Olympus Tough TG-4

[jjk454ss]

I'm thinking of picking up an Olympus Tough TG-4 for hiking and canoeing. I don't have any knowledge or experience with a rugged, waterproof camera. Is this a good way to go? Anything better in a P&S? I don't want an ILC, I really want compact.

I also want something that works well with an iPhone and iPad as far as easily transferring photos through wifi(BT if thats an option). Good app maybe since that's almost certainly going to be required to do the transfer.

 

[JDDavis]

I think that's a pretty solid little camera and is good down to 15m (underwater). It's got the WIFI that you want but I'm not sure about iPhone integration. It's got some cool accessories too. If you are more interested in video than stills I'd take a look at the GoPro Hero 4 Silver. It takes good stills too but less versatile than a dedicated shooter (for stills). The integration with the iPhone is there too.

Another device I've been following for outdoor storage and editing is on Kickstarter now. It's called Gnarbox. Not a camera but a small rugged device that can backup your camera, edit and share your stuff from about anywhere. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1028379103/gnarbox-edit-and-share-hd-footage-in-seconds-lapto

 

[USAntigoon]

I'm thinking of picking up an Olympus Tough TG-4 for hiking and canoeing. I don't have any knowledge or experience with a rugged, waterproof camera. Is this a good way to go? Anything better in a P&S? I don't want an ILC, I really want compact.

I also want something that works well with an iPhone and iPad as far as easily transferring photos through wifi(BT if thats an option). Good app maybe since that's almost certainly going to be required to do the transfer.

I have the TG-1 and use it primarily on my kayak...it works great, love the f/2 and the nice stills it delivers as well...
I highly recommend the TG-1 ..alas I don't know what kind of differences there are with the TG-4 but you can do some further research ..I also have this camera always with me as it is so compact, rugged and reliable. The HD footage is very good for being such a small camera.. What convinced me of being the TG-1 over a GoPro was the quality of the stills..
Here a video clip from one of my kayak trips.. I also have a "dog bone" setup on the kayak for filming whilst paddling..

 

[jjk454ss]

Thanks for the info. I think I'll pick one up this weekend. I thought about a GoPro, maybe the new waterproof one, but no viewfinder I think I'd hate it for stills.

 

[USAntigoon]

Thanks for the info. I think I'll pick one up this weekend. I thought about a GoPro, maybe the new waterproof one, but no viewfinder I think I'd hate it for stills.

Good decision.....You will like the versatility and quality of the video and stills (for this size of camera) also look into this website as they have quite a line up for camera attachments to a kayak...
http://www.yakattack.us

Added note: don't forget to buy a decent camera float and test it out...My camera has seen the water several times but was always connected to the float.. (I also took very nice underwater shots with this camera).. Use the search feature in the Vimeo website and you will find a lot of clips which might interest you.
Good luck...

 

[Roy Hobbs]

The TG-4 is a great little camera. I picked one up about a month ago.
Photos are easy to transfer to the iPad/iPhone with the Olumpus iOS app.

 

[JDDavis]

Thanks for the info. I think I'll pick one up this weekend. I thought about a GoPro, maybe the new waterproof one, but no viewfinder I think I'd hate it for stills.

GoPro stills have gotten much better and the Hero 4 Silver has a small LCD screen on the back than can be used to compose shots. You can also use your iPhone as a live view screen. The GoPro is still more geared towards video though so it sounds like the Oly will do very well for you.

It looks like a good product. I've been looking for a quality camera that my daughter can use that can put up with a lot of abuse. This might be the ticket and I'd get to use it too...bonus.

 

[Micky Do]

I'm thinking of picking up an Olympus Tough TG-4 for hiking and canoeing. I don't have any knowledge or experience with a rugged, waterproof camera. Is this a good way to go? Anything better in a P&S? I don't want an ILC, I really want compact.

I also want something that works well with an iPhone and iPad as far as easily transferring photos through wifi(BT if thats an option). Good app maybe since that's almost certainly going to be required to do the transfer.

My first digital camera was an Olympus TG 310. It was good fun, and still is, so I throw it in my bag for casual use from time to time. It can take a knock and a dunking, can go where other cameras cannot and is easy to use. I have often let kids to have a go with it, without worrying about them damaging it.

Once people started to want to use my photos of sports events in the local press, and on-line, its shortcomings became apparent. I needed something with minimal shutter lag, and a proper viewfinder to get the action photos I wanted, so I got something more suitable, albeit a bit bigger and more delicate.

For general, worry free use in a wide range of environments I reckon the TG-4 would be as good a choice as any. Just remember to get the O-rings sealing the camera replaced every year or two if you are going to use it in wet conditions or water. I know several people who didn't, and their camera got ruined as a result.

Here are some shots taken with my TG 310, and edited with iPhoto.

 

[jjk454ss]

My first digital camera was an Olympus TG 1. It was good fun, and still is, so I throw it in my bag for casual use from time to time. It can take a knock and a dunking, can go where other cameras cannot and is easy to use. I have often let kids to have a go with it, without worrying about them damaging it.

Once people started to want to use my photos of sports events in the local press, and on-line, its shortcomings became apparent. I needed something with minimal shutter lag, and a proper viewfinder to get the action photos I wanted, so I got something more suitable, albeit a bit bigger and more delicate.

For general, worry free use in a wide range of environments I reckon the TG-4 would be as good a choice as any. Just remember to get the O-rings sealing the camera replaced every year or two if you are going to use it in wet conditions or water. I know several people who didn't, and their camera got ruined as a result.

Here are some shots taken with my TG 1, and edited with iPhoto.

Thanks. Didn't know about the o-rings needing to be replaced. Is that something I can do myself? I'll be adding this to my Personal Articles policy through my insurance company anyway, it's not going to up the price I'm currently at, but I'd rather not gave to use it if can help it.

I did pick up the camera tonight, first thing I noticed is the proprietary cable. Didn't think anyone still did that.

 

[USAntigoon]

Thanks. Didn't know about the o-rings needing to be replaced. Is that something I can do myself? I'll be adding this to my Personal Articles policy through my insurance company anyway, it's not going to up the price I'm currently at, but I'd rather not gave to use it if can help it.

I did pick up the camera tonight, first thing I noticed is the proprietary cable. Didn't think anyone still did that.

Keep the o-rings clean, (particularly after water exposure) be sure to buy a few spare lens caps, keep a spare battery handy (specially on the kayak)
I always upload the material via the SD card slot on my iMac, hence no cable..battery charging via a dedicated wall charger..

 

[jjk454ss]

Keep the o-rings clean, (particularly after water exposure) be sure to buy a few spare lens caps, keep a spare battery handy (specially on the kayak)
I always upload the material via the SD card slot on my iMac, hence no cable..battery charging via a dedicated wall charger..

Thanks. Mine didn't come with a lens cap, and it didn't come with a dedicated charger, just a sub walk charger to plug the camera in. Maybe I'll get a second battery and seperated charger, probably will need it anyway. Then using the wifi transfer the cable won't be a big deal.

 

[Micky Do]

Thanks. Didn't know about the o-rings needing to be replaced. Is that something I can do myself? I'll be adding this to my Personal Articles policy through my insurance company anyway, it's not going to up the price I'm currently at, but I'd rather not gave to use it if can help it.

I did pick up the camera tonight, first thing I noticed is the proprietary cable. Didn't think anyone still did that.

From the Usage Tips, near the end of the Instruction Manual……. my guess is that a lot of folks don't get this far!

• •• In order to preserve the water resistant feature, as with any underwater housing, it is recommended that the waterproof packing (and seals) are replaced annually.
  For the Olympus distributors or service stations where the waterproof packing can be replaced, visit Olympus website for your local area.
  

 

[jjk454ss]

From the Usage Tips, near the end of the Instruction Manual……. my guess is that a lot of folks don't get this far!

• •• In order to preserve the water resistant feature, as with any underwater housing, it is recommended that the waterproof packing (and seals) are replaced annually.
  For the Olympus distributors or service stations where the waterproof packing can be replaced, visit Olympus website for your local area.

I saw something on the box that said those words on it, Instruction Manual. I thought that was the Chinese words for Packing Material. I figured since I got the camera home I could throw that out, I'll have to go digging through the trash now.

 

[Micky Do]

I saw something on the box that said those words on it, Instruction Manual. I thought that was the Chinese words for Packing Material. I figured since I got the camera home I could throw that out, I'll have to go digging through the trash now.

Don't bother….. download it here:

http://www.olympusamerica.com/files/oima_cckb/TG4_English.pdf