Looking for a robust small digital camera

[Mandarax]

I'm thinking about buying a small digicam for travelling as a handy addition to my DSLR. Since I'd like to have it at hand all the time and plan to carry it in a pocket of my riding jacket, I would like a camera that can resist some dust and rain. Elements not sticking out of the housing (like protruding lenses) are a definitive plus. Even better, if the camera would be operationable with gloves.

I found very few cameras that are supposed to deliver that (more or less only the SW types from Olympus).
So I'd like to hear from other riders, what they use.

Any comments or suggestions?

Hans

[mcgiggle]

I've just brought on of these Digital Hero Camera Home it does still and vid, comes with helmet mount and a big sucker so you can mount on a car/surf board/snow board etc etc waterproof to 100 ft. It will take upto a 2GB SD card and AAA batts.
Really pleased with it and all for £144 all in.
HTH

Pete

[Mandarax]

Just to clarify: I'm talking about a still camera.

Hans

[wildbeeste]

I bought a new one of these from ebay. 10X digital zoom. lots of MB. Leica lens.
I wrote a review of it for ebay but there are loads of reviews there.
Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ3 Digital Camera: items on eBay.co.uk

It has been superceded by more Megapixels but is still the same camera.
Dropped it in a river in the Himalyas.
Dropped it all the time on hard surfaces many times.
Soaked for hours in a motorcyle jacket
Still works and still use it regularly.
It has antishake and focuses really quickly.
Battery life good
Takes reasonable video if you want.
Only downside is lowlight conditions require some thought. (focusing not so good at night outside) Otherwise it has an intelligent mode that does everything.
It has loads of settings for particular conditions eg fireworks portrait landscape snow that actually work and are not all gimmicks.
Four guys all bought the camera and took it on the trip to the Himalayas. We did not know each other before hand either.
Spare batteries cheap from USA £5
Takes SD cards - cheap memory
Wife has a FX01 (smaller and 3X zoom) Daughter so impressed she bought one too. If the zoom is not important I would go for the smaller one.
Oh yes I nearly forgot - the reason I went for it 28MM lens. So much better than the standard 37mm in most digitals
Oh and later version was camera of the year I saw the other day on same advert

[PocketHead]

I have the olympus 725 sw, it's a nice little waterproof and shockproof camera (but lacks a few features such as wide angle lens)

[djorob]

Just so-y-know.
There is soon to be a digital hero 5 which takes video and 5m stills, has a burst mode and a picture every 2-3 secons mode I believe.
Dave.