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Best Tough Camera: Waterproof, Weatherproof and Shockproof

12/18/2020

So for a moment, let's try to understand what tough cameras are. No matter strong your smartphone can be, it's not a tough camera, even as smartphones have been evolving, so has the quality of the photos taken from it evolved. 


Smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S9, iPhone XR, or Google Pixel 3 are weather and waterproof to a certain degree. Hence if you use these smartphones to shoot in the rain, taking a dunk while rafting, or dropping your phone into a creek, it isn't advisable to stretch your phone beyond its capability.


What is Tough Camera?


Point and Shoot

Tough cameras are designed to have sophisticated auto exposure, autofocus. Although tough cameras are usually able to shoot high-quality video, they are not necessarily video cameras.


Waterproof, Weatherproof, and Shockproof

Tough cameras are really tough, so they don't just have the name for fancy. These cameras are able to survive being dropped onto rocks, stomped on by moose, tossed at grizzly bears, and buried in mud. These cameras are able to still function perfectly under heavy rainfall, snow, and sandstorms and can even withstand hot and cold temperatures. (Check this weatherproof action camera: AKASO Brave 7 LE)




Quality Optics

Tough cameras are known to have good quality optics; they are also known to have superb lenses that are sharp edge to edge with top-notch color reproduction which is the bedrock of standard photography. Unlike some other phone cameras, Tough cameras have optical telephoto lenses that are not automated zooms. The digital zoom used in most phones is just a low-quality picture crop in your viewfinder. The optical zoom used on tough cameras usually draws the subject closer to the viewfinder. The cameras tested here will zoom (optical) from around 24 mm to 100 mm. Many Tough cameras provide macro and even micro-lens configurations for intense close-ups.


Auto-Configurations

Tough cameras are known to be versatile in handling wide latitude of varying exposure situations with auto-configurations. For example, under the "Scene" feature, the Olympus TG-5 has 5 simple semi-automatic exposure settings: People, Nightscapes, Motion, Landscape, and Indoors and more than 20 different exposure configuration settings under those subcategories.


Exposure, back in the long days of photography, means the amount of light that entered the film within the camera and created the shot. The sensor of the camera is doing the same thing these days.


Tough cameras can take individual still images or burst with zero or tiny shutter lag. Most of them have autofocus changes that can hone into a single object or hold a moving subject in view.


1. Olympus Tough TG-6




The TG-6 tough camera from Olympus is such a classic, as it offers a smattering of the latest functions that makes it a preferred choice if you need a durable and reliable camera. The main improvement is its revamped LCD that now has a resolution of 1.04m-dot relative to the predecessor's 460k.


It's also the only tough camera with a zoom lens on this list that can take raw-format pictures, so if you desperately need any extra latitude in the article, the TG-6 is the way to go. It functions with the 12MP BSI CMOS sensor and the TruePic VIII processor to build your images and can also operate at speeds of up to 20 fps in raw or 4K 30p footage.


A flexible 25-100 mm equivalent f/2-4.9 lens is available for working in a number of settings, and there are four macro modes that allow us to get super close. In addition, the Field Sensor System contains GPS, monometer, compass, and temperature sensors all built-in.


2. Nikon Coolpix W300


Nikon has always been a reputable brand for years, and the COOLPIX W300 is a powerful, tough camera product. It uses a 16MP 1/2.3" BSI CMOS sensor and a NIKKOR 24-120mm equivalent optical zoom lens to capture excellent photos in a robust box.


Reliability is perhaps the best in this lineup with 100' of waterproofing; the power to survive drops from 7.9' and freeze proofing to 14oF. It is also dustproof. Other advantages are the ability to shoot UHD 4K video (Best 4K Cameras for 2021) at up to 30fps and to use Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.


3. Fujifilm FinePix


The Fujifilm FinePix is yet another standard option on our list of best tough cameras; the brand's latest offering in the tough arena, and a nice option, with its 16.4MP BSI CMOS sensor and Fujinon 28-140mm equivalent zoom lens.


The Fujifilm FinePix has in-built Wi-Fi and Bluetooth which makes it convenient to geotag and share photos easily and quickly too. The camera also has a double exposure and interval shooting that enable users to create creative and fun photos.


Toughness is still the keyword for this camera, which is why the Fujifilm FinePix is dustproof, shockproof, waterproof, and freezeproof. Keep in mind that there is a limit to testing its capability.


4. Canon IVY REC


The Canon IVY REC comes in three different exciting colors; Riptide, Dragonfruit, and Avocado. The camera has a unique carabineer-style design that makes it convenient to move around.


The brilliant thing about the appearance of a carabineer is that the opening is built to act as a viewfinder for a very pleasant and easy shooting experience. As with its rugged credentials, the IVY REC is 6.6' waterproof and 6.6' shockproof.


As for the imagery, the camera has a 13MP CMOS sensor. This setup is solid for stills and can capture full HD video up to 60 fps with a multi-mode feature, making it simple to toggle between the two. Then there's Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for easy transfer to your mobile through the Canon Mini Cam app.


5. Nikon Coolpix W100


The robustly built Nikon Coolpix W100 is one of the strongest contenders in a tough camera war. Not only is it waterproof, freeze-proof, and dust-proof, but it can also be comfortably dropped from about 8 feet above the ground. The Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functionality are also appealing to any roaming photophile who needs an immediate copy of the current thrill.