Product Review: Canon PowerShot D10 waterproof digital camera

  What fancy expensive DSLR camera do we use here at ETC? Uh, well, we don't. This little blue camera is responsible for almost all of the shots you see here on the Everyone's Travel Club blog. Who knew that this little guy could keep up with all of the traveling, saltwater, heat, and sometimes just plain torture and neglect that we've thrown at her over the years.

Pretty standard button selection for shooting pics

   All in all, a pretty standard button setup...On top of the camera (from right to left) is the shutter release button (take a picture), the on/off power switch, the playback button for looking at photos you've already taken, the camera/video switch, and some sort of print button (that I've never used...hmmm...I'm kinda curious now) (update: the print button is used to add a picture to the print list - you could then pull up the print list using Canon software on your computer and print out the specific pictures from your roll).

   The two trap doors (it seems cool to call them trap doors) hold their waterproof seal really well. I've never had problems with water getting in. The picture above is of trap door #1 - the battery and SD memory card slots. It didn't come with a memory card so we picked up an 8 gig card (and just picked up another one for long trips). In the picture below is trap door #2 - a place for alternate power (D/C in) and an A/V - USB cord out to your computer.

   The circular parts in the pic above are for moving the wrist strap around...we like ours in the top right spot...which is good because repeated saltwater adventures have corroded the parts together and it's stuck there.
   The camera menu is pretty simple too. I mainly move between the auto function, the scene function (SCN) and the video. One of the biggest pros is that all buttons can be reached with one hand - a big reason why I don't use a fancy DSLR - I usually have a paddle in one hand and the camera in the other (while trying to balance and not fall in the Puget Sound).

   Downsides? She's a little fatter than you think (which may, however, contribute to her not breaking when you drop her...down flights of stairs). This makes it a little tricky to put in your pocket like a casual point and shoot. Out of the box the camera doesn't come with a memory card or a case - not a deal breaker but it would be nice. 
   If the screen fails there is no way to see what you're shooting, due to the camera not having anywhere to look through and take pictures (we haven't had any trouble here). The 3x zoom leaves a little to be desired. Some folks online left reviews on Canon's website saying the camera isn't supposed to be used in saltwater, I'm pretty sure this is false, and even if it isn't, we use it in saltwater all the time. Finally, HD video probably didn't seem like a must when this camera hit the shelves but it is now - maybe the next model will deliver.
   I've used a few other waterproof cameras from the big name companies and they couldn't cut it. I sent one back because it just plain took bad pictures/video (but it was thin and shot HD video) and threw the other one away because the water killed it mid-adventure (it cost less then the Canon). 
   So, all-in-all, a great little camera. 12.1 mega pixels (hmm, why the .1?), normal video (no HD), great auto function and good in low light, image stabilizer prevents blurry pics, waterproof, freezeproof, and strong as an ox. I mean, I've dropped this thing repeatedly. My favorite was accidentally dropping it down a 2-story wooden staircase and onto a concrete floor. I went down the stairs, picked up the camera, and powered her right back on. More importantly to us - she's been in saltwater over and over and remains operational (I usually rinse in freshwater afterwards but sometimes adventure calls!). She's not without downsides but has done, and still does a great job for us and our readers. I don't see a better waterproof camera on the market.

[update: there may be some competition...the Nikon AW100...stay tuned for an ETC review!]
[double update: Just caught wind of the new version of this camera, the D20...check it out here]

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Canon Powershot D10 Digital Camera
Reviewed by Everyone's Travel Club 12/3/11
This review is not sponsored by Canon, but if you do decide to purchase the camera from Amazon and do so through the link above we would receive a small kickback donation to the club. Thanks for the support and we'll keep the blog moving!