In the distant by the standards of the IT industry in 2009, Canon jumped into the last car of the protected cameras, releasing one of the last of its first-born D10. This camera was like a bathyscaphe, which seemed to hint at the advanced capabilities of the camera when working underwater. However, something significant D10 could not surprise – both in terms of functionality, and in terms of depth of immersion. Then came a three-year pause. The design of the next model, the D20, also turned out to be very peculiar, but it was closer to the usual design of ultracompacts. But again – nothing supernatural or even unique in its class, this camera could not offer the potential buyer.
But the D30 surprises quite standard body. It’s not as deliberately brutal as the Panasonic DMC-FT5 and not as extreme as the Fujifilm XP200. Nikon AW120 also looks much more manly, and even cameras with a low security class look much more aggressive. But the appearance is deceptive: in fact, the D30 at the moment among the protected cameras is the most “deepwater”. Is it a joke – 25 meters immersion without boxing, 15 meters more than the predecessor! Most competitors rush at 12-15 meters, and the former leader in this discipline – the Nikon AW120 – lags an impressive 7 meters. The remaining “protective” characteristics are quite standard – the camera withstands frost up to 10 degrees and falls from a height of up to 2 meters. Also, the D30, like all direct competitors, is equipped with a GPS module. And at a cost the novelty is similar to the majority of top-end cameras-off-road cars, of which now it is not so much. In general, despite the striking advantage of the depth of immersion, easy life of the D30 is not seen.
⇡ # Technical specifications
There is no translation available.
⇡ # Package Contents
The delivery package does not stand out for anything special – camera, charging, battery, USB cable, strap, instruction and disk with additional software. As options are available a pair of covers, a silicone bumper cover, a pair of remote flashes, various cables, an organizer for accessories, and a float that will not let you drown the camera. In general, with additional options too sparingly.
⇡ # Appearance and ease of use
As noted, the Canon PowerShot D30 does not look like a normal protected gadget – it does not have aggression or any kind of brutality. However, it is more important not design, but how well the case tolerates all the hardships and deprivation of extreme exploitation. The front panel of Canon PowerShot D30 is made of aluminum. The surface is matte, and the paintwork is quite strong – accidentally scratching it is not so easy, although when it falls on asphalt or rocks it may be damaged, but this did not happen during testing. The rest of the body panels are made of very coarse, thick and hard plastic, which even with a needle was not easily scratched.
The build quality, of course, is impeccable. The inscription Made in Japan flaunts on the bottom of the camera, which is less and less common not only on compacts, but also on mirrors. In the front and back parts of the case there are two large hard rubber covers with an interesting texture pattern. The lining due to the solid composition of the rubber compound does not attract dust, but the fixation is provided solely by the texture of the surface, and not by the coupling properties of the rubber, – in wet hands the camera and strives to slip, which should be attributed to significant shortcomings. However, it should be noted immediately that, in general, the camera is very comfortable in the hands.
Front only the lens, the built-in flash and the monophonic microphone. Most of the rear surface, of course, is occupied by a display to the right of which is the swing-and-zoom swing control button, the buttons for switching to the viewing mode and entering the main menu, as well as the round four-position multifunction switch centered with the quick menu entry /
Only three keys are visible from above – power, shutter release and video recording. The lower part of the camera is not too loaded either – there is only a tripod mount connector and access door to the memory card and battery compartment. Classical for secure cameras, a two-level locking system is not there, but it’s unlikely that the compartment will open either, because the lock slider needs to be not just moved, but slightly raised. But in any case, this is the least reliable lock among all competitors.
The mechanism for locking the door on the right side surface is similar. Underneath the door, there are hidden connectors for USB / AV and HDMI cables, as well as an external power supply socket. The left lateral surface is empty.