Panasonic Lumix FT3

The Lumix FT3 feels chunky without compromising too much on its size and it isn’t afraid to show off its bolts – in fact it wears them like medals on its aluminium body. Far from just looking tough, the FT3 can shoot at depths of up to 12m, will function through an icy chill of -100C and can take a fall from up to 2m, making it one tough camera. We especially liked the raised grip on the front, making the camera very comfortable to hold and locking the battery compartment.
The rear features large buttons which are easy-to-use, even in the water, and there’s a crisp 2.7in LCD for the clearly laid-out menu system and image review. The FT3 has a 12Mp sensor with a 4.6x zoom giving a 28-128mm equivalent and there’s also lens-based image stabilisation, all of which combine to give it satisfying if not class-leading image quality. At £299, it’s a tad expensive and while it lags just behind the best in image quality, it certainly leads in terms of toughness.   

www.panasonic.co.uk

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