Tough Cameras - Shock Test Results

Sony TX5 Surviving the assault course in terms of cosmetics was clearly an issue with the TX5, as the Cyber-shot logo rubbed off after little testing. Add this to the paint chips and scuffs, and it became instantly clear those good looks won't last long. The touchscreen also became unresponsive when damp, and the front panel made a worrying grinding sound.	Olympus mju 8010 The tap control wasn't as useful as it sounds, taking far too much effort to activate alongside only accessing minor controls. All of the buttons were a touch too small to use one-handed, which is a must when balanced on a beam less than a foot wide, although it did take a shot quickly when handled correctly.


Fuji Finepix XP10 Having moulded rubber buttons rather than small, plastic ones was a massive help to one-handed operation of the XP10, and even though only a 1m shockproof distance was claimed there were no issues with a 2m drop. The casing did suffer though, as the blue topcoat chipped noticeably at the top of the camera after a few visits to the surface.	Pentax W90 (Test Winner) Easily the most rugged-looking of the group, having rubberised edges all round and a lens surround which resembles a shockproof watch. Being 1.2m drop-proof was something of a surprise, especially as the camera was one of the least-obviously damaged after the assault course, and impressively easy to use throughout in spite of the small d-pad.


Casio EX-G1 The Casio EX-G1's svelte frame didn't look like it'd be up to surviving the 2.13m shock resistance emblazoned on its front. There was some initial damage to the casing, and the paint became scratched soon into the course, but there were no issues taking impact from drops. Despite small buttons a good design lends well to simple one-handed operation.	Panasonic FT2 Looking brick-like clearly has its benefits, as the FT2 showed little in the way of damage other than some significant scratches on the screen. The 2m drop height was easily within the FT2's means, and the optical image stabiliser was helpful when shooting on the move. Annoyingly, the mode dial easily shifted into unusable positions with small accidental knocks.