Canon PowerShot D10

Resolution (13.97)

We were very impressed with the resolution of the images captured by the D10, which were very sharp, had only slight distortion and had low chromatic aberration.  Click here for more on how we test resolution.

Distortion (6.17)
The images that the D10 took had some distortion issues at the wide and mid points of the zoom range: at both we saw some evidence of barrel distortion, where straight lines become bowed outwards by the optics of the lens. You can see this in the examples below: the red line is added to show the ideal straight line. There was only a very small amount of pincushion distortion at the telephoto end of the zoom range, which is undetectable by the human eye.

Distortion Examples

Wide (6.2mm) Mid zoom (9.7 mm) Telephoto (18.6 mm)

This distortion is noticeable, but is not a huge problem unless you make a habit of shooting grids and straight lines like our test chart. Most users won't notice any major issues, but things like lamp posts and walls may look slightly bowed at the edges of the frame.

Distortion Score Comparisons
		Compare to Fuji Z33WP
		Compare to Olympus Stylus Tough 8000
		Compare to Pentax W80

Sharpness (21.04)
We found that the D10 did an excellent job of capturing fine details in images: in our tests, the edges of the blocks on the test chart were clear and sharp, as you can see in the examples below. This was borne out in our tests shooting in the real world; the images that the D10 captured were extremely clean and sharp without the artificial sharpening that some cameras do to try and make the image look sharper. You can see examples below or in our sample photos section of this review.

Chromatic Aberration (7.99)
The D10 did show some chromatic aberration, where the elements of the lens refract colors of light differently, producing a colored fringe on edges. This was particularly in evidence at the edges of images taken at the telephoto end of the zoom range, but it was also visible in the middle and the wide end of the zoom range. Much like the distortion, you probably aren't likely to notice this that much in photos, but it can give photos a rather soft look.

Image Sharpness and Chromatic Aberration
6.2mm			9.7mm			18.6 mm

Resolution Score Comparisons
		Compare to Fuji Z33WP
		Compare to Olympus Stylus Tough 8000
		Compare to Pentax W80

Picture Quality & Size Options (7.53)

The D10 offers two quality levels for images (Fine and Normal), plus 6 different shooting resolutions. Some point and shoots also offer an option to capture RAW files (which are the raw image data from the image sensor), but the D10 cannot do this.

Image Stabilization (2.10)

The D10 includes an image stabilization (IS) system that moves an element of the lens to compensate for camera shake, and we found this to be reasonably effective. We test this by attaching the camera to our stabilization test rig and shooting a series of photos at 1/30 of a second exposure time. We found that enabling the IS made the images a little sharper, but the system can't cope with lots of movement or sudden movements,  Click here for more on how we test image stabilization.

	Image Stabilization Examples
	Canon D10	Olympus Stylus Tough 8000	Pentax W80
IS Off
IS On

See how the competition stacked up against the Canon D10
Fuji Z33WP	Olympus Stylus Tough 8000	Pentax W80