Olympus Tough TG-2 - Adding Aperture Priority into the Mix

Point-and-shoot cameras are easy to use and pocket-able. But what if you need a camera that can withstand the rigors and challenges of travelling off the beaten track? Enter the Olympus TG-2, the company's toughest compact. Building on the strengths of the original TG-1, find out how the updated model fares.

By Hafeez Sim - 21 May 2013

Introduction

A point-and-shoot camera is a handy companion to have on your travels; it’s easy to use and can be slipped into a pocket if you like to travel light. But what happens if you decide to travel off the beaten track? A conventional compact without any form of protection just won’t survive the elements.

Enter the Olympus TG-2. A successor to last year’s TG-1, the Olympus TG or Tough series is aimed squarely at those who need to have a rugged camera that can take a beating. While rugged compacts aren’t exactly new, what separated the TG-1 from the rest of its competitors was the fact that it featured a fast f/2.0 lens that was uncommon for a compact camera, let alone a rugged model.

Not much has changed with the TG-2 this time around; the TG-2 sports the same TruePic VI processor and 12-megapixel BSI CMOS sensor. But Olympus has added something which was sorely missing from the TG-2’s predecessor, Aperture Priority Mode. But does this new addition make the TG-2 the best rugged compact camera so far?

The TG-2, Olympus' latest rugged camera and successor to the TG-1.

Design and Handling

The TG-2 sports the same build and handling as the TG-1, so if you have handled the TG-1, then the TG-2 will feel exactly the same. But for those who have yet to handle the TG-1, read on.

Being a rugged camera, the TG-2 is larger than your average compact. Unfortunately despite its slightly larger size, things look a bit crowded on the rear of the TG-2. The 620k-dot OLED display takes up most of the real estate on the rear of the camera. A bunch of controls squeezed are on the right side of the 3-inch OLED screen; you have the video record button, 4-way D-pad, menu button and playback button. In conventional point and shoot cameras, the mode dial and zoom lever are located at the top, but the TG-2 also squeezes these controls at the rear of the camera. This is quite possibly due to the tough sealed casing design that makes it more challenging to design a functional camera.

So if you happen to have large hands or are wearing a pair of gloves, the small buttons and crowded rear panel of the camera will prove to be a challenge when handling the camera. With that being said, we are still glad that the TG-2 comes with a mode dial seeing that almost all the other rugged models don’t sport one. The mode dial definitely makes the shooting process smoother as you do not need to access the menu system in order to switch modes.

The OLED display takes up most of the rear, so the buttons and mode dial have to be downsized in order to fit this space.

Looking at the TG-2’s mode dial will reveal something that the TG-1 lacked: Aperture Priority Mode. This mode was a glaring omission in the TG-1, and we felt it really didn’t make sense for the TG-1 to come with a fast F2.0 lens but with no Aperture mode to take advantage of it. Luckily the TG-2 fixes that and you can now set the aperture to F2.0 when the need arises, though the camera only allows a maximum wide aperture of F4.9 at the longest end of the lens (fully zoomed in).

The TG-2 now features Aperture Priority mode, represented by the A on the mode dial.

The presence of a physical mode dial makes navigation much easier. The ability to get a list of commonly-used settings onscreen with a push of a button also ensured that we rarely needed to access the menu system unless we absolutely had to. The TG-2’s battery life is rated at 350 shots, though you might have to drop that figure when you turn on GPS. Speaking of GPS, the camera’s GPS receiver will continue tracking your location even if you power down the camera, so you will have to turn it off in the settings sub-menu. To extend the usability of the TG-2, the camera also supports a fisheye converter lens and a tele converter lens through the use of a converter adapter ring, so you can shoot closer to your subject or go especially wide in your shots.

You can access a list of commonly-used shooting settings like White Balance and ISO without needing to enter the menu system, so shooting with the TG-2 is a relatively fuss-free affair.

You can even mount a fisheye lens on the TG-2, though this requires the use of a converter adapter ring.

Image Quality and Performance

Being a rugged camera, the TG-2 is bound to accompany many on their trips and travels. Autofocus speed is pretty quick, but the TG-2 suffers from the fact that you cannot set the focus area. This means that you’re at the mercy of the camera and while it may lock onto subjects fast, it may not be the subject you want to capture.

The TG-2 is running the same image processor, TruePic VI, as its predecessor, the TG-1. So it comes as no surprise that the image quality of the TG-2 is almost the same as the TG-1. Similarly to the TG-1, the TG-2 scores 2000LPH both vertically and horizontally for the resolution test. Low light performance isn’t the TG-2’s strongest point though; with images displaying a significant amount of smudging and detail loss at ISO800. However, if the images are going to be used online then it’s still passable.

This image which was shot at ISO800, still looks reasonably good due to the lower resolution (500 pixels wide for this image).

A 100% crop will reveal that the in-camera noise-reduction is pretty aggressive and smudges the details. This won't be an issue if the images are to be displayed online, which normally use lower resolutions.

The ability to manually shoot at f/2 is a welcome addition to the TG-2, which can lead to some pleasing shots with blurred backgrounds (bokeh effect).

Sample Photographs

Below are sample photographs shot with the Olympus TG-2. The photos have not been post-processed and are copyright to SPH Magazines. They are provided for your reference only and we ask that you do not reproduce them elsewhere. Click for the full-resolution images.

Conclusion

The Olympus Tough TG-1 was one of the best rugged compacts we handled and the TG-2 is no different. The OLED display looks good and the mode dial is a nice feature to have instead of having to change modes via the menu system. The best feature about the TG-2 is that it allows users to set the aperture value, a feature which the TG-1 left out despite being able to shoot at a maximum wide aperture of F2.0

However, whatever shortcomings that afflicted the TG-1 also make their appearance in the TG-2. The TG-2’s Achilles heel is its low light performance which starts to smudge details from ISO400, resulting in some noticeable detail loss. You can’t set the focus area as well, which is a pity since the camera may not actually focus on the intended subject. When that happens, you'll have to resort to trying to half-press the shutter button while trying to re-frame your subject a number of times before getting what you had intended initially.

But the TG-2 is still your best bet if you need a compact camera that can withstand the elements and the ability to now set the aperture serves to further sweeten the deal. If you happen to own the TG-1 and frequently shoot in Auto mode, then the TG-2 won't be a compelling upgrade. For those who don’t own the TG-1 or have yet to obtain a rugged camera, it’s definitely a good idea to put the Olympus Tough TG-2 in your rugged camera shortlist.

Our articles may contain affiliate links. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission.