These are three of the best on the market:

Pentax Optio WPi, £269

The Good: Clear screen; waterproof to 1.5m; 15 scene modes; easy to use.

The Bad: Sports mode is unimpressive.

Overall: Largely immune to dust and water, this excellent camera will suit adventurers or the irresponsible.

Marks: 4/5

Olympus Mju 700, £230

The Good: Great build; small and stylish; easy to handle; weatherproof

The Bad: Slight image softness, barrel distortion.

Overall: The Mju 700 is a cute, convenient little wedge of photo-technology but not quite as tough as its competitors.

Marks: 4/5

Ricoh Caplio 400G, £300

The Good: Wide-angle lens; well built; speedy operation; can take pictures under water at a depth of 1m or less for up to 30 minutes.

The Bad: Purple fringing; noise at fast ISO speeds; impossible to select aperture or shutter speed; only 3 megapixels

Overall: If you're looking for a digicam that will take a lot of abuse, the Ricoh Caplio 400G Wide should be on your shortlist. But if you can wait another two months, the company has announced that it is launching the 500G, which offers a whopping 8 megapixel resolution.

Marks: 3/5

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