What is your favorite ski camera?

I haven't had a camera I've been happy with while skiing for quite some time.  I am looking for a lightweight durable camera to take with me into the backcountry.  I figured the expertise on this message board would be way better than a camera salesman for figuring out what cameras make good ski companions.

What is your favorite camera for the backcountry and why?

Thank you for your time!

I've had a Pentax W30 and a Pentax W60. I've been very happy with them. They compromise everything optically in order to gain the slim body/waterproofness, but that's worth a lot to me. Every piece of gear I carry can survive being drowned in a creek. Browse my trip reports to get a feel for what's possible with them (gave the W30 to my Dad for xmas of '08). The camera's biggest weaknesses for me are its low light sensitivity and its too-compressed highest quality modes (no RAW/lossless jpeg). Their short-distance macro capabilities are impressive and have been very useful to me at work.

My girlfriend has a Canon D10, and has been happy with it. It has a somewhat larger objective/possibly better optics and may be supported by the open source Canon firmware by now. When she bought it in mid-'09, it definitely seemed to be one of the best waterproof models made. Just looked up the specs for the D10 - the aperture does go down to f/2.8, which is superior to the W60, but its widest field of view is 35mm (35mm equivalent) instead of the 28mm of the W60 (something I find handy).

If I were aiming for quality imaging in a non-waterproof single body, I'd probably consider a Canon G11, though other makers may have something even better these days.

I do some careful metrology with an FZ-18 on a daily basis. The lens is wonderful and the firmware reasonably easy to use. Back when I bought it for our lab in '08, it represented an excellent value in terms of optical quality. If you happen to be doing high magnification macro imaging with an 0.6 meter standoff distance, I know of nothing better, even in the SLR realm. If someone does, please let me know.

Edit: D10 specs.

Check out the Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2 which is justifiably promoted as a "tough" camera. I bought the earlier generation DMC-TS1 last summer and have been highly pleased. Very compact, dust proof and shock proof (key for climbing) and best of all, it's waterproof (doubles as dive camera but great for shooting in snow and rain). Good resolution (DMC-TS1 was 12 megapixels, new model is apparently 14 megapixels). Two nice features: Panasonic electronics coupled with a Leica lens, and the lens is flush within camera body even when in telephoto mode. Bought mine via on line mail order from B&H Photo and saved a $100 over best prices in Seattle camera stores.

Voting for the olympus stylus for bomber durability. I like a ski camera that you don't have to baby.

I've had the 790 sw since their inception(3+ yrs?) and have yet to break it... and I break shit. I carry it in an outer mesh pocket in any weather, sometimes ride with it in my hand. It get's wet, freezing cold, dropped, dropped on, has dents in it's casing, but never fails.

not sure about the tech stuff. it can probably take much better photos then I produce.

I also have a 1030sw, not as old, but same story. Dents and everything.

For me the camera has to be user friendly, and simple to operate. 
This includes both the controls, and the menus.  one thing that has not been mentioned, and I think it is important, is an optical view finder.  in bright light, and wearing prescription shades, the display is impossible to see.  This is the main reason i upgraded from my 3 year old Nikon L10 to the canon A1100.  I have had 2 Nikon's, and now the canon, and all are good tools.  i think the Nikon's had better image quality, but the canon is much faster.  As far as ease of use both brands are comparable.  Some other things i consider;  large display, no touch screen (must have buttons and dials),  view finder,  10+ megapixels,  image stabilizer,  highdef video if it can be afforded,  wide angle lens with 5x zoom or more, and small body with light weight.

I have taken thousands of skiing photos with my Pentax Optio Waterproof cameras (I am now using the W80). I carry it on my belt so  that it is always available. A great skiing picture is the one that you get rather than the one that you might have taken if you had stopped to take a bigger, more technical camera from your pack. My friends don't want to stand around while I fiddle with a camera; they want to ski. I get lots of decent action shots because I do not have to baby the camera.The Olympus competition may have been more durable a one time, but I believe that the W80 has dealt with that issue.