Its combination of “tough” features and ratings outranks anything else currently on the market, and it snaps photos with accurate color and better than average detail for its category. Drop it, crush it, freeze it, or dive with it to 33 feet, and it’ll keep on clicking: If “tough” is what you need, the Tough 8000 delivers it in spades. Our sample had a slightly tilted sensor chip, but optical quality was generally on par with the category – Not outstanding, particularly when you’re pixel-peeping 1:1 on-screen, but our printed results were quite decent: At low ISOs, you’ll get 13×19 inch prints sharp enough for wall display, and most consumers would be happy with 4×6 inch prints from its shots taken at ISO 800.

Don’t forget to visit their gallery of full-resolution test photos and real-world image samples.

Summary:

Canon D10 – “Because of it’s strange appearance and bulky body, it’s not the kind of camera you’d probably use too often in everyday life. It’s a vacation or beach camera, only.”

Panasonic TS1 / FT1 – “… by far the best all-around waterproof camera. Its durability makes it great for trips to the beach and underwater photography, while its attractive design means you can use it without looking weird. The TS1 takes excellent photographs, as well, vivid and full of life and color.”

Olympus 8000 – “… too much emphasis on durability and not enough on image quality.”

Fuji Z33WP – “… a nice little waterproof camera that would be a great option if you want to get your young child a camera.”

When we tested the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 against the Olympus Stylus Tough 8000 and Fujifilm Finepix Z33WP, the Lumix DMC-TS1 triumphed with the best sharpness, detail and color.

As of now, the Panasonic Lumix TS1 costs about $50 more than the competing Canon D10 and Olympus Stylus Tough 8000, but it’s the most feature-packed among all the rugged cameras and in my opinion, that extra bit of money justifies the many advantages of the Lumix TS1 has over the competition.

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS1 was the only rugged compact to feature a decent overall interface and gave the best LCD performance with a sharp, crisp display.

However, when it came to the menu system, they “… still prefer Canon’s menus over all other manufacturers, and the Canon PowerShot D10 rocks the x-axis/y-axis structure that makes shooting so much easier.”

We dropped each camera on the New York sidewalk at each of their respective shock resistance heights and the Lumix DMC-TS1 was the only model that suffered long-term effects.

Don Wan, the reviewer, wrote:

The two Olympus Tough cameras also feature lenses that start at 28mm (though the total zoom range isn’t as impressive as the W60). The Tough series of cameras are certainly stylish and compact, as well as being robustly made, but there’s more to a camera than rugged good looks. The image quality of the Tough 6000 was middle of the pack in most areas, while the Tough 8000 was just about the worst of the group. The Olympus cameras were also let down by their poor shot to shot performance, and focus issues.

The Canon D10 and Pentax W60 were picked as first and second choice, respectively, in the test.