I haven’t been able to do much with the Canon PowerShot D20 rugged, waterproof camera yet. But looking at the studio samples has me thinking I’m going to need to re-evaluate the camera recommendations in my 2012 Outdoor & Waterproof Camera Guide. A quick comparison with my current top waterproof camera pick, the Olympus Tough TG-1 iHS (Olympus Tough TG-1 Studio Sample Photos), shows the Canon D20 has noticeably better image quality up to ISO 800. So for general outdoor photography, in good light, I think the D20 is going to give you brighter, sharper photos with better contrast and color saturation. And I would expect no less from Canon – I think their point-and-shoot cameras almost always have the best image quality.
The shower photo above (a blatant attempt to attract the wrong kind of visitor) is about the extent of my testing with the Canon PowerShot D20 so far. Rest assured, I will put it through its paces and write a full review. In the meantime, you can pixel peep to your heart’s content with the high-res studio samples below. The Canon D20 tests were shot on a tripod at all ISO settings in the PhotographyREVIEW HQ studio with white balance on the tungsten preset. The logo, graybar and text were added in Photoshop and they were resaved as maximum quality JPEGs for your viewing pleasure. No noise reduction or any other kind of enhancement was used. What you see is what you get.
For more information on the Canon PowerShot D20, please read our announcement article linked below. And if you own a D20, please write a user review for us!
Canon PowerShot D20 Studio Tests
 Canon PowerShot D20 ISO 100 Sample |
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 Canon PowerShot D20 ISO 200 Sample |
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 Canon PowerShot D20 ISO 400 Sample |
 Canon PowerShot D20 ISO 800 Sample |
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 Canon PowerShot D20 ISO 1600 Sample |
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 Canon PowerShot D20 ISO 3200 Sample |
Canon PowerShot D20 Waterproof Camera Intro >>
Outdoor & Waterproof Camera Guide >>
All Digital Camera Sample Photos >>
Related Content:
All Canon User Reviews
Canon PowerShot D20 Photo Gallery
Canon Cameras Forum
Digital Cameras Forum
More Waterproof Cameras News & Articles
Canon News, Reviews & Articles
Canon Web Site
All Digital Camera Pro Reviews
All Digital Camera Studio Sample Photos
Emailed to my kayaker friend.
Interesting. I agree that the studio photos are better for the D20. Warmer, where the TG-1 has a cooler, bluer hue to them. BUT… your gallery for the TG-1 shows some pretty amazing outdoor photos. Do you have any way to compare the two with a standard scene in natural light, where I’ll use one of these cameras primarily?
I don’t care about the studio results (incandescent filter and all) as much as natural light results.
Thanks!
Thanks for the comment, Joel. And a more than fair request. I’ve got a pretty good gallery of Canon D20 photos going now so I’ll be happy to oblige. And I think the Canon holds up in natural light, too – as long as the light is good. When the light gets low,the Olympus’s fast f/2.0 lens keeps the ISO low and nullifies the D20′s image quality advantage. Here are galleries from both cameras so you can do your own evaluation. Keep in mind while you’re looking at these photos that they have all been adjusted a bit. Only the studio tests are untouched, as they were shot.
Canon PowerShot D20 Photo Gallery >>
And for comparison, the TG-1 gallery:
Olympus Tough TG-1 Photo Gallery >>
Let me know if you’ve got more questions. People seem to be having a very hard time choosing between the D20 and the TG-1. And I can’t say I blame them.