Asian Diver and Scuba Diver No.6/2014 Volume 135 | Page 4

Starting Out with a New
Compact Camera?
MY RECENT TRYOUT OF THE CANON
POWERSHOT D30 left me with the conclusion that
it was definitely a camera worth grabbing for the
adventurer who wants something that's versatile and
easy to pocket when travelling.
Aside from its shockproof and freezeproof credentials,
the PowerShot D30 packs a 12.1-megapixel sensor
and boasts full HD (1080p/24fps) video capabilities. But
the biggest draw for underwater photographers is the
PowerShot D30’s amazing out-of-the-box 25-metre depth
rating – no underwater housing needed!
From a photographer's point of view, this is not a
camera to want to “build” and slowly add on additional
external strobes or start stacking on lenses with. However,
as a simple module, it can still produce some impressive
images easily.
There are four main things that I like about the
Canon PowerShot D30:
First and foremost, setting up the PowerShot
D30 is completely hassle-free. Just pop in the battery,
insert your memory card, put it into your pocket and
get into the water!
Secondly, the built-in flash is positioned in the
middle of the camera, producing a centred light for
subjects close by.
Also, the PowerShot D30’s lens is fully encased
in the body, so the common problem of built-in flash
shadowed by a protruding lens has been eliminated.
Third, the PowerShot D30 has an excellent
Custom White Balance capability, comparable to
Canon’s more-advanced S and G Series cameras, that
works well even in low light and at depth. In daylight
conditions, this means no more “all-green” or “allblue” underwater photos – even if you don’t use the
built-in flash or additional lights.
Finally, with its impressive one-centimetre focusing
distance, the PowerShot D30 allows you to get close
enough to shoot the smallest subjects, without the need
for a special macro attachment.
As my main camera or as a spare, I find the Canon
PowerShot D30 has a very usable feature set, is
extremely easy to use, and is capable of taking superb
topside and underwater photos.

Photos were taken with the Canon PowerShot D30.
Other than some basic cropping for composition, minimal edits were done.

Brought to you by

Text & Photos by Tim Ho, Asian Diver
Field Photojournalist (Philippines)