Olympus Tough TG-810 review

No need to worry when you take this camera out and about – it’s as tough as they come

It’s easy to worry about your latest gadget; it’s new, exciting, and incredibly fragile. Well, usually. Not the Tough TG-810. You drop it on the floor – no problem; you spill something on it – no worries; you stand on it and it will just keep on working with barely a scratch on it.

The construction of the TG-810 is very solid, and it has a weighty feel without being too heavy. The battery and SD compartment is completely watertight, using a double-lock mechanism to ensure it never pops open. 

It’s also incredibly simple to use in any situation. Changing basic settings can be done without exiting the Live View mode using the big, well-spaced buttons. When used with the Tap Control Menu system, this camera can be fully functional with gloves on.

The TG-810’s image quality is not revolutionary, though, and is focused on automatic shooting. However, its different scene modes and creative shooting options provide everything the casual shooter will need. A standout function is the Panorama mode, which intuitively creates well-proportioned panoramas.

The TG-810 is aimed at the adventurous type. As well as its headline features, it is capable of shooting in temperatures as low as -10C and comes with GPS and an electronic compass, which will be invaluable to travelling photographers. GPS is, however, also the camera’s main drawback. It takes a large amount of time to get a location fix, and can drain battery life quickly. But if you’re often close to a charging point, it can still be a handy feature.

The Olympus Tough TG-810 is a very simple compact camera; it’s easy to use and produces good photos. Its strong and capable exterior, however, transforms it into a camera to use every day. The recent influx of innovative and durable cameras is remarkable, but the TG-810 is probably the best of the bunch.