Highly Recommended
|
|
|||
 |
|
|
Highly Recommended
Reviewed:
Jul 2009
|
Canon's first waterproof digital compact is claimed to be waterproof up to 10 meters, freeze proof up to -10 degrees, shockproof when dropped from a height of 1.22 meters and dust proof. In addition, there are a range of optional protective accessories available. The camera has a 12.1MP sensor, 3x optical zoom and a 2.5" LCD, and includes Smart Auto Mode, Face Select & Track, Blink Detection and Face Self-timer.
| Quick links: | Announcement | Review | Sample gallery | Forum |
| Announced: | Feb 18, 2009 |
| Price range: | $300 - $304 |
|
Average rating:
3.77
|
|
Opinion: Essentially it's an Ixus wrapped in a waterproof silver painted housing. Same CCD as a host of smaller Canon's such as the SD960, 780, 970 - 12Mp, 43mp density - but the waterproof, dustproof housing costs a premium price.
Well made, mostly, but nevertheless top dollar for silver plastic. I would have preferred lightweight aluminum or black plastic but that's a personal thing...I just hate fake-it silver painted plastic and its really fugly when the paint wears off. Lovely funky design, nice to hold and easy to use.
Image quality is OK, but not great in anything other than good light. ISO400 is about the max you want to use this camera which has no superfine setting, and as a result, quite visible compression artifacts.
Red eye is quite strong.
I think however, I will have quite a bit of fun with this camera, and I'm sure that the next version will have learnt some lessons from this one, but it's one for the beach at the price of a mini holiday....
Problems: The first version I had of this camera was returned as the lens was radically out of alignment rendering the whole right hand side of images very fuzzy indeed. The second replacement camera is much better but by no means perfect. The corner edges are fuzzy but sample images from other reviews show a similar thing. I'll live with it, I guess. It also has quite a lot of chromatic abberation, more than I have seen for a long time in a camera, IQ overall and CA is about the same as my 2002 Nikon Coolpix 5000. There is not much detail at all in distant landscapes, close ups are way better.
But, on the positive side, you really don't need to worry about a fragile lens, getting dust into mechanisms, damp, rain, etc. Thats such a good feeling.
And robbers think you are using a Fischer-Price toy.
So, I will live with the average IQ, crop the edges and downsize my images to 6MP..something that makes them appear distinctly better.
Update - No, no and no -- after some experimentation and lots of images the second unit is really fundamentally flawed as well and its just not on to have a camera with edges this fuzzy in 2009. Imaging resource's review has similar findings. So, its a pity because I really wanted a go-anywhere camera but the only place this is going is back to the store.
Opinion: Purchased this to replace Pentax W60 used for shooting while whitewater kayaking. Fast lens and IS have eliminated blurred photos. Camera starts up and shoots very quickly. Overall sharp and saturated images, with good exposure and low noise. Small enough to fit in PFD pocket. So far the best I have owned for kayaking photos.
Problems: Minor issues: Wish it had more manual control. Some soft edges at full wide angle. Some jpeg artifacts visible at 100% viewing. Wish it had RAW or superfine jpeg setting.
Opinion: Unfortunately my experience with this camera is ended too prematurely for a construction defect and so I can't say nothing good of it.
I had always think that a 3 meters camera was good only for puddles so I had decided to buy only a more "robust" one and, satisfied of my previous Ixus 300 experience, I was so happy when my Italian reseller has call me just a week before my holiday to Maldives...... "is arrived the Canon underwater camera!".
In every forums I was reading that really many peoples pre-ordered this camera but still not obtained it so I was consider me very "lucky" to be able to acquire it .
The fist use of the camera was a transfer from a seaplane to a Dhoni (typical Maldivian boat) in a rainy day with the camera wet (not completely washed) that worked well.
Next day for the first time I decided to test the camera into the Indian ocean but in a absolutely not deep lagoon (0,5 meters deep).
I taken 3 or 4 test photos and then I decided to use the menu to switch to the submarine mode for test the color improvement function but all the buttons on the right of the display was not usable.
At that time I instantly carried the camera out of the water for testing all of the buttons and the only one that was working was the "display last picture".
Continually switch from shoot mode to display last picture mode the display after half minute had became black and the camera was no more operational.
After that I was going out of the water and completely dry the camera (also with a hairdryer).
When the camera was completely dry I had try to exchange the battery and the sd card (maintaining the camera in a "shoot mode" position with the casing at the bottom) but unfortunately nothing change.
Now I have only 15/20 photos of the first 24 hours of my holiday (4 or 5 underwater, yeah!!) and a big lesson, don't buy a freshly new model and, more important, don't go to holiday with only one camera.
Problems: The camera had "drink" ocean water the first time that I put it in a 0.5m white sand lagoon.
Only the "display last picture" button was working for a minute or so and then a blank monitor had ruined my holiday.
Opinion: amazing camera. just bught it and it is worth every penny. its perfect for scuba diving or just snorkling. best underwater camera on the market.
Problems: no problems but is a bit thick
Reviews and specs
|
Galleries
|
Challenges
|
 | 22.3 megapixels 3.2" screen Full frame sensor |
