CES 2013

At first glance, Vanguard's GH-300T looks like most other pistol grip tripod kits. But, there's a tiny orange button on the trigger that actually fires the shutter. That makes swiveling the head for panoramas shockingly easy. It also has an adjustable center column that can be used like a boom stand for getting in tough spots or shooting at odd angles.

There's a lot to love about the GoPro family of cameras — but let's face it, sometimes you don't want an ungainly cube stuck to yourself as you go careening down a mountainside. Panasonic has taken a very different form factor with the tough camera HX-A100, which features a lens on a cable from the main unit.

Somewhat oddly, it has been a pretty good CES for fixed-lens compacts. Yesterday, Fujifilm announced their new X100S digital rangefinder, and now Sigma has an update to their DP line with the DP3.Like the previous DP cameras, the DP3 lens doesn't zoom, rather it's a fixed 50mm F/2.8. Because the sensor is still an APS-C sized Foveon X3, that gives it a full-frame equivalent focal range of roughly 75mm. 

Rugged cameras have a history of being rather flamboyant looking and Sony's new value-oriented tough shooter is no exception. It actually looks a bit like Canon's old D10 camera, at least in color. It is, however, a lot less blimp-shaped.The TF1 has a 16.1-megapixel sensor -- a Sony staple -- and a 2.7-inch LCD. It's only waterproof to 33-feet and the 4x zoom lens has a maximum aperture of F/3.6-F/4.7. Maximum ISO goes to just 3200. But, since these cameras are made for action, outdoor light will likely make those specs a little easier to overcome.