Grime TestWe sealed the cameras in a container full of dirt, sand and dust for three days, regularly shaking the package.Casio: The bits of dirt that got into the camera’s doors and crevices were nothing a Q-tip couldn’t handle. Kodak: The Kodak saw the least dirt seep in, if only because its monolithic frame had the fewest nooks and crannies.Olympus: A few pieces of sand worked their way into various hinges and crevices, and some particles seemed to interfere with the flip-up lens cover.Winner: Kodak.Water TestWe submerged the powered-on cameras in a tank of water for three days, occasionally taking photos.Casio: What’s a bit of water? The camera proved to be truly waterproof.Kodak: The camera emerged from the three-day swim completely unharmed. Olympus: Yep—survived it.Winner: Three-way tie.Media Platforms Design Team(Photographs by Jeffrey Westbrook/Studio D)Drop & Smash TestTo test for drop-proofness, we released the cameras from incrementally increasing heights. We then laid them on concrete and smashed them with a metal baseball bat until they broke.Casio: Casio claims its camera can survive 7-foot drops. Ours breezed through a 10-foot ceiling-height fall unscathed. After one hard bat smash, the screen was a cracked mess, but the camera still worked. One more hit and it was over. Kodak: This camera’s claim to resist 2.5-foot drops was far too modest—the PlaySport took our 10-foot fall like a champ. The baseball bat was another story: One hit broke a hinge and cracked the screen beyond use. Olympus: The claim: 6.6-foot-drop survival. The reality: A 10-foot fall was no problem. But one hard hit from a baseball bat left us with a dead camera.Winner: Casio.Bottom LineAll three cameras proved exceptional at withstanding grime, water and drops. And while the Casio’s ability to withstand a hard hit from a bat was particularly impressive, all of them can handle most common calamities.
