Introduction

There are tough cams, and then there are capital-T Tough cams. The Panasonic Lumix TS3 is the latter, plated in armor and built like a brick. This waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, and dustproof warrior is rated as one of the hardest rugged cameras on the market. It can fall from the greatest heights and withstand the greatest depths, yet it still fits into a jacket pocket, it's still easy to use, and—most importantly—it takes decent pictures too.

The TS3 was released in March 2011 and is available in orange, silver, blue, and red shades at an MSRP of $399, though street prices are about $100 cheaper.