Great adventure cameras for summer fun

— -- Summertime is prime time for outdoor adventures. Whether it's a day at the beach, a trek up a mountain, or even a weekend on the slopes in a few months, an adventure-ready camera can capture the good times without succumbing to the elements.

No less than 15 new durable, waterproof cameras are available this year, and we've rounded up the best of the bunch.

The All-Arounder

The Olympus Tough TG-1 is the best tough-cam out there, bar none. It takes excellent photos in any setting — even indoors, where every other tough-cam struggles. The body is built like a tank, with class-leading ratings in every durability category. The feature set is fully stocked, with top-tier speed, a vibrant OLED display, 1080p video, striking digital effects, an awesome super-macro mode for extreme close-ups, and built-in GPS for geotagging photos.

Crucially, the TG-1 is the first adventure camera that's actually a great all-around camera, too. At $399, it's one of the most expensive tough-cams out there, but it's worth every penny.

The Sunshine Shooter

The Panasonic Lumix TS4 excels under the sun, with the brightest, most vibrant outdoor photos in the class. It's still incredibly tough, and boasts the best in-camera GPS system on the market. Street prices are hovering around $280, so if you don't need the indoor prowess of the expensive TG-1, the TS4 makes for a decent, dedicated outdoor camera.

Style and Substance

The Sony Cyber-shot TX20 is as slim and stylish as any other Sony pocket camera, but it can survive at the bottom of a swimming pool. The pictures are suitable for sharing online, and like most Cyber-shots, it has a bunch of cool, cutting-edge extra features. The $300 street price is a bit steep, but it's the slickest, smallest adventure camera out there.

Honorable Mentions

Packaged with a carabiner, the Pentax Optio WG-2 plays up the "rugged" theme more than any of the other cameras. It's a perfectly decent outdoor camera, but lacks any standout features. If it's on sale, it's worth considering.

The Canon Powershot D20 offers great outdoor image quality and a friendly interface, as we've come to expect from Canon, but you'll have to get past the cumbersome design and flimsy battery door.

For tight budgets, the Panasonic Lumix TS20 is a "lite" version of the TS4 above. It isn't quite as rugged as the other cameras here, but it's tough enough for the beach, and costs less than $150.

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Head to DigitalCameraInfo.com to read Reviewed.com's in-depth reviews of all of these adventure-ready cameras, and many more. Reviewed.com is a division of USA TODAY.