- Waterproof to 33 feet, temperature from 14-104 degrees fahrenheit
- 12.1 MP Canon HS SYSTEM with a High-Sensitivity CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4 Image Processor
- 5x Optical Zoom with 28mm wide angle lens
- 3.0-inch Pure Color System LCD for easy viewing
- GPS tracker to record image locations on a map via Canon's software (does not work under water)
- Waterproof to 33 feet, temperature resistant from 14-104 degrees Fahrenheit and shockproof up to 5 feet
- 12.1 effective megapixel, 1/2.3-inch high-sensitivity CMOS sensor
- 3-inch TFT PureColor system LCD
- Full 1080p HD video with dedicated movie button
- 28mm wide-angle lens (5x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom and 20x combined zoom) with optical image stabilizer
I preordered this camera when it was first announced. I was a little disappointed when Amazon dropped the price before it even reached my house. I anticipated this camera not only for the waterproof capabilities, but also because it is shock proof...and probably because it was a Canon. I live in Hawaii and intend to take this to the beach to take photos and videos in and out of the water. I'm a special education teacher and wanted to have my students to create their own learning stories with photos that they took themselves. I am very reluctant to have them use a DSLR or even a regular point & shoot camera with the fear of them dropping $1000+ worth of equipment.
When I got the camera, I quickly looked over the manual for any waterproof information that I might need to know. Everything was straight-forward with no hard-to-find switches to lock any waterproof seals. In other words, feel free to take this out of the box, put in the card and battery, and take underwater photos. I didn't even charge the battery and was able to take about 100 photos and 15 minutes of video right out of the box. I used this opportunity and the next 2 days to extensively test my camera in order to create this review.
DESIGN: 6/10
It's feels very sturdy like it should. The blue metal panel on the front is very nice to look at. Unfortunately, I think the shape is a little too "showy". If you want to show off the fact that you have a waterproof camera then this is the one for you. (I sort of liken it to a Prius, which everyone knows is a hybrid. At first glance, many people will know there is something special about this camera.) I'm a little confused about the left-hand side of the camera which is a little curved. You can put a strap there, but I don't really see the functionality of it being that shape.
My biggest gripe is that the included handstrap can be "twisted" on and clicks into a metal plug. It can be EASILY removed with a very light press on the button and twisting it off. It gives me the fear that it could be accidentally bumped and twisted and the camera will detach from your wrist (though you'd probably have to be mighty clumsy to do so). I would have wished that the strap attached directly to the camera instead of this metal knob. The strap clip also protrudes diagonally out of the bottom corner and you need to remove this if you want to lay in on a flat surface to take photos or video.
IMAGE QUALITY: 9/10
I am a camera enthusiast and mainly use Canon DSLRs (5D, 7D, 1D series, etc...) with L lenses. I also have an Olympus micro 4/3s camera and even have a Nikon D2x, so I'd like to think I know my stuff. Prior to this point & shoot, I used a Canon SD1100 before it got stolen. With this SD1100, I took over 10,000 photos and took hundreds of hours of video (which I made into DVDs to view on TV, or straight from iTunes to a TV...it's only 480p) edited with iMovie. I've always gotten compliments on the video quality of this older model P&S, and was quite impressed with it myself.
As far as photo quality of this camera, I've got to say that it's good, but nothing more than what you'd expect from a P&S camera from 2012. Color is nice and even zoomed in at 100%, the image quality is as great as one might expect. As with any camera, keeping the ISO as low as possible will keep any noise or grain to a minimum. Remember, you're paying a premium because this camera can go underwater or in the snow. It would be unfair to expect DSLR quality from this camera because that's not what it's meant for.
The same goes for video quality: the reason you bought this camera and paid more for it than another P&S is because it is waterproof. If you want that IMAX look, you've got to spend thousands of dollars. If you can't afford that, this is the next best thing. The quality of the out-of-water and underwater videos was superb. I took it to our pool and took videos of various colorful toys underwater. It was a sunny day and the quality was great, vibrant, and clear. I wasn't able to test it in low light situations. I also have a Panasonic TS-10 (underwater camera from 2010) and the Canon D20's video and image quality is surprisingly better.
For on-land videos, the microphone is not as good as normal P&Ss. I'm assuming that it has another waterproof protective layer over it. I don't think this should be surprising to anyone.
One last note on video. This camera has a 5x zoom. When shooting video, it can optically zoom in and out. It will also focus all the way from macro to infinity while still recording, which is different from other cameras that I used in the past, where if you started your video, it couldn't refocus or optically zoom. It even adjusts exposure, meaning that if you're recording in a bright area and come into a dim area, it will adjust automatically while still recording video. Thank you Canon!
ERGONOMICS: 8/10
Buttons are nicely spaced. There is a large thumb rest button that I just can't figure out why it's there except for cosmetic purposes. I thought the playback button on the top was a little strange, but the shutter button is much larger and protrudes so you shouldn't get them confused. It's somewhat on the larger side for a point and shoot, but it probably has something to do with the waterproofing, shockproofing, and freezproofing. It can still fit in pants pockets. I thought the black parts of the camera would have a little more grip, but they are plastic and not rubber. I have no complaints about the design or shape and it felt comfortable to hold. I was able to press buttons underwater very easily.
The screen is very bright at the default middle setting. It is bright enough that it was not necessary to brighten it while underwater. It is very clear and easy to look at. I hope sand or other earth elements don't scratch the screen since I don't know if I'll be able to apply one of those protective sheets over the LCD as it might fall off while underwater.
Snowboarders or divers with gloves might have different experiences than a casual user like myself as far as the button spacing is concerned.
The lens doesn't have a cover. It is in the upper corner, similar to other waterproof cameras. Not much out of the ordinary to comment on this. I got some sunscreen on it and wiped it off harshly with a t-shirt. No scratches at all. I'm hoping it's made of durable glass like other waterproof cameras.
The flash is moved to the middle. I find this makes it easier to avoid covering it with my fingers as I do with other cameras where the flash is in the upper corner. Definitely a plus.
BATTERY LIFE: 9/10
With a full charge I took 150 photos and about 30 mins of videos and still had 1 of 3 power bars leftover (approximately 33%? remaining life). If this is a vacation camera, it should easily be able to last a full day before you need to charge it at the hotel. If you're taking this camping or somewhere with no power, practice using it to gauge how long it will last. When the battery starts flashing, you still have about 10 minutes of video left before it completely dies.
In comparison, the Panasonic TS10 seems to die out before taking even 200 shots with no video. I am not pleased at all with the Panasonic's battery life.
WATERPROOFING: 10/10
I've used this only a few times so far (though intentionally submerged it in water overnight for this review) and have experienced no leaks. I have never experienced leaks with my Panasonic waterproof camera either. If it did leak it would get a zero, but for now, I can't say. It seems to be waterproof. I was a little skeptical about the latches on this camera and felt that there might be a chance that they could get accidentally opened since they only require one flip rather than use a 2-step safety switch, but I tried rubbing it and dragging it over areas that could possibly open the battery and input/output latches but they seem to stay closed as expected.
As with other waterproof cameras, be careful when taking this out on a boat or to the dock where you aren't in the water yourself. In my pool it took only 4 seconds for it to fall 8 feet. They don't float! Imagine if you're over the edge of a pier in 30 feet of murky dark water. It will hit the bottom before you can take your sunglasses off. The detachable strap (as mentioned above) is so easy to intentionally remove that I feel that it could also be easily removed accidentally. I am highly considering a floating strap.
SHOCKPROOFING: ?/10
Uh, I'll trust Canon and not attempt to drop this camera just for the sake of this review. The box says it can withstand a 5 foot drop and I'll take their word for it.
BELLS AND WHISTLES: 7/10
GPS: Works I guess. It has a little trouble getting a signal inside, and this is my first camera with GPS, so I'm not sure how accurate it should be. But it was able to record the coordinates of my outdoor shots (though not all of my indoor shots).
Camera features: It has SMILE DETECTION that seems to wait for the whites of the subject's teeth to snap the photo (a big grin doesn't seem to work). This will work great with my special needs students, who can just hold the camera and ask for the subject to smile. SUPER SLOW MOTION is pretty cool. It needs a lot of light and can only take it at low resolution. It also includes other more commonly included effects such as FISHEYE and MINIATURE. I don't think I'll find myself using these effects quite often. You can go to Canon's website or other review sites to find out more.
Playback features: Includes commonly found features such as slideshow functions and a photobook set-up. What confused me was the ACTIVE DISPLAY which lets you scroll through photos by tapping the corners of the camera with your index fingers during playback. A cool gimmick perhaps meant for snowboarders with thick gloves. I found it easier to scroll with my thumb on the directional keys.
Macro: (added this part in later) Forgot to mention the macro capabilities of this camera. It is unbelievably versatile. It can clearly and easily focus on items even 1cm away from the camera. And it's smart so you don't have to change settings from normal to macro modes (although it does have that capability if it can't detect it automatically). I haven't used any of Canon's newest P&S's, so don't know if this is normal to be this good. Feel free to take macro pictures of bugs, wet plants, or rocks, without worrying about the camera getting wet, dirty, or knocked around.
OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
This is a very solidly built camera that is very eye catching. Image quality is EXCELLENT for a point and shoot camera. After using a waterproof Olympus, as well as a Panasonic one, I would definitely recommend this Canon D20 for the superior image quality. I was originally going to give this a 4-star rating, but that would mainly be because I thought the strap placement and it's funky non-rectangular design were huge issues. However, after reviewing my photos and videos, this is definitely the waterproof camera to buy! The image quality is very exceptional for a point & shoot. If you're trying to capture those underwater photos during a trip-of-a-lifetime, spend a little more and get this camera.
Update: 5/31/2012
I'd like to add just a few more things since using this camera for about a month now.
Image Quality: No RAW. There are a number of mid to high-range P&S's with RAW. This does not have RAW. I don't want to get into a debate about the necessities of RAW on a P&S. This is what you get with this camera.
I took this to the beach and had it around my wrist for about 3 hours in salt water. The water was shallow, but I did not feel like I might accidentally undo the strap like I had originally thought. I also took it into the pool as well as in a jacuzzi (for about 30 minutes). No leaks, no indications of leaks, no water issues. I've had smaller P&S cameras before, and when looking at the size of this thing, it's quite large for 2012. However, I had it in my pants pocket and swim trunk pocket, and I didn't notice or mind the weight. I was able to take a number of low-light video...of course there's noise, but it was very acceptable and looks great in HD. Over 3 days I took about 12GBs of videos and photos. As I had guessed earlier, the battery should last the whole day until you're able to charge it overnight. I feel that the GPS sucks a lot of battery power, as I did get the flashing red battery towards the end of each day. And I couldn't get any videos of fish. They kept swimming away from me and I didn't have a snorkel. I will try to go to Hanauma Bay one day with this camera.
Students in my class have been able to use it, and it just feels so much less stressful letting them use a shockproof camera versus even a $90 regular P&S. It really allows them to experiment in their own way without restrictions or having an adult pay more attention to the camera than anything else. It's a pricey investment for children (so don't get one just because you'd like your 3 year old to become a photographer), but we used our other P&S for 3 years+ very diligently (until it got stolen) and know that we will use this one just as much as the other one.
Buy Canon PowerShot D20 12.1 MP CMOS Waterproof Digital Camera (Blue) Now
It's easy to be mislead by the marketing hype and glowing reviews, as I was, that this is a high-end general purpose pocket-sized 12 megapixel camera that takes stunning photographs and just happens to also be waterproof. But after evaluating the camera and very nearly returning it in disappointment I just want to caution others that this isn't the case.
This is a specialty camera for taking passable snapshots underwater and under inclement conditions. Significant concessions in image quality were made to "ruggedize" the camera, and these are apparent even under ideal conditions. This is true of all cameras of this type to date, and this camera is no exception. Shadow and background areas are suffused with noise pixels. Focus is soft, especially in low light. Chromatic aberration (colored fringes) is/are easily visible in areas of high contrast, even when images are reduced in size. Unless your standards are fairly low, I doubt you can get prints larger than 8x10 from the images the camera takes, under ideal outdoor daylight conditions. For pictures taken indoors, there's so much noise, even using the flash, that 5x7 is probably the limit.
If you're content to use the camera for what it's made for, it's a lot of fun. It works in the rain. It works under the lawn sprinkler. It works in the pool. It works at the beach. You can prop it up or set it down on wet or snowy or muddy surfaces to stabilize a shot, and just rinse it off later. It can sit in the puddle at the bottom of your kayak between shots. It's certainly adequate for uploading proof of your adventurous nature to Facebook. It has a very nice feature set, although it can be hard to figure out what some things are for, and hard to remember where some settings are located. It takes surprisingly nice video for a pocket-size camera, with zoom available while recording (the sound is mono though.) I actually like that the camera is fairly large pants pocket size, not shirt pocket size well suited to large hands, or gloves. It feels very solid. (The strange grip on the left is weird though. I couldn't possibly hold the camera the way the manual shows, but I make do.)
If you also want to take tack-sharp pictures, especially indoors, or make big enlargements, or be able to crop the pictures down a lot later, you're going to need a second camera for that. If you don't want two cameras, you need to decide what you want more, and how often you'll benefit from a waterproof camera. If rainproof is all you really need, you might be better off making strategic use of a ziplock bag. (Cut a hole in one side for your hands, and point the camera toward the zipper opening, like a poncho.)
If you truly need a rugged waterproof camera, this is a very nice option. If waterproof is just a "sounds-nice-to-have" for you, the image quality may be a big disappointment.
Read Best Reviews of Canon PowerShot D20 12.1 MP CMOS Waterproof Digital Camera (Blue) Here
We purchased this camera for a trip to Hawaii for taking pictures while snorkeling. We were a little concerned because we had purchased a Kodak waterproof camera last fall when we last went to Hawaii that flooded after the first time using it in the water. We didn't know if it was because the Kodak camera was cheap/poorly made or if waterproof cameras always ended up leaking, as all the waterproof cameras seems to have a bunch of "it leaked" reviews. We had read good reviews about this camera's previous version, the D10, so we decided to take the gamble with this one.
This camera worked great, no leaks at all. We used it in the water almost everyday of our 10 day trip, for hours at a time. We got some really great shots, including out of the water. It also has an underwater macro that we think works really well. Taking pictures underwater takes some practice to get good looking shots, but we got some really great close ups of turtles, fish and eels. We also like the wrist strap attachement on the camera, which some people have complained about. We like it because you can remove the wrist strap from the camera fairly easily when putting it in a case, which was convenient for us, because we use a floating wrist strap that is kind of bulky.
The one thing I would stress is to make sure you rinse off the camera after each use in the ocean. We would just fill a ziplock bag with fresh water, drop the camera in for a couple of minutes (make sure to press the buttons too when they are submerged in the water) and then dry it off completely. We have read that this is the key to keeping the waterproof gaskets on the camera from getting salt and sand build up that can cause leaks (says this in the manual too, but not sure how many people actually read the manual).
We couldn't recommend this camera more, we know it is not the cheapest, but it works great.
Want Canon PowerShot D20 12.1 MP CMOS Waterproof Digital Camera (Blue) Discount?
We ordered this camera the day it came out. Of course they lowered the price $20 two days later, but it is still a very good value for what you get. This camera is replacing a Sony Cybershot that also was a 12MB camera. The reason we decided to go with this camera is because we found that having a good camera and a separate camcorder was becoming cumbersome. This camera gives you an all-in-one advantage as it is a good quality point and shoot camera as well as an HD video camera and it is rugged and waterproof. I also recommend getting a Sandisk Extreme Card for this camera because those cards have the speed to handle Full HD video. We went with the 32GB version just to make sure we had plenty of space. Also buy extra batteries!! You can also find an inexpensive (under $4) HDMI Mini to HDMI cable to hook this camera up directly to your TV to showcase your HD footage.
If you are looking for a very high quality camera, you will never get that in a point and shoot which this is. If you are looking for good quality pictures, this camera will meet those needs. If you are looking to shoot an academy award winning movie, once again this is not the right choice for you. This camera is for the everyday user that wants to have good pictures and HD video in one place. This is perfect for families and it can go in the pool, to the beach, and can still be handled by a toddler as it can handle some abuse. You can get a much better camera (with 20x+ optical zoom versus 5x) for the same price without the waterproof feature so make sure that is what you are looking for. Being able to take it anywhere was our number one feature.
Features we loved:
--Waterproof and Rugged
--Full HD Video (also allows you to zoom while recording which most cameras do not allow)
--Has a good look to it (some of the competitors have a very boxy look)
Features that could have been done better (why it is 4 stars instead of 5):
--The camera has a place for the strap on the left side. They intended that to be for the shoulder strap, but the screw in handle strap attachment made for the lower right side is very awkward. In other words, I have always had my camera strapped to my right hand and now I need to get used to strapping it to my left hand. They should have had a built it strap loop on each side.
--They put the on/off button, picture taking button, and playback button lined up all on the top side of the camera. Be prepared to line up that perfect shot, but miss it because you hit the playback button instead of the picture taking button. The playback button should have been on the back side of the camera.
--The camera is quite big for a point and shoot. It does not bother me, but this is not going to fit into a tiny purse or your back pocket.
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I've had my Canon D20 for about a week now, so this review will not be exhaustive. However, I've played around with it enough to provide some helpful impressions.
LIKES
* Overall image quality is good. Considering the conditions in which you can shoot with this (wet, cold, hot, dusty, etc.), I'd rate image quality as very good.
* Low-light performance. Most of the underwater pictures I've shot were in the pool in the evening with no direct sunlight. Given the lighting conditions, the images far exceed a typical point-and-shoot. Considering they were shot underwater (taking away quite a bit more light), the increased challenges of automatic focusing, etc. and I'd rate the image quality fantastic.
* Form factor. A little awkward, but fun and easy to hold & use once you get the hang of it. The included strap is well done, rugged, and can easily cinch tight on your wrist for times when you are in the water or in other settings that might make keeping hold of it a challenge.
* Video quality. Excellent! I've been shooting videos in full HD and watching them on my 42" HDTV. The quality far exceeds what I expected.
* LCD. It is 3", bright, and easy to use underwater.
* Battery life. Very good considering it has no optical viewfinder, meaning the LCD is constantly on.
* Zoom. Haven't played with this too much, but the wide range on this camera makes this quite versatile.
* Exposure. One pleasant surprise is how quickly and how well the exposure adjusts to/from underwater and out of the water lighting. It does have a dedicated underwater setting, which might further improve my underwater shots, but Auto works great if you are moving back & forth often.
DISLIKES
* Very limited manual controls. On the plus side, the Auto mode works well, and how much do you really want to fumble with manual settings while underwater or in other challenging settings?
* Price. Yes, it is a bit too expensive for everyone to grab one. But $ for $, this is a fantastic bargain for a high-quality rugged, waterproof camera.
* Limited flash control. Most point-and-shoots nowadays allow you to force the flash to fire, which can be really helpful at eliminating shadows, among other things. In Auto mode, you can't do this (though it might be possible when you use other modes). On the plus side, it does so well in low light that this is less of an issue.
* It is not the best all-around point-and-shoot camera. If I were to have just 1 camera in this price range, it would be the Canon PowerShot S100 12.1 MP Digital Camera with 5x Wide-Angle Optical Image Stabilized Zoom (Black) or something similar. My S95 produces FAR superior images and offers full manual control. BUT... what you are paying for with the D20 is something that you can knock around, drop, take in the water, use in the rain or snow, etc. and not worry about.
If you are an outdoor enthusiast and find yourself missing a lot of shooting opportunities because the conditions aren't safe for a regular point-and-shoot, I don't think you can much better than this. I thought of just using my S95 and getting an underwater housing for it, but those are costly. The D20 is capable of great shots, especially in tough conditions (see some of my samples from time in a pool), and is easy to grab at a moment's notice. And that fact that it is rugged makes me a lot more willing to allow my kids to shoot with it. Given the balance of features, image & video quality, and price, I happily give this 5 stars.
