Rugged Compact Camera Options

Olympus TG-6 is a tad higher price but you might be able to get a second hand one (or a 5).
Definitely on the bombproof end of cameras. Mine has had several swims and spills although not the best for general use.

After having a rugged camera - fujufilm - I'd recommend that whatever it is it has some sort of lens cover despite any claims about toughened glass etc.

Personally I'd use a phone with a decent case on. Get a few years old IP rated google pixel and a solid case and your pics will almost certainly be better than a compact cam for point and shoot applications IMO.

Having had a Fujifilm XP, I would not recommend a Fujifilm XP. Nice enough, and fun initially in the sea, and then out in the cold, but it lasted about 8 months before it started eating batteries.

Yes, the Olympus is a nice camera but double the budget is hardly a tad. The waterproof features are not a biggie but dust and impact are. Just finding by the time I've buggered about with my mobile, the moment has passed and cannot really work it with gloves as fingerprint or touch screen controls pretty well everything.

Yes, the Olympus is a nice camera but double the budget is hardly a tad. The waterproof features are not a biggie but dust and impact are. Just finding by the time I’ve buggered about with my mobile, the moment has passed and cannot really work it with gloves as fingerprint or touch screen controls pretty well everything.

I find a mobile much quicker to take a quick snap than getting camera out and turning on, and no need to touch the screen at all to take a quick snap.

Most androids have functionality that when locked if you double tap the power button the camera app opens and then press volume up or down to take the pic.

At work we have been using the Fujifilm xp and I'd say it's a 60% hit rate. Especially at night.

My team are switching to the Olympus Tg6 and the initial reports are very positive

Most androids have functionality that when locked if you double tap the power button the camera app opens and then press volume up or down to take the pic.

Well I never!

I find a mobile much quicker to take a quick snap than getting camera out and turning on, and no need to touch the screen at all to take a quick snap.

I don't know. A modern phone is more than most people need in most cases, but part of me misses carrying a camera on the bike, mainly for the fact I could grab it and have it ready to take a picture within a second. One finger on the shutter button to wake it up, and the same finger to take the picture. I've missed a lot of opportunities fumbling with my phone.

I'm interested in the same question since I've a bit of an itch for it. I'd need sold that it's almost as convenient as a phone though. Bluetooth images to phone, etc. I was using a Lumix which was very robust but it just became a chore. One that's hard to justify when your quick phone snaps look better 90% of the time.

Properly rugged cheap and cheerful? Fuji XP. Not very sophisticated but I really like the image quality (caveat - I tend to like a bit of dirty lofi imagery). The stock plastic lens cover is awful though and scratches too easily - when this happened to mine I bought a second one and it happened again. That brought out the Dremel, some Sugru and a 37mm filter mount... Much better...

https://flic.kr/p/2iEzB3C

If you want better image quality (especially in lower light) I'd go for a Sony compact but they don't do a rugged one. However, their phone cameras seem to use the same sensors and software as their compacts and are often tougher and IP rated. Grab yourself an old XZ1 compact and you're good to go...

Having said all that, this is what I currently take out riding purely for use as a camera... An old OnePlus 2 - just because I really like the camera on it and always have. I'm on my 4th one now - around 60 quid on eBay. Install Procam X and Framelapse and I'm good to go. My current one has a clip on phone lens thread dirtily grafted on to it so I can swap out different lenses for 'proper' wideangle, macro, etc. All wrapped up in a thick silicone bumper and it's as rugged as it needs to be, and deffo cheap enough to not worry about if things go wrong.

https://flic.kr/p/2nR4FdB

I guess the other option is an action camera if you can live with, or learn to love, their limitations for stills work.

Most androids have functionality that when locked if you double tap the power button the camera app opens and then press volume up or down to take the pic.

My phone opens the camera if you shake it twice, I have visions of doing this on the bike and the phone slipping out of my hand and disappearing onto the road with a smashed screen.

I don't have a rugged camera, but I do have a compact that I sometimes take cycling.

Brand/model of what I've got doesn't matter, it wouldn't meet your needs. But what does matter is how usable it is. It's way easier to whip it out of my bag, point and shoot. Two buttons, can be done with thick gloves on, the lot.

My phone isn't bad, but it's never been that easy to get a photo. If they did a rugged version I'd get one - I've been tempted by the tg-6 a few times.

I stopped carrying a camera years ago, once mobile phone cameras started to produce a decent quality image. I found no significant difference between getting my phone out of whatever pocket it was in, turning it on and getting the zoom to whatever was appropriate, then taking a photo, and taking my phone out of my pocket, it waking itself up, me swiping across the screen to open the camera and pressing one of the volume buttons, in fact it was usually significantly quicker to use my phone.

Especially as it’s in a case with a lanyard attached that I can usually use to drag my phone out of my pocket quicker that fumbling for it in my pocket.

It’ll be even better when my new phone arrives, with the 48mp sensor, it’ll give greater room for cropping images down with little loss of quality. To be fair, though, if the ambient light is very bright, a phone screen can be difficult to view sometimes; looking through a viewfinder is easier, but having said that, most compact cameras use a view screen which is just as difficult to see, especially as it’s significantly smaller than a 6.7” phone screen.

This is a snapshot I took with my iPhone 11 Pro Max, not sure I’d have taken a better photo with my old Lumix compact.

Although, it could do with cropping a bit.

From your kind responses it seems to boil down to a choice between the Olympus which is more than I can justify, the Fuji which isn't very good and staying with what I've got and learning to be less ham-fisted which is unlikely. As I mentioned waterproofness isn't that important as I live in a dry part of the world but keeping dust out is. I just want to be able to pull it out of my bar bag or back pocket, turn it on using a glove friendly button and shoot half decent shots in good light with the occasional panning action shot without a variable time lag. Not too much to ask is it?

I had a Canon G7 (oldest model) and though not marketed as rugged it withstood a hell of a lot of abuse. Took fantastic photos aswell though I guess the video wouldn't be up to much.

I have a Sony RX100 MK1 now which I don't enjoy using as much and definitely isn't as rugged but does take great pics.

A G7 can be had for £50 odd now and the MK1 RX100 for £100. Both well worth it imo.

G7 doesn't do Raw iirc

I don't love my Olympus TG-5. Rinses battery because you can't turn GPS tracking off fully, and it often underexposes on green box auto mode.
It also seems unusually incapable of anything approaching macro shots.

If it's dust rather than water you're worried about, I'd deffo err on the side of a phone or a Fuji XP. Any of the compacts with an 'external' pop out or zoom lens is going to be pretty prone to dust getting in there no matter how careful you are, especially if you're using it with your gloves on. Once the dust is in there it's a bugger to sort out - I've got a really good Lumix superzoom compact I can't bear to use any more because of one irritating bit of dust in the lens/on the sensor (plus a couple of cheaper Sonys with the same issue).

I love my Olympus tg4. It takes waaaay sharper photos than any phone I've had, if you want to blow them up.
Smaller photos on the phone are fine though.
Tg4 been dropped and bashed off stuff and thrown in the sea and is still going great guns after many many years.

Although that being said I do like the auto scenes / HDR / wide angle / panoramic capabilities on the phone
(and lack of yet another device to carry)

Sweet spot is a combination of tg4 and phone.

Most androids have functionality that when locked if you double tap the power button the camera app opens and then press volume up or down to take the pic.

Just don't hit it 5 times in quick succession 🤦

Hmm. As someone who owns some fairly expensive photo equipment, I'd say a 'phone is the best camera to just have with you at all times. Any sort of rugged compact will be relatively bulky, so will require faffing about to get it out of a pocket/bag/case anyway. And you'll probably need to take your gloves off anyway.
And then not really offer any improvement in image quality over a 'phone; the image processing in some 'phones now is amazing.The only real advantage I can see, is an optical zoom lens.If you're not after waterproofness, then there are better cameras than the Olympus one mentioned, for a lot less. I'd say the best bet is to go s/h really, loads of absolute bargains to be had. Most cameras will be reasonably 'dust proof' anyway. Something like this would be at least as good as, oin terms of image quality, as the Olympus TG6:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sony-DSCWX350-Digital-Compact-Optical/dp/B00R4I5E0C?th=1

Those little Sonys are great. If you can still get hold of one the WX220 is a lovely little thing for the money, but as I said I have had dust issues with the lens.

Are we slowly reaching a 'decent phone camera is best for this' concensus?

I understand why phones seem to be the answer, but that wasn't the question.. I tried my best to use my phone yesterday but despite doing the shake n'vac to turn the camera on and the volume button shutter release, the bright sunlight made composing the shot impossible, the screen is just too dark. I had another look online and Sony seem to have a decent range available. Prices seem to take a big jump if the camera features WiFi, is this a worthwhile option? Guessing transferring shots to a phone or tablet wirelessly makes them more visible without fiddling about with SD cards.

From experience the Sony wifi option is functional, but infuriating. Certainly easier than faffing around with SD cards - even though I have a reader for my phone - but still if I don't follow the same (undocumented) steps my Sony cameras just won't connect.

TBH this is not limited to Sony.

I have a TG4 that I hardly ever/never use and may consider selling if you fancy it. Shoots raw/underwater

I understand why phones seem to be the answer, but that wasn’t the question.. I tried my best to use my phone yesterday but despite doing the shake n’vac to turn the camera on and the volume button shutter release, the bright sunlight made composing the shot impossible, the screen is just too dark. I had another look online and Sony seem to have a decent range available. Prices seem to take a big jump if the camera features WiFi, is this a worthwhile option? Guessing transferring shots to a phone or tablet wirelessly makes them more visible without fiddling about with SD cards.

What makes you think a camera is going to be any better in terms of screen visibility? Most compacts don't have a viewfinder and the screens are generally dimmer than modern smartphones.

What's your current phone?

Also to point out, different gloves with touchscreen bits on the finger tips will be far cheaper than £250, no need to fumble taking off gloves.

STR I've messaged you.