I just wanted to thank you for providing one of the most visually impressive and thoroughly technical video demonstrations of these 3 cameras I've found. It was the deciding factor for me to select a camera and I appreciate the work you put into this production. Please keep it up!
It is certainly a valid point and the F2.0 does offset the use of high ISO settings in some situations. That being said we did allude to the faster lens aperture advantage in our video and shooting at wide apertures in low light is not always appropriate. Also at the telephoto range the apertures are the same, and at a 100mm equivalent the Nikon would be slightly faster in low light where it's better ISO performance would shine. Thanks for the feedback as always. Chris @ The Camera Store TV
I think the photos you took at the lake with these compact cameras are some of the most beautiful I've seen from you guys. Really enjoyed the slideshow. Keep making the great videos!
Trust us, it rained so hard we were practically underwater the whole time. All three of the cameras seals held well when we did put them under the surface. Now if the store would send us to Mexico I guarantee tons of underwater shots. Chris @ The Camera Store
Since there are so many options for underwater cameras, and we didn't want to have a 30 minute video, we narrowed it down to the more expensive 'premium' underwater cameras around the $350 CDN mark. This is why we excluded several good cameras like the Pentax WG-3, Fuji XP200, Canon D20 and Sony TX20. Jordan @ The Camera Store TV
We always consider doing that every time we shoot with outdoor cameras. It would be an interesting video clip for sure. But we soon realize that we'd pay for them if they broke, and then we come to our senses. Still I'm not saying it won't happen in the future! Thanks for watching Scott. Chris @ The Camera Store TV
We only ever use store demo cameras for our videos, or manufacturer's demo cameras. None of our tested cameras will ever be sold as new. Maybe we can sell them as special limited edition TCS TV cameras, complete with signatures. Now we don't take the tags off because we're lazy. Chris @ The Camerastore TV
Another great video from you guys I would just like to add that the depth rating matters more than you may think for scuba divers. Most recreational divers have a license to dive up to 18 meters (60 ft) hence most group dives stay within those limits (The Olympus and Panasonic come up a bit short there) - and you can't just swim back up to pick up the camera when you need it.
Good review. Couple points about the AW110 not mentioned. It does not handle dynamic range well at all and along those lines does not handle low light situations outdoors. The anti-noise algorithm it uses is overly aggressive, so it over-blurs and then over sharpens the image to kill the noise...but this leaves a lot of AW110 looking like water color paintings and you can get some banding issues. A good test of this would have been to shoot on a sunny day a tree line. Shooting on a bright but overcast/rainy day worked to the AW110's advantage. Lastly, wide angle or the lack thereof is an issue with the AW110. This gets chopped down even more to make allow Nikon hybrid VR system to work. The new AW120 addressed a lot of these issues, so it will be exciting to see a 2014 version of this test with the AW120 and the TG3...especially with the video. Aw120 now supports 1080 60i and the TG3 will support 1080 60p.
Really good video, what kind of bag are you wearing? Im just now staring to get into fly fishing and really liked your military style fly bag/sling. Thanks
I went with Nikon AW110. Best buy EVER! I take amazing nature photos, and it has been a year today! It has survived ants nesting in it, dropped twice and countless water trips!
Great review. Helps massively in finalising the Nikon, which was already the one I saw inclined towards. In camouflage, of course :-) Thanks for the review.
Sounds more like: Conclusion "they were weatherproof". Would have liked an underwater test for the image quality (by light distortion), focus testing (including continuous in video mode) and underwater sound quality. We have seen before that when you put the camera in water the sharpness can change drastically, like in the GoPro HDH2 vs. HDH3. (We know it was caused by the domed lens, but for a review these test are crucial) Btw, still love your show! :)
Great mise-en-scène. I loved the premisse, the execution... and I'm very happy to now know which camera I should buy for our snorkelling vacation at the sea. (the nikon, n'est ce pas)
how is the nikon holding up I'm seeing a lot of complaints that the display simply dies after water exposure. and i just bought the camera, like right now and i have had nothing but good products from nikon, let me know, i hope that doesn't happen to me
update, ive had the camera for about a month now, it went down to central america with me as my vacation camera, it did awesome in the ocean, brought it back home used it in the snow, so far i am very happy with it, my only discomfort with it is the motion activated scroll lol cant seem to get it right yet. but over all awesome camera!
The TS5 is also at least $40 less expensive at the Camerastore than B&H! Way to go boys, like to see those prices matched or lower. Keeping the money in Alberta.
Great review, thanks. My (constructive) criticism is that you should spend some time in talking about the usability of the cameras- e.g. how fast you can scroll through menus, how fast they process HDR, Panorama, filters. Doesn't matter if it isn't easy to use and flip through menus. I own the Olympus TG-1 and it takes great pics but is so annoyingly slow to flip through modes due to all it's cutesy useless features. Also SLOOOOOW in HDR and Panos
Hey man, great review. I'm still a bit torn between the TG-2 and AW110 though. I was wondering which one would perform better in low light conditions like concerts. I might be taking the camera in the pit so I need it to be tough but also perform well in very low light conditions (fast focusing, more detail especially for videos, less grain).
Hey TCS guys, thanks for the review! I just have one complaint :) I think you should make it more clear that with the f2 lens on the olympus you basically have a 2 f-stop advantage over the the f3.9 of the nikon. Shouldn't this boost the image quality in low light heavily compared to the other two? (ISO 400 vs ISO 1600?)
awesome review - and in a great locale. Great fun to watch. Still get quite stumped, however. Wish you guys had touched upon sound recording quality during video shoots. Also.... no one ever seems to touch upon HDR feature that (I believe?) only the panasonic has. I've had great fun and luck with HDR on my iphone. That the panasonic has that as well as the better video..... well that's making me wish the panasonic hadn't come in 3rd by all other measures. heck!!
I am right now deliberating a waterproof camera option. No love for the sony option? Is it not a contender? and I was thinking of a alternative of an iphone 4s / samsung s3 and an waterproof housing like the Hitcase Pro or equivalent .... Thoughts? next segment?
Not to forget that shooting at wide angle, the Olympus has two stops advantage (!) over the Nikon (f/2.0 vs f/3.9), which means you can use ISO 400 on the Olympus VS ISO 1600 on the Nikon. Big difference!
I had Olympus for about 2 years great camera overall but as Chris rightfully noticed it indeed has two doors to take care so on my last beach vacation it for some reason stop working most likely to water damage
Your videos are great, very well done. Would have been nice to see something underwater. And btw lots of light at 120 feet in Caribbean, no colours but lots of light. Lakes in Alberta, not so much I assume.
Hi Chris, I'm in the market for an action camera and have narrowed it down to the sony as15 for quality and price ( half the cost of the Go Pro 3 black). I had a thought though how would one of these rugged cameras be for an action camera? Nice added zoom of these cameras over the action camera. I have it narrowed down to the Nikon Aw 110 or the Panasonic. I know the Panasonic has an edge on video but with basic homeowner computer gear is there a big difference. Thanks for the great review
This is not accurate. I have the Panasonic and a lot of what he said is not true. For instance in macro I can almost touch the object I'm so close with the lens. The autofocus do in video is insanely fast and the lens is made by Lica
Well the Nikon does go down to 60ft - giving it an edge for OW divers as you now can bring your camera and be sure that it can withstand the deepest parts of the dive. Also the light doesn't really fade away before 50-60m depths. What you do loose early on are red and yellow colors. That said if underwater photography is your thing you'll need much more expensive to take it to the next quality level.
I have a Nikon AW130 and I had it less than a half metre underwater and it just died and haven't started yet. The "lens" is filled with water and same with the screen.
How does video quality compare when it comes to low light? I need to be able to shoot on the beach/pool but also at the clubs after that! Please help, need a new waterproof camera before my cruise in 35 days!
So if I want to get the best macro would I get the Tough? You see I'm stuck between the Tough and the Nikon, I just broke my Fujifilm Finepix xp20 and I would like to upgrade! But I want The best macro photos while also having the most secure waterproof, sturdy, and long lasting battery. :D Can you please help me...
I'm on my 3rd Olympus TG... 1 TG1 and 2 TG-2s.... 1st 2 failed after only a few uses... I'm really beginning to think the design of the battery seals are really not durable at all. So now, I'm only gonna use my TG-2 on rain and such, but not risk it going under water. It's such a hassle going through the warranty process.
I just wanted to thank you for providing one of the most visually impressive and thoroughly technical video demonstrations of these 3 cameras I've found. It was the deciding factor for me to select a camera and I appreciate the work you put into this production. Please keep it up!
You guys are producing by far the best camera reviews on the tube,not sure why the DR TV channel is more popular.Keep up the great work guys
It is certainly a valid point and the F2.0 does offset the use of high ISO settings in some situations. That being said we did allude to the faster lens aperture advantage in our video and shooting at wide apertures in low light is not always appropriate. Also at the telephoto range the apertures are the same, and at a 100mm equivalent the Nikon would be slightly faster in low light where it's better ISO performance would shine. Thanks for the feedback as always.
Chris @ The Camera Store TV
I think the photos you took at the lake with these compact cameras are some of the most beautiful I've seen from you guys. Really enjoyed the slideshow. Keep making the great videos!
Trust us, it rained so hard we were practically underwater the whole time. All three of the cameras seals held well when we did put them under the surface. Now if the store would send us to Mexico I guarantee tons of underwater shots.
Chris @ The Camera Store
Good God this was one of the best reviews I have ever seen! Awesome job guys!
Subscribed!
This is a beautifully shot video, and along with the host's performance, pure pleasure to watch. Top shelf.
The best camera reviews on UA-cam - thanks Chris and Jordan.
Since there are so many options for underwater cameras, and we didn't want to have a 30 minute video, we narrowed it down to the more expensive 'premium' underwater cameras around the $350 CDN mark. This is why we excluded several good cameras like the Pentax WG-3, Fuji XP200, Canon D20 and Sony TX20.
Jordan @ The Camera Store TV
We always consider doing that every time we shoot with outdoor cameras. It would be an interesting video clip for sure. But we soon realize that we'd pay for them if they broke, and then we come to our senses. Still I'm not saying it won't happen in the future! Thanks for watching Scott.
Chris @ The Camera Store TV
We only ever use store demo cameras for our videos, or manufacturer's demo cameras. None of our tested cameras will ever be sold as new. Maybe we can sell them as special limited edition TCS TV cameras, complete with signatures. Now we don't take the tags off because we're lazy.
Chris @ The Camerastore TV
My favorite TCSTV video ever.
Thank you! This is a market segment that nobody seems to talk about.
Great video guys... great info and very helpful. I have been comparing all day and found your video and really enjoyed it. Keep'em coming guys!
Polarization is important to see fish in the water. Also it makes me feel like a tough 70s cop!
Chris @ The Camera Store
Hey Jordan hey Chris great seeing you doing this video on waterproof cameras you guys are awesome we love you here in Georgia that's for sure ❤️
Sorry, that shot was mis-labelled. It's an Olympus TG-2 filter effect.
Jordan @ The Camera Store TV
Great review! I finally know what my future camera will be!
Chris, you are a great presenter and teacher. Keep it up!
I know this is out of date for me now but really great review, like your style
Chris, I was really hoping I'd see you bait the cameras up and cast those bad boys into the lake for a durability test. Great review!
Hey guys love the added humor in the vids! Keep it up!!!
Another great video from you guys I would just like to add that the depth rating matters more than you may think for scuba divers.
Most recreational divers have a license to dive up to 18 meters (60 ft) hence most group dives stay within those limits (The Olympus and Panasonic come up a bit short there) - and you can't just swim back up to pick up the camera when you need it.
When are you going to do a review of the Nikon AW120?
This is a great video great quality on both my phone and computer no buffer. Thanks for the review and awesome quality. Aw110 camo atw.
Great comparison of some compact waterproof point and shoot. I like the Nikon.
now, that's a GREAT comparative review, thanx!!
I came here to see the comparison but decided to buy GH3. Great video quality.
Good review. Couple points about the AW110 not mentioned. It does not handle dynamic range well at all and along those lines does not handle low light situations outdoors. The anti-noise algorithm it uses is overly aggressive, so it over-blurs and then over sharpens the image to kill the noise...but this leaves a lot of AW110 looking like water color paintings and you can get some banding issues. A good test of this would have been to shoot on a sunny day a tree line. Shooting on a bright but overcast/rainy day worked to the AW110's advantage. Lastly, wide angle or the lack thereof is an issue with the AW110. This gets chopped down even more to make allow Nikon hybrid VR system to work.
The new AW120 addressed a lot of these issues, so it will be exciting to see a 2014 version of this test with the AW120 and the TG3...especially with the video. Aw120 now supports 1080 60i and the TG3 will support 1080 60p.
Very nice review as always. I rely on you more than DRTV now.
Really good video, what kind of bag are you wearing? Im just now staring to get into fly fishing and really liked your military style fly bag/sling. Thanks
I couldn't stop looking at the reflection in your glasses the whole video haha
Great job, guys.
I went with Nikon AW110. Best buy EVER! I take amazing nature photos, and it has been a year today! It has survived ants nesting in it, dropped twice and countless water trips!
Always breat reviews and videos. I hope you can do more like this. Terrific comparisons, the best on the web, I think, and beautiful video. Thank you.
Great review guys! it really helped me to decide which camera to buy...the AW110
another winning review by Chris! thank you.
You called it the underwater camera shootout and went to a lake and everything. Then you never took pics underwater. Hello? ;)
Exactly...these cameras perform differently underwater. It's not like they're snorkeling in that lake, but you could shoot in an aquarium at least.
Lol..
You know what truly won this competition? The Pentax WG-III. So good, it wasn't suited to be tested against these.
awesome review! thanks for the information chris!
Great review. Helps massively in finalising the Nikon, which was already the one I saw inclined towards. In camouflage, of course :-) Thanks for the review.
Fishing IS my highway to the danger zone! Maybe we should do a sexy pilots playing volleyball video next time?
Chris @ The Camera Store
Great Video! I now know which camera I want!
Great Video!, but I wish there was an underwater test considering it's an underwater camera. Still great review.
Sounds more like: Conclusion "they were weatherproof".
Would have liked an underwater test for the image quality (by light distortion), focus testing (including continuous in video mode) and underwater sound quality.
We have seen before that when you put the camera in water the sharpness can change drastically, like in the GoPro HDH2 vs. HDH3. (We know it was caused by the domed lens, but for a review these test are crucial)
Btw, still love your show! :)
Great mise-en-scène. I loved the premisse, the execution... and I'm very happy to now know which camera I should buy for our snorkelling vacation at the sea. (the nikon, n'est ce pas)
how is the nikon holding up I'm seeing a lot of complaints that the display simply dies after water exposure. and i just bought the camera, like right now and i have had nothing but good products from nikon, let me know, i hope that doesn't happen to me
update, ive had the camera for about a month now, it went down to central america with me as my vacation camera, it did awesome in the ocean, brought it back home used it in the snow, so far i am very happy with it, my only discomfort with it is the motion activated scroll lol cant seem to get it right yet. but over all awesome camera!
The TS5 is also at least $40 less expensive at the Camerastore than B&H! Way to go boys, like to see those prices matched or lower. Keeping the money in Alberta.
thanks for the quality Canadian work!!
I'll by that 110! great vid by the way. Really appreciate the effort you've made.
Thanks for the review! Just got my AW 110, albeit the orange one. The decision to paint a rugged camera camouflage seems a little bit strange to me.
Great review, thanks. My (constructive) criticism is that you should spend some time in talking about the usability of the cameras- e.g. how fast you can scroll through menus, how fast they process HDR, Panorama, filters. Doesn't matter if it isn't easy to use and flip through menus.
I own the Olympus TG-1 and it takes great pics but is so annoyingly slow to flip through modes due to all it's cutesy useless features. Also SLOOOOOW in HDR and Panos
great review for these underwater cameras! I just wish you actually went underwater with them.
Awesome review! Thank you!!
hi great review enjoy it and the great out doors i fancy the Olympus.although i have been looking at the ricoh wg 4 cheers mick from uk
I love how plastic bounces back and metal cracks or dents. Thats good consumer advice.
Saving up for tg-2!!
Hey man, great review. I'm still a bit torn between the TG-2 and AW110 though. I was wondering which one would perform better in low light conditions like concerts. I might be taking the camera in the pit so I need it to be tough but also perform well in very low light conditions (fast focusing, more detail especially for videos, less grain).
Nice review!
A brilliant video as ever, but couldn't you have tested the Pentax wg-3 as well?
what camera are you using to film your video?
Hello, I've got a question. Which camera did you use to take the review? Thank you, Tom
This was filmed on the Panasonic GH3 with the X 12-35 F2.8 lens.
Jordan @ The Camera Store TV
would you mind to do a review about the underwater housing? compare the bags and cases etc
Hey TCS guys, thanks for the review! I just have one complaint :)
I think you should make it more clear that with the f2 lens on the olympus you basically have a 2 f-stop advantage over the the f3.9 of the nikon. Shouldn't this boost the image quality in low light heavily compared to the other two? (ISO 400 vs ISO 1600?)
awesome review - and in a great locale. Great fun to watch. Still get quite stumped, however. Wish you guys had touched upon sound recording quality during video shoots. Also.... no one ever seems to touch upon HDR feature that (I believe?) only the panasonic has. I've had great fun and luck with HDR on my iphone. That the panasonic has that as well as the better video..... well that's making me wish the panasonic hadn't come in 3rd by all other measures. heck!!
I am right now deliberating a waterproof camera option. No love for the sony option? Is it not a contender? and I was thinking of a alternative of an iphone 4s / samsung s3 and an waterproof housing like the Hitcase Pro or equivalent .... Thoughts? next segment?
They have different styles. And they are both very good.
top notch review as always
Not to forget that shooting at wide angle, the Olympus has two stops advantage (!) over the Nikon (f/2.0 vs f/3.9), which means you can use ISO 400 on the Olympus VS ISO 1600 on the Nikon. Big difference!
Which place is this? It's beautiful
I had Olympus for about 2 years great camera overall but as Chris rightfully noticed it indeed has two doors to take care so on my last beach vacation it for some reason stop working most likely to water damage
Your videos are great, very well done. Would have been nice to see something underwater. And btw lots of light at 120 feet in Caribbean, no colours but lots of light. Lakes in Alberta, not so much I assume.
Hi Chris, I'm in the market for an action camera and have narrowed it down to the sony as15 for quality and price ( half the cost of the Go Pro 3 black). I had a thought though how would one of these rugged cameras be for an action camera? Nice added zoom of these cameras over the action camera. I have it narrowed down to the Nikon Aw 110 or the Panasonic. I know the Panasonic has an edge on video but with basic homeowner computer gear is there a big difference. Thanks for the great review
Hi TCS,
Would you do a review of the Pentax WG series and compared that with the other 3 you just did?
What happened to the Pentax WG-3 it has an f/2 lens. I'm very curious to know how it performs. I was very disappointed you did not include it
REALLLLYY helpful video! thank you!
This is not accurate. I have the Panasonic and a lot of what he said is not true. For instance in macro I can almost touch the object I'm so close with the lens. The autofocus do in video is insanely fast and the lens is made by Lica
Well the Nikon does go down to 60ft - giving it an edge for OW divers as you now can bring your camera and be sure that it can withstand the deepest parts of the dive.
Also the light doesn't really fade away before 50-60m depths. What you do loose early on are red and yellow colors.
That said if underwater photography is your thing you'll need much more expensive to take it to the next quality level.
Thank you!
Chris, I think it's time for that jacket to get some new DWR :P
Great, informative video.
why dont you do the night and low light part? its very importante to see if they have noisy degrees and details
After DigitalRev was caught selling a previously tested camera, yes, yes they were.
I have a Nikon AW130 and I had it less than a half metre underwater and it just died and haven't started yet. The "lens" is filled with water and same with the screen.
So by overall features the tg-2 is better or the Nikon ones better ?
If all 3 were soaked in salty seawater, how long would their seals last?
very good review.. love it . [best review ever]
Tg2 or 830? I love that 830 has 16mp and cheaper. But please advice?
Can I ask what you guys used to film this video with please
Red Epic
Close. The Panasonic GH3.
TheCameraStoreTV What was the settings for the video on the GH3, and what do you recommend.
The Olympus TG-2 fogs up. Returning it.
Summer vacations are starting, lots of swimming activities & mostly at salty water.. I still couldn't make up my mind :(
does anyone know what camera he is using to film the video?
This was shot on the Panasonic GH3.
Jordan @ TCSTV
How does video quality compare when it comes to low light? I need to be able to shoot on the beach/pool but also at the clubs after that! Please help, need a new waterproof camera before my cruise in 35 days!
From all this nice presentation from camerastore are the tags what caught your eye?
Weirdo!!!
Gracias buen video
Underwater cameras without underwater testing? Sacrilegious!
So if I want to get the best macro would I get the Tough? You see I'm stuck between the Tough and the Nikon, I just broke my Fujifilm Finepix xp20 and I would like to upgrade! But I want The best macro photos while also having the most secure waterproof, sturdy, and long lasting battery. :D Can you please help me...
Good lord I just bought a sony rx100 as I used to have gh2 but the quality of that video is just somethjng else
I'm on my 3rd Olympus TG... 1 TG1 and 2 TG-2s.... 1st 2 failed after only a few uses... I'm really beginning to think the design of the battery seals are really not durable at all. So now, I'm only gonna use my TG-2 on rain and such, but not risk it going under water. It's such a hassle going through the warranty process.
Wish the Pentax WG-3 was in this lineup.