Any recent Powershot D20 users out there?

Hello,
I've been looking around here for some more recent opinions of the so called waterproof Powershot D20 and can't seem to find anyone that has recently been using this camera on the boards here so I thought I would post a new thread looking for newer opinions.

I just purchased this camera from Amazon and I should have it tomorrow. I opted to not go for the new D30 as it seems the only added feature is the ability to go much deeper in water with it, and I highly doubt I will ever need it for that function as I do not scuba dive only snorkel.

I decided that for my upcoming cruise in November (Southern Caribbean with 5 ports of call) that I wanted a small pocket P&S that was waterproof.

I just returned from a 7 night resort vacation to Mexico and lugged my 50D and my lenses with me and I realized that I'm really getting quite tired of lugging my big camera and all the lenses with on these international trips. It's turning out for me that I am trying to fly with as little luggage as possible and carrying my camera case and equipment on these trips is becoming cumbersome to say the least. So It was a toss up as to what kind of pocket P&S I should get, one that is waterproof like the D20/30 or a standard non waterproof S100/110. I really didn't want to spend more than $300 range for something yet still wanted somehing that brought me pretty good image quality so I could blow up photos to about the 11x14 size.

I was just reading some of the reviews of the D20 on Amazon and it seems like its pretty hit or miss with this camera in terms of it leaking in water and it's supposed to be waterproof. Not sure if Canon is producing a lot of lemons in this line or what but I was actually quite shocked to see the reviews go from 1 star with it leaking/breaking either right out of the box or after only a few uses to 4/5 start reviews with people raving that it's the best waterproof P&S camera they have ever had and how it produces really good photos. That kind of huge range between reviews really has me scratching my head as to what the real situation is with the camera and whether or not I might get a lemon out of the box or what.

Can anyone that still has this camera and still uses it frequently care to chime in on how satisfied they are with it and maybe post some photo examples?

I guess I really need to start testing this out as soon as I get it this weekend and pretty much use it everyday for the next 30 days so in case I get a dud I can return it right away and get my money back. It will still give me enough time before the cruise to decide what else to replace it with.

Take leaking with a grain of salt. 99% of the time it is user error whether the user admits to it or recognizes it or not. Been doing this a long long time and have very rarely seen a leak caused by a faulty housing.

Slow and steady and good light while you're putting the thing together. Dust, hairs and teensy debris on an oring are not your friends.

I've used and been around quite a few D20s and Canon has done a good job for this market. It's perfectly capable of nice underwater images.

Be aware that these cameras tend to not do quite as well as dedicated land versions but the images should be just fine unless you're a super nitpicker.

Forget what others have said and get yours out shooting as soon as you get it. Figure out the controls and what creates the best shots for you. If you're concerned, pop some of your tests up here and we'll try to trouble shoot. I'd be super surprised if you get a lemon.

kja wrote in post #17024227
Take leaking with a grain of salt. 99% of the time it is user error whether the user admits to it or recognizes it or not. Been doing this a long long time and have very rarely seen a leak caused by a faulty housing.

Slow and steady and good light while you're putting the thing together. Dust, hairs and teensy debris on an oring are not your friends.

I've used and been around quite a few D20s and Canon has done a good job for this market. It's perfectly capable of nice underwater images.

Be aware that these cameras tend to not do quite as well as dedicated land versions but the images should be just fine unless you're a super nitpicker.

Forget what others have said and get yours out shooting as soon as you get it. Figure out the controls and what creates the best shots for you. If you're concerned, pop some of your tests up here and we'll try to trouble shoot. I'd be super surprised if you get a lemon.

Kristin, Thank you so much for responding!!!! I saw some of your older posts regarding the waterproof cameras and had really been considering that Panasonic Lumix you have and mentioned, it was a toss up between the two. I am such a loyal Canon fan that I decided to give the D20 a shot. Since I do enjoy doing a lot of landscape and scenery shots and only a small percentage of my photos will be around water I am still considering a Canon S110 to take overseas along with the D20. I love my big old 50D and I just purchased my first L lens a 17-40L but just don't want to lug it around on this upcoming cruise.

Thank you again for all the info!!

I purchased one earlier this year, as my Lumix TS4 kept taking blurred pics with distorted colours.
Yes, pics are a bit soft but can be enhanced with Adobe Lightroom. I usually just use the "Punch" option, which doesn't actually do any sharpening. Here is one I took a few months ago off the Perhentian Islands. It was an overcast day and the visibility in the water was really bad.
http://woofess.smugmug​.com …QSbtTz/0/L/IMG_​1210-L.jpg

Woofess wrote in post #17026273
I purchased one earlier this year, as my Lumix TS4 kept taking blurred pics with distorted colours.
Yes, pics are a bit soft but can be enhanced with Adobe Lightroom. I usually just use the "Punch" option, which doesn't actually do any sharpening. Here is one I took a few months ago off the Perhentian Islands. It was an overcast day and the visibility in the water was really bad.
http://woofess.smugmug​.com …QSbtTz/0/L/IMG_​1210-L.jpg

That's a pretty good shot!!! I have tried out the camera this weekend, not underwater though just land pics and so far what I am seeing on the LCD screen they look pretty good! I'll have them printed out and see what they look like on paper but so far I am pleased with the quality I am seeing so far.

Hope you end up loving both the camera and the cruise