Olympus Tough TG-6 Action Camera, 12 Megapixel, Digital Image Stabilisation, 4x Wide-Angle Zoom, 4K Video, 120 fps, Wi-Fi, Red

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The zoom lens in use here sports a 35mm equivalent range of a modest 25-100mm, with an impressive f/2 maximum aperture at the wide end, dropping down to a less impressive f/4.9 at maximum telephoto. Nevertheless, we do get a TruePic VIII processor, as found in Olympus’s OM-D E-M1 Mark II, and the Olympus Tough TG-6 can capture 4K video at 30fps, or shoot Full HD clips at high speed 120fps. The only major advance from previous Tough model is arguably the ability to shoot video at up to 4K resolution at 30fps, although there are also new underwater modes (three choices, rather than just one), macro photo options (allowing captures as close as 1cm), plus an improved LCD screen resolution at 1.04 million dots.

The TOUGH TG6’s 4x zoom can extend to 100mm equivalent – which is long enough to take head and shoulders portraits and to get you a little closer to the action if you’re in the snow or on the water. When you zoom all the way in the maximum aperture closes to f4.9; so when both models are fully zoomed in the TOUGH TG-6’s lens is no brighter than the Finepix XP140’s – except that the latter’s 140mm reach will get you a little closer to your subject. There's a burst capture mode, supporting speeds up to 20fps for very short durations, about 9 shots. It will keep going, but drops to about 6fps. It's still useful for capturing short bursts of action, and you can set the burst rate to a lower speed if you'd like. While the top-plate operational buttons are on the large side, they’re not especially outsized, so you won’t feel out of place operating this camera on dry land as well as in the wet. Both the TG-5 and the TG-6 have a Pro Capture feature that helps capture the perfect action shots. Essentially it starts buffering frames when you push the shutter button halfway down. Once you press the shutter button fully down, you’ll have not only that moment but also the five frames before it. Simplicity –In an age where we’re constantly demanding more from our tech, the TG-6 revels in its set-and-forget mentality. The options are there if you need them, but you can easily get away with choosing a single mode and snapping until your heart’s content.

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Here’s the best part; in P mode, you have direct access to exposure compensation with the camera dial. Your camera will hardly ever get the exposure just as you want it. So use the exposure compensation feature to brighten or darken the photo before you take the picture. There isn’t actually a huge difference between the TG-6 and its predecessor, the TG-5, which is an indication of how good the latter was. But at a time when video is becoming increasingly important, some key updates have been added. Raw capture is also an option. You can get usable results through about ISO 3200 when working in Raw format, but be aware that the 1/2.3-inch sensor will never compete with interchangeable lens cameras. To take those under water, you'll have to invest in a specialized housing.

Of course, the main reason for buying this little gem is its build quality, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint. I was pretty rough with it during my first month of testing and it came out top-notch in every test I gave it.

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When the mode dial is already set to (Microscope mode), press the arrow pad Left button to select other sub modes. You cannot include the date and time later using the camera function if your pictures are taken with the Date Stamp set to Off. Here’s the field of view with the TOUGH TG-6 at its maximum 25mm equivalent wide angle setting. It’s wider than the Fujifilm Finepix XP140’s 28-140mm f3.9-4.9 lens and a whole lot brighter too. The same goes for the Nikon COOLPIX W150 which is equivalent to 30-90mm on a 35mm camera.