Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification

We recently took a look at the Olympus Tough TG-820, awarding it 4.5 out of five, which is priced at £252.00. The TG-620 is a cheaper version with fewer features and if your budget is tighter still, the TG-320 can be purchased for £139.00. The TG-620 is available in white, pink, blue, black and green for £214.00.

Olympus Tough TG-620 Features
The Olympus Tough TG-620 has Olympus' new iHS (Intelligence, High Sensitivity and High Speed) technology aimed to make it possible to take great pictures in lousy conditions. There is a 12 megapixel CMOS sensor and TruePic VI image processor (originally developed for DSLR cameras). Olympus say this will all help improve low-light performance, speed up camera response and enhance scene and subject recognition, ideal for fast-moving subjects, night scenes and other tricky shots.Of course, the TG-620 isn't called Tough for nothing. It’s waterproof to 5m, shockproof to 1.5m and freezeproof to -10°C. All this will help protect the camera components, which include the 5x optical zoom lens, a 35mm equivalent of 28 - 140mm.
The TG-620 can also record videos, at full 1080p HD. During recording you can use Magic Filters and optical zoom with stabilisation available to ensure steady videos.

Key Features
- Waterproof to 5m
- Shockproof to 1.5m
- Freezeproof to -10°C
- 5x optical zoom lens (35mm equiv: 28-140mm)
- 12 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor
- 1080p full HD movie recording and HDMI control
- Multi-motion Movie IS
- iHS Technology
- 3 inch 460,000 dot HyperCrystal III LCD screen
- Dual Image Stabilisation
- Magic Filter Movie and/or Stills
- HDR Backlight Adjustment
- Advanced iAuto and AF Tracking
- Face Detection and Advanced SAT
- Super-resolution Zoom
- 3D Photo Shooting Mode
- Beauty Make-up Mode
- Pet Detection Mode
- In-Camera Panorama
- LED Illuminator
- Scene Modes
- Eye-Fi Card compatibility
- Photo surfing and [ib] software
- USB-Battery Charge
- Metal body

Olympus Tough TG-620 Handling
When compared to the TG-820 it's obvious which is the toughest of the two. The TG-620 has a plastic body, with two separate compartments for the battery and memory card. Both of these have two locks which require pressing to open. The zoom rocker is placed on top of the camera alongside the shutter release. On the rear is a chunky OK button which acts as a D-pad and makes it easy to use the camera even with gloves on. There is also a metal plate which helps grip and is also used to attach a strap. The playback button allows viewing of your pictures and videos even when the camera is switched off, the ? button tells you the time and date as well. The rear of the camera also hosts a 3 inch, 460,000 dot LCD screen which is easy to view in all lighting conditions.Olympus haven't provided a CIPA rating for the camera's battery but it was charged before testing and was not needed to be recharged. We tested the camera's performance at focusing, shutter response, shot-to-shot time, continuous shooting etc. and have posted the results below. To test this we took 6 or more shots and calculated the average.
Shutter Response | 0.1 seconds | |
Wide - Focus / Shutter Response | 0.2 seconds | |
Full zoom - Focus / Shutter Response | 0.35 seconds | |
Switch on Time to Taking a Photo | 1.6 seconds | |
Shot to Shot (without flash) | 0.6 seconds | |
Shot to Shot with Flash | 1.6 seconds | |
Sequential shooting |
5 fps | |
High-speed 1 |
15 fps | |
High-speed 2 |
85 fps |
Sequential shooting records at full-sized 12 megapixel resolution, with high-speed 1 and 2 shooting at 3 megapixels.

Olympus Tough TG-620 Performance
The Olympus Tough TG-620 produces images which are really well exposed with very pleasing colour reproduction. Detail is good at both ends of the lens, soft in the corners and with some purple fringing in high contrast areas. There are three different modes for close-up shots, macro, super macro and super macro LED. In super macro mode the camera has a minimum focusing distance of just 3cm, allowing detailed close-up shots to be taken. There are examples below using the LED light.Olympus Tough TG-620 Lens test images
There's no noise at ISO 100, but it does start to appear at ISO 200 and more so at ISO 400. At ISO 800 noise is making the images slightly softer and again at ISO 1600. As you'd expect, noise continues to increase through ISO 3200 and 6400, but a usable image is still produced, particularly if you are resizing for web use, with colour reproduction remaining good throughout the ISO range.
Olympus Tough TG-620 ISO test images
Landscape mode takes pictures with good blues and greens. Portraits have excellent skin tones and are free from red-eye. Sport mode has been used to gain a fast shutter speed to capture the movement of the water. The fourth image used the LED macro, with the final two images taken underwater.
Olympus Tough TG-620 Sample Photos
The auto white-balance (AWB) setting takes an image with an orange cast under the incandescent lighting, with the respective preset taking a better picture. Under the fluorescent lighting, the AWB setting has a very slight magenta cast, with the fluorescent preset giving a much stronger magenta cast.
Olympus Tough TG-620 White-balance test images
There are a range of magic filters available to add creativity to both images and videos, although not all of them can be used for video recording.
Olympus Tough TG-620 Digital filters
Video Mode
Below is a video shot at full 1080p HD, the camera also allows the use of optical zoom during recording, an example of which can be seen on the ePHOTOzine YouTube Channel.Value For Money
The Olympus Tough TG-620 is currently priced at £214.00 and is in the middle of the Olympus Tough range which includes the TG-820 and TG-320. If you want the most waterproof and shockproof camera, the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT4 ticks the box.Camera |
Waterproof | Shockproof | Freezeproof | Price |
Kodak Easyshare Sport C123 | 3m | - | - | £50.00 |
Olympus Tough TG-320 | 3m | 1.5m | -10°C | £139.00 |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT10 | 3m | 1.5m | -10°C | £144.00 |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT20 | 5m | 1.5m | -10°C | £169.00 |
Fujifilm FinePix XP50 | 5m | 1.5m | -10°C | £189.00 |
Pentax Optio WG-1 / (GPS) | 10m | 1.5m | -10°C | £204.00 / (219.00) |
Olympus Tough TG-620 | 5m | 1.5m | -10°C | £214.00 |
Canon PowerShot D10 | 10m | 1.2m | -10°C | £214.99 |
Fujifilm FinePix XP150 GPS | 10m | 2m | -10°C | £219.00 |
Olympus Tough TG-820 | 10m | 2m | -10°C | £252.00 |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT3 | 12m | 2m | -10°C | £259.00 |
Sony Cyber-shot TX10 | 5m | 1.5m | -10°C | £269.00 |
Nikon Coolpix AW100 | 10m | 1.5m | -10°C | £294.95 |
Pentax Optio WG-2 / (GPS) | 12m | 1.5m | -10°C | £299.00 / (£339.00) |
Panasonic Lumix DMC-FT4 | 12m | 2m | -10°C | £329.00 |
Canon PowerShot D20 | 10m | 1.5m | -10°C | £349.00 |
Ricoh G700 | 5m | 2m | -10°C | £449.00 |
Olympus Tough TG-620 Verdict
If you participate in activities which will put your camera at risk of being dropped and have the extra cash available you are may be better off with the TG-820, which has a metal body, is crushproof to 100Kg and shockproof to 2m. Other than that, the TG-620 is much the same, with excellent image quality, full 1080p HD video recording and fast high-speed shooting.![]() |
The Olympus Tough TG-620 offers great image quality and will survive both underwater and in freezing conditions. |
Olympus Tough TG-620 Pros




Olympus Tough TG-620 Cons


FEATURES | ![]() |
HANDLING | ![]() |
PERFORMANCE | ![]() |
VALUE FOR MONEY | ![]() |
OVERALL | ![]() |
Olympus Tough TG-620 Specifications
Manufacturer | Olympus | |
Lens | ||
Max Aperture | f/3.9 - f/5.9 | |
35mm equivalent | 28mm - 140mm | |
Optical Zoom | 5x | |
Image Sensor | ||
Pixels | 12Mp (Megapixels) | |
Pixels (W) | 3968 | |
Pixels (H) | 2976 | |
Sensor Type | CMOS | |
Sensor Size | 1/2.3 inch | |
Sensor Size (width) | No Data | |
Sensor Size (height) | No Data | |
Aspect Ratio |
| |
LCD Monitor | ||
LCD Monitor | 3in | |
Screen resolution | 460,000 dots | |
Touch Screen | No | |
Focusing | ||
Min Focus | 3cm | |
Focusing modes |
| |
Exposure Control | ||
Shutter speeds shortest | 1/2000sec | |
Shutter speeds longest | 4sec | |
Bulb mode | No Data | |
Exp modes |
| |
Metering |
| |
ISO sensitivity | 100 - 6400 | |
White balance |
| |
Exposure Comp | +/-2 | |
Shooting Options | ||
Continuous shooting | 5fps | |
Video | ||
Movie mode | Yes | |
Video Resolution |
| |
Video FPS | 30 | |
Stereo Sound | Yes | |
Optical Zoom with Video | No Data | |
Other Features | ||
Image Stabilisation | Yes | |
Interface | ||
HDMI | Yes | |
USB | USB 2 | |
Wi-Fi | No | |
Storage | ||
Card Type |
| |
File Type |
| |
Power Source | ||
Battery Type | LI-50B Lithium-Ion Battery | |
Battery Life (CIPA rating) | No Data | |
Box Contents | ||
Box Contents | LI-50B Lithium-Ion Battery, F-2AC AC Adapter, CB-USB6 USB Cable, CB-AVC3 Audio/Video cable, Hand Strap, World Wide Warranty Card, Image Management Software | |
Dimensions | ||
Weight | 167g | |
Width | 98.4mm | |
Height | 65.9mm | |
Depth | 21.9mm |
Buy Now
![]() We don't have the latest price however the link below will take you to the most relevant items. Olympus Tough TG-620 SEARCH |
![]() We don't have the latest price however the link below will take you to the most relevant items. Olympus Tough TG-620 SEARCH |
Support this site by purchasing Plus Membership, or shopping with one of our affiliates: Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon CA, ebay UK, MPB. It doesn't cost you anything extra when you use these links, but it does support the site, helping keep ePHOTOzine free to use, thank you.
You must be a member to leave a comment.
ePHOTOzine, the web's friendliest photography community.
Join for free
Upload photos, chat with photographers, win prizes and much more.
ADVERTISEMENT