Canon D10 vs Pentax W60 – In Digital Photography Review’s ‘Waterproof’ Camera Group Test (Q2 2009), Don Wan, the reviewer, sums up nicely the differences, strengths and weaknesses of the
Canon PowerShot D10 12.1 MP Waterproof Digital Camera in comparison with the Pentax Optio W60 Waterproof 10MP Digital Camera:
It is interesting that Pentax (which has been making waterproof cameras since 2002) and Canon (for whom the D10 represents the first attempt at a waterproof camera) are the two that managed to produce the best image quality of the group. Where the D10 uses more sharpening at lower ISO settings and more noise reduction at higher ISO settings, the W60 sharpens less at low ISO settings and employs less aggressive noise reduction at higher ISO settings, producing a more even output across the range. The W60 has a wider zoom range, and a larger ISO range and is more pocketable, but it lacks the D10’s image stabilization. In essence the W60 seems to be the camera that you can use all the time but also take underwater, while the D10 is the camera designed to be used underwater which you can also use all the time if you choose.
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The Pentax W60 is certainly an attractive package, and with a 5x zoom lens that extends from 28mm to 140mm HD video capture, you would think that it would make a great competitor to the D10 for winner of the group test. But looking closer you find that the 720p video is only recorded at 15 fps, and to get 30 fps you have to step down to VGA resolution. The lack of built-in image stabilization means that the W60 needs to use higher ISO setting to reduce camera shake compared to the D10.
Looking closer at the image quality, especially at lower ISO settings, the D10 constantly produces sharper more detailed results than the W60, and with no control over sharpening or noise reduction, you are pretty much stuck with the output of the camera as it stands. The flash performance is also not as good at the D10, and the very poor red eye performance with flash is especially concerning. As a underwater camera the W60 can only be used to 3m / 10ft, which is far off the 10m / 33ft of the D10, and the interface of the W60 is harder to use while in the water than the D10. Ultimately if you are going to mainly use the camera out of the water, and need something that can fit easily in your pocket then the W60 is certainly worth a closer look.