I am currently looking for a digital p&s camera for a family member. I am told it should be able to stand up to a bit of outdoor conditions and abuse--let us say one could drop it onto cement from chest height or onto a shallow pool of water and still expect that it will continue to function without serious internal damage. I have investigated one Fuji product but it got poor reviews for image quality (no better than many cellphones.) Is there anything better out there at the moment?
Yes, dropping from chest height seems a bit extreme. So does dunking in water. My rather robust Yashika T3 did not survive a dunking in Mekong R. However, there are a variety of weatherproofed P&S available.
I have the Olympus TG-6 which is my bad weather, hiking, or bike riding camera. I don't think it would be happy dropping onto concrete from chest height, but I did once drop it onto some seaweed covered rocks from about 2 feet up. Result was a minor chip on the edge of the screen protector. that was all. I've gotten some great pictures during snowfalls, and made some nice 8" x 10"s. I'm sure I could print larger with good results.
ronwhit
I have a couple of old Fuji Finepix WRs, not sure how shock proof, I think waterproof to 9 feet. At about 4MP somewhat low res, back screen is not that good either, but final images are quite good, color, and dynamic range are fine. Also very small, fits into a pocket with ease. I paid like $20 US for my one that my wife carries in her purse.
Decided to go with the TG-6. Slightly less zoom range than the Nikon, but seems to have a better lens and image quality. Both are somewhat water- and shock-proffed.