Olympus Tough TG-310 Review | 108 Data compared

The Olympus TG-310, reviewed by What Digital Camera, is a budget-friendly, rugged camera offering robust protection against water, shocks, and freezing, making it suitable for active users. It features fast startup times, reliable exposure metering, and produces natural colors with good detail in bright lighting conditions. However, the camera suffers from inconsistent autofocus in multi-point mode and significant image noise that creates a smudgy, watercolor effect even at lower ISOs. Additionally, user handling is hindered by stiff, small controls, and the LCD screen displays a cold color cast. What Digital Camera

The Olympus Tough TG-310 is a highly durable, budget-friendly compact camera designed to withstand harsh outdoor conditions, though its overall performance falls short. Priced around £150, its primary strengths lie in its robust build quality, featuring water resistance down to 3 meters, shock resistance against drops from up to 1.5 meters, and freeze-proofing down to -10°C. It is structurally modern and practical with a lightweight chassis that includes reinforced bolts and water-tight rubberized buttons. Notable features include Eye-Fi card compatibility for wireless image transfers, 3D photography mode via multi-shot overlapping, image stabilization, and a 14-megapixel CCD image sensor equipped with a modest 3.6x optical zoom. Despite its rugged credentials, the camera suffers from significant usability and performance trade-offs. On the physical side, the rubber buttons are small, unresponsive, and awkward to operate in extreme cold, and the camera lacks the ability to float if dropped in water. Image quality is heavily criticized for flat colors, unpredictable color shifts, excessive noise in shadows, and noticeable purple fringing. Furthermore, its low-resolution 2.7-inch LCD screen delivers poor contrast and washed-out visuals, making shot...

The Trusted Reviews evaluation of the Olympus TG-310 highlights the compact camera as a durable, budget-friendly choice for adventurers, offering, features like 3D shooting and creative filters at a competitive price point. Despite its rugged design, the camera is limited by small, stiff controls and inconsistent autofocus. Furthermore, image quality suffers at higher ISO settings (800+), exhibiting significant noise and color degradation, while the panorama mode produces poor results.

The Olympus Tough TG-310 is an affordable 14-megapixel, waterproof (3m), shockproof (1.5m), and freezeproof (-10°C) compact camera designed for budget-conscious users. It features a 3.6x optical zoom lens (28-102mm equivalent), 2cm macro shooting, Dual Image Stabilisation, and 720p video recording. While the camera offers good color reproduction and rugged, value-focused construction, it suffers from a slow 0.5fps continuous shooting mode, small, slippery controls when wet, and a low-resolution 2.7-inch LCD screen. Noise is visible at lower ISO settings (200-400), making it best suited for well-lit, outdoor environments.

The Olympus Tough TG-310 is a 14-megapixel compact digital camera designed for harsh environments, offering an attractive and affordable entry-point into the rugged camera market at a direct price of $199.99. It is physically constructed to withstand significant physical abuse, featuring a waterproof rating up to 10 feet, shockproofing from drops up to 5 feet, and freezeproof operation down to 14°F. While its internal 3.6x zoom lens and 720p HD video performance are decent for its class, testing revealed that its lithium-ion battery capacity drains rapidly in freezing conditions and impact drops can occasionally interrupt video recording files. The camera's primary advantages include its budget-friendly price tag, solid low-light performance that produces acceptable image noise levels up through ISO 800, and an intuitive, always-on overlay menu system that remains functional while shooting. On the downside, the TG-310 is held back by the inability to use the optical zoom while recording video, a slow battery recycle time between shots compared to higher-end competitors, and the lack of a standalone battery charger, requiring users to charge the battery directly through the camera's...

In his personal review, Erik Moberg shares his hands-on experience with the Olympus TG-310, a budget-friendly point-and-shoot camera featuring a 14-megapixel resolution, 3.6x zoom, and 720p video recording at 30 fps. The prominent advantages (pros) of the camera are its budget-friendly price tag (purchased for around 130 EUR / 165 USD), its small, lightweight form factor, and its rugged design that offers 1.5m shockproofing and 3m waterproofing, making it a great, low-stress choice for riskier environments like pools or ski slopes. Additionally, Moberg highlights a surprisingly effective super macro mode that captures subjects from just 2–3 cm away, alongside a dedicated video recording button that simplifies operation. However, the camera suffers from several critical disadvantages (cons). Performance-wise, it features a sluggish 3–4 second startup delay, a short battery life that inexplicably drains even when turned off, and a low-resolution display that inaccurately reproduces colors and falsely shows images as blown out. Physically, the rubber weather-protection seals make the small buttons very difficult to press, resulting in finger discomfort. Image quality is also a major drawback; the camera delivers subpar ISO...

The Olympus Tough TG-310 is an affordable, rugged compact camera designed for durability in harsh environments, featuring waterproofing up to 3m, shockproofing from 1.5m, and freeze-proofing down to -10°C. Despite its plastic shell, the review highlights its light weight and lack of extrusions as key factors in its resilience. Notable pros include the inclusion of HDMI output and optical image stabilisation, which are unexpected at its budget price point, along with creative features like automatic panorama stitching and various "Magic Filter" effects. However, the camera suffers from several performance drawbacks, most notably a woeful 150-shot battery life and a very slow startup time of nearly five seconds. While the 14-megapixel image quality is described as "not terrible" and better than some competitors, details can appear scruffy due to aggressive noise reduction, and the lens is prone to reflections when shooting near sunlight. Additionally, the 2.7-inch LCD screen is criticized for washed-out colors, and the small buttons make it difficult to operate while wearing gloves, limiting its utility for winter sports. Are you looking for a rugged camera for a specific...

The 14-megapixel Olympus Tough TG-310 is an entry-level, rugged point-and-shoot digital camera specifically designed to survive harsh environments at a very reasonable price point. Its primary pros center around its solid, protective build; it features a durable design that is waterproof up to 10 feet (3 meters), shockproof against falls from 5 feet (1.5 meters), and freezeproof down to 14 °F (-10 °C). Additionally, it includes a sealed internal zoom lens located in the top corner of the body and a bright 2.7-inch LCD screen that performs well outdoors. PCMag's testing verified its exceptional water resistance, and the camera delivers reliable image quality and color representation for an affordable tough camera. On the downside, the camera has notable performance cons that limit its versatility. It features a smaller 230k-dot display and a restricted 3x optical zoom range (28-102mm equivalent) compared to more expensive rugged alternatives on the market. Other independent assessments highlight functional restrictions, such as the inability to utilize the optical zoom while recording 720p HD video and the lack of a standalone battery charger, requiring you to plug...

The Backpacker review highlights the Olympus Tough TG-310 as a highly durable, budget-friendly camera, featuring a waterproof design down to 10 feet and shockproof protection for drops up to five feet. It offers 14-megapixel photos, 3.6x optical zoom, and 3D functionality for a $200 price point. However, the review notes significant limitations, including the lack of an external charger and the inability to use the optical zoom while recording video. Furthermore, the camera requires in-body charging via a proprietary cable, which restricts battery management in the field.

The Olympus Tough TG-310 is a rugged, budget-friendly 14-megapixel compact digital camera designed for harsh environments, retailing at an attractive price of around $200. Built with a durable metal body and internal zoom lens design, it is waterproof down to 10 feet, shockproof from drops up to 5 feet, and freezeproof to 14°F. The camera features a bright 2.7-inch LCD screen and an intuitive, always-on overlay menu system that allows users to seamlessly adjust settings while keeping an eye on the frame. In durability stress tests, it successfully survived underwater submersion and multiple drops, though freezing temperatures drained its lithium-ion battery quickly, requiring it to be warmed up to fully resume shooting. In terms of performance, the camera yields mixed results with distinct strengths and limitations. On the positive side, its image quality is on par with competing models, displaying an acceptable sharpness score of 1,475 lines and delivering solid low-light performance with clean images up to ISO 800 (and acceptable grain at ISO 1600). It also records clear 720p HD video and accommodates SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards....