WHAT’S the big deal with having a digital camera that can take knocks like a 100cm drop; work while submerged underwater; withstand freezing cold temperatures?

Well, from my own experience I can attest to the need of such a camera. The reason is based on a lifestyle. Back in the day when I was younger and single. I used to ride a sport bike and I rode it rain, shine and even during the cold but dry and precipitation less days in Toronto. The fact of riding the motorcycle in those conditions meant anything electronic or water sensitive would be easily spoiled.

Digital cameras during those years were super expensive and low-resolution so I bought and used a compact 35mm film camera from Nikon, the L35AWAF Action Touch. It was water resistant down to 10 feet but I wasn’t really interested in going snorkeling or diving with it. I only needed it to withstand getting rainsoaked. The camera accompanied me from Toronto across Canada to Vancouver, down to Monterey Bay and back through central USA on my bike in all kinds of weather. It also went on numerous trips to Florida again on my bike and around Ontario.

Fast forward to 2009 and no longer are we in the film age. Digital cameras that sport ruggedness are available from most if not all the manufacturers. For me my requirements for having a ruggedised camera changed. Now a family guy I can go strapping myself to a pocket rocket and blaze through rain soaked to my destination.

That’s not to say my interest wasn’t piqued on what is available now and the fact that I had gotten a compact digital camera wet one day when I knocked over a glass of water next to it resulting in a lot of splashing. Luckily no damage was done.

So I set about finding what is available and two models caught my interest – Olympus Mju-8000 and Panasonic FT-1.

The Mju-8000 is a masterful creation that reminded me of a tank except this one was polished to a mirror finished shine. It weighs heavily in your pocket and has some interesting features.

The Panasonic FT-1 does not come across with the same ruggedness and tolerances and felt more like an armoured Humvee. It will survive most knocks and weather thrown at it but could still end up battle damaged.

Specifications

I need to process some photos of the camera and photos taken by the respective cameras before I finish up this story. However, I know there is interest out there for this so I’m putting up the introduction.