Lots of cameras have party tricks. Some only impress photographers, like the Sony A9 III being able to shoot at 120fps. Some impress everybody, like the Nikon Z9 having a cat's meow for a shutter sound.
But some are so impressive that they even inspire a little gasp at the same time. That's the case with the OM System Tough TG-7, whose best party trick is when I dunk it in a glass of water, or toss it in the bath, or cannonball into a swimming pool with it. (Another cool party trick is that there's a huge saving on it right now.)
More than just a party trick, though, it proves a point: the TG-7 is a camera that you can take anywhere. I wouldn't dare get my other cameras anywhere near water unless I really had to, but that sure does limit their practicality.
There's no way in heck I'm taking my EOS R5 with me when I go kayaking, which means I miss a whole bunch of amazing photos. But I can take the Tough with me – heck, I can take it with me in the shower if I want to.
Once you get your head around this concept, it absolutely transforms the way you think about using your cameras. Which is why the TG-7 is rapidly becoming an everyday carry for me. Because life doesn't stop when it starts to get wet – or, for that matter, when it gets too hot or too cold. So if I want to photograph my life, I want to carry a camera that doesn't stop either.
Yes, the Tough is the best waterproof camera you can buy. But it's so much more. You can use it below freezing, all the way down to 14°F / -10°C, and you can use it in blazing heat up to 104°F / 40°C (which meant I could use it in the middle of the desert even in the scorching sun).
It's one of the few cameras still on the market with a GPS, and it also packs a Field Sensor System that captures temperature, altitude and even compass direction with your files. And it takes pretty mean photo and video, too – it even has pre-capture, for photographing fast-action, along with brilliant built-in macro and microscope modes.
I even took the plunge at the start of the year and, for the first time ever, I didn't take a "proper camera" and a bunch of lenses with me on vacation – rather, I left all my gear at home and just slipped the Tough in my pocket. Its 25-100mm lens was more than enough to snap all the shots I wanted, and honestly I didn't miss my usual gear at all.
If you're going on holiday, or even just going out for the day, and you want to take one camera with you to capture whatever it has in store… maybe leave the bulky mirrorless bag at home. Taking a Tough with you won't just make your life easier – it'll enable you to get shots that you simply wouldn't have dared take before.
Get it for cheap!
Whether you just want to throw your camera in a jug of water as a party trick, or you want an indestructible compact camera to take with you on any adventure, you're in luck – the Tough TG-7 is on sale in both the US and UK as part of the Prime Day camera deals. In fact, it's the lowest price ever in the UK right now!
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If you want something similarly small and light, take a look at the best compact cameras. And if you really need an interchangeable lens system on vacation, check out the best travel cameras along with the best lenses for travel photography.
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