Girl’. She’s standing in front of a brick wall.

There’s no such thing as ‘batch’ on a project like this. Every one of them is a one-off

At first I didn’t see it, but after fiddling with the negative, I saw there was faint writing on the brick. I wanted to improve the negative enough that you can see there’s something there, but not sharpening to the point where you lose the feel of the photograph. I might have gone too far on some of the negatives, but it’s a judgement call.

And it was different for every negative. Every negative had its own personality, and every negative had its own needs and requirements. No two were the same. There’s no such thing as ‘batch’ on a project like this. Every one of them is a one-off.

‘Sailor girl’. The faint lettering on the brick wall was revealed during digital processing.

Aside from your father, how many of the people in these photographs are you able to identify?

Very few. My mom is in a couple of them, my uncle is in two, I’ve got a cousin who’s in one. The rest of the people, I have no idea who they are. I don’t know if the girls in the photographs are acquaintances, or old sweethearts, I have no idea. I don’t know anything about ‘the posse’ of his high-school friends, or what happened to them. I also don’t know who took the photos in which my father is pictured!

You want to fill in all these blanks, but the truth is I have no idea what he was feeling

Besides the technical challenges – which were actually kind of fun – the mental challenge for me was accepting the fact that there was a lot that I don’t know, and I won’t know. And resisting the temptation to fill in the blanks. It’s easy to start projecting, and thinking well, the pictures were taken in the really short time after high school, and before Pearl Harbor – did he feel a sense of freedom?

You want to fill in all these blanks, but the truth is I have no idea what he was feeling, and it’s not smart of me to try to make assumptions. I just have to let it be. I’ll never know.

When a project like this goes out into the world, there is a risk that people might start projecting their own feelings onto the images in a way that you may not recognize. Did you worry about that?

Yes, I did, and I do think about it. I thought a lot about contacting you, and other outlets about it because you do immediately lose control. I put a couple of the pictures up on my personal Facebook page, and some of what you mentioned – some of that started happening.

There was one image of the posse sitting in front of a billboard for a train route. And all these train people out there jumped on it, and they just wanted to talk about the train. Or they were saying how the kids in the pictures looked like a bunch of thugs, and because it was Chicago they must have been bad guys, or gangsters. Ascribing all of this stuff that had nothing to do with anything. You do lose control, and that’s concerning.

‘Quintessential Chicago’, in Joan’s words. And a favorite photo from the collection among train enthusiasts, apparently.

There’s a lot of politicization of nostalgia going around, these days.

I worry about that to some degree. There’s part of me that wonders if my father was here, would he be thrilled by all this or horrified by it? And I really don’t know. I don’t expect people to look at these pictures in the same way that I do, because it’s not their father, it’s my father. I talked to my brother and sister about it too, to make sure that they were OK with me making the pictures public.

People are going to fill in the blanks, because that’s what people do.

I know you’re reluctant to read too much into these images yourself, but do you feel like you know your dad a bit better than you did?

Yes, I do. I had just turned eight years old when he died. He was 43, and his hair was almost snow white. So I thought he was an old man. Now when I look at him, I see a teenager. He’s having fun. I do feel like with the photographs, I’ve been able to see some things that were important enough to him, that he captured them. I don’t know why they were important, but they were.

So on that level, I think I do understand him a little better. But if anything, I feel like I have a fresh batch of questions I would love to ask him if we were to meet again. That alone makes the project worthwhile.

Joan Tortorici Ruppert is a writer and television producer, based in Illinois.

You can see more images from her project at her website:

shoeboxnegs.com

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Professional Photographers of America is offering free access to its 1,100+ classes amidst COVID-19 quarantines

22 Mar

The Professional Photographers of America (PPA) has announced it’s unlocking all of its more than 1,1000 online photography classes for the next two weeks as a way to help those who are quarantined amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the sign up page to access the free classes, PPA says:

‘Times are tough – we need to be at our best. More kindness. More patience. More giving. And we at PPA want to pitch in to make things a little easier. What better way to spend your time at home than preparing your business for when things kick back into high gear? That’s why PPA is opening ALL of our online education to ALL photographers and small business owners worldwide for the next two weeks.’

To access the more than 1,100 classes, all you need to do is sign up for a free account on this page. There, you are asked to enter your first name, last name, email, a password and the city, state and country you reside in. Once the account is created, you’ll automatically be sent to the page shown in the screenshot below, from where you can choose the class(es) you want to partake in.

The available classes range in topics and genres, from classes on how to get started with your photography business and create contracts to guides on how to balance natural light with flash and how to organize keywords and metadata in Lightroom.

PPA CEO David Trust also shared a letter to the photography community, which you can read on the PPA website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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DPReview TV: New show premiere! Host Don Komarechka combines photography and simple science projects

21 Mar

We’re adding a new show to the DPReview TV lineup, and you may have seen the work of our new host before. Don Komarechka is a landscape and nature photographer, and he’s a master of using macro photography and simple science experiments to turn otherwise unseen worlds into stunning images.

In this series he’ll share some of these projects so you can recreate them at home if you’re feeling ambitious – or you can just sit back and enjoy watching a mad scientist at work. In this first episode he demonstrates the ins and outs of photographing frozen soap bubbles. Check it out – and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to get new episodes of DPReview TV every week.

  • Introduction
  • Mixture Recipe
  • Wind
  • Staging
  • Bubble Placement
  • Focus Techniques
  • Experimenting with Light
  • Video
  • Conclusion
  • 3D Soap Bubbles

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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CMOS inventor, Dr. Eric Fossum, named 2020 Edwin H. Land Medal Recipient

21 Mar
Portrait of Dr. Eric Fossum, provided by The Optical Society.

The Optical Society (OSA), has announced that Eric Fossum, PhD, inventor of CMOS sensors as we know them, has been selected as the 2020 recipient of its Edwin Land Medal.

The award, which was created in 1992 by The Optical Society (OSA) and the Society for Imaging Science and Technology (IS&T) in honor of Edwin H. Land, ‘recognizes pioneering work empowered by scientific research to create inventions, technologies and products,’ according to OSA’s press release.

To help us celebrate his achievement, Dr. Fossum, who is ‘being honored specifically for the invention and commercialization of advanced CMOS optical sensor imaging technology and the Quanta Image Sensor, and for university entrepreneurial and national young inventor training activities,’ was kind enough to share a few thoughts on being selected for the prestigious accolade.

On being selected for the award, Fossum says:

‘I feel honored and grateful to the OSA for this wonderful recognition. I am especially pleased that the medal citation includes my recent research work at Dartmouth on the Quanta Image Sensor, as well as my work with students of all ages in invention and entrepreneurial thinking.’

Dr. Fossum also wanted to thank those who have helped push his creation above and beyond what it started as:

‘I want to thank the thousands of engineers around the globe that further developed CMOS image sensor technology and made it so much better than the first devices we made at JPL more than 25 years ago!’

As with so many universities around the world, Dartmouth, where Dr. Fossum serves as the Director of PhD Innovation Programs and Associate Provost for Entrepreneurship and Technology Transfer, is partaking in remote education amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘Today, in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, and the need to flatten the curve by working from home, I am proud that the ubiquitous CMOS image sensor is at the heart of every remote visual interaction that helps connect our communities,’ he said.

Dr. Fossum also wanted to share his excitement and gratitude for interacting with the DPReview community. Not only is he a regular in the forums, he’s also contributed to many articles over the years. To that end, he says:

‘It has been fun over the years, and informative to me, to interact with some of the techies and users on the DPR forums. They have helped shape my thoughts on what photographers need in the future, as well as inform me in digital photography science and technology that are adjacent to my expertise.’

We here at DPReview would like to both congratulate Dr. Fossum on his latest accolade and thank him for continuing to be a part of our community.

OSA and IS&T Name Eric R. Fossum the 2020 Edwin H. Land Medal Recipient

The Optical Society and Society for Imaging Science and Technology honor solid-state image sensor device physicist

WASHINGTON — The Optical Society (OSA) and the Society for Imaging Science and Technology (IS&T) are pleased to name Eric R. Fossum, Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, USA, the 2020 Edwin H. Land Medal winner. Fossum is recognized for the invention and commercialization of advanced CMOS optical sensor imaging technology and the Quanta Image Sensor, and for university entrepreneurial and national young inventor training activities.

“As the inventor of the CMOS image sensor as well as an entrepreneur and educator, Eric Fossum truly deserves recognition as this year’s Edwin Land Medalist,” said 2020 OSA President Stephen D. Fantone, founder and president of Optikos Corporation. “CMOS image sensors are now found in nearly all camera phones and other electronic imaging devices—making it an enabling ground-breaking contribution to digital imaging technology.”

Eric R. Fossum is a solid-state image sensor device physicist and engineer. After working at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) at Caltech, USA, he co-founded several startups and served as CEO. He is currently the Krehbiel Professor for Emerging Technologies at the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth. He has published over 300 technical papers and holds over 170 US patents. He is an OSA and IEEE Fellow, NAE member, NIHF inductee and Queen Elizabeth Prize Laureate.

Fossum invented the CMOS active pixel image sensor with intra-pixel charge transfer while at JPL, the basis for all modern CMOS image sensors. He further developed and commercialized the technology with colleagues at their startup, Photobit. He later invented the photon-counting Quanta Image Sensor. At Dartmouth, he developed the QIS technology with his students and co-founded Gigajot. He works with students and faculty to foster innovation and entrepreneurial thinking at Dartmouth and with the NIHF Camp Invention program.

Established in 1992, the Edwin H. Land Medal recognizes pioneering work empowered by scientific research to create inventions, technologies and products. It honors Edwin H. Land for his unique career as scientist, technologist, industrialist, humanist and public servant. The medal is jointly presented by OSA and IS&T, and funded through the support of the Polaroid Foundation, the Polaroid Retirees Association and individual contributors, including Manfred Heiting, Theodore Voss and John J. McCann.

About The Optical Society
Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and entrepreneurs who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts. For more information, visit osa.org.

About The Society for Imaging Science and Technology
IS&T is an international professional non-profit dedicated to keeping members and other imaging professionals apprised of the latest developments in the field through conferences, educational programs, publications, and its website. IS&T programs encompass all aspects of the imaging workflow, which moves from capture (sensors, cameras) through image processing (image quality, color, and materialization) to hard and soft copy output (printing, displays, image permanence), and includes aspects related to human vision, such as image quality and color. The Society also focuses on a wide range of image-related applications, including security, virtual reality, machine vision, and data analysis. For more information, visit imaging.org.

About The Optical Society

Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts. For more information, visit osa.org.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Olympus 12-40mm F2.8 Pro sample gallery

21 Mar

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The Olympus 12-40mm F2.8 has joined us on a lot of journeys over the years, mounted to many different OM-D camera bodies. First announced in 2013, the lens is still a mainstay in Olympus’ Micro Four Thirds system. Covering a versatile 24-80mm equiv. range and offering the weather-sealing and durability Olympus is known for, it’s at the heart of many-an OM-D shooter’s kit. We’ve collected our own images taken with the lens throughout the years and added some new ones to showcase its capabilities.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Roger Cicala breaks down the do’s (and don’ts) of cleaning your camera gear and workspace

20 Mar

Roger Cicala, founder and owner of Lensrentals, is best known in these parts for tearing down, repairing and reviewing lenses. But not long ago (relatively speaking), it wasn’t just lenses Roger was mending; he was also a physician. As such, his experience in these two fields makes him uniquely qualified to talk about something we should all be mindful of — how to keep yourself and your camera gear disinfected through proper care and treatment of your equipment and workspace.

In the thorough blog post, Roger breaks down what cleaning supplies you should (and shouldn’t) use and what practices will help to ensure you’re being as safe as you can be during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic (and beyond). From basic gear cleansing tips to advice for keeping your studio or office as clean as possible, he covers it all.

You can read the full blog post yourself over on the Lensrentals blog. If we’re lucky, Roger might even make an appearance in the comments below for those of you who have any additional questions.

Image credits: photos used with kind permission from Lensrentals.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Film Fridays: Pentax MX – a nuts and bolts review

20 Mar
Photo: 35mmc.com

The Pentax MX is a gem of a film SLR: super compact, well-built and fully-mechanical in operation – batteries are only required to power the light meter. Better yet, they’re easy to find in working order, without breaking the bank. Our pals over at 35mmc.com dive deep into the nuts and bolts of this classic camera.

Read: Pentax MX nuts and bolts review

About Film Fridays: We recently launched an analog forum and in a continuing effort to promote the fun of the medium, we’ll be sharing film-related content on Fridays, including articles from our friends at 35mmc.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Olympus TG-6 review: the best waterproof camera on the market

20 Mar

Introduction

The Olympus Tough TG-6 is the company’s sixth-generation premium underwater camera. It features a 12 Megapixel sensor, 4X optical zoom lens, numerous sensors and, of course, serious protection against the elements.

Key specifications

  • 12MP, 1/2.3″ BSI-CMOS sensor
  • 25-100mm equivalent F2.0-4.9 stabilized lens
  • Waterproof to 15m (45ft), shockproof from 2.1m (7ft), crushproof to 100kgf (220lbf), freezeproof to -10°C (14°F), dustproof
  • 3″, 1.04M-dot display (non-touch)
  • Raw support
  • 1cm (0.4″) minimum focusing distance
  • 20 fps burst shooting
  • Pro Capture mode saves photos before and after the shutter release is pressed, to help you capture the right moment
  • 4K/30p video
  • Built-in GPS, altimeter, compass, thermometer and accelerometer
  • Optional conversion lenses and flash accessories

The TG-6 comes in black or red and is priced at $ 379.

What is it?

The TG-6 is a pocketable, ultra-rugged camera with a blend of features that will appeal to many different audiences:

  • Everyday shooters and parents who want something that can be dropped or get wet, unlike their smartphone
  • Serious underwater photographers who want to dive deeper and use off-camera flashes
  • Hikers and other outdoorsy folks who want to track their progress and incorporate things like location and altitude into the metadata of their photos

For those in the first group, the TG-6’s auto mode can handle just about every situation, and its numerous scene modes are well organized. Going underwater? Just choose the ‘fish’ spot on the mode dial, where you’ll find five choices that match the situation you’re in. It is a shame that Olympus did not create a simplified version of its menu system for more novice users, who are likely to be overwhelmed by the options and organization.

Out of camera JPEG. ISO 100 | 1/800 sec | F5 | 58mm equiv.
Photo by Jeff Keller

For the enthusiast, the TG-6 offers some manual controls, but not the full suite you’d expect on a higher-end camera. While you can adjust the aperture, there are only three choices at any one time. This is also why there aren’t shutter priority or manual exposure modes on the camera. It’s worth mentioning that you cannot adjust exposure compensation in auto mode, so you’ll need to switch to program or aperture priority mode to do so.

Olympus offers a huge number of accessories, including an underwater housing that lets the camera go 15 meters (50 feet) deeper, wide-angle and fisheye conversion lenses, the ability to wirelessly fire Olympus’s flashes (which need to be in housings too, of course) and much more.

Conversion lenses, lens caps and a ring flash adapter for the TG-6

Hikers and other adventurers can take advantage of the camera’s sensors and tracking abilities so they can see exactly where they were on their journey when they took a photo. The environmental sensors include a GPS, altimeter/depth gauge, compass, accelerometer and thermometer (which wasn’t close to accurate on the camera we tested, but the other sensors were fine). When you’re out and about, pressing the ‘info’ button displays all of the data the camera is capturing.

Pressing the Info button when the camera is off lets you see all of the data the TG’s environmental sensors are picking up.

Lastly, the TG-6’s host of close-up features not only allow for capturing subjects 1cm (0.4″) away: the ‘digital microscope’ mode lets you zoom in up to four times more, though with a reduction in image quality. Olympus sells a ring light and flash diffuser to add flexibility to your macro photography.

Out of camera JPEG. ISO 160 | 1/125 sec | F2.3 | 30mm equiv.
Photo by Jeff Keller

What’s new?

These days, updates to compact cameras are very minor, and that includes the TG-6. Very little has changed compared to the TG-5, with the main things being a higher resolution LCD, additional macro and underwater modes, and focus bracketing. Improvements have also been made to reduce ghosting and flare.

The higher resolution LCD is certainly nice, though Olympus did not address the most frustrating thing about the screen on the TG-5: it scratches way too easily. Buying a screen protector is highly recommended. It’s worth mentioning that the screen isn’t touch-enabled, but keep in mind this feature is all-but-useless when screens (or your hands) get wet.

A TG-6 with a tempered glass screen protector

Where the TG-5 only had one underwater white balance mode, the TG-6 has three, for shallow, mid-depth and deep water. Two additional underwater shooting modes were added: macro and microscope.

What stands out?

What really separates the TG-6 from its peers is its ability to capture data from its environmental sensors and attach it to photos, as described earlier in this review. Some other rugged cameras have some sensors, but nobody does it better than Olympus. Having GPS data in your photos lets you search for photos by location in software like Lightroom and Apple Photos.

Having the tracking feature on (which is how you can create the map like the one below) does drain the battery, which is why I kept the camera plugged into a car charger while driving around.

A map created with the OI Track app shows you where you took each photo.

The TG-6 is a bit of an outlier in that Olympus continues to use a 12 Megapixel sensor, rather than the 16 or 20 Megapixel sensors found on its competitors. On a chip this small, the TG-6’s lower pixel count might help its performance at higher ISOs, but the much bigger benefit is its lens’ ability to go to F2.0 at its widest-angle setting, letting in twice as much light as its closest rivals will. And, for most purposes, a 12 Megapixel sensor is more than enough.

The build quality of the TG-6 is still the best-in-class. Its chassis is solid enough that you’d think it could chop wood, though that would probably void the warranty. Both of the doors (one for the I/O ports, the other for the battery and memory card) have dual locks, a feature which has disappeared from its competitors. The camera’s dials are pretty plasticky though, and the buttons are mushy (the movie recording button is the worst offender), but this is likely due to the extensive sealing.

Note the dual locks on the battery/memory card compartment door. The same as true for the door that protects the USB and HDMI ports.

While the TG-6’s rugged specs are very impressive, when it comes to going underwater, several of its peers can go quite a bit deeper, with the Nikon Coolpix W300 (arguably the TG-6’s closest competitor) able to function down to 30 meters (100 feet). If you’re a snorkeler, that’s no big deal, but for scuba it’s a very desirable trait.

While the lens on the camera doesn’t have as much telephoto power as many of its peers (many of which reach 140mm equivalent at their long end), it is the widest available, which is really helpful when underwater. The lens is also the fastest in this class, which will keep noise levels down as light levels drop.

The TG-6 gets mixed reviews in terms of usability. As mentioned earlier, its auto mode works well and shortcut menu is fairly sensible, but the main menu is far too confusing. The lack of exposure compensation in the auto and scene modes is also a bummer, since it’s a commonly used, easy-to-understand feature.

The camera’s 25-point autofocus system works well, both above and below sea level. It can detect faces, though the subject needs to be looking straight at the camera. While the TG-6 has an AF tracking mode, it takes too many button presses to activate, and we recommend avoiding it.

One feature that no other rugged camera on the market has is Raw support. While the small sensor doesn’t have the dynamic range of enthusiast cameras, you can still brighten shadows with decent results, fine-tune white balance (critical for underwater shooting), and get more detail than JPEGs provide. While the TG-6 has in-camera Raw conversion, it’s poorly implemented. You have to set the camera’s shooting settings to what you want and then apply the edits to the Raw file, as opposed to adjusting them for each Raw image individually.

Heavy noise reduction in the TG-6’s JPEGs obliterates fine detail, like the trees and grass in this photo. If you’re comfortable with editing Raw files, you can get some of that detail back.

Download out-of-camera JPEG | Download converted Raw file

While the image quality from the TG-6 is fine, modern smartphones will surpass it in most situations, though once downsized to social media resolutions, it’s less noticeable. But, remember, your phone isn’t exactly rugged. While out-of-camera JPEGs have pleasant colors*, the lens just isn’t very sharp and too much noise reduction is applied. Turning down the ‘noise filter’ option helps a bit, but if you’re up to the challenge of processing the results, shooting Raw is the way to get the most out of the TG-6.

* Tip: Try to shoot in ‘P’ mode if you can, as the ‘i-Enhance’ color profile in Auto mode is over-the-top, to say the least.

We found the TG’s white balance was accurate, even underwater, which is always challenging. The camera tends to overexpose, so you may find yourself needing to use exposure compensation fairly often. As mentioned earlier, you can’t use exposure compensation in most modes (including Auto), so you’ll need to P or A mode to adjust it.

Out of camera JPEG. ISO 200 | 1/30 sec | F2 | 25mm equiv.
Photo by Dan Bracaglia

The camera’s 4K video is fine though, again, no better than that from a smartphone. The ‘movie IS’ does a good job of stabilizing things, though there is a noticeable crop when it’s on. Audio levels are adjustable, and a wind filter is also available. The TG-6 can shoot (silent) Full HD video at 120 fps, with even faster frame rates available if you drop the resolution.

The TG-6 uses the Li-92B lithium-ion battery, which turns in a respectable 340 shots per charge (CIPA rated), though you’ll probably do even better than that in most situations. That’s assuming you’re not using the GPS, though, so a spare battery is a must if you’re using it or the logging function. The camera can be charged over its USB 2.0 connector. There’s no external charger included in the box, but Olympus would be happy to sell you one for a whopping $ 70.

Despite all of its cool tracking features, the TG-6’s wireless implementation isn’t great. There’s no Bluetooth, so you have to put the camera into a smartphone connection mode and then manually find the network it’s created on your phone (a QR code is used for initial set-up, but that’s it). Olympus’s OI Share app is simple to use, though not always reliable. To get tracking data and put it on a map, you must use another app, OI Track, which downloads log files that sync with up with photos that you’ve already downloaded via OI Share.

Conclusion

Out of camera JPEG. ISO 100 | 1/80 sec | F2 | 25mm equiv.
Photo by Jeff Keller

The Olympus Tough TG-6 continues to be the top waterproof camera on the market. We like its ruggedness, expandability, tracking features, and Raw support. Its lens is faster at the wide-angle end than its peers, and its macro capabilities are top-notch. Battery life is very good, assuming that you’re not hitting the GPS too hard.

The TG-6’s main negative is pretty much the same as for any small-sensor compact camera these days: image quality just isn’t that great, especially compared to best-in-class smartphones that seamlessly combine multiple images to boost image quality. Having Raw support gives TG-6 users more flexibility to squeeze the most out of the camera, but you can only do so much with a 1/2.3″ sensor. Compared to its peers, we wish the TG-6 had a bit more range at its telephoto end (but you are getting F2 at the wide end in exchange), and the lack of Bluetooth is disappointing.

There have been several references to smartphones throughout this review, and to be clear, the TG-6 isn’t meant to replace one. Rather, it’s designed to withstand exactly what you don’t want happening to your smartphone: being dropped, stepped on, or dunked in water.

Out of camera JPEG. ISO 100 | 1/320 sec | F9 | 28mm equiv.
Photo by Jeff Keller

In the course of writing this review I took the TG-6 to Olympic National Park in Washington State. With its combination of rock-strewn beaches, temperate rainforests and snowy mountain peaks, the park is exactly the kind of place where you want to stuff your phone in a pocket, get out the TG-6, and not worry about what it may smash into. And being able to see where you took a photo isn’t just interesting: it makes organizing photos easier, as well.

Sample gallery

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Scoring

Olympus Tough TG-6
Category: Waterproof / Rugged Compact Camera
Build quality
Ergonomics & handling
Features
Exposure and focus accuracy
Image quality (raw)
Image quality (jpeg)
Flash performance
Low light / high ISO performance
Optics
Performance (speed)
Movie / video mode
Connectivity
Value
PoorExcellent
Conclusion
The Olympus Tough TG-6 is a well-designed rugged camera with a broad feature set, good image quality for its class and a host of environment sensors that store everything from location to temperature in your photos.

Good for
Divers, hikers, parents who don't want their smartphone broken

Not so good for
Those who desire smartphone (or better) image quality
76%
Overall score

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Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Tamron 20mm F2.8 sample gallery from DPReview TV

20 Mar

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This week our crew from DPReview TV tested the Tamron 20mm F2.8 DI III OSD M1:2. Check out their sample photos from this affordable lens, including portraits, macro shots, sunstars, lens correction comparisons and more!

View sample gallery

Watch Chris and Jordan review the Tamron 20mm F2.8 on DPReview TV

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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