Home > Consumer Reviews > Canon PowerShot D10 12.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera with 3x Optical Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.5-inch LCD

I've been using a Canon DSLR for the past few years and I wanted a camera that I didn't have to worry about whether in the pool or at the beach. I first bought the Olympus Rough 6000 and can't stand it. While the concept is great on the Olympus, the pictures tend to have a lot of noise when the iso is anything above 50 and it doesn't matter how nice the camera looks if the pictures turn out horrible. So I decided to give this a try and I'm totally happy I did. It's very responsive for a point and shoot and the image quality and color are way better then the Olympus. The only thing I'm not really fond of is the design and how the lens is not flat with the camera; it looks like a tiny submarine. But the image quality is what matters, so i'll get over it.

Just returned from Hawaii and the Canon D10 withstood two weeks of underwater (ocean and fresh water) and outdoor (rain and waterfall) excursions. I had my doubts but the camera worked like a champ. On the last day (after loading all of the photos onto my computer) I decided to tempt fate and took the camera down to around 25-30ft deep and tried a couple of shots just to see how it held-up at close to the advertised depth. To further tempt fate, I tried to make a point of manipulating all of the controls while I was down there. The shots came out great and the camera survived unscathed. I do have two suggestions though. Periodically wipe-off the protective lens cover because the camera can have a tendancy to autofocus on the tiny particles of ocean detritus that stick to the lens cover (and take multiple shots because you often can't tell that a shot is out of focus by quickly glancing at the view screen while you're under water). My other suggestion is to buy a high-vis floating strap (like the Olympus). While the camera floats by itself, if you decide to stuff it into your pocket while you're swimming around it can slip-out. While doing my family head-count out past the reef, I noticed an orange object floating in the water about 80ft away. Without the high vis strap, I would have almost certainly lost the camera. All-in-all, I was pleased with the D10's underwater performance and durability, and it also takes excellent scenery shots (I've posted a couple of examples). In all other ways, it's basically a standard Canon compact camera (but with better than average low-light performance).

Took the Canon D10 on a trip to Kaua'i and had great fun with it. I've owned other Canon digital cameras and have been pleased with the results. They are not exactly point and shoot (though in AUTO mode you can do that), but there is also great flexibility in user settings. Getting to manual mode is a bit tricky at first and I haven't used it much in that way, but it is certainly available. In short, it works like most other Canon digital cameras I have owned, including the ability to stitch photos together for panoramas using the software included.

Here are some pros and cons of this particular camera (most of which have been pointed out by previous reviewers):

Pros:
1. Takes great pictures. Megapixel count is high, optical zoom works great up to 3x, red eye correction, autofocus and flash work as they should. Colors are spot on.
2. It really is waterproof! I used it to take pictures up to a depth of about 3 meters with no problems and had it submerged for up to an hour at a time with no issues. This to me is the greatest attribute of this camera. I may never own another non-waterproof camera again. What's the point?

Cons:
1. Shouldn't a waterproof camera float?! The wrist strap is very secure, but if you accidently drop the camera, it'll sink straight to the bottom of whatever body of water you're in. The metal body is nice and makes the camera very durable/attractive, but it seems like a hard plastic body and a few vacuum pockets would do the trick.
2. No lens cover. A little disconcerting. I ended up with a smudge on a few of my pictures because I'm not as meticulous about cleaning the lens before every shot as I should be.
3. Videos in .MOV format. Yuck. We're not all Mac users.... A very difficult format to transfer out of, too (for free). I use a program called "Super" which will transfer from/to just about anything.
4. The continuous shutter function is very slow. This is a criticism of all digital cameras I've had (all Canons) and it's no different here. You can almost press and release the shutter as fast as it will take pictures when you hold down the shutter button. Definitely not like an SLR.

I know there are more CONS than PROS here, but on balance the PROS far outweigh the minor inconveniences of the CONS. Highly recommended.

I tested this camera in my pool. If you do not like the blue pictures in the underwater mode, this is a great camera ot you can switch to auto mode and it you will get the blue.

I also took pictures on land and the colors are vivid. Seems like a typical Canon which takes excellent shots. I looked at the Olympus Tough, Optio W60 and this camera and I chose this one hands down.

Have owned for 3 months. Solid Canon with usual benefits - easy to use,fast and 'smart' - facial recognition and auto scene selection really do work.

12 M chip allows for lots of digital zooming but often is soft at max - likely due to limits of lens in compact camera and aperature speed of shot. Not a problem however if you stay (as you should) within optical zoom range.

My previous Powershot was the IXUS 430 (4MB) which had a tremendous dynamic range and auto color balance management - especially in overcast. This D10 with its 12M chip has a very narrow dynamic range and now goes grey in tone with outdoor overcast shots - perhaps an artifact of 12MB in such a small chip. Anyway, even if these two characteristics are not as good as in the past - they are a complaint I find in all my other compact digital cameras. White balance can be managed by using the custom feature and the dynamic range - well, just pretend you are shooting slide film.

The biggest (and perhaps crucial) fault is I have found that the camera occassionally exhibits an error; "Lens Error - Restart Camera" when starting up the camera. Esentially the lens does not extend and you must take out and re-insert the battery in order to start camera - not a good thing on the beach or while snorkeling. Do a websearch and this error can be confirmed as a problem Canon has had in past. Perhaps Canon's claim of "Shockproof" is a marketing gimic and not supported by any new technology - rather the camera is the same as other Powershots - simply put inside a heavy body.

If you are a 'Canon Guy' then go ahead and get it - could be mine is a lemon. If you are about to go on a rafting trip on the Zambeizi River, perhaps you might consider another brand - (after doing your web blog due diligence). After all it'd be a bit of a bummer to lose the shot of your guide being eaten by the aligator if the camera choses that moment to freeze up . . .