I have a DSLR but I always like to have a point and shoot camera to serve both as a back up but also as alternative for situations where its more convenient to have a small camera. The Canon D10 serves as my second camera and I've had ample opportunities now to use this camera and so feel confident to review it accurately.
****What does the camera look like****
This camera does stand out from the others on offer -and to be honest, you're either going to love it or hate it. Its a combination of aquatic blue and silvery grey in colour and, to be honest, it could be considered to look a little like a child's toy camera! It has the Canon logo on the front of the product and a camera lens which reminds me a little of a port hole on a ship (which I'm sure isn't accidental since one of the special features of this camera is that it is suitable for working underwater). The front of the camera also has a flash that is inbuilt into the body of the camera itself rather than one that flips up. On the back there is a 2.5 inch LCD screen and the standard buttons on the back of the camera next to the LCD screen and on the top.
The camera itself looks a little bulbous and bulky as it measures almost 5cm in depth and so it isn't really conducive to sticking in my pocket, but it easily sits in a small handbag. I have to say that I actually like the fact that the camera is bulkier because I find it easier to hold it in a stable position. It is lightweight, weighing just under 200g.
On each of the four rounded corners of the camera, there are four circular ports that allow you to connect various straps to it - and to decide exactly where you want the straps to be connected. Complimentary with the camera is a wrist strap which has a circular disc on it which you can slot into one of the four ports and twist - and this connects it. You can buy (if you so wish) straps which are suitable for a shoulder strap or a neck strap. I actually like this new way of connecting the strap.
****The Lens and Sensor***
The camera boasts 12.1 MP and saves photos in JPEG format. I would prefer to see the camera being able to save in JPEG and TIFF but unfortunately this isn't possible. However, a good point is that it does have a 3x zoom capability (35-135mm equivalent) and an optical IS (see below) which almost compensates for the lack of TIFF file saving. For a point and shoot camera, the aperture possibilities of between f/2.8 and f/4.9.
This camera is capable of functioning with an ISO as low as 80 - which actually rare for point and shoot cameras as often the ISO in point and shoot cameras starts off around 200 - 400. Because of this, the images have less noise in them and that can only be a good thing. However, in low light, it is possible to increase the ISO to 1600.
****The Viewer****
The viewer itself is a 2.5 inch LCD screen which is a good size for both viewing a picture to take a good picture and also for viewing the photo afterwards. Because this camera can be used underwater, it is necessary for the screen to display images in a brighter luminosity that standard cameras - and so you can see images much better in the dark, as well as being able to see the screen when underwater.
It is possible to adjust the luminosity of the screen viewer as there are 5 possible brightness levels. I have been able to adequately see the screen in all conditions including bright sunlight. The images on the screen are displayed with a very good resolution and so images appear crisp and clear and an accurate reflection of the end printed product.
****The Camera's Special Functions****
This camera has all of the basic functions that you would expect of a point and shoot digital camera - and a few more. Overall, the functions work very well and are easy to find and use on he camera's menu.
There are actually 18 scene modes to opt from which is certainly more than generally would have been expected. These scene modes include Underwater, Snow, Night and Beach modes. There is also a Smart Auto Mode which basically allows the camera to choose what it thinks is the right scene depending on the brightness, distance and contrast of the subject - and I have to say that overall, this camera very much chooses the right setting when set in this smart mode.
It also has a Face Detection Mode which can recognise up to 35 faces in a scene and ensures that these faces are kept in focus. It has a special new feature called "Blink Detection" which will tell you if someone has blinked when you have taken the photo! I have to admit that I don't use the Blink Detection mode much, but it is absolutely infallible and is useful in a situation where you want to get a great group picture. It also has a red eye function whereby you can prevent red eye before the photo is taken, but also correct it after the photo had been taken.
It is with great pleasure I have found that this camera has an Image Stabilisation (IS) mode which I have on a couple of my DSLR lenses - and let me tell you, it can be a Godsend! Basically, if you have this mode turned on (Ummmm why wouldn't you??!) it automatically compensates for any movement of the camera which can result in horrendous blurring of the finished image. I love this feature...absolutely love it...and I have it turned on permanently.
As mentioned, this camera can be used underwater to up to 10 feet and it was with a lot of trepidation that I put this camera under the water when I was in the Galapagos. But the camera coped brilliantly and all the internal workings remained perfectly dry - and I got some great, crisp images of manta ray, sea turtles and amazingly colourful tropical fish.
Overall, the camera's functions on this camera are brilliant and I cannot fault them at all.
****The Images****
I am so impressed with the quality of the images that this camera consistently produces. File sizes usually reach around 3Mb which is good for a point and shoot camera. Like I said previously, you can only save in JPEG format - but again, this is fairly standard with non DSLR's.
Images are crisp and clear with a very adequate resolution for prints of 7 x 5 inches and even up to A4 size. However, with larger prints, image quality starts to fall off.
With low ISO values of 100 - 200, noise is almost non-existent. Macro images are good from a distance of 2cms - and the night photos I have got with this camera are fantastic as there is a potential long shutter mode of up to 15 seconds.
Having the IS mode switched on means that images really are clear even when I've been in a situation where camera shake was inevitable (like on the Waltzers recently).
***The Manual***
There is a manual that comes with the camera which has a lot of information in it, but unfortunately this comes on a CD - which isn't great considering the fact that I like to have something to refer to when I'm out in the field. There is a very quick view guide that comes with it, but to be honest this isn't very informative unless you have never used a digital camera before!
****Will it last?****
I hope so! One of the reasons I bought this camera is because its waterproof, shock proof (to 1m) and resistant to dust and cold (up to -10C). True to form, I have bashed it around a bit in the six months, and with the exception of a few minor scratches on the main body, its like new.
****The bottom line: How much does it cost?****
It cost me £210 from Amazon when I bought it - although I have seen it for as little as £190 since then. It comes with a six months guarantee.
***Overall***
Overall, I would recommend this point and shoot camera without question. I am incredibly impressed by the functions, by its underwater capabilities and by the quality of the images if produces. To be honest, I really don't think that anyone could go wrong buying this.
Summary: Brilliant. Highly recommended as a very capable point and shoot camera.
Canon D10: This is definately not a toy! 
