By NICK ROSS – SMH
Last updated 05:00 13/05/2009

SUBMERSIBLE: The Olympus Mju Tough 8000 (bottom) and Panasonic DMC-FT1.

Everyone would love to take more pictures at the beach. The sand and sea are typically the most fun places for friends and family and naturally great for capturing special memories.

However, cameras can be ruined by a grain of sand or splash of water.

Until recently, if you wanted a camera that was resistant to the elements you’d have to buy a poor-quality disposable model or underwater housing. The latter can offer good results but they’re invariably bulky, make the controls fiddly and can cost more than the camera itself.

You also have to rigorously maintain the waterproof seal. And they’re locked to your particular model of camera, so if you ever upgrade, you’ll need to buy new housing.

In recent years, some of the leading camera manufacturers have released models that are essentially regular compacts with rugged, waterproof housings. Suddenly capturing images on the beach, in swimming pools and when snorkelling or diving is convenient. We expect all contenders to operate well on dry land, too.

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Filed under: Ali Perkins, Photography