As a photographer and tech journalist, the first question that I usually ask myself when packing for a trip is this: Which cameras am I going to bring? On my last big family vacation, I ended up packing four cameras, despite limited luggage space. But while packing four cameras is normal for a camera nerd, what I didn’t expect was that, after returning home, I realized the camera that I used most was a compact camera, the waterproof OM Tough System TG-7.
I packed four cameras on a recent family trip to Florida: my mirrorless Fujifilm X-T4, a film Pentax K1000, a GoPro Hero 12, and the OM System Tough TG-7.
Typically, when I travel, the camera that I use the most is my mirrorless. Taking photographs is part of what I love about traveling, but this trip was a bit different. For starters, much of the trip was beach days, poolside afternoons, and an ocean kayaking excursion, and I didn’t want to worry about dropping my mirrorless in the water or the sand.
But, to be honest, as a professional photographer, sometimes digging out my mirrorless camera feels too much like work. My priority on this trip was family first, unplugging second, and capturing memories of the trip somewhere behind those two.
The TG-7 may seem like an odd choice for a camera nerd. After all, it has the typical small sensor of most affordable compacts and doesn’t have the mirrorless-sized sensor of pricier compacts like the Fujifilm X100VI, which may seem like a more obvious choice for both a camera nerd and a Fujifilm photographer. Yes, I’ve eyed the X100VI, but every time I’m tempted, I’ve looked at the price, then the price of the 27mm pancake lens that I could use to turn my current camera into something similar, and have resisted the temptation.
I bought the older TG-6 as a gift for my pre-teen because I wanted something that wasn’t too “kidish” but also something that would survive when he inevitably dropped it. I justified the price tag that’s higher than a typical kids' camera with the thought that I’d be able to borrow it for wet and sandy locations that aren’t safe for a mirrorless camera. OM System has since launched the TG-7, and the company sent me one to try out, so that’s the one that I packed.
The biggest reason that I used the TG-7 more than my mirrorless camera on that trip boils down to durability. The TG-7 is waterproof down to 49 ft / 15m, sealed against dust and sand, and also drop resistant. I could have taken my weather-sealed mirrorless camera to the beach with some care, but I wanted to spend the day watching my kids see the ocean for the first time without worrying about my camera. I didn’t want to risk it in a long ocean kayak excursion, and definitely not underwater in the ocean and pool. I even handed it over to my nieces and nephews so they could take photos with it too, inside the pool.
I pulled my mirrorless camera out to photograph manatees from a boardwalk and turtles in a tank at a turtle hospital, but using the Tough series camera for beach days, kayak rides, and dips in the pool was an easy choice.
But perhaps you’re wondering why I brought both the TG-7 and a GoPro. After all, GoPros are waterproof too, and while originally intended for video, they can take some decent still photos for something so small. There’s really one key reason that I still packed the TG-7: zoom.
When my kayak excursion out to a small ocean island ended with a visit by a dolphin and her baby, I captured remarkably stable POV footage of the encounter with the GoPro that I will always treasure. But then I also pulled out the OM System compact camera and was able to capture some close-up (albeit a bit shaky) footage of the dolphins, too.
Would my mirrorless camera have taken better photos? Absolutely. But sometimes, it’s not the photo quality that matters most, but the ability to take pictures while staying in the moment. For me, using a waterproof compact camera felt like unplugging.
And that’s also why I think compact cameras are making such a big comeback – the act of taking photos with a point-and-shoot feels more like staying in the moment than taking photos with a smartphone. Using a waterproof, dropproof camera adds to that experience by removing the worry over ruining an expensive device and the ability to take a camera in places typically dangerous to electronics. Shooting with a camera that I could freely dunk into salt water without disastrous consequences felt liberating.
My mirrorless camera is still my favorite one to shoot with – but for beach and boat excursions, I love having a waterproof compact on hand. The OM System Tough TG-7 is DCW’s current top choice for the best waterproof camera. It’s currently discounted by $50 to $399 in the US at several retailers, including Adorama and B&H.
In the UK, the camera is also discounted to £398 on Amazon.
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