Digital cameras are great but many of them aren't up to taking a whole lot of abuse.
It actually seems like the older film models were more robust.
When I'm on vacation or otherwise involved in some activity outdoors I really hate having to always be mindful of the camera.
Depending on the weather and locale, if you're outside, there's a better than average chance of being splashed or rained on, not to mention getting sandy or muddied.
Often its travel and holiday photographs we want to capture, and beaches, mountains, etc.
, tend to be common vacation settings.
Also it's while enjoying the great outdoors that cameras tend to get bumped around or dropped - at least more so than indoors where we aren't usually as focused on playing.
Well the good news is you can finally get a digital camera that is both rugged and waterproof, without breaking the bank.
I discovered this when looking into replacing my dive camera.
In the past these underwater cameras were mostly regular land cameras fit into a waterproof housing.
There were a few that had camera and housing integrated into a single unit, but they were a bit clunky for using on land.
Now at long last, a few manufacturers of waterproof cameras have come up with digital cameras that are themselves watertight to various depths, and they require no additional external housing.
The cool thing is they have settings that can be changed depending on whether you are shooting above or below water.
In "undersea" mode, the shutter speed and aperture adjustments help compensate for lower lighting conditions typically encountered under water.
When switched to "land" mode they work like any other land camera allowing the user to adjust to conditions encountered above water.
To help make these dive cameras rugged, the cases themselves are impact resistant polycarbonate or other composite materials, with rubber cushioning at key points.
You can drop one from several feet up and not faze it a bit.
The compact size and light weight (just over a pound) make them as convenient as any land only version, and picture quality isn't sacrificed for small size.
These digital dive cameras capture ultra sharp, high-resolution images, even while overcoming poor lighting.
The biggest benefit is no longer needing multiple cameras.
I can use one that's perfect not just for scuba diving, but for hiking, mountain climbing, ocean kayaking, going to the beach, being out on the boat, and pretty much any other activity one might think of.
Plus I never have to worry about protecting it from accidental abuse.
And here's some more good news if you aren't a diver.
Dive camera makers also produce less expensive models for snorkeling.
They're usually good down to around 10 feet which is plenty for snorkelers, but also works for staying protected from things like rain and water parks.