I picked up a 2nd hand Leica D-Lux 3 last year before going to West Africa. It has been great in the last 12 months. I have shot loads with it even filming whilst riding my mountain bike. Im not afraid to get it scratched etc and its produced some excellent results.

Wide angle lens, metal construction etc. not 'proof' but pretty sturdy.

G

is that a badge engineered panasonic lumix?

How about the Nikon AW100..?

A rival for the Panasonic FT4 with a few more megapixels.

I still can't decide if a rugged camera is really necessary, you get a lot more for your money with a regular camera.

Then again, I am hopelessly clumsy..:(

I was out last week in the snow and rain with my FT2. It's such a relief not to worry about it getting wet or faffing with waterproof bags. Just stick it in any pocket or let it hang round the neck, wipe the lens and shoot.
I looked into other rugged compacts a month or two ago when I thought my FT2 was on the blink (now OK). All bulkier or less battery or added gimmicks like GPS. Got another used FT2 off ebay for £60 as back up.

Chris

I get the compact camera option, but
 

Personal choice:
Panasonic GX1 with
Panasonic 14mm f2.5 (equivalent 28mm) mounted on camera.
Panasonic 20mm f1.7 (equivalent 40mm)
Olympus 45mm f1.8 (equivalent 90mm)
Olympus 9-18 zoom (equivalent 18-36mm zoom)
Although the X zoom 14-42 (28mm- 84mm) power zoom is totally a travellers lens and a perfect match for the camera.

and I have a pick of Canon EOS 1 and 5 series cameras an L lenses to hand, which simply aren't feasible to take on a motorbike tour
My take is that if you are going to the most exotic places in the world, you need to be able to take the best images that you can, because its unlikely you will be there again.

On the subject its only when you print pictures out A4 sized that you really get to see the quality, one of the primary sins of digital is cooping images up in computers, and one of the most impressive aspects is the explosion of images in self published book format

G

Mine also for some 3 or so years now. excellent. Note that the zoom range increases if you lower the pixels a little.

I've gone for one of these: WB150F 14.2 MP Smart Camera - OVERVIEW | SAMSUNG

Ok, it's not a tough camera, but it was on offer for £119.00. Pretty good for the spec. Also, it can transfer pics via wi-fi and charge directly from the bike via mini usb.

Another £30.00 got me a guaranteed replacement should it suffer from any mishaps in the next 3 years.

So it might not be rugged but I'll get a new one if it breaks. I'm pretty happy with that. :D

I just picked up a new Canon G-15, and with the little bit of playing around I've done with it, I quite like it.... Has anyone tried the telephoto adapter lenses on the G series cameras? Are they a worthwhile purchase?

I also own a G12 and for adventure motorcycling trips it's the best you can buy.

Having said that, it's NOT a dslr so you'll have to live with that fact, but you can film (guite good actually) and take your pics, all on manual mode, which is what you need if you know how to take a picture.

For those of you who will attend the HUBB UK meeting, I will be giving a travel photography workshop, based on camera's like the G12 to prove that one can make great pics with a small camera!

@ Island Hopper: no, haven't tested it. Just go loser to whatever you want to shoot... :cool4:
But one piece of equipment you want to buy is the Hähnel remote control for the G series. The only add-on that I bought for the G12 and I am more than happy I've done this.

I have had Canon G9, G10, G12, S100, S110

Now I have Sony RX100 and I will not touch the others anymore ;)

:thumbup1:

I do encounter a good number of bears in my riding and the odd one will allow you to take photos... The getting closer thing doesn't appeal that much to me so I ordered a 4.5 tele lens and adapter to try out...

I'm a huge fan of the Lumix camera's. 3 years ago I was looking for a high quality small camera that would take sharp accurate shots but I could carry with me all the time. I wanted something that was robust and tough, but with a superb lens, and that would take RAW files. I bought a new Lumix LX-5, and it's been in my pocket and on multiple bike trips and family holidays ever since. It's superb. In fact, it's do good that I NEVER use my DSLR these days except when I need to photograph something with a big telephoto lens on it.
The LX-5 has an all metal body, a crisp Leica lens that is very wide and very fast, (F2 at max aperture) and zooms from 24-90mm. The images I get are fabulous.
The only down side is the maximum zoom of 90mm is not great, but as a travel camera that easily fits into a pocket, its a compromise I feel is worth it.

They are now onto the LX-7, but plenty of LX-5 and 3 models can be found 2nd hand.
Video is pretty good on it too.

Cheers,

Julian

checkout the Panasonic lumix fz 200 2.8
not super compact.but a great landscape, wildlife camera

no need to advertise the brands and models...
no need to talk much...
just check the comparisons pls... :

Sony RX100 Mark II vs Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 - Cameras Specs Comparison

LX7 vs RX100 on the streets of Philly: Panasonic Compact Camera Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

http://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/3238485]Lx7 vs Lx5 vs RX100 JPEG Engine compared!!!: Panasonic Compact Camera Talk Forum: Digital Photography Review

[url=http://thelightweightphotographer.com/2013/01/18/sony-rx100-a-good-question/]Sony RX100 – A Good Question

Similar story here. RX100 uses a fairly large sensor which gives a high res picture with less noise. I moved to this camera as the G series Canons are bulky enough so as to not be easily carried in your pocket. the RX100 gives what I'd consider better image quality in a smaller body. Get a grip for it though as the front of the body doesn't have any place to grip and being such a small camera it can easily slip. Sony have a stick on grip that is perfect and there are also underwater housings available if you want to take it snorkelling, kayaking etc. The G series canons do feel better in my hand as they feel more rugged, however this counts for nothing when you scratch the lens while doing a macro shot doh. RX100 also great for night shots due to low noise at high ISO

DPreview.com has plenty of info on this camera. The Mk 2 and 3 versions are just as good but increase their bulk slightly for the sake of a foldout screen in MK2 and an optical viewfinder in Mk3