The Editor says: In recent years, the Olympus TG series has become the go-to choice for beginner underwater photographers, thanks to its compact form factor, bare-body waterproofing, and killer macro capabilities. However, when Olympus launched the new TG-6 in 2019, the hardware specs didn't appear to receive a major overhaul. So do the software updates deliver what underwater photographers actually need? We're thrilled that 京太郎 wasted no time sharing his hands-on impressions — let's take a look and decide whether the Olympus TG-6 is really worth the upgrade.
The TG-6 brings quite a few changes this time around. The impressions below are written specifically for friends who actually dive — after all, 99% of my own TG series usage happens underwater. I've narrowed it down to three updates that I genuinely felt during hands-on testing, so you can set your expectations and decide whether the TG-6 is worth upgrading to. (Launching in July; pre-order price NT$14,990)
Olympus TG-6 Highlights
1、1cm close-up shooting is now achievable in P and A modes via a menu option P/Aモードでは顕微鏡モードに設定する必要なく、1センチまで接近して撮ることができる。
2、Underwater white balance has been expanded to three settings, adjustable manually 水中WBは、浅い(3m)、中層(3-15m)、深層（ハウジング装着）の3種類に改良された。
3、Body is slightly larger; the new corresponding underwater housing PT-059 is required カメラが大きくなり、ハウジングはPT-059に対応している。
Point 1 is excellent news for me — this alone is enough reason for me to upgrade from the TG-5 to the TG-6. Whenever possible, I shoot with the TG in A mode, which gives the user greater freedom to adjust more parameters. However, to achieve 1cm close-up shooting on the TG-5, you had to switch to Microscope mode, which comes with a few extra restrictions. The TG-6 essentially unlocks that close-focus capability directly within A mode.
Point 2 addresses underwater white balance, which has now been expanded to three presets — Shallow (3m), Mid-water (3–15m), and Deep (housing) — to avoid the occasional overcompensation (excessive red shift) that occurred on previous models. Friends who have taken my courses will know that I'd manually adjust the A and G values inside the white balance menu, but that process is naturally a bit fiddly, and you don't always have the time or headspace to do it underwater. Now, these three underwater white balance presets are accessible directly from the top-level menu (you can still fine-tune them inside the menu, of course), which is a much more user-friendly approach for most people — especially those who don't do post-processing on a computer.
Point 3 — I didn't have my TG-5 on hand at the launch event to do a direct comparison, but given that no buttons or dials have been added, having to replace the housing with the PT-059 simply because the body grew slightly feels like a real hit to the wallet. Unlike the transition from the PT-056 to the PT-058, which brought genuine improvements to underwater operation and made it easier to justify the expense, this change is harder to swallow...
In summary: For those currently using a TG-5, the upgrade may not be as dramatic as expected — whether it's worth it really comes down to your budget, since adding a new underwater housing is another significant cost. However, if you're still on a TG-4, or you haven't yet picked up a TG series camera, I think you can go ahead and buy without hesitation. The TG's strengths in macro photography and casual shooting are unmatched among cameras in its class, and this round of updates is genuinely felt.
A response to fellow divers: In terms of specs — lens, sensor, autofocus speed — there's honestly nothing visibly improved on the TG-6, and the final image quality likely won't show any dramatic gains either. I'd describe this camera as a TG-5 with a firmware update (or a "modified" TG-5), one that removes some of the original body's limitations. Since the changes to autofocus and white balance make my usual shooting workflow smoother, I personally will choose to upgrade. If you don't primarily shoot in A mode, or you don't frequently tweak the A and G values in the white balance menu, you may not fully appreciate my reasons for upgrading to the TG-6.
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