OM System has discontinued the Olympus Tough TG-6 (buy here) waterproof compact camera. There’s been no announcement, but the product listing on the OM System Japan store says that (translated) “Online store sales completed”.
Obviously, this means discontinued. While the TG-6 is a 2019 camera and could do with an update, it seems odd to discontinue it now, just a couple of weeks after announcing a medical housing for it. Could this mean a Tough TG-7 is imminent?
OM System explained to PetaPixel that it does not list a camera as discontinued until all its remaining units have been sold and shipped. The camera still exists in plenty of warehouses around the world and you’ll still be able to get hold of one for a little while yet. Just, not directly from OM System.
The fact that it’s unable to be purchased in their own store, though, might suggest that their own supplies have now depleted and it’ll likely end up on the official discontinued products list very soon.
OM System Tough TG-7 on the way?
It’s a popular camera due to being one of the most rugged waterproof compact cameras on the market. And ending its run now without having announced its successor seems a little odd. It’s especially odd when you consider OM System just released a medical housing for the Tough TG-6 a couple of weeks ago.
The only logical conclusion is that a Tough TG-7 is on the way, likely with OM System branding and not Olympus. If not, it’s an extremely strange move to kill off a popular camera after having just announced a new accessory for it.
If there is a Tough TG-7 on the way, then I don’t expect too much will change. The recently launched medical housing suggests that if a TG-7 is on the way, OM System knew that two weeks ago. This suggests that it will have an identical form factor. This tracks because the TG-6 is only a slight modification of the TG-5 (released in 2018), which also has an identical form factor.
[Related reading: Olympus adds an HD LCD to the TG-5 and calls it the TG-6]
Whether or not we’ll finally see some big tech improvements – the ability to shoot 4K would be nice – or even a TG-7 at all remains to be seen. But I don’t think we’ll have to wait beyond Christmas to find out.
For now, although the Olympus Tough TG-6 may be finished at OM System’s store, it’s still available from retailers around the world. B&H currently sells it for $499 and their listing doesn’t yet indicate low stock levels.
[via Asobinet]
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