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Comparing photos between the Ricoh WG-6 and the Olympus TG-6

Started Jun 5, 2019 | Discussions
smithaa02 Regular Member • Posts: 252
Comparing photos between the Ricoh WG-6 and the Olympus TG-6
4

So both are flagship rugged cameras for their respective companies released in 2019.

The WG-6 provides an interesting contrast to the TG-6 in that it has more megapixels (20 MP vs 12 MP).

DPReview used both to shoot almost identical scenes in Seattle on May 15th which provided a unique opportunity to compare both cameras. Granted there are flaws with this (often the TG-6 used a longer focal range), but it is still interesting.

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Butcher - WG-6

Butcher - TG-6

I like the TG-6 here better...it recovers some blue in the sky and in general does a better of preserving highlights

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Painting - WG-6

Painting - TG-6

I actually think the WG-6 looks a bit more natural here and the TG-6 has some harsh contrasts. But this is a tough comparison because the angle is different...which means the lighting is very different.

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Pebbles - WG-6

Pebbles - TG-6

The TG-6 has brighter and punchier image...almost seems like it has more detail. But I liked the temperature of the WG-6 a bit better (less of a red cast). The WG-6 appears to have some focus blur or camera shake which makes this comparison tough.

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Beach - WG-6

Beach - TG-6

Another tough comparison because the photographer used better composition for the WG-6 (not the fault of the TG-6). Again the TG-6 is very aggressive with its white balance and tends to lean on the warm side for color temperature.

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Heavy Equipment - WG-6

Heavy Equipment - TG-6

Almost can't compare...the TG-6 is way zoomed in and over-exposed while the WG-6 is under-exposed.

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Cars on Sand - WG-6

Cars on Sand - TG-6

I prefer the TG-6. Seems cleaner and the red on the car looks nicer.

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WG-6 - Underwater

TG-6 - Underwater

Yeah, different shots, but still similar enough that it seems the TG-6 is far superior here.

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WG-6 - Ferry

TG-6 - Ferry

A good test because it shows a lot of overcast sky that often confuses white balance settings. I think the TG-6 does phenomenally better here.

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In summary, I thought the TG-6 did better with a more aggressive and pleasing white balance. Many of the images seemed a bit sharper too. This wasn't exactly scientific though...and I wish the sample TG-6 photos included more blue skies which can be a different animal for white balance algorithms. The WG-6 for example in good conditions actually looks really nice.

What do you think?

YWG Senior Member • Posts: 1,364
Re: Comparing photos between the Ricoh WG-6 and the Olympus TG-6

Thanks for the comparison. I thought they looked close enough to each other to not really make a clear knockout.

I've been contemplating this family of camera since the TG-2. I borrowed my buddy's -2 and used it snorkeling. My last experience with a waterproof camera was a film funsaver so it was a huge improvement along with having a zoom. I did find the JPEGs to be too smudgy however being tainted by my other digitals. The -6 here doesn't look really any better. I did take some RAWs through OV3 and turned the noise reduction off but it wasn't a huge improvement.

I dare say my phone does better but at a singular focal length. Newer ones have other lenses as well. Mine has inadvertently gone into a swimming pool and survived but I wouldn't want to use it snorkeling. It also lacks controls that make shooting easier so the TG may still be on my wishlist or a Sealife DC2000 (with all of the quirks).

 YWG's gear list:YWG's gear list
Olympus Stylus 1s Canon PowerShot G5 X Olympus E-M1 Olympus E-M1 II
OP smithaa02 Regular Member • Posts: 252
Re: Comparing photos between the Ricoh WG-6 and the Olympus TG-6

It also lacks controls that make shooting easier so the TG may still be on my wishlist or a Sealife DC2000 (with all of the quirks).

The DC2000 is an interesting animal. No zoom for me is a big concern. Also many of the sample images I've seen seemed to struggle with dynamic range with overly dark shadows. The depth of field on many of the shots seems to be much blurrier too.

DC2000

TG-6

That was the only rough comparison I could find...the TG-6 does look brighter and more attractive underwater.

DC2000

TG-5

The only above ground comparison I could find. Not fair as this is the TG-5...not the TG-6, and the photographer didn't use exposure compensation correctly for the TG-5.

I would still prefer the TG-6. But really IMO the biggest competitor to the TG-6 is actually the Nikon W300 which in good conditions takes very good photos.

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4355788

NIkon always seems to do a good job with blue skies and has excellent image stabilization.  But Nikon shadows tend to be a bit under-exposed at times...  The W300 is two years old and is really due for an upgrade...hopefully one happens too.

CAcreeks
CAcreeks Forum Pro • Posts: 18,921
Re: Comparing photos between the Ricoh WG-6 and the Olympus TG-6

smithaa02 wrote:

So both are flagship rugged cameras for their respective companies released in 2019. DPReview used both to shoot almost identical scenes in Seattle on May 15th which provided a unique opportunity to compare both cameras. Granted there are flaws with this (often the TG-6 used a longer focal range), but it is still interesting.

Thanks for finding and posting comparisons!

Looks like the TG6 still overexposes by about 1/3 stop. I don't know why. You would think it's something Olympus could easily fix so that owners don't have to set -.33 permanently. Most of the DPreview samples are -EV compensated.

In this cloud-shaded scene, I tried exposing for the sky and clouds but the trees were too dark. This exposure was for the river and trees. Auto worked well (C1 actually, set to EV -.33) and there is some latitude for editing the JPEG. Original and edited:

Curves, + saturation

OP smithaa02 Regular Member • Posts: 252
Re: Comparing photos between the Ricoh WG-6 and the Olympus TG-6

I actually take a ton of kayaking photos so I appreciate the comparison. The latter was definitely recovered nicely in post. Based on the Youtube review from Red35 though it seems like TG-6 images are darker than the TG-5 which is promising.

Honestly if I were taking those shots with my current gear, I would sacrifice the sky as a lost cause and simply EV for the river and shoreline. Tough call though as you had some nice blue skies...

The following is a kayak picture with the W300 that is an example of that. The dynamic range can't properly expose for the sky and foreground...so I just exposed for the river.

Out of curiosity, do any of the TG-5 picture modes work well for river photography?  I-enhance, vivid, natural, muted, custom, etc...

CAcreeks
CAcreeks Forum Pro • Posts: 18,921
Re: Comparing photos between the Ricoh WG-6 and the Olympus TG-6

smithaa02 wrote:

Based on the Youtube review from Red35 though it seems like TG-6 images are darker than the TG-5 which is promising.

Thanks, I'll take a look at it.

The following is a kayak picture with the W300 that is an example of that. The dynamic range can't properly expose for the sky and foreground...so I just exposed for the river.
[pic deleted]

Yes, if you have cloudy sky there's not much you can do. Gray sky comes out white on digital cameras, which have less highlight range than film. Oh well. That's why it's best to kayak only on sunny days.

Honestly I'm a bit surprised by how this isn't total crap at 100% actual pixels. Of course with Bayer sensors a 50% downsample is best, where there's little to complain about. Except the blurry tree near upper left. The photo I posted earlier had difficult lighting, maybe requiring HDR.

Out of curiosity, do any of the TG-5 picture modes work well for river photography? I-enhance, vivid, natural, muted, custom, etc...

Sunset works well for scenic shots in camp. I haven't tried the other ones, but it's an interesting question. I'm new to Oly, having shot Fuji for years.

OP smithaa02 Regular Member • Posts: 252
Re: Comparing photos between the Ricoh WG-6 and the Olympus TG-6

Yes, if you have cloudy sky there's not much you can do. Gray sky comes out white on digital cameras, which have less highlight range than film. Oh well. That's why it's best to kayak only on sunny days.

It depends...if you're kayaking small streams and thick hardwoods (like we have in the midwest) or canyons...sunlight is the enemy...then overcast conditions are best. My general rule is open scenes and sunlight go together...closed/shaded scenes work best in overcast conditions.

Honestly I'm a bit surprised by how this isn't total crap at 100% actual pixels. Of course with Bayer sensors a 50% downsample is best, where there's little to complain about. Except the blurry tree near upper left. The photo I posted earlier had difficult lighting, maybe requiring HDR.

The Nikon W300 has HDR...but it is atrocious.

I really like the scene and picture you posted...but I think a higher exposure would make it look even better and bring out some life in the rocks (it kind of depends on your monitor really though...). Here is a quick exposure tweak I did in post on your JPG:

Out of curiosity, do any of the TG-5 picture modes work well for river photography? I-enhance, vivid, natural, muted, custom, etc...

Sunset works well for scenic shots in camp. I haven't tried the other ones, but it's an interesting question. I'm new to Oly, having shot Fuji for years.

I'm looking forward to playing with these when I get the TG-6. In "auto mode" the camera should pick among these scenes...like say 'vivid' for landscape. I'll be curious to know if the TG-6 improved their color recipes...for auto shooters this could make a big difference. Same with the white balance settings...sunny, shade, overcast etc... Would love to know if each of those were tweaked.

CAcreeks
CAcreeks Forum Pro • Posts: 18,921
Re: Comparing photos between the Ricoh WG-6 and the Olympus TG-6

CAcreeks wrote:

smithaa02 wrote:

Based on the Youtube review from Red35 though it seems like TG-6 images are darker than the TG-5 which is promising.

Thanks, I'll take a look at it.

Yes, see 7:35 and following in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYZJJRuy3Og

Rather than being "sharper" (whatever that means) the TG6 image has less exposure, as the shutter speed shows. It would be worth confirming with some controlled studio shots.

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