Panasonic Lumix FT-10: Jungle P&S camera

The unboxing happened at the Shopwise Cubao. Who'd ever make a ceremonial unboxing for just Php8,700 worth of product at a posh hotel's classy restaurant.

This is a Panasonic FT10. And you've heard it right, it cost sub-9grand. Don't raise your eyebrows yet. There is more to it than meets the eye. For one, it sports a sturdy aluminum body and a folded optics safe from accidental protrusion presses.

That's not all, the FT10 is shockproof from drops put to 1.5meters, waterproof up to 3meters, and freeze proof up to 10degrees Celsius. Yes, this is your trek camera. It can endure form nature's cruelty and man's insanity up to a certain degree.

Inside it's hood is a 14Megapixel CCD sensor, with 4x optical zoom, and equipped with Panasonic's MegaOIS(optical image stabilizer). Not only is it limited to its still capture capability, it can also do an HD recording of 720p in MJPEG. Intelligent Auto is a breeze that provides shooting-assist functions to capture spur-of-the-moment instances.

All in all, this is the point-and-shoot camera you'd want to use if you're frequenting outdoors, especially for expedition purposes.