After giving up on Canon four years ago, I have mostly made do with my phone’s camera for travel snapshots and project images. While the camera on my phone is reasonably capable, it lacks a few modes I used to rely on, and the shallow optical range makes it pretty bad at macro photography. I need to be able to capture high-quality pictures of braid structures, so this was becoming a problem. Searching around for compact cameras that take good macro photos, I found the Olympus OM System TG-7. I wound up finding a package deal on NewEgg that included a bunch of off-brand accessories like filters and lenses, so I didn’t even have to go into a store to buy it.
Look: buttons, knobs, and switches! Look: metal body for durability! Look: a real lens and a way to attach accessory lenses! Look: a way to attach a beefy wrist strap! It has built-in Bluetooth and WiFi so that I can transfer images to my phone and thence to the world without wires! It can charge over USB-C, so I don’t need more than one charging cable!
My image tests have been very pleasing so far, and the macro lenses I bought enable you to zoom in really close. It’s easy to switch modes and change settings. I can record video with it. The phone app also works as a remote monitor and shutter activator. Of course, the photos above were taken with my phone camera. Anyway, it has been a few years since I bought a new camera and I am having fun playing with the new toy.
