Hot on the heels of the Pentax Optio WG2-GPS and the Canon PowerShot D20, Olympus has unleashed the TG-820 and TG-620 Tough duo - the latest wannabes for the compact camera hard gang.

These sturdy compacts boast the usual array of 'proof features, including being waterproof (10m for the 820, 5m for the 620), shockproof (2m, 1.5m), freezeproof (minus 10 degrees) and, in the case of the 820, crushproof to 100kg.

They also have cases that are more like armour -  including double lock mechanisms to keep the battery and the ports safe and a metal barrier to protect the lens from getting damaged.

In terms of the usual camera specs, you're looking at a couple of 12-megapixel snappers with 5x wide optical zoom (28-140mm) lenses that are powered by Olympus' TruePic VI image engine. They boast iHS technology, HDR backlight adjustment, a 3D shooting mode, dual image stabilisation and a range of magic filters. On the video side, it's Full HD 1080p all the way, including when you're underwater.

The TG-820 trumps its little brother when it comes to the display; boasting a 3-inch 1,030k dot Super Precision HyperCrystal III LCD, compared to a 460k dot one on the TG-620.

Both cameras play nicely with Eye-Fi, are SDHC and SDXC memory card compatible and pack direct HDMI out for watching back your media on your TV.

Both of these new Tough compacts are available from the middle of this month; the Olympus Tough TG-820 for £269.99 and the TG-620 for £229.99.