"Update:
After writing this review, I contacted Olympus America and they were very helpful in resolving the issue after I provided a number of panoramic pix I had taken with TG5. I was offered a brand-new replacement TG870 camera which I just received this week, and that camera takes panoramic pix like the TG850 so I am all set. Particular mention for quick and helpful responses go to Robert Penchick of Olympus America. Thanks! Upgrading the stars to 3 for helping resolve an issue.
Original:
This is one of those items that are pretty outside, useless inside. It’s easily the worst camera I have ever owned. My previous camera was TG 850 which was easily the best camera I ever owned – same company, same product line, and such a vast difference.
The difference lies in how TG 5 takes pix. For example, to take a panoramic picture, it takes three separate pix and joins them. The software provides guide-marks to take the second and the third pix. However, the problem is that each of those pix have different exposures, brightness, and focus so you end up with three incompatible pix put together – something even a baby can do. And you can see how horrible it looks.
Second, the guidemarks somehow depend on something like landmarks. So if you are in Uyuni salt flat or similar places, the landscpe pic is so bad that it’s undescribable. The software wouldn’t provide guide-marks even at 360 degree rotation!! They must have hired pre-school kids to design this camera and it’s software.
Similarly, vivid is another piece of garbage that this camera provides, which really has no vivid colors. It should have been named dull.
This camera has tried to be everything to everyone and uses software to do it with an array of functions. End result: it’s useless and isn’t good at anything.
I didn’t use it underwater so will not comment on it but if you are mostly an above-ground photographer, then you should shun this camera like plague and buy TG 850 – even if you have to buy a used one.
"
"
I am writing this to ask, urge, extension of the guarantee of my camera.
I live in Brazil and a friend of mine bought my camera (TG-860) through Amazon on 5th of September 2015. Now, on 4th October, 2016, on the third day of my vacation, the camera screen stopped working ... it fires the flash and records the pictures normally ... by the principle of reasonableness I ask you to please be assured me technical assistance provided under warranty here in Brazil.
This is my second Olympus camera that I own. The other, a TG-830, had short circuit after less than 1 year and a half of use !!!! I thought I had given unlucky on that occasion, but the bad luck (?) have strike again. I think it is not acceptable for such expensive camera of a brand like OLYMPUS not last even two years. And my use occurs only in holiday seasons !!!! 1336 photos was shot before failure.... USD 0.18 cents per photo...
Thank you for your attention and look forward to your comprehension.
After trying a contact on the sites below that doesnt work, I have decided to write here.
http://www.olympusamerica.com/corporate/corp_contactus.asp and
http://www.olympus.com.br/fale-conosco.aspx (brazilian)
I cant even registrate my camera on site: http://www.olympusamerica.com/cpg_section/registration_form.asp?id=1673... it is always presenting problem "msxml3.dll error '80072efd'
A connection with the server could not be established
/camerareg_spanish/prod_reg.asp, line 169 ""
"After all this years of experience shopping online, I had the WORST one ever with this
company. I've made an order of a DSLR kit from them on US ebay but they couldn't handle the orders paying by the credit card issued outside of US or Canada. This is accpetable, after all
they have their policy, but as for the refund and customer service part is a huge disaster.(yes, they've already took the money from my paypel) They didn't inform you that your order has been hold or cancled, and you left message through ebya, no respond. You have to call them to know they couldn't handle your order. The day after I call back to query about the situation about refund, there's absolutely no way you could get ANYONE to talk to you in person. I tried to call them for like four days, 3 different extention number, also the customer service center, nobody picked up, always answering machine. Even leaving a mesg and contact number was not working, either. No email, no phone calls, no nothing. It's horrible! How could this happend? How could such a well-know company make this simple situation looks like a fraud or something? And I still don't know how and when will I be able to get my money back! Seriously, stay away from this company to anyone who would like to have at least some kind of help when any part of their purchasing process got unsmoothly."
"I bought a refurbished Olympus c-730 and I was very pleased with their service and product. I'm from Canada so I usually have to pay high shipping costs but they only charged $10. The product arrived 5 days after the charge went through. My camera is wonderful. I would definitely order from them again and I've recommended them to others."