Canon PowerShot D30 (2014)

Name: Canon PowerShot D30
Brand: Canon

A rugged, waterproof digital camera built for underwater use up to 25 meters, announced in 2014 with 12MP resolution and full HD video.

Overview

The Canon PowerShot D30 is an underwater digital camera introduced in 2014. It's sealed to IEC/JIS IPX8 for submersion up to 25 meters (82 feet) for 60 minutes, and rated IEC/JIS IP6X for dust resistance. It meets MIL 810F / 516.5 shock standards, so drops and impacts are covered. There's no viewfinder, just the 3-inch rear LCD. It doesn't charge over USB and has no wireless connectivity.

Specifications

Depth Rated	82 feet or 25 meters static pressure for up to 60 minutes. IEC/JIS IPX8.
Dust Rated	IEC/JIS IP6X.
Shock	Per MIL 810F / 516.5; IV
Resolution	12 MP (4,000 x 3,000 pixels) native. Also M1 (6 MP, 2,816 x 2,112), M2 (2 MP, 1,600 x 1,200) and S (0.3 MP, VGA 640 x 480) modes.
Lens	5 ~ 25mm f/3.9 ~ 4.8. Equivalent to about a 28 ~ 140mm lens on a full-frame or 35mm camera.
Shutter	1 ~ 1/1,600 second. There's a trick mode that goes to 15 seconds.
Viewfinder	None, rear LCD only.
Built-In Flash	Yes.
Video	MOV files containing MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video with linear PCM mono audio. 1920 and 1280 use 16:9 crops from the 4:3 sensor; 640 uses the full sensor. Only three video choices: 640 / 29.97p. 1280 / 29.97p. 1920 / 23.976p. Audio Mono mic only. 48k/16 bit coding.
LCD Monitor	3" TFT. 461,000 dots.
GPS	NMEA 0183 format log files.
Storage	One SD card slot.
Connectors	DC power, HDMI, USB connector that also does mono analog audio or NTSC/PAL analog video.
Power Battery	NB-6LH rechargeable lithium-ion battery. 3.7 V 1,060 mAh.
Battery Life	Rated 300 shots per charge or 1 hour of video (1:40 for video if you just start it and let it run continuously) or 6 hours of playback.
Charger	CB-2LY folding-plug charger. Universal 100 ~ 240 VAC 50-60 cycles, 50 ~ 85 mA. Rated 4.2VDC, 700 mA.
Size	4.31 x 2.68 x 1.08 inches. 109.4 x 68.0 x 27.5mm.
Weight	7.630 oz. (216.2 g)
Environment, operating	-10 ~ +40ºC. 14 ~ 104ºF.

Design

The lens includes one Waterhouse stop for f/8 ~ f/10 and uses a folded optical path. The camera was made in Japan.

Context

The Canon D30 is noted as being more delicate than the Nikon AW130, but easier to use. Its video autofocus during zooming is better than the Nikon AW130 and the Olympus TG4. At the time of review, it still sold at its original $300 price, with no discount. Above water it's usable, but image sharpness is less than a DSLR or even an iPhone 6s, especially in the corners. That's the trade-off for the underwater capability. It has no compass, depth gauge, altimeter or WiFi, and it can't be charged via USB.