Recently, Panasonic brought out the LUMIX DMC-FT1 digital camera. For around $699 (approximately £470) you can get this new camera which you can drop on the ground, in the snow, in the water and on the sand, without damaging it. It's the first toughened camera that Panasonic have released, and is currently the only rugged camera that’s on the market that's also capable of shooting high-definition video.
Members of the public who have already used and tested this camera said that they were largely impressed with its features, user-friendliness and picture quality. The new Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT1 has a 12.1-megapixel CMOS sensor and a 28mm wide-angle lens with a 4.6x optical zoom.
You can take the new Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FT1 with you diving in water up to 3m deep, and you can drop it from a height up to 1.5m without it being damaged. Rubber lining that has been placed on the doors that conceal its ports and card slot that will prevent water and sand getting in.
On the back of the unit there is a 2.7in LCD screen so you can view the pictures you have taken; there is also a rotational mode dial and a five-way controller to allow you to change through picture modes easily. There are four more buttons on the back of the camera which allow you to play back your pictures, initiate a video recording, quickly access the camera's settings, and change the amount of detail displayed on the LCD display.
The video play back from the camera is smooth and looks vibrant. This is a great advantage to those who would prefer not to splash out on a video camera separately.
