This article was taken from the June 2014 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
How We Tested
Wired tester and Kew Royal Botanic Gardens board member Jonathan Drori took four rugged, waterproof digital cameras on an expedition to the rainforest of southern China. It was steamy, dusty and tough -- but it didn't actually rain. So we tested the cameras again in the shower and the bath, on the streets of New York and back in stormy London.
The blocky TG-2 has waterproof ultra-wide and super-telephoto attachments available (we couldn't test these, but would expect them to increase the camera's scope considerably). Image quality was adequate, albeit on the warm side. For general use, choosing between this and the interchangeable-lens Canon is down to taste -- though if you want extra lens capability without the physical heft, then we'd recommend the TG-2. The big surprise here is its astounding macro capability, giving an unsettling window on the world of creepy crawlies.£234
Wired: Macro capability; low shutter-lag
Tired: Soft video- and still-image detail
A solid-feeling camera with all the controls readily to hand, the DMC-FT5 doesn't excel at any one thing, but performs reasonably well across the board, with video quality being better than its rivals. The chunky design and bright metallic finish make it easy to grip and satisfyingly hard to miss at the bottom of a stream.
There are lots of extras, such as NFC for communicating with a smartphone, and you can geotag photos. This was also the only camera here with built-in Wi-Fi. £290
Wired: Good quality video; Wi-Fi; capable all-rounder
Tired: Weak flash; fiddly control buttons
Right now, this is the world's only true, interchangeable-lens waterproof camera -- sorry, Olympus, but screw-on lens converters don't count. You can choose from wide-angle zoom and very wide-angle fixed optics, and all other Nikon 1 System lenses will fit the AW1, although these won't be waterproof. Having "proper" lenses also makes this camera heavier than a compact. If you want a snapper for outdoors use and snorkelling, the AW1 is the wrong choice -- but it's perfect for serious underwater photographers.
Clever, diver-friendly features include RAW image capture and selecting functions by tilting the camera. £685
Wired: Diver-friendly features; lenses are interchangeable
Tired: Expensive; no image stabilisation
Rugged, but without the paramilitary style allusions of the Panasonic or Olympus cameras, the D20 is a decent all-rounder, matching the majority of its counterparts' specs. It fits snugly in the hand and, in a fair light, takes crisp images every bit as good as the much larger Nikon. The wide zoom range is especially useful, and macro performance is comparable with that of the TG-2.
It also comes in silver or a vivid shade of yellow. £239
Wired: Decent image quality; wide zoom range; clear interface
Tired: Images can look slightly cold
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
