I Need a New Camera - Harder to Kill

Mr Head

I've scratched the lens or gotten dirt inside the last two or three cameras I've had.
These are P&S cameras I use while traveling by motorcycle or just wandering around. The last camera I scratched was a Canon G9 X MK II. I was shooting a movie with it in a SXS and took a lot of dust. There is now a flaw I see once in a while,

I figure now that the horse has been stolen twice it is time to lock the barn.

I'm looking for a point and shoot I can add an ND filter to for lens protection.

I'd like to stay around the $500 mark. I prefer a camera I can carry in a pocket, but am and have been leaning more toward the fancier stuff, but really don't want to be destroying more money. I was just getting to like this Canon when I scratched it.

The camera prior was a Panasonic LX5. I really liked that camera.

Thoughts?

Thanks,

ziggy53

I don't think that either of those cameras has environmental seals. If you just cover the lens (which is still a good idea BTW) water and dust can still enter the body and contaminate inner lens elements and/or the sensor itself.

When my son was deployed to the Middle East I got him a P&S, a mini-tripod and a DiCAPac waterproof bag with an optic port for the lens. I tested the system before I sent it to him, and it was a pain to use but it did a decent job protecting the camera at relatively low cost. (He wound up destroying that camera but it had to do with high-explosives testing and him resting the camera on the ground during the explosion. The resulting shock wave was the last thing the camera recorded.)

You can still get DiCAPac environmental bags for a number of cameras. Like I said, they are a pain to use but pretty effective.

Adorama DiCAPac

B&H DiCAPac

A better solution would be a dedicated water-proof case, and one that provides access to a majority of the important camera controls.

Fantasea Line FG9X Underwater Housing for Canon PowerShot G9 X or G9 X Mark II

You might also consider a second camera, just for this application. (Dusty or wet environments.) An Olympus "Tough" series, for example. (Never had one personally, so check reviews before purchase. There are numerous options available.)